Eleanor Harkstead's Blog, page 8

Love Bytes reviews The Captain and the Baker

This book is everything I’ve come to expect from these authors and the Captivating Captains series: pure, witty, lighthearted FUN!

Five out of five.

Read Anabela’s full review at Love Bytes. You can buy The Captain and the Baker now, available in ebook, paperback and KU.

The Captain and the Baker: guest post

When I cook now, I wonder what Locryn and Jake would make of it.

Read Eleanor’s guest post about her adventures in baking over at Angela Addams’ blog.

Anne Barwell reviews The Captain and the Baker

I loved this opposites attract feel good romance. Five out of five.

Read the full review, and Eleanor’s guest post about the inspiration for the novel, at Anne’s blog, Drops of Ink.

Kimmers reviews The Captain and the Baker

Heartwarming and romantic, Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead score again with The Captain and the Baker. The seventh book in their standalone Captivating Captains series, this one is every bit as satisfying as the rest.

Read the full review at Kimmers’ blog. Buy your copy of The Captain and the Baker now!

The Captain and the Baker – out now!

Out now from Pride Publishing! Order from Amazon and all other ebook retailers. Available in ebook, paperback and KU.

When a hot-tempered TV chef and a mild-mannered baker meet on the rugged Cornish coast, they’ve got the perfect ingredients for a red-hot snack.

Sweary and stressed celebrity chef Jake Brantham is the captain of several floating restaurants. When he’s sent to the idyllic village of Porthavel to turn a pirate ship into the next gastronomic sensation, it’s the last place on earth he wants to be.

Locryn Trevorrow is the bakery king of Cornwall. From the humble pasty to a wedding cake fit for a mermaid queen, there’s nothing he doesn’t know about the art of baking. He lives in a cosy world of gingham and ganache, but at night he goes home to his smugglers’ cottage alone.

When he’s adopted by a lost kitten, Jake soon discovers that there’s more to Portavel than cream teas, lobster pots, and the annoyingly fastidious Locryn. As the village prepares for the wedding of its favourite young couple, Jake and Locryn find themselves as unlikely matchmakers for two locals who’d given up on love.

Torn between the call of Hollywood and the kisses of Locryn, will Jake choose a mansion in Beverly Hills or a cottage on the Cornish coast?

Excerpt

Jake, immaculate in his chef whites but his hair just ruffled enough to look careless, tried to smile into the television camera.

There wasn’t much to smile about because, although the set of Saturday Breakfast was more than familiar to him, he hadn’t had to share it with Locryn Trevorrow before.

Locryn, as sugary sweet as the cakes and delicacies he baked, was as far as it was possible to be from Jake, a chef who’d made a name for himself swearing on the telly while cooking. As he had watched Locryn across the studio that morning, all smiles and sunshine and please and thank you and how marvelous, he couldn’t imagine the man had ever sworn in his life. He’d probably draw the line at fiddlesticks.

“And now it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” Katya, the host of the show, beamed, showing dazzling white teeth. “Our search for a bride and groom ends today with our very last couple, so get on the phones and get voting! You all know the rules by now. We’ve scoured the country and, out of thousands of applicants, we’ve found three couples who are competing for the chance to hold their wedding at Jake Brantham’s brand-new restaurant. The twist is, even Jake doesn’t know where that will be! All he knows is that it’ll be in the hometown of our winning couple and we’ll watch it all happen in his new series, From Wreck to Restaurant!”

The camera cut away to Jake, who pulled his best theatrical glower. The one all his fans went crazy for.

“Each week we’ve invited a couple onto Saturday Breakfast and paired them with a chef from their town, who’s been challenged by Jake to cook one of his signature dishes. Our last couple are Zoe and David, from the gorgeous little village of Porthavel, and they’re joined by Britain’s favorite and loveliest baker, Locryn Trevorrow!” Across the studio crew, a loud smattering of applause sounded, which Locryn dismissed with a bashful wave of his hand. “We sent our intrepid crew off to meet Zoe and David at home in Cornwall, so let’s take a look at life in one of Britain’s cutest fishing villages.”

The floor manager called, “And we’re off.”

A makeup artist dashed onto the set and immediately began dusting at Katya’s face. Standing behind the worktop where he would soon do battle with Jake’s recipe, Locryn called to Jake, “Morning! We haven’t had a chance to meet yet, so hello!”

Plummy wasn’t the word for it. Jake had wondered if that voice was a put-on for the cameras, but it didn’t sound like it. Did that mean the cottage in the opening titles of Trevorrow Treats was real too, right down to the roses around the door and the goats on the front lawn, grazing the grass that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean on Cornwall’s south coast?

