Spicy Pickle

The Pickle Family #3

by J.J. Knight

First, she tampered with my pickle.
Then, she got us both kicked off a cooking show.
Now, we’re fake engaged.
Sit back, friends, this is one crazy tale of treachery and pickle juice.

Anthony:

All right. Here’s how it went.
My pickle went viral. Millions saw it. Thousands ate it.

Hold up, pervs. Let me backtrack.

I invented a very spicy pickle made with ghost peppers. One bite and you’ll swear someone stuffed a hot coal in your mouth. It’s extremely popular in pranks.

I’m in the middle of filming with a prominent cooking show when in walks Little Miss Perfect Pants from a rival deli to insist she has improvements for my pickle.

It all goes downhill from there.
___
Magnolia:

Read the reviews and weep, Anthony Pickle.

I got the best of you on reality TV.
You got me back with a very public kiss.

After your new deli poached on my territory, I swore to hate you. But every time those smoky eyes meet mine, I melt a little.

Cheesy, right?

By the time you kiss me, I already know I’m in deep.
But then you propose?
How am I supposed to keep faking it when every swoon is real?
___
Spicy Pickle is a romantic comedy about a culinary feud, potent pickle juice, and the most not-fake fake love story in the history of reality TV.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Rom Com, Amazon, Enemies To Lovers, Comedy

Unknown Binding

First published March 16, 2021

About the author

JJ Knight is the Kindle All-Star and USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedies and sports romance. She’s a fierce mama bear for all the humans under her care: biological, adopted, and those in need of mom hugs. Her books portray characters who learn to push through hardship to find love and belly laughs. For more information visit www.jjknight.com.

THE PICKLEVERSE OF BESTSELLING ROMANTIC COMEDIES:

- Big Pickle: Secret Boss
- Hot Pickle: Brother's Best Friend
- Spicy Pickle: Fake Engagement
- Second Chance Santa: Pickled Holiday Rom Com

- Royal Pickle: Marry a Prince in 7 Days
- Royal Rebel: Princess and Guard Secret Love
- Royal Escape: Secret Identity Princess

- Tasty Mango: Billionaire and Single Mom
- Tasty Pickle: Billionaire Opposites Attract
- Tasty Cherry: Boss and Intern

- Juicy Pickle: Stranded on an Island
- Salty Pickle: Surprise Baby
- Hold the Pickle: Unexpected Roommates

- Wicked Pickle: Bad Boy Biker Bar
- Tricky Pickle: MC Club

ROM COM DUETS:
- The Wedding Confession
- The Wedding Shake-up

- Single Dad on Top: Billionaire Surprise Dad
- Single Dad Plus One: Billionaire Secret Baby

ROM COM STANDALONE:

Not Exactly a Small-Town Romance: Sunshine-Sunshine Work Besties to Lovers

- The Accidental Harem: Yup, what it says. It's...a lot. I went nuts.

SPORTS ROMANCE SERIALS:
Grab individually or in boxed sets.

COLT AND JO
- Uncaged Love 1
- Uncaged Love 2
- Uncaged Love 3
- Uncaged Love 4
- Uncaged Love 5
- Uncaged Love 6

COLT'S FRIEND PARKER AND MADDIE
USA Today bestselling series
- Fight for Her 1
- Fight for Her 2
- Fight for Her 3
- Fight for Her 4

JO'S BROTHER HUDSON
- Reckless Attraction 1
- Reckless Attraction 2
- Reckless Attraction 3

Reviews

[Blair Babylon · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE FIERY STARS. SPICY PICKLE by JJ Knight is one hot tamale! This slow burn romance about two rival deli owners who are set up to take the fall for the pranking (or attempted poisoning?) of a notoriously awful cooking show chef with a spiked pickle will warm your heart. When their rivalry goes too far and endangers their family delis, they fake a romance and an engagement to regain control of the viral social media storm.

This sweet and salty romance will have your LOLing at their fear of being memed while their romance slowly marinates to perfection. The perfect-sister-downfall subplot is suitably angsty and yet endearing, and I know I’m going love her in the next book, *Tasty Mango.* I thoroughly enjoyed this top shelf romance, and I promise the HEA won’t ghost (pepper) on you! More seriously, this lovely little romcom hits every note perfectly, from a horrifying funny meet-cute to a sweet HEA. Highly recommended.

