Breaking Bonds

I love the Dreamspun desires stories and this one didn't disappoint. I also love stories with hot chefs and add in a young resort owner, a sweet romance and low heat you have a great mix.
The characters are all well developed and interesting, the storyline simple but fun and the romance was sweet, slow-building and yummy!

3 What Happened Stars
The premise of this book sounds… delicious. I love a good chef story and this one had it in SPADES. The book starts out with a chef on vacation blowing up at the owner of the hotel/restaurant he was eating at because the food was horrible. I wasn’t quite sure I was into being rude for rude’s sake, but it ended up not as bad as I thought and was the beginning of a great opportunity for both men.

As mentioned, I love a good chef story – and this one had moments of time in the kitchen and the long hours and the passion for food. But the story itself felt bland. The dialogue was stilted and awkward – something felt off with the sentence structure and words, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. In addition, neither character had any real depth. There were moments of almost there depth, but nothing penetrated. It felt like I was being told about their depth instead of experiencing it. For example, Carter has a difficult family (to say the least) – but we never really got to dig in deep with the hurt there. Just that he wanted to make them proud and told them off. Lots felt missing.

Overall, if you like a chef story, this could be a good read for you – but it’s a high-level plot driven story, with a narrow plot that shows itself within the first few pages. Not that that’s always a bad thing, just could have used a little bit more of a build up so to speak. But I digress – if you like a chef story and watching a chef find his passion again, then this is the read for you.

Review Copy of Breaking Bonds provided by Dreamspinner Press for an honest review. Reviewed by Mel at Alpha Book Club.

REVIEW BY TRIO at Kimmers' Erotic Book Banter: http://bit.ly/2uVRzLq

The writing duo known as Ari McKay is new to me, so 'Breaking Bonds' was the first chance I’ve had to enjoy their work. The second in their The Walker Boys series this is easily read as a standalone.

Initially drawn to this one because it was narrated by Dorian Bane, and he’s never let me down, I found this book to be much more than I expected. The story is full of wonderful surprises: The characters are creative, the relationships are interesting, and there is an original story with a great message as well.

When big city chef Liam Walker has a complete meltdown he decides a little R&R might be in order. He escapes to a struggling little resort in the mountains of North Carolina, where there is a serious need for some help in the kitchen. Liam’s attraction to the resort’s owner, Carter Galloway, is immediate (and mutual). Carter helps Liam reexamine his priorities and see there’s more to life than fame and fortune.

Carter is a strong character, sticking true to his values against all the odds. Facing prejudice, insufficient finances, and an inexperienced staff, Carter sets out to do his best. When an unexpected visit from his parents shows Carter he will never live up to his family’s expectations, he summons the strength to overcome this devastation and remain true to himself and hold fast to his goals.

There is an entertaining group of secondary characters which make this story so enjoyable. Dorian Bane always excels at providing a wide variety of voices and this is the best I’ve heard from him to date. The staff at the lodge are adorable, and I particularly enjoy the voice Bane uses for Marco, the restaurant owner and Liam’s boss, from New York City.

There’s a lovely message in this book about being true to oneself, prioritizing goals, and finding happiness in life. The authors paint a beautiful picture of the mountains of North Carolina which adds to the tale and comes across nicely with Bane’s expressive voice.

There was a smile on my face through this entire narration and I highly recommend 'Breaking Bonds' to anyone who just wants a pick-me-up. It is a really fun, sweet story.

Liam's crisis makes him take a time out that gives him the chance to rethink his dream. Carter has begun to live his dream but he still has his own issues to deal with. But together they bring out the best in the other and seems to make finding a way of forging dreams together a priority.

Every time I read one of the Dreamspun Desires books, I just end up happy. They just bring me back to a happy place where I began reading for what I wanted to read, and now continue to do.

I really enjoyed this one in the series. Carter was a sweetheart that had awful parents, and yet stuck to his guns, and his priorities. He wanted to make his resort a success, and he wasn't willing to sacrifice his goals for a simple fling, despite how much he wanted Liam.

Liam, meanwhile, had his own goals, and knew he needed to pay back the mentor who had been there for him, when he was nothing. What Liam needed to realize is that sometimes goals change, as our life, and our "Outlook" changes. As he became more involved in the resort, in Carter's life, and even becoming a mentor to his own junior chef, he found that he had competing goals, and it pulled at him. For his part, he never pushed Carter farther than he wanted. He was respectful, even as they fell in love.

The ending was satisfying, especially as the reader finds out how much Liam's goals change based on his return to New York. The perpetual HEA that is inevitable in this series will make the reader smile. And I loved catching up with the men later, as their lives were on track, moving forward, and making their own goal's successes happen.