Two Reviews & Excerpts from the Busy Bean series in the World of True North: Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry and Cowboy by L.B. Dunbar

SWEETHEART by Sarah Mayberry

Release Date: March 1, 2021

I just wanted to get my hands on his beans

Four years ago, I had a ridiculous crush on my sister's boyfriend. But when they moved away together, I put Beck out of my mind and my heart. But now he's back, and roasting the best coffee in Vermont. I need to convince him to supply the Busy Bean. And I need more of those kisses we accidentally shared outside the coffee shop. He still makes my heart race faster than a triple shot of espresso. 

She should be off limits, but instead she's pushing mine

Her sister burned my life to the ground, so Haley Elliot is the last woman I should bring into my bed. Although our business relationship is giving way to something more than a fine grind. Neither of us can help ourselves. And what’s worse, I think I’m falling for her.

But it’s a small town, and ours is a big secret. And when her sister blows back into town, suddenly the coffee isn’t the only thing brewing...

 Purchase here:
Amazon: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-Amazon
Apple: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-Apple
Kobo: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-kobo
Nook: https://geni.us/Sweetheart-Nook

Add to Goodreads here: https://bit.ly/2JhMAAe
Series page: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/busy-bean/
Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

Excerpt

You know that thing where the rational part of your brain decides on a sensible course of action and commits to it, but then the murky, primal, unsupportive part of your brain refuses to get on board? The Germans probably have a name for it, something hard to pronounce with lots of umlauts. All I had was a feeling, and it hit me on a regular basis over the next couple of weeks whenever Beck set foot in the Busy Bean.

Every time I saw him propped in the kitchen doorway sharing a laugh with Zara, I felt it. When I realised Roddy had started using Beck as a taste tester for recipes he was developing, even though they barely knew each other, I got a big, hard dose of it. And the day I left the cafe to find Beck and his dog playing with Audrey and her two kids down by the river bank, I was awash with it.

If I had to parse this feeling into its component parts, it would be made up of nine-tenths envy and one-tenth wistfulness. With a sprinkle of sexual jealousy thrown in, just for kicks and giggles.

Because I wanted Beck to laugh with me the way he laughed with Zara. I wanted us to have the kind of relationship where I could run ideas past him, the kind of friendship where I could come upon him and his dog down by the river and feel free to hang out with them.

I was fully aware that this stupid, stubborn longing I was experiencing was at complete odds with my decision to respect his obvious desire to have as little to do with me as possible, but no matter how many times I told myself I didn't care, the lump of concrete in the pit of my stomach said otherwise.

The problem was that Beck was just one of those people that other people wanted to be around. He'd always been that way, hence the fact that my sister had wanted him, and the fact that I'd developed my ridiculous, hopeless-cause crush on him in the first place.

He had a natural ease and charm that made people smile, even if they were having a shitty day. He gave good banter, and he knew how to tease people in a gentle, utterly harmless way that made them feel like they were special because he'd noticed them. And he was curious about people, asking lots of questions and genuinely listening to their answers.

It probably didn't hurt that he was extensively easy on on the eyes, either.

All of this worked together to make him a warm, real presence that people wanted to get closer to, like campers gathering around a fire at night.

I witnessed the power of his charisma over and over, in the way Audrey stood a half-foot closer to him than she did to other people, even though she was madly in love with her husband Griff, and in the way Roderick launched into an amusing anecdote whenever Beck arrived with his delivery, as though he'd been waiting to share the story with him. Even snarky, cynical Zara wasn't immune, spending extra minutes chatting to him on the phone when she called through our bi-weekly order, her laughter ringing through the cafe.

Everybody loved Beck, and Beck loved everybody - with the notable exception of me.

 What I thought about Sweetheart

Just as Haley starts her new job at the Busy Bean, it's her secret crush that delivers said beans to the shop. One problem though -- her crush is also her sister's ex -- and that brings a whole complication with them moving forward with a relationship, not matter how attracted they might be to each other. 

Beck learned many lessons from his time with Haley's sister, and one of those is to protect his heart.  It takes a bit for Haley to break through all his defenses, but when she does, things are good until the past turns up to haunt them.

I liked this story.  It was sweet and handled Haley's family issues with sensitivity and realism.  I did like that this book was not afraid to take on the difficult topic from a few perspectives.   I adored Haley and her strength, stick-to-it attitude and creative, entrepreneurial heart that works so well with those same attributes in Beck. They are perfect for each other, and this book left me with a smile on my face.

 

                     

 

Cowboy by L.B. Dunbar

Release Date: March 1, 2021

Pregnant at forty-two? Back the cow up...

Harland Bull Eaton has lost many things—his first wife, his beloved mother, those three women he proposed to . . . Oh, and there was that time he almost lost the family dairy farm due to a scandal. He’s losing faith in just about everything, especially love. 

But one night, his friends give him a dare. No commitments. No heartbreak. Just buy that gorgeous redhead a drink. The big-city bombshell he’s set his eyes on swirls him into a tailspin that lands them in bed for a one-night stand he’s pretty sure he’ll never forget. But this time, he swears, he won’t let his heart ride herd on his common sense. 