GET IT HERE: http://smarturl.it/SpicyPickle

[Penelope Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the strongest of the Pickle trilogy. The reasons for the fake-relationship plot didn't make much sense to me. (Anthony and Magnolia get caught in a scandal involving a celebrity cooking show host, and the only way to save face is... a fake relationship? Ooookay...)

There was also a lot of effort to keep secrets from each other. Magnolia presents herself as a cook at the rival deli, but she's actually their bookkeeper and can barely chop an onion. Anthony spends half the book thinking she's a cook... but when the truth comes out, he barely blinks about how she's been deceiving not only him but half the country. Anthony, on the other hand, is more or less treating their relationship as real, but doesn't tell this to Magnolia, who's convinced that it's 100% fake. There is SO MUCH disconnect and miscommunication between these two, I had a hard time believing that what chemistry existed was going to survive.

I liked Anthony and Magnolia - but I found myself wishing they'd spent more of the book as a team and less fighting each other. It might have made the otherwise lackluster plot more enjoyable.

[Nate Brightman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Spicy Pickle is the last in the Pickle series by J.J. Knight. I had a very difficult time rating this story because I absolutely loved it but I had so many problems with the plot even for a rom.-com. I just couldn’t give it more than 3.5 stars. I’ll talk about them in a spoiler later. Overall, the story is sweet and fun and spicy with just a little bit of the prerequisite angst or drama a contemporary romance needs to keep things interesting.
Anthony Pickle (real name Packwood) is the youngest of three brothers in a deli-dynasty called Pickles. After winning a competition with his two older brothers who each own similar delis in Texas and California he now not only runs his own deli Boulder Pickles in Boulder Co. but is also the head of the family owned and operated chain which includes the original most famous deli in New York City managed by his now semi-retired father. Anthony a culinary school educated chef is the genius behind all the new offerings for family run businesses including their signature pickles. Anthony creates a Ghost Pickle using Ghost Peppers which is so hot nobody can actually eat one. Videos of people trying to eat the pickle go viral on Tik-Tok ramping up the demand for the item. Anthony is invited to appear on a cooking show to show how he created the now famous pickle. What he doesn’t know is that Magnolia Bordeaux a member of a family who owns The Tasty Pepper a long established deli in Boulder has conspired with the shows star to ambush Anthony and announce her own family’s improved version of the Ghost Pickle. Magnolia and her family have taken Anthony’s opening of a competing deli in the city they for decades had no competition for deli business in personally. Anthony’s deli is capturing much of the younger demographic which is hurting Magnolia’s family’s business and preventing them from long desired expansion to a second store. The truth is the reason Magnolia’s family deli is hurting for business is because they’re locked into doing things the same way, serving the same offering they have since her grandparents opened the deli some sixty years ago leaving them with a staid old image that fails to capture the younger trendier market. But they don’t see it that way. Somehow Magnolia who is an accountant by trade and can barely boil water and is an introvert ends up being her family’s representative on the show. Things go very wrong for both Magnolia and Anthony on the show when both their pickle samples are doctored leaving both businesses in jeopardy of being buried by bad publicity. Despite Magnolia’s rude behavior to Anthony on the show and afterwards Anthony is drawn to Magnolia and feels a need to protect her and her family’s business interests. Magnolia still carries a shitload of resentment towards Anthony but can’t deny how attractive she finds him. In order to salvage both business reputations Magnolia agrees to appear on another television show with Anthony where the host later splices their segment making both of them look bad again. This leads to Anthony’s family hiring Charity a P.R. expert who books both Anthony and Magnolia on a series of television shows to rehab their images. In a turn of unlikely events that could only happen in a rom.-com. this all leads to the two of them having to pretend they’re a couple which turns their images around, boosts both of their businesses while they carry on a fake romantic relationship. Only the lines between what is real and what is fake become blurred as Anthony and Magnolia carry on a torrid sexual affair while crisscrossing the country to make multiple television appearances. Anthony is very much falling in love with Magnolia. Magnolia is more reluctant to accept or acknowledge her feelings for Anthony. Continuing to keep the ruse going becomes more and more difficult as the truth catches up to them and the lies become bigger to keep it up threatening to end their budding real-life romance as well as their businesses.
