Wednesday, August 5, 2015

review || DELICIOUS DECEPTION { blog tour } by Tami Lund



Crimson Romance | Date, 2015 | Contemporary Romance
Tough Love, book 3
★★★★

SOURCE: S.B.B. PROMOTIONS


Emily Kate Boudreaux runs a restaurant located on a bayou in Texas, because it’s what her family expects of her. She’d rather pursue her living as an artist. Then sexy chef Connor Rikeland walks into her life and turns it upside down. Soon, Emily Kate’s restaurant is a roaring success, she has time to paint to her heart’s content, there’s a hunky guy warming her bed, and she’s having visions of happily ever after.

Connor Rikeland is used to women throwing themselves at him, and he’s been known to use relationships as a bargaining chip in his climb up the ladder. He wants a culinary career in the spotlight—and Cajun cooking isn’t his ticket to fame even if Emily Kate is unlike anyone he’s ever met.

Not to mention Connor has a few secrets that have put him on the wrong side of her brother’s FBI case. When the pieces of just why Connor is hanging out in a backwoods town begin to surface, Emily Kate must decide what’s real, what’s a lie, and what’s worth risking her heart over. Because deception or not, life with Connor is delicious.


{ about karen ferry } .

Tami Lund likes to live, love, and laugh, and does her best to ensure the characters in her books do the same. After they’ve overcome a few seemingly insurmountable obstacles first, of course.

When she’s not doing that, she’s mom to two (growing far too fast) kids and a furbaby who conveniently forces her to exercise at least once a day. She’s also a wife to her own knight in shining armor who proposed in a way worthy of a romance novel. She loves to garden and every year attempts (usually in vain) to keep her lawn green through the month of August.

Tami is multi-published, both self- and with a few publishers, including Crimson Romance, Liquid Silver Books, and Soul Mates Publishing.

Chances are, there is a new book coming out soon. Be sure to stalk her on social media, so you know when.

And most important, if you enjoyed one of Tami’s books, please let other readers know by leaving a review on the site from which you bought it, or on Goodreads. Otherwise, how will they know which book to read next?

{ review } .

I actually put this book down and wasn't planning on finishing it. Sure, I would skim it to try and find those key-points to review on (I've mentioned in the past that I will always try to find something to talk about in a review -- I will always try to finish a book because there's always something done right) but then I was reading other peoples' reviews.

What book were they reading, that I couldn't get my mind into?

So I gave it another good try.

...and almost changed my 4 to a 4.5, but ended up keeping the 4 because it's more true to my feelings.

First off? If the book isn't grabbing you: put it down, take a walk, read a different book, but come back and give it a try. You'll find something you like.

Second? It is part of a series, but by no means do you need to read the others to read this one. Book one deals with Emily Kate's older brother, who by her accounts in this book, was as much of a playboy as Connor is. But really, don't need to read his book to understand why big brother FBI doesn't want "that type" hanging on his little sister.

I found parts of the book comical -- not in a "this is a romantic comedy" sort of way, but in a "that's pretty cheesy, but let's role with it" kind of way. I did not find the story to be terribly believable but again... I rolled with it.

Emily Kate runs a restaurant in Texas called Louisiana Kitchen. When Connor stumbles across it, he, obviously, mistakes it for being in Louisiana. You see, he had an issue with a casino, stole a boat, got lost in some canals, and ended up in not-Louisiana. He then overhears a conversation about the sad state of this restaurant, sees a cute blonde trying to talk patrons back into the restaurant, and puts in his two cents -- he can make a pecan-crusted trout, after all.

Emily Kate "hires" him on the spot, and ohp (not oop, ohp), he doesn't have a wallet, let alone cash or credit; where's he going to sleep? Emily Kate, kind southern hearted woman that she is at twenty-seven, brings him home -- where she knows she's going to sleep with him, but that is so not her (normally).

Forty-eight hours later, both are feeling like this person could be the one.

You picking up what I put down? Corn? Cheese..?

Harshness aside...

Connor was a good guy. He didn't get the breaks that he deserved, he got mixed up in the wrong thing... He was chasing a dream that he felt he deserved -- and when he saw Emily Kate's dream in front of him on canvas, he pushed her to fight for her dreams, too... until he had to return home because his dreams were more important (which is totally not what he said, but how Emily took it).

Emily is loyal and always puts family first -- it's the reason why she's running the restaurant and not taking time for her art. Her brother's words are always in her head; she wants to make him proud, but equally, she wants to fight for what she wants out of life.

Oh, and then FBI brother Jack... Just when you think you're going to dislike him (hey, now, I never read his story so I didn't get the chance to fall in love with his charm -- I just see his over-protective big brother self), he goes and proves to Connor that he wants to keep Emily Kate safe.

Ah, and then Pedro. He was a hoot. I enjoyed that man and his kitchen antics -- and his push-pull where Connor was concerned.

So altogether, this is an enjoyable read. I had fun reading it, even through the single-'brow-raising moments.

{ other books in series } .

No comments:

Post a Comment