Review: Anything But Love by Beth Ciotta

Posted November 3, 2013 by Cocktails and Books in Reviews / 0 Comments

anything but loveLOVE IS SWEET…

For Reagan Deveraux, Sugar Creek, Vermont, and the Cupcake Lovers are a dream come true: A cozy little town where family and friends come before everything else. She’s never experienced anything like it—especially not growing up with her mother, a fickle, fame-hungry heiress. But Rae’s plan to hide out in anonymity for a year until she can claim her inheritance—and her independence—changes with one kiss from gorgeous pub owner Luke Monroe.

UNTIL YOU SPICE IT UP…

Luke’s charm is legendary, but he’s never been a one-woman man. Until Rae captures his attention, that is, and then disappears. With a little help from a friend, Luke tracks her down—and unearths secrets almost too wild to be true, as well as the fact that Rae lied to him, and to all of Sugar Creek. Luke’s not sure if he can forgive her, but he definitely can’t forget her, and when she returns to save the Cupcake Lovers from disaster, he knows it’s his chance to get the truth—and get the girl, this time for good.

Series: Cupcake Lovers #3
Release Date: 10/01/13
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Manic Readers
Reviewer: Elizabeth
Rating:
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Reviewer’s Thoughts

I didn’t realize this was a third book in a series when I selected it for review. I really wished I read the first two books first; I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.  This is my first Beth Ciotta read and it was pretty interesting.  There was a lot of deceit between Luke and Rae but this rocky path made them stronger as individuals and as lovers.

I loved Luke’s grandma. She was a complete delight to read about with her vivacity and her “live-in companion.” We all know what was going down there. However, I wasn’t really vested in the story because I felt I missed a lot of background from the previous books in the series. The story was well-written and fast-paced. I did think the book ended a little prematurely. The story just seemed to drop off. I would have liked to know what happened after Rocky and Jayce’s wedding. I didn’t feel there was closure to Luke and Rae’s story.