I basically like the Magnolia character. She’s a good person who is devoted to her family. Her inability to see or acknowledge that it was her family’s own business failings and not Anthony’s business that were causing her business to decline sort of grated on me. Also, her disdain for doing anything that wouldn’t make her look frumpy and the resentment she had for people appreciating how attractive she was when she was forced to put on some make-up, style her hair and dress with a little style as most women do before they leave the house was annoying. I wasn’t impressed with how even after she started sleeping with Anthony she still didn’t reveal the fact that she couldn’t cook to him. But it also humanized her character. My biggest problem with Magnolia and this story was her refusal to tell her family she and Anthony were a real couple? Which ultimately resulted in more problems for them. Also, her refusal to nip Sloan’s crush on her in the bud also led to more problems. Why not tell him right away when she became aware of his obvious crush that he was too young and as an employee a relationship would be inappropriate then continued not to address the issue never made sense to me. I also thought the big reveal that they had discovered who had doctored the pickles on Creed’s show without revealing Sloan’s and his associate’s identity and connection to The Tasty Pepper and Magnolia was too simple and incomplete an explanation to satisfy the public or Creed. And believing that Dan their head chef had no clue as to what had happened with the doctored pickles after the fact, even if he didn’t know ahead of time what Sloan had been planning was a real stretch. Then after everything the kid did to wreck the business and embarrass Magnolia he still invites him to his Christmas party? Really? Where was the moral of the story when ultimately Magnolia and Anthony were never forced to publicly acknowledge the fact that their romantic relationship actually did begin as a ruse to protect their businesses? I guess the truth and the fact they had duped all of those people didn’t matter in the end as long as perception eventually became reality and they lived happily ever after. Then there’s Magnolia’s older sister Havannah the female lead in the next book. I’m just an old male fossil and maybe this passes for acceptable behavior for twenty-somethings today, but its sort of difficult for me to overlook the behavior that got her into trouble. What am I supposed to make of a young woman who bangs three men in barely over a week’s time that she doesn’t even know the names of that she just met on a hook-up app.? One of them in the backseat of his car. Real classy. Then maybe the fact that such apps really do exist answers my own question. I guess we’re supposed to assume that first not knowing who the father of her baby was and then finding out he was a married man with a history of beating women is supposed to teach her to be a little more discreet about whom she has sex with. At least her character took responsibility for what she’d done, planned to raise the baby by herself (with a lot of help from Magnolia) and did support Magnolia when she finally fessed up to her about her relationship with Anthony.
Overall a fun, quick read with IMHO just too many flaws to give a 4 or 5 star rating to.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars. I think I’m reading this universe of books backwards but I like it. This book was better than Tasty Mango. It’s a lovely enemies to lovers, fake dating. The guy is totally in to her from the beginning. It just takes a while for her to be at the same place.

No OW/OM drama. She’s not had many boyfriends and it’s been a long time since his last girlfriend. There is some lying, especially on her side that causes some drama. But it’s minimal and doesn’t cause a huge issue.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I wouldn't mind getting my hands on Anthony Pickle's pickle if you know what I mean wink.

I liked this, it was fun and easy! I liked our characters and the premise of the story. Plus, there were a couple really funny moments that I couldn't help but lol to.

Oh yeah! Side note but I noticed that Anythony and Magnolia seem like really awkward names to moan in the throws of passion. Definitely felt weird to read.

[Jeeves Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I didn't dislike it, but I also wouldn't say that I liked it. If you've ever gotten to the end of a book and sort of gave a little shrug, I think that's where I'm at with this one. It's my first time reading something by this author and the saucy pickle puns drew me in, but the writing itself didn't work for me. Considering this is written by an established author, I feel sort of weird saying that the writing reminded me of someone just starting out, but... yeah, it really did. There's a ton of internalization, the characters don't actually spend a lot of time on the page together, and there's a glossed-over feeling to their relationship. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy some of the more comedic moments and the overall plot, but there were a lot of things that missed the mark.

