Please welcome T. Neilson with
Sweet Nothings
Amuse Bouche #1
a Dreamspun Desires title
Will a bitter bite from the past spoil a sweet romance?
Tristan Love, the youngest of seven brothers, is back in his hometown. He’s left the New York food scene and an abusive relationship behind him, but he holds his love of French pastries close to his heart and is determined to put his skills to use in a bakery of his own.
Returning to his childhood home means his meddlesome brother Simon will butt into his business, but before the bakery even opens its doors, Tristan’s delectable creations have the town’s mouths watering, and Jake, a cute mechanic, asks Tristan out. It all seems worthwhile….
That is, until the bakery burns down, Jake’s criminal past comes to light, and Tristan’s nasty ex rears his head where he is decidedly not wanted.
Excerpt:
“What’s this?” Jake asked. He came over to the cash register, bringing with him the smell of engine grease and soap and a not-unpleasant scent of sweat. He peered into the kitchen. “You baking already?”
“Sure,” Tristan answered. “It’s what I do.”
Jake slid a hand over the counter and nudged a pile of boxes. “What’s that for?”
“Oh. Baskets and shelves for the loaves of bread,” he answered absently. “It’s going behind the till. I’m going to do that tomorrow.” He grabbed the towels lying on the work table and flung them in the direction of the sink. They went two directions, neither landing even close.
Jake nodded. “Need any tools, just holler.”
“Yeah? Thanks.”
Jake settled with both forearms on the counter and leaned there. Tristan suppressed a shiver. “You, uh, want to see the kitchen? I just took some tarts out of the oven.”
Jake grinned. “Sure.”
He gestured, and Jake came around the counter into the kitchen where the tarts stood in their perfect rows on the baking sheet. The hazelnut mousse still looked glossy. Maybe a little underdone, but the others looked good. The lemon meringue was a perfect toasted-marshmallow brown. The blueberry glistened.
“Want a taste?” he asked, suddenly a little shy.
“Uh, hell yes.”
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A recipe from Sweet Nothings:
Tristan's blueberry-apricot tart
12 previously made or store-bought tart shells
2 1/4 lbs fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/4 tbs corn starch
1/2 cup apricot jam (warm, so it becomes like runny honey)
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the blueberries and cornstarch well, then add the apricot jam and stir. Fill tart shells and bake until the shells are brown and the blueberries filling has thickened.
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Tristan's a true believer in "simple is better". His blueberry tarts aren't just quick and easy to make, they also wind up being Jake's favourite. The sweetness of the blueberries is enchanced by the tartness of apricot jam.
About the author:
T Neilson writes flirty, silly, contemporary m/m romance featuring recovering addicts, mental health problems, and abuse survivors. Honestly, honestly, the books are silly. I swear.
Promotional post. Materials provided by the author.
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