Book Review: Tender with a Twist by Annabeth Albert

From the blurb:

One kinky wood carver. One younger chef looking to try new things. A series of lessons that bring both men more than they bargained for… 

Curtis Hunt has made a name for himself as a chainsaw wood carver, winning national competitions and operating a small business in Rainbow Cove, Oregon. As winter whittles away his tourist traffic, his goal is just to survive the season and try to not get lost in grief for his dead lover. It’s been two years, but he’s sure he’ll never be over the love of a lifetime. However, his body has a certain restlessness that he doesn’t quite know how to calm. 

Logan Rosner knows a thing or two about restlessness. It’s what drove him to Rainbow Cove to be a chef at a bar and grill run by his friends. And it’s what drives him to a single sizzling encounter with the local legendary lumberjack. Both men get far more than they expected and learn that first impressions aren’t always accurate… 

But when Logan proposes a series of sexy lessons, Curtis must decide how much he’s willing to risk. He knows he can’t afford to get attached to Logan’s good cooking, his easy smiles, or his caretaking, but he keeps going back for more, even as deeper emotions become involved. Soon, Curtis must decide whether to risk his heart again or risk losing Logan for good.

Heather's rating:





I'm a total Annabeth Albert fangirl, and I can't resist a single one of her stories, but if you present me to me KINKY LUMBERJACKS, you know I'm in!

I seem to be really drawn to dead first love stories, as morbid as that sounds. Some of my favorite books have this theme, though if it isn't done right, it really hinders the connection between the MCs of the story. Tender with a Twist struck just the right balance between honoring and showing respect for the first love while allowing room for another love to grow. That's a difficult thing to do, and I think Annabeth Albert managed it very well.



Pain isn't at all my kink, but I've liked pain kink books in the past. Ropes and impact play I feel "meh" about, but I liked it all here. I didn't quite find it as sexy as some others, but I liked the dynamics of the scenes, especially because I have a thing for muscle bottoms and smaller tops (YUM!!). And an age gap... just YESSSSSSS!

My one big complaint with the story was the absolutely insufferable parental figures. I wanted nothing to do with any of them, and I sort of hated their intrusion in the story at all.

This book was totally satisfying, with a romance that grew from similar interests, attraction, and extreme reluctance into something really believable and strong. I trusted Annabeth Albert to take me there and she did!

Buy this book:

Amazon

Enjoy, friends!