The story follows Anthony and Magnolia, two people whose families run dueling delis. When they enter a pickle competition and things go horribly wrong, these two rivals discover that teaming up is to their advantage. And if people want to ship their relationship to distract from the larger issue, even better. But all of that faking starts to feel very real, and the lines quickly blur.

On paper, this sounds like the EXACT type of book I'd love. I'm a rom com lover, fake relationships are my favorite, and quirky comedy is my catnip. This had many elements that I loved, from the light and funny vibe to the likable characters. But the plot also felt pretty rough and unpolished, with a writing style that read a little simplistic. It also took nearly half the book before Magnolia and Anthony spend any sort of time together at all, and so much of the story was TOLD to the reader, rather than shown. I didn't have a lot of emotional investment in their relationship because of that, which didn't help. Ultimately, I wanted to like this more than I did. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this light romance.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh! Anthony is such a sweetie. Where can I get one of my own? I adored watching his tender heart in action. And the way he was ready to step up to save this woman who declared herself his sworn enemy? Swoon! I loved Magnolia’s endearing awkwardness, though I didn’t always understand her need to keep so many things secret for as long as she did. I thought the two of them made a perfectly adorable couple. They kept me laughing and they kept me reading. At the end of the day, those are some of the most important things a book can do.

[J Lundsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun!!

Very fun, spicy story!

I love fake relationships and this one checked all my boxes! Adoring hero, awkward heroine, fake relationship that soon felt very real. I loved Magnolia and Anthony!! Looking forward to Spicy Mango!!

[Teresa Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series
Love the pickle family
Magnolia and Anthony intense emotional heartstopping love story grabbed my heart
Bring on Havana and Donovan

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chaotic mix of competition, surprises, sabotage, media spin, laughter, and spicy romance combined with intriguing characters will delight you.

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a DNF (for now), I’m sorry!

The behavior of Magnolia just puts me off, especially the front where Anthony is actually trying to help her but she goes on defense and starts arguing, then puts the blame on him. Like wth????? I’m now just past the middle mark, but I still cant get over her behavior (though I might get he reasons). I will try this again sometime down the road and amend this.

Other readers, please don’t be disheartened because of my review. It may read differently for you, just like for the many high ratings :)

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last, we get the story of the youngest Pickle brother, and possibly the biggest dill of them all. Not only did Anthony win his father's competition between the three brothers' delis, giving him the New York deli to run alongside his Denver location, but he's been asked to appear on the hit cooking show, America's Spiciest Chef. His spicy pickle has gone viral, and he's about to unveil his ghost pepper pickle on national TV. Great for business, right?

Except in walks Magnolia Boudreaux from a rival Denver deli, and she has an ax to grind, or more like a pickle to spice. Clearly there's not room enough in Denver for two delis because her family’s deli has suffered since Anthony's opened. But she's going to turn the tables by improving on his viral pickle, thereby gaining social media coverage and new customers. Great plan, until everything goes epically wrong. On national TV.

I adore both Jason and Max Pickle, but Anthony managed to swipe a bigger chunk of my heart. There's no ego or artifice with this guy, and he's adorably awkward when it comes to women, so I couldn’t help but fall brine over barrel for this Pickle brother. He's kind and generous toward Magnolia, but she has difficulty accepting it.

In her defense, Magnolia has reasons for her lack of trust. Her primary concern is her family and their deli, and the poor girl can’t seem to catch a break, eventually leading to the whole fake engagement thing. She needs her family deli to be successful, and she really needs to figure out a way to open a second location that can support her sister and herself.

With pickle puns to spare, this spicy romcom is laugh-out-loud hilarious but will surprisingly twist your emotions in the very best way. I'd like to say this is the perfect vacation read, but maybe set out a sign nearby so you don’t have to keep explaining your outbursts of hilarity to strangers. Full of humor, heat and heart, this is one you'll want to put at the top of your TBR.