Recently separated and newly unemployed, Scarlett Russell is at a crossroads. With no other plan than visiting a friend in Vermont, the last thing she expects is a hunky, silver fox offering to buy her a drink. Even less expected is when she raises that offer to “take me to bed, cowboy.” She just wants one night to forget everything gone wrong.

Turns out once won’t be nearly enough. Won’t ever be enough, feeling the way she does. But secrets and an unexpected surprise are a lot to handle . . . unless these two can break a trail to an unexpected happily ever after.

 Purchase here:
Amazon: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Amazon
Apple: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Apple
Kobo: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Kobo
Nook: https://geni.us/Cowboy-Nook

Add to Goodreads here: https://bit.ly/34Ax3To
Series page: https://hearteyespress.com/wotn#/busy-bean/
Cover Design: Elle Maxwell Designs

Excerpt

“A coffee, black, no sugar, no cream, and a caramel macchiato with exactly five drizzles of caramel, fifteen pumps of vanilla syrup, whipped cream, and an extra shot.”

What the . . .

Thank God, I did not take that order. I don’t even know what that is. There’s a pause and I’m wondering what’s happening when Bull says, “You have a little something . . .”

I just want to die a slow death as I imagine him swiping at the corner of her lip or wiping off her nose and that sweet, tender touch will be all the spark she needs to want to pounce on this man behind me. Bull has these deep blue eyes and that silver speckled scruff, plus his hair that looks artfully streaked with gray. He’s just all around sexy and he doesn’t even know it about himself. Then, his touch. The soft strokes down my body and the delicate dips of his fingers, I just can’t—

“Have either of you seen Scarlett?” Audrey asks.

Frick.

“Scarlett?” Bull chokes behind me.

“Yeah, Scarlett. She’s our newest barista and I swear she was out here.”

“I didn’t see anyone,” Vermont Barbie states. “But then again, I’ve only been looking at Bull.”

Okay, that’s enough.

“Found it,” I say, popping up from behind the couch and holding my fingers pinched together like I’ve just found gold in them there wood floorboards.

“Scarlett?” Audrey blinks at me with those expressive eyes of hers . She’s a petite blond with a lot of power behind her personality. I slowly stand but find myself dizzy as I do and grip the back of the couch for support.

“Whoa.” I blurt, unable to stop myself as the room spins and my legs tremble. My skin runs cold, but I break out in a full body sweat.

“Scarlett, are you okay?” Audrey asks, rushing to the edge of the couch while Bull quickly stands to face me.

“I . . . yeah, I just think I stood up too fast.” However, that isn’t the full explanation because that rush to my head has now settled back down to my belly.

“You sure you’re okay? You look a little gray,” Audrey asks.

“I . . . excuse me.” Rushing around the couch, I fight the pull to look at Bull, as I disappear behind the counter, bypassing our waiting customers with one finger in the air, and then press out the door to the grassy area behind the building for some much needed fresh air. Once outside, I promptly bend forward and heave.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Audrey says behind me and I close my eyes, embarrassed by my position in front of my boss. Audrey’s younger than me, but a good, business woman and kind-hearted. She took me on without any prior experience in the coffee industry.

“Yeah. Just something I ate, I think.” I honestly don’t know. It’s been a few weeks like this, nausea, fatigue, and then if I do get sick, which doesn’t always happen, I feel a million times better once I vomit. “I just have a little stomach bug, but I don’t have a fever. I’m so sorry about this.” I point to the grass which holds no evidence of how my stomach felt. “And that.” I nod toward the café.

Audrey’s brows crease as she examines my face. “What else is wrong? As far as how you are feeling?”

I consider it a second and then answer. “My boobs hurt. My back kills. And I had a tuna fish sandwich for breakfast the other day. I think there was something wrong with the mayonnaise.” Then I reconsider what I’ve said. That sandwich the other morning had been the best damn tuna fish in the world and the last thing I’d ever eat when it comes to a breakfast item.

Audrey’s lips slowly curl and her eyes spark like she knows something. “Scarlett, could you be pregnant?”

“What? No. Heaven’s no. Absolutely not. I . . .” I stare back at her, horrified at the notion. I’m forty-two. I’m recently divorced. I cannot be pregnant at this stage of my life.

“No. I am definitely not pregnant.”

 What I thought about Cowboy

 Bull Eaton takes a dare from his brothers and ends up in bed with a beautiful named Scarlett. The book opens with this scorchin' hot scene as these two burn up the sheets for what they both believe to be a one night stand. She's getting over discovering her husband's infidelity and Bull has sworn off women after more than his share of bad luck with getting one to stay around.

But fate has something else in mind for these two and they just can't stay away from each other.  It's a good thing too, since Scarlett decides she wants to stay in Vermont for a while and needs a place to stay.

I adored this unexpected older romance!  Bull is generally sweet, although he can be overwhelming at times, and Scarlett is doing her best to put an old life behind her and find her place. Together, they are a perfect pair and I just loved them.  And Bull' dad is pretty terrific too.

What I loved the most about this story was that both Scarlett and Bull make mistakes and aren't perfect.  They don't always start out doing the right thing, but they always end up doing what's perfect for them.  They were a great couple to cheer on to their HEA.