Apple Cider and Subterfuge by Elise Kennedy

[Theresa]

This is a smutty short story padded to squeak by as a novella at 75 pages, relying on the fake marriage trope, and sharing one bed trope. Brynn and Alex are undercover FBI agents in a picturesque Massachusetts town where they have lived as newlyweds for a couple of months while staking out the home of a Russian mobster. Their mission is ending in days, and a sting operation to bring it to a close is scheduled around this weeks Maple Syrup Festival, a November staple celebrating the town's major employer and product. Of course, during the mission, the two have fallen in serious lust and love with each other even though their boss has cameras everywhere in their house but in the bedroom closet and the bathroom as there is a strict no fraternization policy on a mission like this. Makes zero sense to me. The suspense plot is incredibly weak and even a bit senseless except to provide the moment of danger where they save each other and declare their eternal love. It's smutty - mildly - and even that is dimmed by too many pages of each whining to themselves about their fear of declaring the lust and love. Yawn. I did give it 1 star because I learned that Ceylon Cinnamon is considered the purest in the world and that most cinnamon you can buy in the grocery store etc. is imitation. I did know that there are different cinnamons - I happen to have some Madagascar Cinnamon on my spice rack - but now will be heading down a rabbit hole to learn more and source some Ceylon Cinnamon.

I won't however be reading any more of the series of novellas set at holidays and such that this author seems to write.