[Sue Galuska · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Pickle is the youngest of the Pickle brothers. He is also the brother who won the contest to control all the Pickle Delis when his dad retired and manages the Boulder Pickle. When his latest pickle creation using ghost peppers becomes a TikTok sensation, Anthony gets invited to appear on American's Spiciest Chef with host Milton Creed. During the taping of the show, who should walk out and surprise Anthony, but Magnolia Boudreaux, one of the owners of the deli Tasty Pepper, also in Boulder, CO, and his main competition.

When Magnolia challenges Anthony that she can make his pickle taste better ;) , that's when the real fun begins! It turns out someone sabotaged the pickles and when Milton tastes it, everything gets recorded and then released to the public.

Even though Anthony and Magnolia are rivals, they end up working together against Milton that will include a fake relationship, a fake engagement and a lot of fake kisses that all of sudden are not seeming so fake.

When Anthony and Magnolia are invited to appear on a few shows, they spend a week together traveling and really getting to know each other. Just when it looks like this fake relationship is the real thing, everything comes crashing down causing everyone to pull back. It will take some great planning for Anthony and Magnolia to realize that what they have is real, but in the end they get their perfect happy ending!

I just loved Anthony Pickle! He may be the youngest Pickle brother, but he is the real chef in the family and just loves what he does. I also really loved Magnolia. She may be just an accountant but she kept up with Anthony the entire time. Overall I just adored this story and was soooooooo excited to find out we are getting another story in this series.....Tasty Mango!

[I'm Fine, Just Tired · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 40%

For a 25 year old business owner, Magnolia is so effing bad at her job. She has a temper and her ego is sky high. Anthony was level headed as he possibly could be. When he was thrown off he stayed calm and collected and Magnolia was quick to react and quick to anger. She judged him so hard. I felt bad for the guy. But also so annoyed by him as well. Every time Magnolia said or did something awful to him to put him down, he than would take one look at her and go "ooh petty" and he couldn't stay mad. Magnolia is so emotional and overwhelmed. Her character is not something I like in a leading lady. At least not in this case. She is in Boulder, with a successful business, just not viral famous. The business supports three generations and it's still not enough for her to feel safe. She talks constantly about how Anthony's business has ruined so much for hers and how he has the younger crows flocking to him. That's because you own mother runs your FACEBOOK page. All you have is FACEBOOK. I can't deal with that. If your business is going to fail because you can't keep up with the times, than that's your problem NOT anyone else. She is 25 for goodness sake. I'm 30 and Tiktok is easy to manage. Idk man. I was so excited to get to Anthony's book. He was written as the youngest and more emotional brother. More loving of the family and of the business. He pours his heart and soul into the franchise through his ideas and cooking. I was looking forward to THAT Anthony. Not this doormat of a man.

I wont continue the series or anymore by this author. Her stories have been good but the spice is bland and boring. And I read romance for the spice.

[Dawn Bekenyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous fake relationship to lovers story.

Anthony is the youngest of the Pickle (Packwood) brothers. He gets sandbagged during a TV cooking show featuring his spicy pickle that has set TikTok on fire.

Magnolia Boudreaux drew the short straw at her family's deli. The quiet bookkeeper has to go on TV and "improve" on Anthony Pickle's pickle. During the show the surprises keep coming.
Something goes terribly wrong. The pickle is dangerously hot.

The TV host having been embarrassed by the pickle mishap wants to ruin Anthony and Magnolia's reputations and businesses. He starts a campaign to discredit them and blame them for the burning pickle.

After butting heads and not making headway during several TV show appearances, Anthony and Magnolia following a PR expert's advice and decide to work together to improve the situation and embark on a nationwide media tour.

Magnolia just wants to make enough money to add a second store to support her sister and herself. The original store is supporting her parents and Grandmama. So she agrees to participate in a fake relationship with Anthony Pickle. The lines between fake and real become blurry. Magnolia gets confused and doesn't know what the truth is anymore creating angst and turmoil in their burgeoning relationship.

This is a spicy, endearing, family connections story. Both Anthony and Magnolia have strong family ties and want the best for their family businesses. The Pickle family makes an appearance. We meet Magnolia's family. I can't wait for Magnolia's sister, Havannah's story.

