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Jersey Strong #4
Just Desserts
Once upon a time, Hayley believed that a good woman (her) could turn a bad boy (her ex) into a knight in shining armor (pure fantasy.) Ten years of marriage to Michael Goldstein finally drummed the truth into her head. People don't change with time. They just become more of who they were to begin with...
Hayley Goldstein should be jumping for joy. She's been offered the chance of a lifetime: to bake a cake for world-famous rock star Tommy Stiles. But why would such a celebrity send his big-time lawyer to her small-time South Jersey bakery? Hayley's had enough hard knocks in her life to always suspect the worst. And she has a sneaking suspicion that this is about more than just cake...
Well, lawyer Finn Rafferty has to admit she's right. The truth is, Hayley is Tommy's long-lost daughter, and the aging rocker wants to meet–and maybe spoil–Hayley and her daughter. With her world turned upside down, Hayley will need help letting down her guard and hanging onto the things that matter most. And Finn may just be the man for the job . . .
Hayley Goldstein should be jumping for joy. She's been offered the chance of a lifetime: to bake a cake for world-famous rock star Tommy Stiles. But why would such a celebrity send his big-time lawyer to her small-time South Jersey bakery? Hayley's had enough hard knocks in her life to always suspect the worst. And she has a sneaking suspicion that this is about more than just cake...
Well, lawyer Finn Rafferty has to admit she's right. The truth is, Hayley is Tommy's long-lost daughter, and the aging rocker wants to meet–and maybe spoil–Hayley and her daughter. With her world turned upside down, Hayley will need help letting down her guard and hanging onto the things that matter most. And Finn may just be the man for the job . . .
511 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
38 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Bretton
130 books597 followersBarbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world. Her works have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries.
Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette,among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.
Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.
Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.
Barbara has been featured in articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Romantic Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Herald News, Home News, Somerset Gazette,among others, and has been interviewed by Independent Network News Television, appeared on the Susan Stamberg Show on NPR, and been featured in an interview with Charles Osgood of WCBS, among others.
Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times; Gold and Silver certificates from Affaire de Coeur; the RWA Region 1 Golden Leaf; and several sales awards from Bookrak. Ms. Bretton was included in a recent edition of Contemporary Authors.
Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 26, 2022
Always enjoy Barbara Bretton. Hailey is a 38 year old divorced single mother who owns a bakery. Its discovered that her biological father is an aging rock superstar. She had no idea - her mother told her she was a 'sperm donor' baby. The Rocker - Tommy Stiles sends his lawyer Finn Rafferty to check her out. Finn is the son of Tommy's best friend, who passed away when Finn was 16, so Tommy is a father figure for Finn. Tommy (sort of like Rod Stewart) has a history of ex-wives and loads of children, but he loves his large extended family and wants Hailey to be part of his family if it is proven she is really his daughter. She and Finn hit it off and that's all I'm gonna spoil about that. I really loved that the main characters were pushing 40, divorced, and that Hailey had teenage daughter to worry about. Something about Bretton's books always resonates with me, and I really enjoyed this one! Wish my public library had more Bretton books available.
May 12, 2017
Just Desserts (Jersey Strong Book 4)
The love story of Finn and Hayley. Finn is a lawyer for Tommy, a rock star, who is task to find out if Hayley is his daughter before his marry and sign of his prenuptial. Hayley is a baker with a daughter, who live in Lakeside, NJ and does not know she is the daughter of a rock star. Finn and Hayley met and fall for each other. You will love it. Great summer read.
The love story of Finn and Hayley. Finn is a lawyer for Tommy, a rock star, who is task to find out if Hayley is his daughter before his marry and sign of his prenuptial. Hayley is a baker with a daughter, who live in Lakeside, NJ and does not know she is the daughter of a rock star. Finn and Hayley met and fall for each other. You will love it. Great summer read.
February 28, 2018
Fun romance novel. Hayley Goldenstein, baker of wonderful decorated cakes, and mother of 14 year old Lizzie, is given the job of designing and baking the cakes for rocker Tom Stiles' band after party. In the course of the story, the mystery of Hayley's unknown father is discovered; her scum bag of a former husband tries to get daughter Lizzie to bail him out of financial trouble (with person unknown but one presumes the Mafia or equivalent).
July 19, 2018
I only found this author recently and love her books.
Especially the New Jersey series.
This book is fun, lighthearted, romantic and the kind of book
that puts a smile on your face when you're done.
