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Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Spice: 🌶️🌶️

by Rochelle Below (April 30, 2024) – Many thanks to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for the gifted print, digital and audiobook copies of this perfect summer read! Below is my honest review #berkleypartner #prhaudioinfluencer

Effie left her small town home in coastal Maine behind 16 years ago. Since then, she’s traveled the world working at some of the best Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe. But, recently fired from her job as head chef, broke, and carrying all her belongings in one suitcase, she is out of options and returning home. On the plus side, her sleepy town is home to a Michelin-starred restaurant needing a sous chef. On the downside, she has to face her dad, her sister, and Ernie, the best friend she left behind at high school graduation, just after he told her he loved her. As Effie navigates rediscovering her family, repairing her friendship with Ernie, and a new restaurant gig, she realizes there is much more going on with all three – coming to terms with her parents’ divorce, recognizing Ernie’s feelings might not have been so one-sided, and some very fishy business at the restaurant.

This second-chance summer romance is a rollercoaster of emotions. The coastal Maine setting is beautifully described, Effie’s character is chaotically lovable, and Ernie is a golden retriever with an edge. But what really pulls you in is the emotional journey of these characters. Bilow’s writing immediately immerses you in the depth of their past friendship, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the simultaneous thrill and fear of risking that friendship for something more. This book is a must-read if you’re a fan of witty banter, small towns, and second-chance romances!

The audiobook narration really pulls you into the tenderness and intimacy of Effie and Ernie’s relationship while also giving life to an entire town of wildly different characters.