“And a good fucking morning to you!” Jake unfolded one arm and waved. A sort of wave, at least. Locryn blinked at him, then gave a smile that was more like a grimace. Perhaps they didn’t say fucking in his little corner of Cornwall.

“You ready to feel the meat?” Jake asked. He planted his hands on his hips, his eyebrow arched in challenge.

“Yes…right, meat.” Locryn abandoned his designated mark as a runner began assembling the ingredients on the worktop. There were fresh herbs and juicy tomatoes, oils and spices, but none of the sugar and silliness that Locryn Trevorrow had turned into his fortune. He approached Jake and lowered his voice a little to ask, “You do know I’m a baker? I’m just slightly concerned because it doesn’t look like you’ve set me a baking challenge.”

“And you do know I’m not a bloody baker?” Jake sighed. “You’ve got to follow one of my recipes, mate—and I don’t do cupcakes or croissants!”

Locryn shook his head, then ruffled one hand through his dark-blond hair. He glanced back at the worktop, where the runner had now covered the ingredients with a tea towel that bore a pattern of sunflowers.

Very bloody him.

“I’ll give it my best,” he decided. Then he smiled and said, “You never know, if I get it terribly wrong, Zoe and David might get the sympathy vote anyway!”

And I’ll have to go to the arse end of nowhere for months.

“Do you think so?” Jake dabbed at some crumbs on the workstation in front of him. “I bet it’s fucking fixed anyway. That posh couple from Hamble’ll win because—and don’t tell anyone I told you”—Jake revved up to unleash his secret in an unsubtle stage whisper, and he didn’t care if anyone overheard—“the groom’s uncle is one of this show’s producers.”

Locryn unfastened one of his cufflinks—they wouldn’t be buttons, would they—and rolled up his sleeve as he said, “That’s not true, is it? Tell me that’s a fib.”

A fucking fib. Is he nine?

“It’s true!” Jake gave an emphatic nod. “Eugenia and Ptolemy have an in. You may as well send your two fucking home right away! It’s a long way back to your foggy old smuggler country. If they leave now, they’ll just about catch the next train!”

But all Locryn did was unfasten the second cufflink and serenely roll up his sleeve. Then he smiled and told Jake, “You’re just as charming as I thought you’d be. Don’t count me out yet, Mr. Brantham. If all else fails, I can try and fall back on this smile.”

“I don’t do charming, Trevorrow. I do simple, local, fresh.” Jake emphasized each word, punching his fist against his palm. Locryn blinked then glanced toward the floor manager, who was frantically ushering everyone back into position. Across the studio all three couples were sitting on bright yellow couches around a coffee table in the mock-up of a sitting room, where guests were stationed while the cooks gave their demonstrations. Locryn gave them a thumbs-up and David and Zoe returned it, the young couple looking as nervous as he was laid-back.

That won’t last.

“It’s Saturday Breakfast and—awwww—aren’t David and Zoe adorable?” Katya made a face into the camera as though she were addressing a newborn kitten. “And someone else we adore is our guest chef, or should I say guest baker, Locryn Trevorrow. Locryn’s famous for his naughty but gorgeous cakes and bakes, and he’s come all the way from Porthavel with our last couple to try and cook them to victory. Are you ready to face Jake’s challenge, Locryn?”

He nodded and replied, “As I’ll ever be, Katya.”

“You’ve already met our couples and the lines are open, so get voting now. At the end of the program we’ll find out which of our gorgeous couples have won their dream wedding, and Jake will find out where he’s going to be turning a wreck into a restaurant in his brand-new series, From Wreck to Restaurant.” She glanced toward Jake and grinned. “Will he be in Hamble, York or Porthavel? It’s up to you at home. Jake, it’s time for you to reveal to Locryn what he’s going to be cooking today!”

Rubbing his hands together, Jake crossed the studio and stood beside Locryn. The man’s cologne was suddenly all around Jake. Not a cloying, gassy cloud of it but a spicy scent that Jake, despite himself, found oddly enticing.

Oh, fuck that, no.

“So, Locryn, no f—fancy cupcakes for you today!” Jake said. “Instead, you’ll be making one of my favorites, pork goujons with tomato sauce. It’s simple, it’s local, it’s fresh, and when you get to the breadcrumbs, it’s bloody close to baking.”

“Pork?” Locryn looked down at the worktop as Katya pulled back the tea towel to reveal the ingredients. He rubbed his hands together and glanced toward the couples on the sofa. “I’m up for that. It’s for Zoe and David, after all!”

“You’ve got your recipe, you’ve got your ingredients and you’ve got Jake to keep you on your toes.” Katya grinned. “Jake, any hints or tips for Locryn before he dives in and tries to recreate one of your Michelin-starred staples?”

“Feel the meat,” Jake advised. He leaned with one hand on the worktop. “Don’t skate round it. It’s central to the dish. You need to feel it and know when it’s cut the right size, know when it’s cooked through. That’s the secret working with any f—flesh. Meat. You’ve got to feel it.”

Ellie Curzon and Under A Spitfire Sky

We’re really excited to announce that we’ve signed a two-book deal with Orion Dash! We can’t wait to introduce you to Florence and Siegfried.

Under A Spitfire Sky, our first novel writing as Ellie Curzon, will be published by Orion Dash on 7th January 2021. You can preorder it now!

Can they find love in the darkest days of war?

It’s 1944, and Florence is a talented engineer in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, patching up planes to make sure that the brave Spitfire pilots of Cottisbourne airbase return safely day after day.

When she befriends the new squadron leader – shy, handsome Siegfried – it seems that romance might blossom under the war-torn skies. But Florence is nursing a broken heart and a terrible secret, which might destroy her one chance of happiness…

Meanwhile, a new plane is being developed that could turn the tide of the war, but Florence fears there is traitor is in their midst, putting Siegfried – and the whole country – in terrible danger. Can Florence save her Spitfire boys, and her own heart?

 

Mirrigold reviews The Captain and the Baker

Five out of five.

I was smiling or laughing the whole way through, with a few ‘awwwws’ thrown in as well. I could read books like this all day and never get bored.

Read the full review on Mirrigold’s blog. The Captain and the Baker is published on 25th August.

Padme’s Library reviews The Dishevelled Duke

Five stars. A delightful gem balanced between realism, romance, and fairytale.

Read the full review at Padme’s Library. The Dishevelled Duke was published in February.

Chicks, Rogues and Scandals reviews The Captain and the Baker

This is such a great feel-good, delightful, cheerful and endearing read, which is full of real village charm and some very saucy, blush-worthy moments, I was laughing and sighing in equal measure.

See the full review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals. The Captain and the Baker is on pre-order now, and is published on 25th August.

Interview: Katherine E Hunt

The first installment in Katherine E Hunt’s Mended Hearts series is out on 25th August. Katherine joined us for a chat to talk about her books and how she writes.

How long have you been writing? Can you tell us a bit about your journey to publication?

Like most writers, I’ve always written. I only started writing for publication though about three years ago. It’s been a bit of a journey, but I’m finally starting to be where I want to be.

What do you enjoy about writing erotic and contemporary romance?

Love is a wonderful thing, especially new love. Butterflies in the stomach, the anticipation of a first kiss. That’s really one of the reasons why I write romance, so I can re-live that excitement over and over again.

Can you tell us – or hint at – what you’re working on at the moment?

I have four novellas coming out over the next year and a half, they are already finished and with my editor. It’s a really sweet and funny series, all about how to move on when you lose the love of your life. I’ve also just finished my first billionaire romance, so I’m very excited to share that too.

Do you have writing habits – such as always getting up early to write, or writing in the evening? Or do you write when the mood takes you? Are you a plotter or a “pantser”?

I’m a midnight pantser. I work part-time, so when I’m home during the day and I try to get a few hours in, otherwise it’s just late at night when everybody else is asleep. I never plot. I tried it and it doesn’t work for me. I have an idea of where a book is going to start and finish and then I just let the characters lead me there.

Where do you write? Have you got a little nook at home, or do you write wherever you happen to be on a laptop or on your phone?

My oldest daughter moved out recently, so her room is now my office and (since March) it’s also a schoolroom for my son. I also have a million notebooks for scribbling ideas and thoughts. The one by my bed just has the word ‘clammy’ on it because I needed another word for damp and it just came to me whilst I was falling asleep!

Tell us about your next release?

Liberating Jane, the first book in my new Mending Hearts series is now on pre-order and is published on 25th August. I can’t wait for everybody to meet Jane and all of her potential suitors. She’s certainly a character, someone who speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to experience new things.

About the author

Katherine E Hunt ran off with a Frenchman twenty years ago. She now lives on a French mountain with three children and two dogs. When she isn’t writing contemporary romance she can be found huddled up in front of a roaring fire, with a glass of Chardonnay in one hand and a book in the other.

You can find out more about Katherine on her website.

Pre-order Liberating Jane from Amazon or from the publisher, Totally Bound.