A few laugh out loud moments.
Especially the New Jersey series.
This book is fun, lighthearted, romantic and the kind of book
that puts a smile on your face when you're done.
A few laugh out loud moments.
June 20, 2020
Jersey Strong #4 - Have It Read It - 2008
November 23, 2020
I really enjoy these books - the stories are inventive and fun!
Want to read
March 9, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/9/2022)! 🎁
January 15, 2022
A single mom baker is in for the surprise of her life when she discovers her father is a famous rockstar. But before that she meets his lawyer, the sexy Finn who gets to know her as she bakes a cake for her unknown father’s party.
It was a sweet book, if a bit old school. I enjoyed the drama, but got a bit annoyed with the constant worrying of the main character.
It was a sweet book, if a bit old school. I enjoyed the drama, but got a bit annoyed with the constant worrying of the main character.
February 20, 2011
This was a book I deliberately selected to read after finishing Karen Marie Moning's Shadowfever; I wanted something light and easy to read. I found what I was looking for but it was actually quite a bit more.
Hayley is a 38 yr old divorced mother of a teenaged girl. She runs a bakery and has begun a custom cake decorating branch. She doesn't really know her 80 year old mothervery well because they are polar opposites: Jean travels the world as a dedicated (and single-focused) oceanographer and Hayley was a wild child in her youth who is more creative than scientific. During Hayley's high school years she moved in with her Aunt Fee and Jean took off, only coming for short visits after that. There was no father in the picture because Jean availed herself of AI from an unknown but carefully selected for his intellegence donor.Hayley jokes that it was not a successful selection because she wasn't smart and grew up wanting to marry a rock star. Or at least, not someone professorial or who wore a suit.
What she doesn't know is that her staid and suited up scientist mother spent a weekend with an up and coming rock star named Tommy. When she found herself pregnant in 1970, she elected to *scandalized sigh* have her baby but get right back to her professional life; she decided not to tell Tommy because she didn't want the child to affect his opportunity; she realized that he was going places. Tommy did become a big star, one of the biggest, up there with Springstein, Stewart and Jagger. He fell in love with supermodels and married often. Surprisingly enough, he was a wonderful and caring father, he just didn't have lasting marraiges due to his extensive road life.
Flash forward to present time. In today's litiginous society, pre-nups are important and description of all potential heirs is paramont. Finn Rafferty (love the name but he wasn't as Irish as his name sounded) is Tommy's attorney and long-time family friend. In fact, his dad and Tommy were best friends and bandmates. When his father passed away a young Finn came to live with Tommy, becoming - almost - a part of Tommy's very extended family. He also plays rythem guitar when the band, the AfterLife, is on tour.
Finn finds out about Hayley while working on Tommy's latest pre-nup. The method and mayhem of this sweet story arises when Tommy decides to check out his unknown daughter by having her provide a drumset cake for 200 for the AfterLife's after party at a charity Altantic City gig.
This is a quick read but the emotions and actions of the characters is just delicious. Finn is hot and thinks Hayley is too; Hayley thinks her thighs are outrageous and marraige will not be in her future after the horrible mistake she made marrying her daughter Lizzie's father and that Finn is gorgeous and nice but wears a suit. Lizzie is a very mature 14 year who craves her father's love. The setting is all there for a great story, and it is.
As a 52 year old who also would have preferred to marry a rock star, I certainly related to this book. And even though it is not my normal type selection, it was all worth it for the scene where Hayley is setting up her incredible cake drumset at the casino for the big party. She's chatting with a female hotel catering employee who is with her when Finn walks up not in a suit but a tight black tee and skin-tight jeans with a leather wristband. Both ladies are open-mouthed and astounded. HCE lady nudges Hayley and says, "I didn't know you were with the band!". While Hayley stutter a non-answer, Finn sexily says, "Oh yes, she's with the band.". Hah! Score one for Team Hayley, who is Every Woman. I love it!
There's more, its a 3.5+ star read and worth the time to do so. I hope you enjoy it!
Hayley is a 38 yr old divorced mother of a teenaged girl. She runs a bakery and has begun a custom cake decorating branch. She doesn't really know her 80 year old mothervery well because they are polar opposites: Jean travels the world as a dedicated (and single-focused) oceanographer and Hayley was a wild child in her youth who is more creative than scientific. During Hayley's high school years she moved in with her Aunt Fee and Jean took off, only coming for short visits after that. There was no father in the picture because Jean availed herself of AI from an unknown but carefully selected for his intellegence donor.Hayley jokes that it was not a successful selection because she wasn't smart and grew up wanting to marry a rock star. Or at least, not someone professorial or who wore a suit.
