Cream and Punishment (King Family, #2) 4 Stars. This was a second chance forced proximity romance (they end up working on the same team at work). This book was amazing. I absolutely loved the love story between Tanner and Lucy. They went through hell and back. Thankful for the TW at the start of the book (narcissistic parents), this was difficult to read about and extremely sad/frustrating.

Romance: I loved how the forced proximity caused them to have to recognize their own feelings and eventually talk about them. Adorable moments and you really felt the love flowing off the pages.

Heat/Steam: There was really only one spicy scene in this book. It was good but I didn't go into this novel looking for spice, I wanted romance and a good story, and that's what I got.

Story/Plot: First of all I LOVED that Lucy worked for an internal marketing team (My actual job is a graphic designer for an in-house team at a marketing agency) so I loved how much I was able to relate to her in that way. We get enough background to help us understand the character's issues and are able to follow their journey of self-growth and also the growth of their relationship. There were so many sweet moments and I was smiling at the ending! Overall a wonderful book and I can't wait for book #3 to come out!

*I received a free book from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to this book by the cute rom com cover, but this is not a cute rom com. There's no humor in it unless you consider bodily fluids funny. The themes are much darker than I prefer. I read rom com because I don't like to feel distressed, and that's all I felt with this book. DNF at 24%.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Nix makes it easy to love adorably awkward. Expect the unexpected and you'll never be disappointed. Cream and Punishment turns heartache into a delightful piece of fun. From flighty to frustrating, Lucy and Tanner turn romance on it's heart and quickly steal yours. Am loving getting to know the King family.

When Tanner told Lucy he loved her six months ago, in his own words, she dumped him, "like a used condom."

Now, when they become coworkers, they have their second chance for happily ever after, if they can finally open up to each other.

Lucy and Tanner and both *good* people. As they grow and realize what's truly important, and are finally a bit selfish, their love flourishes and they become their best selves. They both have a lot to work on individually and as a couple, and seeing that was so real.

I'm excited to read the rest of the series, though Lucy and Tanner are so sweet and deserving of love it will be hard to top this!

Where can I find a man as sweet, selfless and sexy as Tanner?!

Quotes I love:
"Even now, when I wished I could ignore her, when I’d been trying for months not to feel anything, she still managed to be the center of my universe whenever I was around her."
"I didn’t want him to be respectful. I wanted him to kiss me until I saw stars."
"I wanted him to take me, own me, possess me inside and out."
“Look at you, how fucking gorgeous you are, riding my cock.”
“Would it be wrong if I fucked you up against this wall right here next to the front door?”
"Being here for Tanner wasn’t a burden, it was a privilege."

4.5 stars
🌶🌶

A feel good second chance romance.

This is the second book in the series and follows Tanner and Lucy, exes who now are working in the same department/ together. I enjoyed how Tanner took such care of Lucy through the many crazy situations, and then how it almost flipped and Lucy took care of Tanner. This is definitely not a rom com, though it does have some laughter mixed in, but a solid romantic read. I like how the author talked about/ included many varieties of relationships like there are now in any workplace/ in the real world.

Not so Romcom, it was more a good Romance with some funny situations.
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I enjoyed the book but it was an emotional journey, Tanner and Lucy come from two different places, with families armed in different ways but both have narcissistic and manipulative parents, complicated relationships with their siblings and in the book they go down the path of growth
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Six months ago Tanner told Lucy that he loved her and she ended the relationship. Now after various things have happened in his life, Tanner faces the punishment of being removed from his executive position and occupying the lowest position in the family business. The only way out is to accept her sister's proposal and go to work with her in marketing department, along with Lucy, his ex.
They both agree to try to work together for the good of their careers but there are many rough edges to deal with and some unfinish things to go about
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It's a beautiful and lovable love story about believing in second chances and defending them to death. Finding the value in yourself and the freedom in to love another person.
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Emotional, romantic and strong. I laughed a bit at first and ended with a few tears in my eyes.
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Cream and Punishment, is the second book in this series that leaves you wanting to continue reading more about the King family
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I deeply enjoyed reading it, thanks to Susannah Nix and Author Collective 20 for give me this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion
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I'm going to upload a post from my review on "Cream and Punishment" in the coming days of this week on Amazon the release day and on Goodreads

This one started a little slow for me but once the pace picked up I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lucy and Tanner were so tender and lovely to one another once they broke down each other’s walls. I loved how well they communicated and the care they took with each other. Also loved the subtle feminist and inclusive nods from the author throughout the book. Truly cannot WAIT for Ryan’s story next!

