Not the Marrying Kind

Fair Oaks Series, Book 2

By: Jae

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

A closeted small-town florist and a too-busy-for-a-relationship bakery owner mix up the perfect recipe for love in this delicious lesbian romance novel.

Small-town florist Ashley Gaines loves her little flower shop and putting together the perfect bouquets for weddings and other happy occasions. Her own love life, however, is far from blossoming. Ash has decided that staying in the closet is safer than risking her heart again.

Local bakery owner Sasha Peterson hasn't had much luck mixing it up with romance either. Besides, she's too busy whipping up delicious treats to have time for a relationship. But when their town's first lesbian wedding forces them to work together, Ashley and Sasha discover they have more in common than they imagined.

During food fights, cake tastings, and slow waltzes, they begin to see each other in a new light. Soon Ashley has to admit to herself that Sasha is tempting more than just her sweet tooth.

Contains mature themes.

©2019 Jae (P)2019 Tantor

Excellent storyline, different yet romantic

I enjoyed the book very much. It was a good combination of love and the tension of love.
My only complaint was the narration of the main character with a nasal twang. It really took something away from the story
A good fun read

Tender and Sweet

I really enjoyed this story - good characters, sexy, enjoyed the continuation of Leo and Holly’s relationship. I hope there’s another in the series.

One of Jae's Best

A deeply emotional and heart tugging story that shouldn't be missed. Jae is one of my favorite writers and this is one of my favorite books from her. I am so glad that the legendary Angela Dawe narrated. Only Ms. Dawe could have expertly captured the raw emotion that engulfed the love scenes as well as the painful confessions. Her flawless performance draws the listener into the story so that the emotions are felt rather than just heard. Anyone who has agonized over the fear of coming out will relate to this story and will not be disappointed. Outstanding.

Excellent story!

Just the right amount of angst. The connection and chemistry between the MCs are on fire from the start. Ash’s growth is relatable and amazing. Sasha is a tall drink of hotness mixed with the perfect amount of softness. Great read! Highly recommend!

Least Expected

It took sweets to pull her out the closet and into love. We all need a baker with strong hands and patience.

Sweet and beautiful

A sweet and beautiful story. Jae’s writing is always stellar and never disappoints. Once again Angela Dawe brought all characters in the book to life so beautifully

Wonderful

Great story to continue the Fairoaks series. Struggle was worth it for Ashley in the end. Who wouldn’t want to end up with Sasha. Angela did a wonderful job with the characters as always.

Absolutely delightful

I love the way Jea writes stories with intertwining characters but at the same time doesn't let characters from previous books over shadow the current story. It gives the story a well rounded feel and world building dynamic. I highly recommend you read Perfect Rhythm before reading this book. I didn't hate Ashley in that book but by the end of it I strongly disliked her. Ashley's character development in this book was marvelous. I loved learning more about her as she became more comfortable and confident with who she is. Learning more about Sasha was equally as pleasant. Their buding friendship and romantic relationship was so intimately weaved (not in a sexual way... although the sex scenes were hot as hell!). The narration was conducted masterfully too. I read a lot of reviews that were dismayed at how Angela portrayed Sasha's voice, saying it was too shril or cartoonish etc. for such a character. It Breaks the mold of personal stereo types individuals have based solely on appearances. Most people would think a woman of Sasha build (6 ft tall with strong broad shoulders) wouldn't have such a high pitched girly voice; believing that a woman like that should have a deeper voice with more bass when that is not how real life works. We don't get to choose how our voice sounds or how tall/short we are. I am glad that the narration brought that to life, gave it that last little touch to make it feel like this could have been a real life story and not a work of fiction. That was why I enjoyed it so much and I like to imagine that was the intent the author had behind it. 5 out of 5 all around!

closet waiting to open

The struggle that some of us know too well about coming out. This book gave us a glimpse into the internal struggle of Ashley trying to hide herself and to please everyone. I love how Sasha was able to slowly break down her walls and show her it's ok to just feel things.

I quite enjoy the book though like others have said the narrator didn't choose a pleasant voice for Sasha. I haven't listened to the first book in this series but my assumption is that Angela dawe kept Sasha's voice from the first book for consistency. It was hard to focus since Sasha's voice isn't that of the main character but a side character. I really like Ashley's voice though and Holly's which is the mc of the first book.

I think the narrator should have made adjustments to the voice since the character focus is different. Though I was quite surprised how much screentime Leo and Holly had in this book so I'm sure that wasn't an easy decision on voice.

Good read not so good listen

I normally love A.D. narration but one of the main characters had a whiny irritating tone. I enjoyed reading this story more than listening. Make no mistake Jae can spin a tale.