What she doesn't know is that her staid and suited up scientist mother spent a weekend with an up and coming rock star named Tommy. When she found herself pregnant in 1970, she elected to *scandalized sigh* have her baby but get right back to her professional life; she decided not to tell Tommy because she didn't want the child to affect his opportunity; she realized that he was going places. Tommy did become a big star, one of the biggest, up there with Springstein, Stewart and Jagger. He fell in love with supermodels and married often. Surprisingly enough, he was a wonderful and caring father, he just didn't have lasting marraiges due to his extensive road life.
Flash forward to present time. In today's litiginous society, pre-nups are important and description of all potential heirs is paramont. Finn Rafferty (love the name but he wasn't as Irish as his name sounded) is Tommy's attorney and long-time family friend. In fact, his dad and Tommy were best friends and bandmates. When his father passed away a young Finn came to live with Tommy, becoming - almost - a part of Tommy's very extended family. He also plays rythem guitar when the band, the AfterLife, is on tour.
Finn finds out about Hayley while working on Tommy's latest pre-nup. The method and mayhem of this sweet story arises when Tommy decides to check out his unknown daughter by having her provide a drumset cake for 200 for the AfterLife's after party at a charity Altantic City gig.
This is a quick read but the emotions and actions of the characters is just delicious. Finn is hot and thinks Hayley is too; Hayley thinks her thighs are outrageous and marraige will not be in her future after the horrible mistake she made marrying her daughter Lizzie's father and that Finn is gorgeous and nice but wears a suit. Lizzie is a very mature 14 year who craves her father's love. The setting is all there for a great story, and it is.
As a 52 year old who also would have preferred to marry a rock star, I certainly related to this book. And even though it is not my normal type selection, it was all worth it for the scene where Hayley is setting up her incredible cake drumset at the casino for the big party. She's chatting with a female hotel catering employee who is with her when Finn walks up not in a suit but a tight black tee and skin-tight jeans with a leather wristband. Both ladies are open-mouthed and astounded. HCE lady nudges Hayley and says, "I didn't know you were with the band!". While Hayley stutter a non-answer, Finn sexily says, "Oh yes, she's with the band.". Hah! Score one for Team Hayley, who is Every Woman. I love it!
There's more, its a 3.5+ star read and worth the time to do so. I hope you enjoy it!
July 29, 2013
Like another reader, I too was seeking a casual read after investing a lot of time with intense supernatural characters and plots in several books. I wanted to read a recommended mystery call Just Desserts but instead downloaded this version because it sounded like a nice change of pace.
This was a cute story of a single mom, raised by an unorthodox single mom who was a scientist and used a sperm donor. Doesn't sound like fun yet does it? But it is.
Tommy - A loveable rock star (think Jagger, or Clapton age ) wants to get married again for love, again. As part of the pre-nup the lawyers search for any one who might show up in a paternity suit.
Hayley who is keeping her ex's bakery running with her specialty cakes gets a visit from Finn Rafferty -friend and lawyer of the musician to create a cake. Her bullshit detector goes off and she is suspicious of the offer. Hayley has experience with lying men and trusts her vibe but her daughter and bakery staff encourage her to take the job. The money and publicity will help he financially too. Sexy Finn is attracted to her but keeps the knowledge of her paternity quiet until there is some confirmation. Meanwhile he keeps uses Chinese food, to court Hayley who was lonely and didn't even know it.
This book is about families, in laws, dynamics, children, and love. Hayley who only had her rarely seen mom and brilliant daughter discovers more family than she could have imagined while learning to trust and love again.
This was a cute story of a single mom, raised by an unorthodox single mom who was a scientist and used a sperm donor. Doesn't sound like fun yet does it? But it is.
Tommy - A loveable rock star (think Jagger, or Clapton age ) wants to get married again for love, again. As part of the pre-nup the lawyers search for any one who might show up in a paternity suit.
