Review: Chocolate and Microbrews
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 23, 2013
I like friends to lovers stories. That's what the first book in Kelly Jamieson's new San Amaro Singles series is. But what made it fresh for me was the characters. I loved the main protagonists in With Strings Attached. Corey and Matt are complicated and relatable. I was eager for them to realize that their "no strings" relationship was anything but that. Dylan comes into their lives and the situation comes to a boiling point.Corey and Matt are best friends... with benefits. They care about one another and support each other. Matt runs his own microbrew company and I got a kick out of his various ale names and his ideas for new brews. He had a pizza/beer combination failure that made me laugh. Corey creates gourmet chocolates. I was hungry a few times while reading this book!I loved learning about their jobs and seeing them actually work was nice. I liked all the layers to their characters. I could see where Corey was coming from and why she didn't want to rely on anyone. I wanted to shake Matt's ex for dumping him and making him think girls want Bad Boys who will treat them like crap, not nice guys like him.... And then I wanted to shake him for believing that. *sigh* We really do NOT all want guys who treat us like garbage. A man like Matt, who's responsible and cares enough to take time from his busy schedule to check on the women in his life and make sure they're ok, is a keeper. That Matt was hot and didn't recognize it makes him even more attractive. *sigh* I crushed hard for Matt.Matt's buddy Dylan comes to stay with him to recuperate from a bad surfing accident. I adored him*sigh* I liked Dylan's mix of confidence and vulnerability (loved his surf board comparisons!) and I'm excited that Kelly says his story will be the 3rd book in the series! The tale get's very steamy here with the three of them involved and emotions start to get tangled up. But with the walls Corey had around her heart and the blinders on Matt's it took an outside influence to open their eyes to the emotions they didn't recognize.I appreciate how Kelly weaves the characters' backstory into the narrative in a very natural way. I want stories for at least five of the secondary characters too. I'm invested in the San Amaro Singles and need to find out what happens to the rest of themWith Strings Attached is definitely an erotic romance. At times is a menage story. But it's always a love story. I loved seeing Matt and Corey realize the depths of their feelings for each other.Here are a few fav lines♦ He met her eyes and the understanding she saw there made her go all soft and warm and made her want to cry even more. "Not another word" He said quietly.♦ His heart softened in his chest, though, looking at her, crashed there in his passenger seat, and he wished he could do more to make her life easier.♦ "And I'm goint to try to let you be there for me. You always were." she added hastily. "I just didn't want you to be. I'm sorry."♦ Tears leaked from her eyes at the expression on his face, the devotion and worship, the gratitude and appreciation, and she reflected it back to him, giving it all to him, giving him everything she had.With Strings Attached is as delicious and richly layered story as the chocolate Corey creates and has moments as fun and intoxicating as Matt's microbrews. I recommend you give it a try if you are in the mood for a hot story with deep emotion, heart and heat.((hugs))) KatThe Queen of Tarts♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion.