Red Velvet: 2 (Blackwood Cellars Series)

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We had friends to (fake) lovers, horrible siblings and the inevitable ex-boyfriend turning up when everything is actually going alright. Even if the sex was decent, it didn’t make up for the criticism or the hours of self-doubt that plagued her every time he joked about her muffin top.

Having read Blue Hawaiian a few months back, it was only right for me to join the blog tour for the second book in the series Red Velvet.Not only had she lost two hundred dollars on the deposit, but he’d never offered to help pay for it. On his last birthday, she’d brought in a raspberry chocolate swirl cheesecake that sent him into a food coma.

Neither feels like they fit in with the rest of their family, and they always seem like they are trying to prove themselves to those who should accept them without reservation. By bringing him to the wedding, she’d finally show them she’d landed someone worthy of their approval. April and Brody are two besties who are there for each other through it all so when April needed Brody he stepped up and went to her brothers wedding as her ex so her family wouldn’t think he was fake. But will the biggest secret of all turn out to be that this fake relationship feels more real than April or Brody ever imagined?After I read Carla Luna’s first book in her Blackwood Cellars series, I predicted it would be my favorite contemporary romance series. Used to being teased and picked on every time she is with her family, April is thrilled to have her handsome boyfriend with her for the week. April’s brother and his fiancée, April’s quirky cousin, and Brody’s friends are all supportive, accepting, and encouraging, and I loved their roles in the story. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average.

He’d been so distraught he’d gotten wasted at the rehearsal dinner, made an inappropriate speech, and passed out at the table. Especially after she tried to impress her older sisters with a fake boyfriend in college and failed miserably. Taylor had been his plus-one for Marc’s wedding, but she’d dumped him, via text, two hours before her plane was due to arrive on the island. The story has many tropes that I love – friends-to-lovers romance, only one bed, fake dating, and more. They have such fantastic chemistry, and their ease with and love for each other is relatable, realistic, and swoon-tastic!

They were unnecessarily mean, hyper-competitive, and often cruel to April, and even her parents prove difficult to please or even appease. With crisp apples, gold and red leaves, cherry jams galore and plenty of wine tasting, you’ll adore this vacation-in-a-book. When she’s not writing, she works in a spice emporium where she gets paid to discuss food and share her favorite recipes. but the descriptions are so detailed and vivid, you feel like – as a reader – you are right there with the characters.

Brody is also very likeable, the lovable nerd and the kind of character that makes me annoyed I’ve never had a male friend (especially not one who fancies me, but a girl can dream 😂).

After ensuring the cupcakes were angled correctly, she took a photo and posted it with a caption: Red velvet beauties, waiting to be frosted.