Hayley who is keeping her ex's bakery running with her specialty cakes gets a visit from Finn Rafferty -friend and lawyer of the musician to create a cake. Her bullshit detector goes off and she is suspicious of the offer. Hayley has experience with lying men and trusts her vibe but her daughter and bakery staff encourage her to take the job. The money and publicity will help he financially too. Sexy Finn is attracted to her but keeps the knowledge of her paternity quiet until there is some confirmation. Meanwhile he keeps uses Chinese food, to court Hayley who was lonely and didn't even know it.
This book is about families, in laws, dynamics, children, and love. Hayley who only had her rarely seen mom and brilliant daughter discovers more family than she could have imagined while learning to trust and love again.
February 19, 2017
This was a cute read - probably not quite reality, though. The story was about a women who turns out to be the unknown daughter of a famous rock star (on the level of Jaggar or Springsteen but still relevant today). I really liked the book - it was well written and the MCs and side characters were all very likeable. But it was an easy read. This story could have been fraught with incredible edginess or angst but the author pretty much glossed over the betrayal of the mother who never told the rockstar she was pregnant, the tension in the rockstar's extensive family at adding 2 more family members on top of his impending marriage to his pregnant fiance, the quasi-betrayal of the hero holding this info of her dad back from the heroine when they first meet and the horrible ex-husband of the heroine who is emotionally blackmailing his daughter for money. With so many plot lines that could deepen the emotional edge of the book, none of them were really explored. Everyone just pretty much 'got over' everything after spending a week or so together in the rockstar's huge East Hampton estate on the beach. I'm not saying I didn't like the book - I really did because it was light and easy. But there was a different book in this story that the author chose not to write. Which is okay, as I said, but you do have to be willing to accept this isn't that book and that everyone is now just one big happy family.
June 6, 2013
3.7
Cute, light and sweet. Could've used a bit more depth but still a great beach read.
Though I liked Hayley, her worrying made me anxious. It seems like she has some undiagnosed anxiety issues. Also, while I really like her character I think that she may have forgiven Finn a bit too quick in terms of her character.
As for Finn, I understand why he did what he did (professionally at least) but I think maybe he should've hinted at something a lot sooner (other than that vague warning at the beginning). Other than that, he was a nice pairing with Hayley. The ganache to her yellow cake. I do wish there had been a bit more development with him especial in terms of exploring his relationship with Tommy.
All in all, if this were a cake it would be a light vanilla cake with a buttercream frosting with caramel drizzle.
Cute, light and sweet. Could've used a bit more depth but still a great beach read.
Though I liked Hayley, her worrying made me anxious. It seems like she has some undiagnosed anxiety issues. Also, while I really like her character I think that she may have forgiven Finn a bit too quick in terms of her character.
As for Finn, I understand why he did what he did (professionally at least) but I think maybe he should've hinted at something a lot sooner (other than that vague warning at the beginning). Other than that, he was a nice pairing with Hayley. The ganache to her yellow cake. I do wish there had been a bit more development with him especial in terms of exploring his relationship with Tommy.
All in all, if this were a cake it would be a light vanilla cake with a buttercream frosting with caramel drizzle.
November 25, 2013
Lawyer Finn Rafferty wasn't sure what to expect when he sought out the unknown child of a rock legend, but Hayley Maitland Goldsetin wasn't it. Hayley questioned every motive for Finn being in her bakery ordering a cake for a rock star. Why would he drive four hours out of his way to order a cake from a local bakery?
Hayley is waiting for the shoe to drop, the saying too good to be true is ever present in her mind. It doesn't help that she finds herself falling for Finn. When Hayley discovers the truth though will she be able to forgive Finn for keeping her in the dark?
This was a delightful read. I thought the pacing was good and was eager for Hayley to discover the truth. Lizzie, the daughter of Hayley is highly entertaining and brings a very family feel to the story. A true gem.
Hayley is waiting for the shoe to drop, the saying too good to be true is ever present in her mind. It doesn't help that she finds herself falling for Finn. When Hayley discovers the truth though will she be able to forgive Finn for keeping her in the dark?
This was a delightful read. I thought the pacing was good and was eager for Hayley to discover the truth. Lizzie, the daughter of Hayley is highly entertaining and brings a very family feel to the story. A true gem.
July 13, 2011
I really liked this book because of all the down-to-earth characters who loved to have fun and laugh in the face of all that life has thrown at them.
The teenager with the emotionally abusive father, the mother with a small business, the grandmother with her fatal cancer prognosis, the 60-year-old rockstar with the pregnant 20-year-old fiancee, and the lonely lawyer wondering where his life went.
