Title: Served Hot
Series: Portland Heat #1
Author: Annabeth Albert
Genre: M/M gay romance
Released: 3 March 2015
Publisher: Kensington Publishing / Lyrical Press
Cover - Kensington Art Department
Blurb
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?
Review
Foxy Rating = Four and a half stars
ARC provided by the author/publishers via Netgalley in
exchange for an honest review
This is the first book in the new Portland Heat series and
my first read of this author. I was pleasantly surprised that I instantly liked
it! It was sweet, romantic with plenty of angst swirled in with a dashing of
hot off the charts steam thrown in for good measure.
Robby is running his own coffee shop and notices David who
then becomes a regular. With his long hours at his business and recovering from
a bad relationship, Robby is finding it hard to meet up with a genuine nice
guy. He’s had enough of the hook ups and the deep in the closet guys. So to say
he is hesitant to ask David is an understatement. David on the other hand is
not giving out any positive vibes besides the lingering looks or sneaky glances
at Robby. But as all good romances it takes a twist of fate to break the ice
and get the pair talking and taking a chance to progress a new friendship other
than that of passing acquaintances.
I liked the slow build of the budding romance which starts
off as a friendship as this gave the storyline more credence and be more believable.
Yes there were moments where I wanted to bang their heads together and shout
just ask him, or tell him! But eventually the pair work through their own
insecurities.
This was a lovely put together story that I really liked and
as such I did read it in one sitting one rainy Saturday afternoon. It gave me a
warmth and happy feeling once I came to the end. I was debating to rate this a
four but I think it deserves a push more towards a five as it left me with the
happy I was seeking. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Four
and a half stars.
Excerpts
A little idea niggled at my brain—like an evil elf had tapped me on the shoulder. “You know, if you give me your card, I could call you if you leave your wallet behind again.”
There. His cheeks went dusky pink. I finally got a blush out of him, but hell if I could decipher what it meant. I could predict people’s taste in coffee, down to preferred syrup flavor, but I still sucked at decoding anything as complex as human emotions.
“Ah. Um.” He did the nervous cough thing again.
“Never mind.” I wiped my hands on my apron. “I’d better get back.”
“Wait.” He opened the wallet, plucked out a white card with a blue logo, and offered it to me. His broad fingers brushed mine again as he handed it over. Another barely there touch, but I felt the charge all the way down my spine, like I’d chugged a triple shot.
My breath tripped with wishing he’d add a “call me anytime.” Brian would have. But David just stood there silently. Straighter than the Fremont Bridge and denser than a concrete pylon.
Buy The Book
Meet The Author
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.
Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency
So you think you know Annabeth Albert? Well here are two of the tour wide questions Foxylutely asked her:-
57 – Eat out or dine in?
I love to cook, but I never turn down dinner out.
58 – What is the best gift you’ve ever received?
My kids. I know it’s cheesy, but it’s true.
Contact the Author
Giveaway
Congratulations on your new book it sounds great.
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