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| Port Benedict, Washington – Present Day Ellie is trying to start over in a new town while temporarily living with a man from her past whom she once had a crush on. After accepting his help, he asks her to be his pretend girlfriend so he can close a business deal. How can she pretend to be in love with him when she hates him after he rejected her ten years ago? Or will the attraction return? Ellie Pang has the most annoying parents as they attempt to control her life in every way they can, including orchestrating a public marriage proposal from the guy she had gone out on a couple of dates. She turned the guy down, much to her mother’s displeasure, but the video of the failed proposal went viral on social media. Then, her mother paid her employer to fire her, with the objective that Ellie would come work at the family company. Ellie has had enough. Without telling her parents, she leaves New York City and ends up in Port Benedict, where she plans to open a bakery that caters to diabetics like her. Ellie had learned when she was a child that she was a Type 1 diabetic, and since then, her parents had always hovered over her as if she was an invalid. Ellie arrives to discover that a recent storm had damaged the store she bought sight unseen, including a tree through the roof. There’s no insurance and no one available to do repairs for weeks. Frustrated, she calls her brother, and he recommends someone local, who shortly shows up. It’s Alec Mackenzie, her brother’s best friend, and the guy Ellie had a crush on until he abruptly left ten years ago after breaking her heart. No way does she want him to help her. But she has no choice, and with limited funds and no place to live, he offers her a room at his house temporarily. Soon, Ellie’s dream of a bakery is going to be fulfilled, but will she survive living with the annoying Alec? Ellie is part of an Indo-Chinese family, and her parents are wealthy. For this reason, her mother wants to choose who Ellie will marry, and George, the son of a business associate, is picked. For most of her life, Ellie has had to reject her parents controlling her life, especially since they treat her like an infant who can’t stand on her own two feet. The diabetes diagnosis was especially difficult as Ellie adjusted to the realities of her future. She has a good handle on it now, but it doesn’t change her mother’s mind. Meanwhile, Alec was part of Ellie’s childhood since he was her brother’s friend. But after a particularly bad diabetic episode, she saw her dreams of Alec paying attention to her crash when he rejected her and left town. Now she is forced to relive what happened. She hates Alec. Or so she thinks. Alec owns a construction company and arranges for the repairs on her shop. She is also living under his roof and despite his insistence that they would barely see each other they do run into each other. After she learns about his paying some of her bills, she is angry. She wants to stand on her own two feet. Then he offers her a chance to “repay” him. She can pretend to be his girlfriend for a few weeks while he closes a deal with a handsy owner. Ellie isn’t sure if she can hide her attraction to Alec, but she agrees. There is plenty of bickering and bantering in the deliciously fun SALTY, SPICED, AND A LITTLE BIT NICE. Readers will enjoy the tenaciousness of Ellie while watching her try to ignore the fact that she’s still attracted to Alec. He wants to help her, despite her stubbornness. Who will win the battle in the end? We can only hope it leads to love. Sit a while and enjoy the entertainment in SALTY, SPICED, AND A LITTLE BIT NICE. Patti Fischer |
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SALTY, SPICED, AND A LITTLE BIT NICE - Cynthia Timoti