New Release Review & Excerpt:
Stronger Than Passion
By Katherine McIntyre
Chesapeake Days, Book 2
Hudson West is the enemy. Nico Shah is trouble. However, when they’re forced to collaborate on a town project, they can’t stop the passion from burning.
Hudson West is the enemy.
The calm, arrogant, stupidly hot owner of the rival restaurant in town never fails to push Nico Shah’s buttons. So when he and Hudson are invited to collaborate to cater the Chesapeake Days festival, he wants to say hell no. But with his mother’s upcoming transplant, he needs that money.
Nico Shah is trouble.
Hudson’s noticed the gorgeous, witty flirt and has veered far away. He’s looking for commitment while Nico’s looking for his next flavor of the night. Except now that they’re working together, neither can ignore the chemistry that’s one spark away from burning down a forest. And when they finally collide, the connection is beyond anything either has experienced.
But with Nico still terrified of the word “boyfriend” and Hudson needing someone who belongs to him, this can only end in heartbreak.
Universal Link
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Excerpt:
With the way this week had started out, Nico was two steps away from dousing the town in turpentine and tossing the match.
Crumpling the paper in his fist, he tried to suck in a deep breath. Not like it did much to calm the artillery fire in his chest. Fucking asshole.
He and Hudson West were going to have words. Some pithy, some sharp, and most of them unkind.
Harbor Pointe loomed in front of him, all beige walls and hunter-green shutters on the quaint historic house. Wide windows allowed plenty of natural light in, and the patio on the side of the restaurant was full of the high-end patrons this place attracted. Honestly, he couldn’t stand clientele like that, but while he’d love to say good riddance, he couldn’t afford to. Not when they swarmed during the summer and made up a lot of Chesapeake City’s business.
And right now, his pride and joy, Port of Call, needed any extra business it could get.
Nico sucked in a deep breath and slid his Ray Bans off, hanging them from the center of his V-neck. He preferred to avoid Harbor Pointe at all costs and rarely paid an in-person visit, but this… this warranted one. Hudson West had been trouble from the moment he rolled into town a little over a year ago and started a restaurant good enough to compete with Nico’s, and it didn’t look like he showed any signs of easing up.
Nerves. Settle them. Right.
He strode toward the side entrance of the restaurant, wanting to keep this confrontation as private as possible. No need for any onlookers; that would be bad for his own business. He balled his hands into fists and then flexed his fingers, rinse and repeat, as the crisp freshwater breezes wound around him, the picture-perfect view visible from the patio. The servers looked like they’d been plucked out of a country club in their white polos and dark slacks, which worked just peachy for the rich assholes who frequented the place, owner included.
Nico soaked in the pristine cloth napkins, hickory tables and chairs, and barely-there food against spotless white plates. Not for him in the slightest. He’d take his rowdy crowd of boozers at Port of Call any day. He ducked inside the restaurant, the slight chill of the air-conditioning prickling his skin. The lights were dim, gliding like gossamer over all the polished surfaces, since rich folks seemed to have an incessant need to view their own reflections. The paper in his hand was probably unreadable at this point from too many creases, but he’d brought it along to make a point, not be legible.
He skimmed through the room that preached quiet elegance, even with a fair number of patrons dining inside. The bar sparkled with glassware, the back lined by top-shelf liquors, and there, amid it all, stood the man he’d been searching for.
Hudson West was the epitome of preppy white boy with a square jaw, intense blue eyes, and thick, dirty-blond hair. Of course, the guy was built too, all well-defined arms, broad shoulders, and thighs that filled out his slacks far too well. Like Captain freaking America without any of the integrity. Fine, the man might also be stupidly hot, but even with Nico’s sloppy track record of one-night stands, he drew his line in the sand at pompous dickbags. And Hudson had proved to be a jackass from the first day they met.
Nico made his way forward, mentally daring Hudson to glance his way. He was sure the irritation in his look alone would rip the guy a new one.
Hudson’s gaze darted in his direction, those blue eyes darkening. Still, he didn’t bother to wave, nod, or acknowledge, just continued shaking and pouring an old-fashioned into the polished rocks glass. Basic politeness would be far too much of an effort. He handed the drink to a stiff-looking older guy sitting at the far end of the bar and returned to the center. Nico sucked in a breath and approached the bar, sliding onto the stool in front of Hudson.
Hudson arched a brow. “I’m assuming you’re not here for a drink?” His rich, low voice dripped arrogance, something Nico had marked about the man from the start.
Nico let out a snort. “Safe assumption. I like my martinis without the extra shot of condescension.”
Hudson rolled his eyes. “We all know you’re allergic to a little class, Shah.”
Nico’s jaw twitched. Asshole. “I’ll take personality over class.”
~ * ~ Amy‘s Review ~ * ~
4 Stars
This is the first book I’ve read by the author but they’ve been on my radar. I’ve seen their books around, so I jumped at the chance to read one. Of course, I started with book number two in the series, but that didn’t keep me from being able to follow along. I have a feeling they were at least small side characters in the previous book, but if it went like this one, not having read it won’t interfere with the storyline of their book. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything other than seeing how their friends got together. I will probably go back and read it.
This is an enemies-to-lovers romance which is right up my alley. There is no doubt that these two men don’t like each other. While we don’t SEE why in this book, we do find out why fairly early on, so there’s no wondering there (if you are one who needs that – it doesn’t matter to me when we find out why as long as it’s worked into the story authentically). There’s no fun, witty banter – they full-on hate each other.
This story kept my attention pretty well, which is hard to do right now. That is fully credited to the writing. The flow of the story was nice – quick-paced, steady, and consistent. I liked the side characters and town as well. I will most likely read the next one as well. I would recommend this to anyone who likes an enemies-to-lovers storyline.
***A copy of this book was provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review was not required.***
~ * ~ Kathy‘s Review ~ * ~
* * * Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement * * *
Catch-up on Chesapeake Days, Book 1
One man looking to set down roots, the other looking to leave…
Fresh out of a relationship, Nate’s searching for a change—what better way is there than renovating his uncle’s old coffee shop in Chesapeake City? He has a new job, in a new town, and a new lease. And when he almost runs over his hot neighbor, Linc, who happens to be his contractor? Well, based on the explosive attraction between them, maybe he’ll find something new there too.
Linc’s been treading water ever since his wife passed away in childbirth, focusing all of his energy on raising his son, Beckett. The obvious solution? He needs to get the hell out of Chesapeake City. But when Nate charmingly fumbles his way into Linc’s life, he finds his defenses lowering for the first time in years. One date leads to another, and hell, this man makes him feel in ways he’d forgotten.
Even though Nate just finished piecing his heart back together, he falls fast. Yet Linc’s made it clear he’s a bad bet. The man hasn’t clicked with anyone since his wife, and if Nate ends up being “not enough” again, that won’t shatter just his heart—the fragile home he’s trying to build in this town will crumble too.
Universal Link
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About the Author:
Katherine McIntyre is a feisty chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—and there’s an equally high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there, from different cultures and races to all varieties of men and women.
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