Cake by Lauren DaneMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Wren is confident and sexy and once she puts her mind to something, there’s really no stopping her. She’s content to only flirt and ogle Gregori and his artwork during her deliveries, but once she’s had a taste of him, there’s no stopping her from convincing him that they are perfect for each other. World-famous artist, Gregori, lives up to his reputation for partying and women. Wren sees through his facade and treats him like a normal person - and Gregori doesn’t know how to handle this relationship.
“I have better things to offer besides tea, you know.” He waggled his brows and she laughed, though she couldn’t fight the flush building through her belly.
“Yeah, you offering any of that up?”
He signed the last sheet, tucked all the papers back into the envelope and turned to face her. “I’m not sure you have enough time for all I have to offer.”
She stepped close enough to touch the envelopes, which put her just an inch or two away from his body. “Try me.”
The moment stretched taut between them, heating slowly, deliciously. Until he stepped back with a raised brow and a harrumph. “Go on then, Wren. Bring me something more fun next time.”
She took the envelope, tucking it into her bag. “I already bring myself. Nothing is more fun than that.”
One corner of his mouth rose. “I bet.”
She turned, heading out, but paused at the door. “One of these days you should see for yourself.”
Wren is the total package. There is no broken, whiny woman in this story and it is completely refreshing. She is strong, confident and very comfortable with herself. I think Gregori had a little of the whiny, broken going on and she’s there for him. Also, these two have known each for a year and have slowly learned about each other and had actual conversations. It all seemed so real and relatable thanks to their history.
This novella was surprisingly detailed. Wren and Gregori’s relationship was well developed and, even in the short number of pages, we learn a lot about the character’s backgrounds and what make them tick. Normally, novellas seem to be missing something to me, but CAKE had all the elements of a full-length novel in a fraction of the space. My complaint is that it was a little boring at times. The steamy scenes were just short of hot and it was missing some drama or angst. It was all very real, but I needed some more entertainment to keep me interested. Also, the cake reference was a little cheesy. There is actual food involved. Eh, I thought it was something dirty. (Mind = gutter)
CAKE is a novella with a strong heroine and a broken, sexy man. The characters are well developed despite the length, but a little lacking in excitement. I actually think it is closer to a 3.5 star rating because it is really well written and if you love a sexy, foreign male lead and a strong female, then you should give CAKE a try.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Tickled Pink for Book Ink
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