“When life handed Chloe Nelson lemons, she made lemon sponge cake drizzled with lemon icing and garnished with lemon zest.”

Fitting opening lines for a down-on-her-luck baker, no? This sports-centered contemporary starts with a hard hit to our female narrator, Chloe. A week from opening her very own bakery, Happy Endings, Chloe steps outside one chilly Chicago morning to discover the vacant lot across the street has been rented by Goody Luv, a massively successful chain bakery. Thinking her dreams have crashed and burned before they ever took flight, Chloe turns to her sister Sylvia for guidance.

“You’re thirty-five years old and you don’t take anything seriously, not as far as I can tell. This isn’t Neverland, and you’re not Peter Pan. Grow up.”

Griffin Lange, captain on the Chicago Blackhawks Brawlers finds himself in a heap of legal trouble after a prank goes seriously wrong. Fresh from a call with her stressed-out sister, assistant district attorney, Slyvia Nelson, offers Griffin a deal too sweet to refuse: Instead of facing a very public trial he can work off his crime via community service hours for a local bakery. And you’re clearly new to contemporaries if you didn’t guess that lucky bakery was Happy Endings!

Sports-ignorant Chloe accepts Griffin’s help after her friends – and sister – explain the crowds that would flock to the bakery for a chance to meet the “Prince of the Puck.” When word gets out that he’s working at the bakery, Griffin desperate to hide the real reason for his shifts asks Chloe to serve as his alibi AND as his fake girlfriend.

Soon the team – and their PR unit led by feisty Taryn O’Neill – is doing everything it can to promote their captain’s newfound love story as a way to encourage people back to the arena after seven long seasons of losing. And, as is often the case, the more Chloe and Griffin are pushed together the more the lines start to blur. Soon their fake relationship becomes a real one, but with a scheduled expiration date: the Brawlers winning the cup or Griffin’s hours being served.

The private moments between Chloe and Griffin were honestly my favorite parts of this book – and not just for the steam. I enjoyed watching their feelings evolve, getting their backstories, and seeing how they developed as characters. However, their scenes were often interrupted with telenovela levels of drama, frequent self-deprecating “humor” about being a size 12 (GASP!), and too many rage-inducing moments where two GROWN ADULTS refuse to communicate.

If you can suspend belief for the theatrics featured throughout this story, and forgive some seriously cheesy decisions made in the final moments of this romcom, I think you’ll agree this is an enjoyable read. While it wouldn’t win the Cup for me, it showed enough promise to have me on the lookout for future seasons reads. If you’re trash for hockey contemporaries or "relationship of convenience" plot lines, consider giving Some Like it Sinful a shot.



Thank you to Createspace Independent Publishing Platform and Netgalley for providing a copy of this "second look" ebook in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when you put a hockey player and a baker together? You get this book! this was an enjoyable read. Funny and sexy.

Absolutely loved this book the chemisty between Chloe and griffin is off the charts. What I loved the most was the laugh out loud moments and the completely read feel. The book dragged me in from the very first chapter. Its so well written you get lost in the story right away.

If you’re looking for a sizzling HOT, hilarious romance full of heart, you do NOT want to miss this one at all. This book just has everything I love in a fantastic story by a fabulous author who is a favourite of mine. Totally recommend to all book lovers out there.

Griffin is a hockey player that is at the end of his career and because of the stunt, he ends up by Chloe in a bakery working his community service hours. Chloe and Griffin are like water and oil but for keeping her in the business and him out of the negative media they start to pretend that they are in a relationship. But soon the fake becomes very real. Unfortunately, the truth comes out and their feelings are taken on the line. I liked both Chloe and Griffin but the new improved Griffin after he sees that he had done a lot of mistakes. The story is funny with a great sexy times between Griffin and Chloe, with a pinch of mystery and sport. Lovely read.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

A Perfect Recipe #2, Originally published in 2013 Some like it Sinful is a delightful fake relationship which leads to something much much more kind of story. Griffin Lange is a hot shot hockey player who getting close to retirement age, all the young guys on the team look up to him and one stupid drunken night he does something stupid, really stupid. Chloe Nelson is finally achieving her dream of owning her own bakery but soon after she gets her storefront a giant chain store bakery puts up an opening soon sign on the building across the street. Chloe knows her stuff is way better but they have all that money dedicated to advertising that she doesn't have. Griffin's stupid stunt is going to have real consequences one that he just can't throw money at to solve the DA decides community service is his just dessert. The DA just happens to be Chloe's older sister who know her dilemma so she agrees to not take Griffin to court in return he helps out Chloe at the bakery.

Chloe and Griffin don't start off on the right foot. Griffin's cocky attitude pisses Chloe off but he proves to be useful too. Griffin wanted to keep this whole thing quiet but the news hears about it and suddenly it's everywhere. When the guys in the locker room ask Griffin about it, he is embarrassed about it being community service and tells his teammates that he was helping out his girlfriend. Chloe reluctantly agrees and when the hockey teams PR finds out about it the PR milks it for all it's worth. The sexual tension keeps building between Chloe and Griffin until finally right before one of his games they give in, and later Griffin wins the team their game. And because Griffin is superstitious he now believes sex with Chloe is his good luck charm. Something more meaningful is happening between the two of them but they are both too stubborn to see it. Meanwhile in Chloe has been having the weirdest issues with the bakery.

Overall, this was a fun read. Chloe and Griffin have a hard time admitting they love each other and when it all hits the fan Griffin tries to take all the blame and still sing Chloe's praises which to me is so sweet. They are a cute couple with a great story and a hot romance. Robbie Treman definitely pulls you into the story with a great narrative description and fun characters. I will be checking out more by her.

