Amelia Wilde

Ok, look at that cover. Does that cover say “single dad falls in love with down-on-her luck waitress in quaint lake town”? No, it screams S E X. Which the book has! But it has so much more…

Ryder escapes from the city to this quiet, cute lake town in order to spend the summer getting his and his baby daughter’s lives back together. Valentine just got dumped and fired from her job and is back home nursing her wounds and working as a waitress in the town diner. Then they meet. And then Valentine sprays whip cream all over his face. It’s love!

Neither Valentine or Ryder are looking for a relationship, but they also aren’t willing to deny the hot, hot, hot attraction between them. So they think they can get away with a fun summer fling… except this is a romance novel, which means love is a-blooming! And in a nice reversal of gender roles, Ryder is almost the more tender-hearted, quick to recognize his growing feelings are more than just sexual attraction.

I really enjoyed the slow, steady growth of the emotional connection between Ryder and Valentine. Sure, there are hawt sexy times too, but in between are a lot of comedic mishaps, funny hi-jinks, and a romance that is actually romantic and fun to read.… (more)