This was such a sweet lovers to “enemies” to colleagues to friends back to lovers romance with such depth and tenderness; I’m so glad I picked this up!

Lucy and Tanner King both have a strained relationship with their families. Lucy has been the carer and provider for both her mum and younger brother since their dad left, with their mum now being rather manipulative and unpredictable. Tanner’s father, the CEO of the family company, has always made him feel like nothing he does is good enough. I loved that through this story, both Tanner and Lucy are so supportive of one another through these issues.

There were so many cute moments in here and definitely some steamy scenes. I loved the queer and diverse cast of characters as well as the fact this story challenged gender stereotypes and more sexist views; Tanner is gentle and caring whereas Lucy is the provider for her family. There is also some fab period positivity which we love to see.

There was so much more to this story than I expected but it was also such a great romance. This is part of a series, with each book about a different member of the King family, but you can read them as standalones (this is the second in the series but I haven’t read the first and it didn’t hinder my experience). This book ends with an incident that sets up the next book which I would be interested in picking up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Cream and Punishment is a swoonworthy story about a second chance romance.

When Tanner told Lucy he loved her, Lucy responded by breaking up with him. Six months later they are forced to work together and quickly come to the realisation they still have feelings for each other.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Lucy, but I absolutely adored Tanner! He’s so sweet and caring and just everything a girl could wish for. 🥺 The book was very easy to read and very enjoyable and I recommend it if you’re looking for something cute (do check the trigger warning at the front of the book in the author’s note).

This book got me curious about Wyatt’s story and after that ending I NEED to read Ryan’s story, so I’ll for sure read the other books in the King Family series!

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

this second chance love story is sweeter than an ice cream sundae!

based on the cover and synopsis, i thought there would be a lot more angst and animosity between exes that explodes as they work together, but that ends within a chapter or 2 at most, as that aspect never truly builds between them. that's not a bad thing though, as it gives more room for development between tanner and lucy - both individually and together.

that room gives us both their perspectives as to what led to their break-up and eventual reconciliation. it also leads to big personal development with lucy, who contends with a manipulative dynamic with her mother and a brother that seems listless - but has reasons for his disregard that's shown far later in the story. she's not the only character contending with familial issues, as tanner fights the expectations that comes with his family name and what he wants.

i enjoyed that each individual is their own outside of the relationship and that any faults they had, were based on experiences that one can sympathize with and understand the reasoning behind. that, along with the bookish breadcrumbs spread throughout, and the one chapter where tanner (literally) gives the shirt off his own back for lucy, this book was just a sweet tale of a second chance at getting things right.

4 ⭐️ // Originally, I saw Creamed and Punishment on NetGalley, and even though I didn’t know how I felt about the title, the description sounded like the perfect rom-com! Plus, the cover is adorable! But when I saw the description said it was the second book in the series, I thought I probably shouldn’t request it. However, I kept seeing raving reviews, and one review said that it’s not necessary to read the books in order.

I still haven’t read the first book, but I’m very glad I requested and had the opportunity to read this one. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, and I’ve already requested the first book in the series from Libby. I have a feeling I’ll be reading many more books by Susannah Nix.

This rom-com is a dual POV romance, and I enjoyed reading the thoughts of both Lucy and Tanner. The main characters and the King siblings were so easy to like, and the “villains” were so easy to despise. I hope to see the main characters in the upcoming books in the King Family series!

Read this book if …
💼You enjoy work romances
😞You’ve regretted breaking things off with your ex
🍦Your favorite dessert is ice cream
❤️‍🩹You’ve fallen first and been heartbroken
📚Your favorite escape is a book store

Playlist:
- happier (Olivia Rodrigo)
- Same Old Love / Sorry (Kenzie Nimmo)
- Say You Want Me (Lostboycrow)
- Sugar - Acoustic (Tyler Ward)
- How You Get the Girl (Taylor Swift)
- Ice Cream (BLACKPINK, Selena Gomez)
- This Love (Taylor Swift)
- Lucky (Chelsea Cutler, Alexander 23)

TW: divorce, infidelity, narcissistic and manipulating parent, cancer, past parental deaths

Thank you, NetGalley and Haver Street Press, for providing me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a sweet, second-chance romance (made even sweeter that it takes place in an ice cream shop). I read this without reading the first book in the series and had no problem jumping into the story. Tanner is a cinnamon roll of a book boyfriend and was my favorite part of the book.

I would recommend to those who love:
-workplace romances
-steam
-man falls first
-exes reconnect
-forced proximity

An all around quick and enjoyable read.

“My ex and I were about to become coworkers”
“Wordnesia. When a task your brain usually performed on autopilot … hit a mental speed bump, and the conscious part of your brain realised it didn’t know what it was supposed to be doing”
“I was still just as in love with her as ever”
Saying that I loved this book would be an understatement !!!!
Some family drama mixed with a series of romantic love stories about trust, commitment, reliability and, more than anything, love!
It felt amazing to read the story of a beautiful man, completely in love with a woman, who’s been broken-hearted but still can’t shake the image of her from his heart!!!
Tanner is really an amazing man, someone who cares, who’s still dealing with his own problems but makes his woman a priority he wouldn’t step back from ever in his life!
(Even a bookworm so …)
This book has really some amazing tropes: working together, ex to lovers, forced proximity and probably the most important trope of all … stand up for the people you love.
I loved how he cared for her well-being first, not putting her pressure on her personal family relationship, or theirs for that matter.
It scared me how much I could relate to Lucy, not so much when it comes to commitments but when it comes to taking care of the people you love without asking for anything in return …
If you’re looking for the definition of a strong woman then Lucy is the perfect example.
But sometimes she needs help more than anyone else.
And Tanner was there for it, despite all the highs and lows.
I loved how their tension built through the first half of the book, just to blossom throughout the second one.
And don’t let me even start with the Pride and Prejudice quote or the one from Agatha Christie…
“My affection and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever”
“And then there were none”
But most of all I loved that this book showed how much sometimes we take on ourselves responsibilities we shouldn’t have, instead of doing something selfish, that can make us happy … even just once.
Families are not easy, as it is showed in this story, but too often we deal with it all on our own… we should all have someone to have our back and I sense that Lucy and Tanner are that for each other!!!
Can’t wait to know what’s gonna happen to Ryan in the next book ( those last lines were awful ) !!
“Also, if my heart could stop beating faster around him, that would be great”
“‘Not many men would be so kind’ … ‘ That says more about them than me’”
“I knew as surely as I knew my own name that I’d willingly let Lucy break my heart a million times over in exchange for a single chance to have her back”

Cream and Punishment follows Tanner King who ends up working in the same department as his ex-girlfriend, Lucy Dillard. Things could not be more awkward as Lucy broke his heart six months ago by dumping him when he confessed his love for her. Problem is, he knows he still loves her and working with her is just too tense. Can they both handle the situation like professionals?

This book is an entertaining heart-warming read. I found the relationship between Tanner and Lucy to be uplifting to read and enjoyed each chapter split between their perspectives. This is a great ‘enemies to lovers to friends’ plot filled with wit between the pair.

There is a trigger warning at the start of this book regarding toxic parents and abusive family dynamics. This formed a large part of the story as this occurred on both Tanner and Lucy’s side, it was intentionally very raw and real. I praise the author for writing about something so difficult but admit that at times It did feel difficult or frustrating to read.
Overall, an entertaining romance!

*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *

This book starts with Tanner King trying to get over his breakup with Lucy Dillard. Only that becomes more and more impossible since they begin to eventually work together side by side. Lucy has too many responsibilities in her life and when Tanner puts himself out there and lays it all on the line, Lucy walks away from the best thing…Breaking his heart and leaving them both with regrets. Once these two begin working together things start to heat up and memories of how good it really was start to resurface… Inconvenient feelings have them both wondering how to work together. I absolutely loved loved Tanner in this story. He was so sweet and kind and he never had a problem telling Lucy exactly how he felt. I felt so bad for Lucy because it seemed like she had so much stress in her life that she had to sacrifice her own happiness. The tension between these two was *chefs kiss* Tanners bedroom talk was everything and when the scene would fade to black it had me wanting more! This was an epic story of trying to balance life, find yourself in the process, and also find Love.

Cream and Punishment: ★ ★ ★ ★

Susannah Nix (King Family #2)

"I'm pretty sure you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, only apparently I was too broken to realize it until I'd lost you."

When Tanner King ends up working right across his ex Lucy Dillard, it's a little more than awkward and filled with tension–understandable, seeing as six months ago, Lucy couldn't have bolted out the door faster when Tanner confessed his love for her.

Admittedly, I was a little hesitant at the premise of this book because while I do love second chance romance, I have never read one where one partner actively broke up with the other one. I kind of went into this wanting to resent Lucy for dumping Tanner because he is so sweet and I absolutely love the hero-falls-first trope.

Like girl, you gave up what all of us peasants are actively looking for? Ma'am?!?!?! Even when he was supposed to hate her, he was thinking things like "it was the cruelest part about all of this–I couldn't even properly dislike Lucy because we were so – perfect for each other" oh and also "I was still just as in love with her as ever".

But as I kept reading, I genuinely appreciated the connection between the two of them as well as the tension and the banter. There was a lot of pining, of course, which we do love to see and I absolutely loved that this was dual POV, because we got to see both sides of the story and really get into their heads. There's also family drama (I really did not like Lucy's mom because I could relate to the partiality toward men unfortunately I deal with it all the time) that also adds more substance to the story.

Not to mention, this cover has to be one of the cutest ones I have seen in such a long time! I absolutely loved it and it was what grabbed my attention immediately so huge kudos to the author and the designer for pulling this together.

This story was sweet as ice cream and while this was my first Susannah Nix read, it will not be the last!

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5 stars
Pub date: January 25, 2022

Cream and Punishment is told in alternating viewpoints between Tanner and Lucy. Lucy’s life is filled to the brim. She takes care of her mother & brother, and works full time to help support them. She doesn’t have time for one more person who needs something from her. So when Tanner told her he loved her, she cut & run.

Tanner is part of the King Family, who owns King’s Creamery ice cream company. He’s just been moved to a new position where he’s working directly with the girl he’s in love with… Lucy. But this isn’t the typical workplace romance because he and Lucy have already dated… and broken up. Everything should be fine, right?

I really liked that even though this is the second book in the King Family Series, it can be read as a standalone. It’s filled with unrequited love & some super sweet moments. I also liked the big blended family dynamic because it seems that each book in the series will be very different, yet still include some of our favorite characters. After reading this one, I’m going to read the 1st in the series!

Trigger warning: toxic parent relationships.

Thank you to Haver Street Press & NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the second in the King Family series. The King family is headed by patriarch George King and his children by his various women, ten in all. The family business is the second largest ice cream company in the US. Tanner King is one of his children by his second wife. He has worked at various parts of the company, but has been miserable. When he is fired from his sales position, he ends up in the marketing department where his ex, Lucy, currently works. This is a great second chance romance, with two people struggling with parental issues. What made this book really enjoyable was Tanner. He is a really sweet guy, who has spent his lifetime trying to get his father’s approval. I really cannot wait for the next book in this series. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

"Cream and Punishment" is the story of Lucy and Tanner's second chance romance.
In fact, we learn that they broke up six months ago when Lucy decided to end the relationship after Tanner's confessed that he loved her.
They both worked in the same establishment until Tanner got fired from sales and was sent to marketing to work for his own sister.
Now, our heroes find themselves working on the same floor, and the same office...
Due to that, Lucy's old feelings pop back up, whilst Tanner's never left.

This book made me happy, I smiled from the beginning. It's a sweet, cute, funny second chance romance with a little family and work drama.
I'm so excited for Ryan's book, and all Susannah Nix's future books.

I just reviewed Cream and Punishment by Susannah Nix.

Here is my review on Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYUt2qQLfod/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I really loved this book. I was pleasantly surprised by a romance book with healthy communication and not focused on miscommunication. In hindsight, totally understand why the book is titled what is but I really wish it wasn’t. I feel like it’s oddly suggestive for a relatively PG book and I’m afraid that will takeaway from the book itself.