Chloe and Griffin find themselves thrown together even though they are not each other's biggest fan.

Griffin plays hockey for the Chicago Brawlers and Chloe is about to achieve her dream of opening a bakery. The author did a nice job of making both of them well rounded. It isn't that interesting to read about characters without their own dreams and interests, but that is not a problem here.

Their back and forth is fun to read, and I liked being able to read the story from both their points of view. Especially as they grow and change throughout the book.

After finishing this one, I am looking forward to reading the others in the series!

Great read. I enjoyed this book. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

This is a fun, romantic read with a hockey player and a baker that makes you want to devour the closest pastries. Griffin is a pro hockey player who is just about to age out of the sport but won't be happy until he brings the team he captains one last Stanley Cup. He's a rowdy, wealthy, devil may care playboy who spends his time reveling in his glory days, having the team rookies as his captive audience. One in particular. When a night at a charity ball goes horribly wrong for him after commandeering a very expensive sports car that was up for auction, driving it around the ballroom and running over the security guards foot lands him in jail facing down the Asst DA, knowing he could face serious jail time they strike a bargain. One that sucks for him. Beats jail though.
Chloe has just opened her own bakery, so proud and finally on her own after working with her best friends at their restaurant, she's getting ready for her grand opening when a sign goes up in the empty space across the street, a well known chain bakery is moving in, making a panic call to her sister Sylvia, the Asst DA, she assures her it will all work out and they'll talk later. Not feeling much better, Chloe is pretty down in the dumps. When Griffin's outrageous behavior coincides with Chloe's predicament, Sylvia's deal for him is community service hours. Lots of them. They just happen to be at her sisters bakery. Unspoken but obviously Syl thinks that Griffin's popularity as a hockey star will be a big draw and Chloe's baked goods will keep them coming back.
After a somewhat tenuous first meeting, they make a deal when he'll show up. Chloe is clueless about sports. She's pretty much clueless about other things as well, but she's certainly not tolerant of this egotistical, oversized, smart aleck who thinks he can smoke her into what she wants. Chloe lives in a dream world. She's waiting for her prince to come. Nope not kidding. She thinks life is a fairy tale and believes that one day he'll show up. Gotta leave the bakery for that to happen Chloe, but it's her story. Griffin busts her chops about it. He's a jerk. Especially when handed his work shirt, which is pink. He balks at that. Meanwhile he's got hockey to play, a goal he's got his eye on and a rookie who thinks he walks on water. There is definitely a spark between Griffin and Chloe and when they finally do the deed it's sends off fireworks. Meanwhile they have to spin Griffin and Chloe after he lies to his teammates about Chloe and it gets out he's got a girlfriend; so in waltzes the teams PR gal and her sidekick, convinces poor (?) Chloe that this is good press and they spin them being together.
There's a lot going on in this story, Griffin's constant lies, another male customer who comes in every day and expresses interest in Chloe, Miss PR wanting Chloe to go to some of the games. Gotta show the boyfriend support. It's all dandy until they break up which aside from the fact is causes problems for Griffin, he still needs his community service hours, he's seen out on a date and so is she, so they make it a foursome?? Messy very messy. In fact the story is messy and the king of messy is Griffin and as much as I love hockey and hockey romance stories, he's such a loser. Chloe lives in a bubble, thankfully she's got a couple supportive friends who help her out and the sister that she was so dependent on is awol for the rest of the story. The proverbial hits the fan during playoffs and add to that Griffin suffers an injury that takes him off the ice. Yet another twist. Lots of twists. Some were really good. There is a lot more to this story and I'm going to leave you hanging here so you can read the book and find out for yourself how it all comes together. Or not. Maybe. Maybe unicorns really do exist. I don't know, read the book and find out!

*advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Entangled for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*
Second look

When Griffin Lange, an aging professional hockey captain runs afoul of the law, the DA decides she's had it with celebrities getting away with practically murder, and wants to bring the book down on him. Fortunately for Griffin, the DA has a sister she wants to help, and that's where her brilliant idea comes wherein Griffin is to work 200 hours community service at her sister's soon-to-open bakery, or he'll be heading to prison instead.

Griffin and Chloe's first meeting is less than happy. Their meet cute isn't fun, but the sparks are flying...the negative kind. You see, Chloe knows men like Griffin. The kind like her father who are so involved in sports that their families run a distant second or even third or last place. Not to mention that the hot hockey captain is most definitely a womanizing playboy, right? A villain in the fairytales she used to read when she was a young girl.

Griffin hasn't been entirely honest with his team; all of whom are younger than he and look up to their captain, and with whom he wants to keep up and to impress. So when it comes out that he's working at Chloe's bakery, and they start razzing him, he has to make up a fake relationship with Chloe to keep up his image. Oops...

I found Some Like it Sinful to be much better than I had been expecting. It's sexy and sweet, and has more depth than expected. Griffin has more substance than I had been expecting. Seeing him come to terms with the end of his playing days, and the way his life will change, for the better, and seeing him fall hard for Chloe was all kinds of fantastic. Chloe's reticence to face her feelings was a bit of a drag, and her push and pull was annoying, but understandable given her past. Honestly, Griffin made up for any annoyance I had with Chloe. He was a sweet, sexy former playboy with a huge heart. Just the kind of hero I love.

Although I haven't read the other books in this series, now that I've read and loved this one, I definitely intend on checking out Some like It Spicy and Some like It Sizzling.

If you love sappy love stories this is perfect for you. It is the perfect fairytale romance complete with the villain and the prince on a white horse. The story is lighthearted and funny and gives you a good feeling as you read.