Barbara Bretton combines all these interesting and dynamic characters into a tale about life and dealing with your problems no matter what.
The teenager with the emotionally abusive father, the mother with a small business, the grandmother with her fatal cancer prognosis, the 60-year-old rockstar with the pregnant 20-year-old fiancee, and the lonely lawyer wondering where his life went.
Barbara Bretton combines all these interesting and dynamic characters into a tale about life and dealing with your problems no matter what.
November 9, 2015
Hayley is a baker with a teenage daughter. She never knew her father. Now she has been hired to bake a cake for a rock star Tommy Stiles. Finn, Tommy's lawyer goes to check out Hayley's bakery Goldy's.
This story was cute as Hayley doesn't know who her father is and her mother is coming home to tell her. When Finn meets Hayley you can feel the sparks right away. I loved the interaction of the characters. You have Hayley, Lizzie (Hayley's daughter), Tommy, Finn, Willow, Fee, CeCe, Jane, Anton.
This story was cute as Hayley doesn't know who her father is and her mother is coming home to tell her. When Finn meets Hayley you can feel the sparks right away. I loved the interaction of the characters. You have Hayley, Lizzie (Hayley's daughter), Tommy, Finn, Willow, Fee, CeCe, Jane, Anton.
May 31, 2012
Compulsively readable. I stayed up late and devoured this book. Great story, likeable characters, wonderful writing. Just what I count on Barbara Bretton for. Struggling single mom with a bakery on the brink of success when a rock star discovers that he's her father. I liked the way the story unfolds. Even though things didn't go according to plan, the lead-up was good and the characters don't fall into easy stereotypes. Great read.
April 15, 2008
A contemporary Cinderella story. This is a lovely story about a woman and her teenage daughter living a perfectly normal, ordinary life. Along comes the hunky attorney of a famous rock star and their lives become anything but normal and ordinary. This story is solid with just enough sub plots to add interest without taking away from the main theme.
June 11, 2016
A delightful story of a single mother raising her daughter and running the bakery she and her ex-husband inherited from his father. Love isn't on her horizon, until she meets a handsome lawyer/rock band member, who happens to work for the father she doesn't know exists. When the truth comes out, will their fledging relationship stand a chance?
October 27, 2014
Sometimes you just hate to see a book end and this was one of those. I loved the down to earth baker and her introduction to her zany extended family. The author took what could have been a silly story with a far fetched plot and made it a story about real characters in real, if unusual, circumstances. Lots of humor, romance, and pets. I will be looking for more books by this author.
May 10, 2015
My review
Hayley bakes cakes for a living and is raising her daughter, Lizzie, alone. Finn Rafferty grew up under the shadow of rock music legend Tommy Stiles and starting to realize he wants more of what Tommy has, a family. When Finn learns that Hayley maybe connected to Tommy, he finds that there may be more to this connection than just the genetic one.
Hayley bakes cakes for a living and is raising her daughter, Lizzie, alone. Finn Rafferty grew up under the shadow of rock music legend Tommy Stiles and starting to realize he wants more of what Tommy has, a family. When Finn learns that Hayley maybe connected to Tommy, he finds that there may be more to this connection than just the genetic one.
January 31, 2016
Fun easy story about an independent woman who discovers that she is actually the daughter of a rock star that her professor mom had a one night stand with. She is trying to make it big with her special cakes and keep her daughter away from her creep deadbeat husband. some laughs, nice overall story.
July 30, 2012
Single Mom with a smart alec 14 year old daughter and a loser ex-husband meets her bio Dad. Her bio dad is a rock star who wants to meet her. The hero is the bio dad's lawyer. I couldn't get into the story because I never believed the motivations of the characters.
July 12, 2016
Barbara Bretton is one of those authors I read too seldomly. Her stories are touching, funny, smart romances that include such wonderfully relatable everyday settings, friendship and family bonds. This one is no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed it - and I'm planning to read more Bretton soon.
May 1, 2008
Light romance - a good read.
June 3, 2008
I enjoyed the bakery aspect...the romance was fun to read....
October 14, 2008
An easy going Nora Roberts type book.
September 14, 2008
A combination family and love story. The food mentioned sounded too yummy.
Read
November 24, 2008LP Bre
July 28, 2009
Good book about a baker and her rock and roll father, Tommy Stiles, that she didn't know about until age 38! Ending is very good!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews