Happy Release + Review : Delivered Fast by Annabeth Albert – Portland Heat Series – Book 3

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Delivered Fast

Portland Heat Series – Book 3

By Annabeth Albert

Synopsis

Portland, Oregon, aka Hotlandia, where the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are ready to serve everything piping hot, fresh, and ready to go—like the hard-working, hard-bodied men behind the counters—with no reservations…
Sure, Chris O’Neal has problems. His restaurant is still co-owned by his ex. His flannel-and-tattoos style is making him accidentally trendy. He can’t remember the last time he went out and had fun. But he’s not lonely, he’s driven. And the hot bakery delivery boy is not his problem, no matter how sweet his buns.

Chris is old enough to know Lance Degrassi’s sculpted good looks and clever double entendres spell nothing but trouble. Lance is still in college—he should be hitting the clubs and the books, chasing guys his own age, not pursuing some gruff motorcycle-riding workaholic. Especially when he’ll be leaving for grad school in a few months. But Lance keeps hanging around, lending a hand, charming Chris to distraction. Maybe some steaming hot no-strings indulgence won’t hurt.

Then again, maybe it will…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

4StarSun

Tina’s Review

Judging a Book by it’s Cover:
I’m undecided on the cover. I’ve liked the torso shots from the previous installments to the series, so this unclothed close-up seems unnecessary to me. The synopsis was, honestly, not important to me, I was looking forward to reading Lance’s story.
Looking Deeper:
First Person POV from Chris’s perspective. Chris has been solo and celibate since breaking off a not-great relationship with his ex-, who also unfortunately is half-owner of the coffee shop he runs. Lance is a vibrant and intelligent young man, preparing to start graduate school in the fall after his current semester of college is over. Lance has his eye on Chris and although Chris is mutually attracted, he fights it because of their age difference and how it reminds him of the damaging relationship he had with Randy.
In many ways, Lance came off more mature than Chris, maybe because of the support network Lance had and/or the lack of for Chris. Both characters were well-written, but I think I liked Lance’s vitality over Chris’s curmudgeonly ways. The secondary characters were just enough to add a little fun to the mix. Dialogue was great, the interactions were good. Most felt natural and believable. The plot was good, but it felt a little thin, like something was missing. The previous stories seemed fuller, but always, the flow of writing was smooth as melting butter on a biscuit. The conflict was resolved in a great way, not rushed or belittled. I did predict the outcome, but that did not detract from the story and the conclusion was fantastic. I hope there will be more books in this series. Although this novella can easily stand on it’s own, Lance’s cousin Vic is mentioned often and has a cameo or two. He’s one part of BAKED FRESH’s couple, so I’d recommend starting the series from the beginning, because even Robby (SERVED HOT) is given a quick nod in here.

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The Portland Heat Series

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Served Hot

Portland Heat Series – Book 1

Genre: GLBT, M/M, Gay

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By Annabeth Albert

Synopsis

In Portland, Oregon, the only thing hotter than the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are the hard-working men who serve it up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Robby is a self-employed barista with a busy coffee cart, a warm smile, and a major crush on one of his customers. David is a handsome finance director who works nearby, eats lunch by himself, and expects nothing but “the usual”—small vanilla latte—from the cute guy in the cart. But when David shows up for his first Portland Pride festival, Robby works up the nerve to take their slow-brewing relationship to the next level. David, however, is newly out and single, still grieving the loss of his longtime lover, and unsure if he’s ready to date again. Yet with every fresh latte, sweet exchange—and near hook-up—David and Robby go from simmering to steaming to piping hot. The question is: Will someone get burned?

First in the new Portland Heat series!

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

baked fresh

Baked Fresh

Portland Heat Series – Book 2

By Annabeth Albert

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Synopsis

From its famous coffee to the mouthwatering fare at its cafés, restaurants, and bakeries, Portland, Oregon, has a lot to whet the appetite, including the hard-working men who serve it all up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Vic Degrassi is a baker on the rise, and it’s all thanks to his rare ability to make—and keep—his New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s losing weight, giving up smoking, or graduating from culinary school, Vic goes after what he wants—and gets it. This year? He wants Robin Dawson, the sweet-hearted hottie who volunteers with him at the local homeless shelter. When he learns that Robin is suddenly single after being unceremoniously dumped, Vic is more than happy to offer a shoulder to cry on—or at least a fresh-baked pastry to bite into. But it’s been a long time since Vic’s gone on a date, and he’s nervous about risking his friendship with Robin. So when their flirtation turns into a steamy night together, Vic and Robin have to figure out if they’re friends with benefits or lovers in the making, and if Robin is ready for something more than just a rebound. There’s only one way to find out: turn up the heat…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Delivered Fast

Portland Heat Series – Book 3

By Annabeth Albert

Synopsis

Portland, Oregon, aka Hotlandia, where the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are ready to serve everything piping hot, fresh, and ready to go—like the hard-working, hard-bodied men behind the counters—with no reservations…
Sure, Chris O’Neal has problems. His restaurant is still co-owned by his ex. His flannel-and-tattoos style is making him accidentally trendy. He can’t remember the last time he went out and had fun. But he’s not lonely, he’s driven. And the hot bakery delivery boy is not his problem, no matter how sweet his buns.

Chris is old enough to know Lance Degrassi’s sculpted good looks and clever double entendres spell nothing but trouble. Lance is still in college—he should be hitting the clubs and the books, chasing guys his own age, not pursuing some gruff motorcycle-riding workaholic. Especially when he’ll be leaving for grad school in a few months. But Lance keeps hanging around, lending a hand, charming Chris to distraction. Maybe some steaming hot no-strings indulgence won’t hurt.

Then again, maybe it will…

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

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Author Bio:

6477494Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

 

 

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Happy Release + Review: Served Hot by Annabeth Albert – Portland Heat Series – Book 1

81uKaNhm4EL._SL1500_

Served Hot

Portland Heat Series – Book 1

Genre: GLBT, M/M, Gay

4bee0-add-to-goodreads-button31

By Annabeth Albert

Synopsis

In Portland, Oregon, the only thing hotter than the coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries are the hard-working men who serve it up—hot, fresh, and ready to go—with no reservations…

Robby is a self-employed barista with a busy coffee cart, a warm smile, and a major crush on one of his customers. David is a handsome finance director who works nearby, eats lunch by himself, and expects nothing but “the usual”—small vanilla latte—from the cute guy in the cart. But when David shows up for his first Portland Pride festival, Robby works up the nerve to take their slow-brewing relationship to the next level. David, however, is newly out and single, still grieving the loss of his longtime lover, and unsure if he’s ready to date again. Yet with every fresh latte, sweet exchange—and near hook-up—David and Robby go from simmering to steaming to piping hot. The question is: Will someone get burned?

First in the new Portland Heat series!

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes / Kobo

4 Star

Tina’s Review

Novella length, about 100 pages. The synopsis provided really does capture the essence of the book quite nicely. Well-written, very likable character each individually charming and with their own flaws. There are very few secondary characters & even then, they only minute supporting roles. The dialogue and interaction is believable in it’s initial awkwardness and progression as the relationship progresses. My heart breaks a little for these two guys here and there, throughout the book, because of the doubts and insecurities brought on my poor past experiences. There’s enough emotion conveyed to connect you to the story and it’s characters and the sexy scenes were sweet and hot. Plot is a hard element to score on novellas, they often lack the depth and dimension of a full-length novel. This one makes a valid attempt, but lacks the fullness I’d prefer to see. That said, it is still a nice story that flows very well, it just fell a little dynamically flat is all. There are conflicts throughout that are resolved in mostly-mature and timely manners. Predictability was pleasantly low. The conclusion is solid and nicely wrapped up. Overall, I’d say this was a quick, but enjoyable read.

Author Bio:

6477494Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads