Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Malachi Warren barely survived a series of assaults on his life. But survive he did, though not without baggage. Now, Malachi must pick up the pieces of his shattered life—the most important piece being his boyfriend, Bran Kendrick, who is dealing with problems of his own.

Stagnating at his job at a small-town café, Bran’s pride keeps him from asking Malachi—or anyone—for help. Desperate to do something, Malachi secretly pays a celebrity chef with a bakery in New Orleans to take on Bran as his apprentice.

As Malachi and Bran begin to make a new life in New Orleans, the specter of Malachi’s PTSD and the growing stress over the secret he hides from Bran threaten their relationship. Before it’s too late, Malachi must confront his past and face his fears about the future, all without losing himself—and Bran—in the process.

 

Book Review

As wonderful as ‘Coffee Cake’, this sequel to Bran and Malachi’s story is a treat in its own way. Now that they are together, dealing with everyday issues in their relationship becomes more important than getting to know each other and figuring out the basics. With Malachi just having survived several attempts to kill him and Brand not happy with his job prospects where he is, both young men have their hands full trying to make sense of who they are and where they want to go not just in the bedroom, but in terms of their careers. Malachi’s past catches up with him, Brand needs help and won’t ask, and nothing is as easy as it seems.
 
Malachi has a lot of issues coming at him in this story. For one thing, his past won’t leave him alone, and the recent attacks have left some scars Malachi finds difficult to deal with. His nightmares are only the beginning. The other thing is Malachi’s excellent financial situation – which puts him in a far better place than Bran. So far he has done a good job not interfering in Bran’s life because he knows Bran is proud and wants to make it on his own, but it is hard for Malachi to watch Bran struggle and not ask for help. So Malachi comes up with a brilliant plan to help secretly – which has them moving to New Orleans and Bran following his dream of an apprenticeship with a celebrity baker.

But of course there are no secrets, and when everything comes to light, Bran is not happy. Add the struggle Malachi still faces dealing with his PTSD, and the relationship is in deep trouble. Learning how to fight constructively is not easy, so it gets really ugly for a while. Luckily both Malachi and Bran have some good friends who help them see the error of their ways – but it is touch and go for a long time and I spent several chapters on the edge of my seat, hoping they’d figure out how much better they are together than apart.

If you like multilayered characters who feel like real people you know, if you want to find out more about men outside the “traditional” realm of relationships, and if you’re looking for a read that is as emotionally devastating as it is sweet, then you will probably like this novel. I still haven’t gotten enough of Bran and Malachi!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 200 pages/60000 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	09-October-2015
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/beignets-by-michaela-grey-1642-b