Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Naughty but Nice - Donna Kaufmann (Kensington - Nov 2018)

Series: Hamilton (Book 3)

Businessman Griffin's never believed in luck...until sassy-sweet small-town baker Melody turns his world around. Except there's a catch: There's no way he'll be able to build his empire and hold on to her. His new "lucky charm" could destroy all his dreams...or make this Christmas better than he ever imagined possible...

Good story about a man who is all business until he meets a woman who teaches him how to enjoy life a little. Griffin is an Irishman who has come to the US to build a resort that is set to change the character of the small town where it will be located. Not everyone is pleased with his plans, especially bakery owner Melody.

There's more to Griffin than first apparent. He has concentrated on business and shut off his emotions because of the things he went through growing up. He never felt like he fit in and was bullied and abused by various family members. It was recently revealed that his father was adopted and Griffin has come to Hamilton to get to know his "real" family and learn about his inheritance.

Melody grew up in Hamilton, then left to become a lawyer in Washington DC. She came home to support her best friend who was dying of cancer, found she liked being a baker, and took over the bakery when her friend died. She has done her research on what happens to towns after Griffin's company "helps" them, and she doesn't like what she sees.

Griffin and Melody strike sparks off each other from the beginning. There is a definite attraction between them. I loved their first meeting, as Griffin was in search of coffee. She made her displeasure with him and his plans quite obvious there and again at the town council meeting. I liked the way that Griffin went to her shop that evening to talk to her about it and ended up staying to help. Griffin was amazed by the desire he felt to tell her things about his past, things he doesn't share with anyone. Within a short time the two of them find themselves giving in to their attraction. It was interesting to see the two of them get closer, obviously falling for each other, while agreeing to disagree on the plans for the town. Melody believes that their relationship will last only until Griffin moves on to his next project and wonders how she'll handle it when he's gone. Meanwhile, Griffin comes to realize that what he feels for Melody is much deeper than he had ever expected. I loved seeing his big moment at the end, and how his feelings for Melody had changed his views of his family. While the story never had the big conflict that I expected from the opening scenes, it ended up being a pretty sweet romance.


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