Queen B’s Decree: I hadn’t been looking forward to Semi-Sweet as much as the others in the series. And that’s because it’s of the dreaded “second chance” trope. I should have never doubted Erin Nicholas because Semi-Sweet was so much more than a generic “second chance” romance.
Whitney and Cam fell in love while they were teenagers and kept it secret from their families due to the feud that started when Whitney’s grandmother opened Hot Cakes and left Cam’s grandmother’s bakery. When Whitney feels forced to stay in Appleby, she and Cam break up. Ten years pass and now Cam is one of the new owners of her family’s company and Whit’s new boss.
Really, it seemed like Cam and Whit didn’t know how to act around each other. They had all this history, and yet didn’t know each other. It all starts to turn around when Whitney’s grandmother Didi convinces Cam to move in and replace her home health “babysitter.” It’s really then that Erin Nicholas turns this book from a standard romance into something more. I love how she often intersperses deep and meaningful topics. What happens here is that we learn how Didi was marginalized and essentially pushed out of having any power in her own company. Then the pattern continues with Whitney as her father and brothers continue the misogynistic “family tradition.”
And really the magic just unfolds from there. Wonderful sexual tension, deep emotional connection, and loyal friendships. And chocolate chip cookie dough.
Book: Semi-Sweet On You by Erin Nicholas
Series: Hot Cakes #4
Genre: Contemporary
Hotness: medium salsa
Plot Devices/Tropes: second chance, boss/employee