Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Frederic was never cut out to be a reality TV star.

After losing a rigged cooking show competition, and a potential lover, to another baker, Frederic Jackson wants the anonymity of small town life and his own bakery. He's packed his considerable baggage and moved to Bluewater Bay, using the network's hush money over the show's fixed results to rebuild his simple dream.

 

Blaire Caruthers knew working for his father was a bad idea, manipulating the outcome of the company’s flagship show a mistake, but choosing another man over kind, generous Frederic downright stupid. To escape the fallout, he's been sent to sleepy Bluewater Bay to oversee the company’s interest in Wolf’s Landing merchandise.

 

Confronted with the very things they are trying to escape, both men are forced to make hard choices. Frederic will have to learn to trust the man he loves, but who already proved unreliable. And Blaire has to free himself of family expectation to prove he's the man Frederic deserves.

 

Bluewater Bay was supposed to be a hidden harbor and a hiding place. Instead, it's turned into their second—and maybe last—chance to get things right.

First edition published by Riptide Publishing, February 2016.

Book Review

Time has flown by as I've consumed the 'Bluewater Bay' series. Each installment has had its ups and downs, its good and bad, and wonderful endings. Jaime Samms is a favorite author of mine, so I had a very good feeling that she'd probably put me through the emotional wringer with Frederic and Blaire. I wasn't wrong.

Frederic, don't call me Freddie, made me melt from the very first moment. I don't know what it is, but lately in the books I’ve read authors have been writing these men that I just want to protect, to love, to hug, and to take care of. That is Frederic to a T. Blaire on the other hand, well, let's just say I didn't have a very favorable reaction to him in the beginning. I warmed up to him, though, as I watched him try to take care of Frederic and ease some of his burdens. Frederic has more than his share with a dying, alcoholic father who has bled him dry of his bakery’s profits for a long time, but Frederic can't turn his back on him no matter what. And there's his gran who pretty much raised him and she gets about nothing in a pension so Frederic makes sure there's always a little cushion in her account although she never asks. See why I fell for him?

Along with this beautiful romance the author scripted, she went a step further and introduced some business machinations worthy of Machiavelli. Oscar, Blaire's dad, is an evil, controlling, demanding a-hole who wants nothing more than to keep Blaire under his thumb by whatever means necessary. Once Blaire catches on to the plot to eviscerate the good work that he and his staff have been doing, well, it's time for Blaire to move up his plan of getting out from under his father and Caruthers Industries. Hopefully he can outmaneuver his father well enough to protect his staff, many businesses in Bluewater Bay, and Frederic.

Unfortunately, Blaire can't protect Frederic from his demons. Frederic ends up in the hospital because he's overworked himself so badly, he's significantly underweight, dehydrated, and has a serious infection. Frederic never wanted to be like his father, but for four years beginning when he was twelve, he became addicted to cocaine, ecstasy, dope, and other street drugs. He entered rehab at sixteen and he's been sober ever since. Except he's never really dealt with the issues, the wanting to please everyone, so instead he works himself to death and that's his replacement addiction. And that's a demon Frederic has to fix on his own, Blaire can't make it all go away.

“We can’t,” he whispered. “If we keep going back to that, we will never go forward. I have a dream come true—well, almost, anyway—and you have to deal with your father. I have to make this bakery work. I have to. It’s my soul, but it isn’t everything, and I wanted to make it everything so I didn’t have to think about missing my heart or to admit I could never have what I wanted.”
“And what was it you wanted?”
“You."

Yep, an emotional wringer. I felt like a limp dishrag when it was all said and done. I think my most favorite part was Frederic's dawning realization, at the end, that people, customers even, cared about him and they were willing to step in and help without wanting anything in return. It's official. 'How the Cookie Crumbles' is my second favorite of the whole series so far. I adored Frederic and Blaire, plus the secondary characters were fantastic. Awesome job, Jaime!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 344 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-March-2022
Price	$5.99 ebook, $12.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/How-Cookie-Crumbles-Bluewater-Romance-ebook/dp/B09V2ZTYW2