[Tammy Moldovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Pickle Family series. Anthony Pickle owns the Denver (and New York) Pickle delis. Magnolia Boudreaux’s family owns the rival deli in Denver. The story starts with Anthony and Magnolia appearing on a local cooking show that resulted from a viral Tiktok craze related to Anthony’s very spicy pickle. But the cooking show goes horribly wrong when the sample pickle is tampered with by adding an inedible ingredient and the host eats it. To save their personal and professional reputations, Anthony and Magnolia, with the help of the Pickle family media fixer, create a fake relationship. On the way to their HEA, Anthony and Magnolia have to embrace that their feelings for each other are real, solve the mystery of the pickle tampering, dodge some unwanted romantic advances, deal with family drama, and find enough cash to open a second location for Magnolia’s family deli. Anthony and Magnolia’s story has all the feels - expect to laugh, cry, cringe, hiss, and root for the main characters to admit their feelings and embrace all the love. The sagas of all the Pickle brothers are worth reading but Anthony is my favorite Pickle brother because is just so sweet and awkward. With Spicy Pickle, J J Knight proves once again that she is a master weaver of funny, swoon worthy tales.

[Frances Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Pickle wins love

Having read the two previous books, about the Pickle brothers, I had to read this one. This book is about how Anthony and Magnolia become a couple.
Anthony is the youngest of the three Pickle brothers, and is owner of two of the family restaurants. The New York one is managed by his dad, and Anthony runs the one in Colorado. Magnolia’s family also has a restaurant near Anthony’s place, and they are basically competitors. They both go on a national TV show to display their pickle recipes, but a trap has been set, and the pickles have been altered. The mystery has begun, as to who set them up.
Anthony and Magnolia begin to work together to try to solve the mystery of the pickles, by appearing together on several TV shows.
Their constant closeness becomes more attraction than business, and they eventually become known as a couple. They both have feelings for each other, and these feelings begin to increase. Because of the pickle incident, problems continue to resurface. The solution to the set-up is closer than they thought, and all is resolved. The book ends in a great HEA for the couple, and their individual restaurants.
I’ve read several books written by J.J. Knight, and have loved each one. She writes of love, with complications and some suspense. The stories always have a good flow and theme. I highly recommend this whole series.

[Lorraine Brattin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spicy Pickle was laugh out loud funny. With loads of double entendres.

I absolutely loved this 3rd book in the series The Pickle Family, this one was about the youngest brother Anthony. In a previous story he won ownership of their father's deli in New York City. Now he's started a new deli in Boulder, Colorado.
Anthony is set to go on a cooking show with a famous chef to show him their newest creation "the Spicy Pickle". When the chef Milton pulls a fast one and invites out a local Boulder competitor who swears she can make an even better pickle, Anthony goes in shock. He sees this absolutely beautiful and smart woman who's name is Magnolia trying to best him on the show he was invited to.
When the host Milton tries the spicy pickle he chokes and goes running for the sink as the heat is just too much. Soon both Anthony and Magnolia are escorted off set. Both of them proclaim their innocence to the trick played on the host and are soon thrown together to prove their innocence.
Oh the laughs this story will take you through. I truly love how they come together to actually become friends and lovers. Such interesting characters. Love the family bonds that they both have.
So excited to read Magnolia's sisters story. Bring it on!! JJ Knight, you rock!

[Robin Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun -read on KU

This was the best in the series. I have read the next two, also, and think this is the best of the bunch. This book was more fun than any of them. I smiled a lot while reading it.

The only thing I didn't like was Magnolia was pretty irritating until she could no longer refuse Anthony's help. He had been nothing but nice to her and she continually was rude and turned him away. She would have never dropped the bad attitude but they got ot a point where both delis needed PR help and her family deli couldn't afford it on their own.

One thing I have not understood about this series, though, is how his family has so much wealth from the delis. They only had one deli in NYC. And I know it us large but would that really generate millions of dollars? And at the beginning of the series, they have a total of four locations in the US. That's the original and one for each of the three brothers. That's not much of a chain butthe books are written as if they have all of this pull because they have this huge chain. I don't get it but that doesn't factor into my ratings or enjoyment of the books.

I recommend the series and this one especially.

[Sharon in SF · Rating 4 out of 5]

A frenemies to lovers/fake relationship romance with a little mystery thrown in makes this a cute and thoroughly enjoyable read by JJ Knight. Anthony and Magnolia are rival deli owners in Boulder. Anthony's new spicy pickle becomes a TikTok sensation so he's invited to appear on a popular chef's show where his rival, Magnolia, also surprisingly appears. Things don't go according to plan and instead of getting a getting positive exposure for their delis, they suffer the opposite forcing them to hide from the press once the episode airs. Anthony's family hires a media relations expert to try and manage their tarnished public personas. The more they try to spin, the more they spin into a "make believe relationship". The story is told from a dual point of view so we know both Anthony and Magnolia realize the lines are blurring until it gets harder to try and figure out if what's going on is real, or just for the cameras. Meanwhile, the reason things go awry in the first place remains a mystery until a clue surfaces. But is it too late to salvage their relationship?

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

None one does pickle humor like JJ Knight, and Spicy Pickle is another super fun read. This is Anthony's (the youngest Pickle) story. His newest pickle has become a sensation on Tik Tok & it lands him an invitation to America's Spiciest Chef, but there's one big issue, Magnolia, his biggest rival. She challenges him by saying she can make his pickle better, but unfortunately, someone actually sabotages the pickle leading to the host of the show being embarrassed so said host is going to ruin them. It ends up that these two really have to team up to fix this mess with all kinds of fake relationship stuff. However, it doesn't take long before all of that fake doesn't feel so fake anymore. As things heat up in the real realm, BAM! Something else happens that threatens what they have developed. Spicy Pickle has a lot of humor, heat, and even some twists that kept coming up at the craziest times! In order for y'all to see how it all pickles out, you'll have to hit those one click buttons! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! 

[RomanceAddictscape Cave · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING : ⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES : Contemporary romance, fake relationship, rivals

Anthony and Magnolia were so freaking cute!! There was fun filled banter, too many funny innuendos, sweet family members and two rivals who are supposed to hate each other but far from it!

Anthony was a sweet hero, on his way to fame who is has recently created a spicy pickle who has gone viral on tiktok. But the daughter of a rival deli claims she has a lil something which ll make his pickle better. Things go south and they find themselves accused of pranking the show host. So they get into a fake relationship to save face of their family restaurants but is it really fake?

Magnolia was a strong beauty who didn't give herself enough credit. She thinks of herself as the boring sister who never lasts in a relationship and that something is wrong with her. I loved how Anthony proved her wrong. There was instant chemistry between these two and you get to see them develop and bloom. If you're looking for a fun read to make to feel better, this is definitely it!!

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third pickle brother finally gets his HEA. After a Tik Tok challenge involving one of his deli's pickle creations goes viral, he gets invited to appear on a cooking television show. Little does he know, a competitor was also invited. And that's when all hell breaks loose. Next thing he knows, he's 'engaged' to that competitor... despite the fact that she hates him. Of course, after he comes to her rescue a time or two, she's realizing that he's not the person she thought he was. There are laughs along the way, and once her heart starts thawing, things get spicy. (Pun intended.) Both are good people, and have a self awareness. They are also both the introverts of their families and neither one are all that comfortable in front of the cameras. Neither are outspoken people, but they do know how to make their voice heard when need be. Overall, this is a fun read and easy read. The story itself moves quickly. There was a lot of activity for the characters, so never a dull moment. There is some sexual content included. It alternates between POVs.

[Juliesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is sweet, amusing and Hot! the H/h had loads of chemistry. I loved Anthony Pickle, I thought he was a very sweet straight forward type of guy. I wasn’t very keen about Magnolia Boudreaux during the first quarter of the book, she came across as deceitful and with a chip on her shoulder. However as I continued to read she began to grow on me. Once I got past that I thought they had great chemistry together. The bedroom scenes were very spicy.

The story starts out with the two on a cooking show that showcased their spicy pickles. When one of the pickles is tampered with the mystery of who tampered with the pickle begins. There were some twists and turns to the story and I thought it was interesting and very easy to read.

