Have Your Cake

by Heather Banks

This fun, low-spice rom-com about workplace enemies turned lovers will have you laughing, swooning, and rooting for happily ever after. Fans of Mhairi McFarlane’s sharp banter and Katherine Center’s quirky, heartfelt characters will fall head over heels for this feel-good romance.

Andy, an award-winning chef, thought her life was perfectly plated—until it all came crashing down one awful night. Now, she’s back to square one, living in her best friend’s guest room in the heart of Sonoma Valley and trying to rebuild her life, one step at a time.

Enter Ford: a broody, absurdly attractive fitness trainer who needs a chef for his fitness camp. Ford’s idea of cuisine leans more toward Spartan meal prep than Michelin stars, but Andy needs the job—and Ford needs someone who can survive his sharp tongue and prickly attitude. As they clash over everything from recipes to routines, their fiery banter begins to simmer into something neither of them expected.

With her heart on the line and her past threatening to sabotage her future, Andy must decide if she can let go of old wounds and take a chance on love. Can she have her cake and eat it too—or will her past ruin her chance at a sweeter future?

Witty, emotional, and heartwarming contemporary romance
Slow-burn, kisses-only romance
Strong female friendships
Enemies-to-lovers rom-com
Grumpy/sunshine couple dynamic
Workplace romance
Stand-alone novel
Book length: approx. 60,000 words

201 pages, ebook

Published November 28, 2019

About the author

Heather Banks always loved a good story, and that love eventually grew into writing. Traveling the world and moving across the country - more than once - has added to her own story. She likes to write about the many places she’s been, the variety of jobs she’s had, and the lovely characters she’s met along the way. Currently she makes her home in the Northeast with her husband and three children.

Reviews

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy leaves her family restaurant in New Orleans after her husband cheats on her, and ends up getting a job cooking for a fitness boot camp in Northern California. Sparks fly with the tall, dark and handsome owner of the camp, but is she ready to love again?

This book was so cute! Short and sweet—I love a book I can read in one sitting! The romance was believable and I thought the story was well-paced. I got a little frustrated with some of the choices the two main characters made, but that’s romance, I suppose. Love makes you stupid!

I also really liked the side characters, especially Nia and Augustine. The second book apparently is about KC but I’d like to read more of Nia’s story!

There were just a couple of things that bugged me, though they were pretty minor, all things considered. The narrative would sometimes switch between past tense and present tense, and I wasn’t sure if it was intentional. It was a little disorienting, but didn’t drag me out of the story too much.

The other thing was Andy’s dad. I don’t doubt that dads like him do actually exist, but it just made me so sad that he never once actually listened to her or cared what she wanted or how she felt. I would think at some point a parent would realize how much they’re hurting their child and try to make it right. (The cheating husband I don’t care so much about. He’s dead to me 😂)

But overall, this book was a very sweet, fun read, with a lot of humor and heart. Fair warning: it will also make you hungry!

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written

This high quality story is quite the wild rollercoaster of well-developed emotions, adding depth and honesty to a very compelling tale. I'll definitely read more books by this author.

[Kay Daniels (Kay Daniels Romance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet romance and has a wonderful found family vibe. 

Andy should be on top of the world as an award winning, world class chef, instead she's starting over working at a fitness bootcamp where her boss is a hot curmudgeon. 

Andy and Ford certainly didn't hit it off right away, but she was healing from the separation and the damage done by her cheating spouse, and non-supportive father and Ford...I'll just say he has his own issues. Thankfully Andy has a fantastic found family with great friends and new co-workers that boosted her up and boosted her spirits. Ford also has a really fun friend, Jack, and to say that he is amazing is an understatement. Jack's Aussie accent is spot on, I could clearly hear it spoken in my mind. 

This is a slow burning, and sweet romance, but this story didn't need the spice to be a fun and quality read. All of the secondary characters certainly make the book worth reading alone, if Andy and Ford weren't cute as a story themselves. A solid 4.5 read.

[Melea-Chanel Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a easy romance, I love a deep emotional story. This book had both. The emotional depth and the butterflies this book gave me? Wow! I think this is a great book for fans of Emily Henry who like a little more of a deeper take on a classic romance. Also, probably my favorite part of this book was not only how realistic the main characters were, but how vivid the cast of side characters were! I hope we get more from this amazing author soon because I loved how laugh out loud it was and to explore more characters in this universe. Cause did I mention I read this in one sitting? Gobbled it right up.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this closed door rom-com. It was cute and funny and at times sad. The banter between Andy, her boss, and her girlfriends was fun to read. Maybe it didn't need quite so many cliche' phrases to be funny but overall it was a great read. I will look forward to more books by this author.