TRY ME (Cherry Blossom Lake 1) by Tawna Fenske-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 14, 2023

If money talks, it’s telling me to steer clear of Cassidy Brooks.
Too bad my heart’s got the sense of a jellyfish.
The rest of me knows I’m reckless craving a woman wrapped up with wealthy outsiders.
Rich pricks like Cassidy’s boss, slapping glitzy mansions on the old gravel pit they’ve dubbed “Luxury, lakefront Oregon Coast land.”
Land that’s been in my family for decades, but not now. Not anymore.
Blame my shady uncle and a cast of cash-flush, toxic ass-crabs for that.
I want to blame Cassidy, but really? I just want her .
Cassidy and her smart mouth and sunshine eyes and rich lady shoes that make her legs look––
No. Not going there. It’s all I can do to keep my fishing fleet afloat while watching over a boatload of wild brothers and one bossy sister.
And Cassidy’s got her own troubles. A sick sister and a mom with chronic bad taste in men.
We should keep our distance, right?
But this town’s so small we’re crossing paths over sexy trivia night, hermit crab hijinks, and a wardrobe malfunction that lands me up close and clumsily personal with Cassidy’s mom.
I just want my town back. My family’s land.
Land Cassidy’s crew has their eye on.
There’s no way this ends well.
So why can’t we keep our hands off each other?

••••

REVIEW: TRY ME is the first instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult CHERRY BLOSSOM LAKE erotic, romance series focusing on the Spencer-King siblings. This is bait shop owner/crabber Jake Spencer-King, and PA Cassidy Brooks’ story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Jake and Cassidy) TRY ME follows the building romance and relationship between bait shop owner/crabber Jake Spencer-King, and PA Cassidy Brooks. Cassidy is the professional assistant and planner to the uber rich Judson family, and as such is issued perks that are often misinterpreted by others. The day before a large party, Cassidy’s mother and sister are no where to be found, and Cassidy finds herself in need of help. Enter Jake Spencer-King, who upon delivering a generator is mistaken for the hired help. Offering to help, Jake has no idea as to the secrets of Cassidy’s life, a life that is somewhat similar to his own. The sins of the parents and the past have forced each child upon a different path in life, and it is these paths that will push our story line couple together. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Cassidy and Jake, and the potential fall-out when a history of betrayal and lies, resurfaces pulling Cassidy into the middle of the fray.

The world building introduces the Spencer-King siblings, and some of the back story and secrets about a town once controlled by the Spencer-Kings. All is not well; the family dynamic between generations has been fractured, and the Spencer-King siblings are paying the price for someone else’s greed and powers.

We are introduced the colorful and determined Spencer-King siblings: Kaleb, Lucy, her twin Mason, and Parker, and their father; their uncle Owen Spencer; Cassidy’s sister Zoe, and their mother Ruby Brooks, as well as Cassidy’s employers Shirleen and Laurence Judson.

The relationship between Cassidy and Jake begins acrimoniously. Jake is quick to misjudge Cassidy, believing she is part of the local aristocracy aka rich; and Cassidy believes Jake is part of the hired help, amusement to entertain the local snobs. As Jake and Cassidy begin circling one another, someone else is threatening the plans of the Spencer-King siblings. The $ex scenes are intimate, provocative and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

TRY ME is a story of family and relationships, secrets and lies, greed and power, misunderstanding, forgiveness and love. The premise is heartwarming and animated ; the romance is spicy and passionate-the sexual tension is palpable; the characters are dynamic and inspiring.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.