I am new to JJ Knights books and this book is the third book in the Pickle series. I have not read the previous books and did not feel like I missed anything because of it. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

[Sammi Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Spicy Pickle” is the third book in the swoon worthy pickle brothers series by JJ Knight.
“Spicy Pickle” will have you laughing out loud with the humorous mentality of faking it until you make it, tiktok challenges, culinary catastrophe, feuding rivalry deli’s - each in a pickle of their own with the mysteriously tampered with pickle jar, spicy hot romantic feelings - despite it all. So trust me, when I say Hallmark has nothing on these pickle books. Each pickle brother; Jace, Max and Anthony, have their own deli-cious stories in , “Big Pickle” “Hot Pickle” and “Spicy Pickle”. These Pickle books can be read as standalone or as a series, but once you experience a pickle book, I highly recommend them ALL. This series is pickle-licious from the beginning to the end. Hoping for more in the pickle universe. Havannah possibly?!

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Anthony and Magnolia. Both have family deli’s in the same town and Magnolia isn’t a fan of Anthony’s at all. She comes up with a plan that she thinks will help boost sales at their family deli after Anthony’s deli went viral on TikTok with a ghost pepper pickle challenge, but her idea doesn’t work out quite the way she hoped! Or at least, not in the way she thought it would. It definitely improved her life in some ways! Mostly, in bringing her and Anthony together.

This story was so much fun! I loved all the funny puns, and seeing how these two quirky, shy characters bring out the best in each other. They definitely know how to spice things up when they’re together! I can’t wait to read all about Hannah in the next book! If you want to read about Anthony’s brothers, you can pick up the first two pickle books in this series. You won’t be disappointed!

[Cristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in the pickle series, Spicy Pickle is hotter than the scoville scale itself!! Anthony and Magnolia are each running the family business while adding to their pickle repertoire, but a mishap during an appearance on a cooking show could throws it all into the viral social media world, that threatens to send both their deli's on spin, needing a social media guru to help guide them through. How will they get their deli's back on top, will they keep things going?? A carefully crafted engagement could be just the solution they need!! And just how hot will things get between Anthony and Magnolia, could they reach the intensity of the spicy pickle or could things get even hotter??

Intense ​and exciting, could not put this book down, love the pickle series, this is the spiciest one yet!!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This is the third Pickle brother to fall. I really enjoyed this one and I loved Anthony. Anthony and Magnolia are in for a shock when everything goes haywire on them. Pitted against one another as rivals and taking them down well only one thing can resolve this is, a fake relationship. That's the moment Anthony truly had my heart. It he showed Anthony's true colors and he became prime book boyfriend material. Magnolia and Anthony have great chemistry and great things come when they work together. This book had me laughing just like the other two. This book gave me humor, but it also gave me plenty of heart. It's a make you feel good story that's hard to out down. I'm glad to see I may not have to say a real goodbye to some of my favorite characters quite yet. I can't wait for JJ Knight's next book. The teases I've gotten so far from this one make me eagerly await it!

[Ann Hupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining!

So where now can the Pickle Family Legacy go? From bodybuilding to celebchefdom, I suppose.

Without boring you with all sorts of review schtick, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the latest of the Pickle Clan with another Heavy Pickle Mystery — who spiked the super-hot chile pepper cucumber pickle? Nothing is worse than the wrath of a spoilt celeb chef has-been whose been embarrassed on national television with the hottest chile pepper-flavored pickle ever! Now two rivals in the deli business must settle their differences and focus their attention to protect themselves as well as their businesses from being destroyed.

Social media could never be so cruel.

Great writing. Great adventure. A great whodunit to solve. Definitely worth the read.

Read via KU. When I get the cash, I'm buying the series!

[Cathy Egan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute mystery

This is my first book from JJ Knight. I was pleasantly surprised! Even though this is the third book in a series it is completely understandable as a stand alone. I originally got it because of the title. Thought it was amusing. Anthony and Magnolia are from competing deli's. He is the youngest brother in a family that owns dell's in 3 different cities. She comes from a family owned deli that's been in Boulder for 60 years that hasn't been able to expand yet. They are rivals in business. After a mishap on a cooking show where Magnolia tries to steal the spot light and gain some business turns into a huge mistake, they end up joining forces to save both of their businesses. This is a very enjoyable book where the author "breaks the 4th wall" and talks to the reader.