From USA Today, #1 Amazon, and BookTok bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes a sizzling, second-chance romance set on the high seas—perfect for fans of Below Deck and readers who crave angsty, high-stakes love stories.

Ember Reed is finally living her chief stew on a Mediterranean superyacht, sun-kissed days at sea, and the star of Close Quarters, the hottest new reality TV show. But just as she finds her stride, the producers throw her a curveball—by hiring the one man who nearly sank her.

Finn Pearson was the one that got away. The boy who kissed her like they had forever, then left without a word. But now he’s the chef in her new crew, and the cameras are watching their every move, innocent, or not.

Even on a superyacht, there’s nowhere to hide from the past. Every stolen glance, every whispered argument, every lingering memory threatens to ignite what never fully burned out. And as the tension spills into their day jobs, even the dinner service is spiralling into disaster.

They’ve crashed before… but could eight weeks at sea be their second chance to get it right? Or will it be the storm that finally sinks them for good?

Amazon | Goodreads

From the get go this one sounded like it would be such a fun read and it was, but also was more. Ember is finally getting her chance to work as a Chief Stew on a yacht and wanting to prove herself, while cameras follow her and the crew to film a reality show reminiscent of Below Deck. Imagine her surprise when the man she never really got over, who broke her heart, shows up to be the Chef on board. Add in a full cast of characters, forced proximity drama and tension you could cut with a butter knife and it’s a fun time.

I was excited to get to tandem read between an eARC and an ALC – the audiobook has duet narration and is wonderfully done, with unique voices for everyone so that they all stand out. I really enjoyed the flashbacks to Finn and Ember’s relationship as well as the behind the scenes interview portions from the filming of the show as the story goes on.

If you’re looking for a book that is filled with yearning and tension that often spills over, but is also a messy reality TV drama, definitely pick this one up. There are tons of not only intense moments, but also hilarious and heartfelt ones.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

She’s the local barista, he’s the new chef in town.

Kelsey Rivers has spent her life in the shadow of the Teton Mountains in her small Wyoming town. Between the constant flow of tourists and seasonal workers, she’s used to people not sticking around. What more could she need besides her best friend and fellow barista, her dog, and an unlimited supply of espresso shots?

That is until a tattooed chef, with charming good looks and an even more charming personality, sits down next to her at the local bar. Kelsey can’t remember the last time anyone made her smile, let alone laugh the way he does.

Opening a new restaurant in the trendy Wyoming town was only supposed to be a stopover on Sutton Sterling’s way to more culinary accolades, following in his older brother’s footsteps. From small town Sterling Springs, New Mexico to hotshot chef, who takes nothing seriously except what ends up on his menus, there’s one recipe he can’t figure out.

What did Sutton do wrong two years ago when he met the local girl with the hard-to-earn smile, on his first night in town? No matter how hard he tries, she continues to maintain this one-sided grudge.

A “stolen” car, a landslide, a lot of gelato, two furry sidekicks, and a shared love of reality TV keep bringing these two together. Will they take the hint and finally do something for themselves… SOMETHING SELFISH?

Amazon | Goodreads

Kelsey is the black cat barista who loves her home town and never wants to leave. Sutton is the up and coming golden retriever chef who’s looking to start a new restaurant in town. They meet and there’s instant attraction – so what happens to make it so that two years later they are no longer on speaking terms?

There’s so much yearning in this book from both sides that you can’t help but want them to be together. I enjoyed the gradual unfolding of the dual time lines that slowly showed us what happened two years ago and then once all is revealed the book continues on in the preset as Kelsey and Sutton work at rebuilding the relationship. Their dynamic, even when they aren’t getting along, is hilarious and fantastic – which means the banter is also top notch.

I really like the setup that I can see being made for the series itself and am excited to see where it goes, especially if it features the rest of the Sterling family and their respective partners.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Honey Braxton doesn’t break rules, she enforces them. As an auditor for the Bureau of Magical Compliance, she specializes in wishing wells. Her audits are thorough, her judgments final, and her detachment absolute.

Her latest assignment lands her on the orchard of Ethan Hale, a skeptical single father who has no time for magic, or the cheerful meddling of his three children.

When Honey discovers that the kids used the family’s long-forgotten wishing well to keep the farm afloat, she knows her revoke the unauthorized wishes, file her report, and walk away.

But something about Ethan and his family tugs at her tightly guarded heart and Honey finds her once-clear rules beginning to blur.

With her boss pressuring her to close the case, and the orchard hanging in the balance, Honey faces a uphold the rules and risk destroying the fragile happiness this family has found—or break them, jeopardizing the career she’s spent her life building.

And in the midst of it all, she finds herself considering the one thing she swore she never making a wish of her own.

Amazon | Goodreads

When you combine a grumpy dad, three mischievous daughters, a straight laced rule following auditor, a baby goat and Cluck Norris – you know it’s going to be a fun time. What surprised me about what I thought was going to be a very light hearted and magical rom com, was all the hard hitting emotional gut punches. Honey and Ethan are so well developed it’s hard not to feel like they are real people, with their individual life issues – Ethan with his struggle to keep everything together for his three girls (but stubbornly refusing to look for help) and Honey with her plans and determination for her life to follow a very specific path.

They definitely clash, for a number of reasons, but they come to understand each other. There are lots of misunderstandings, flares of temper and hardships – but there are a lot of beautiful moments too. The relationships that are built, not just between Honey and Ethan, but the town itself, really set the stage for what I hope are a number of upcoming books.

As You Wish came out today! Make sure to pick it up!

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.