Review by Heather C.

TITLE: Fear, Hope and Bread pudding (Book #2)
SERIES: Coda Series
AUTHOR: Marie Sexton
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
BLURB: Sequel to Strawberries for Dessert

Families should grow, not shrink. It’s been on Jon Kechter’s mind since before he tied the knot with his millionaire lover, Cole Fenton. Now hoping to adopt, Jon and Cole search for a mother-to-be willing to let them love her baby, but the interminable wait is wearing on them both.

Jon is close to his father, George, but until Cole, he didn’t have anyone else. Now George is pushing Cole to reconcile with his estranged mother. When the three of them spend Christmas with her in Munich, the results are disastrous. Jon and Cole resolve to stay positive, but no hope exists without a tinge of fear. Jon and Cole can’t help but wonder if their dream of being parents just wasn’t meant to be.

REVIEW:

Finally, FINALLY, the long awaited sequel to Strawberries for Dessert is here!  Can you believe it?  We’ve watched their courtship, saw them fall in love, and even attended their wedding (in Paris A to Z), now we finally get to experience the happy ever after Jon and Cole both deserve. Yay!

So what was this book about?

Well, anyone that is a TRUE fan of Jon and Cole will already know the answer to that, because we have been waiting for this book for what seems like FOREVER.  Even before Marie announced she was finally going to write this…we were already waiting…and begging!!! But for all those newbies out there…this is what you need to know:  Cole is really, really rich and has Jon, a loving husband who would do anything in the world for him, but the one thing he can’t do for him is give him a… You know what? I’m not going to tell you because if you don’t already know the answer to that, you should stop reading my review and go read Strawberries for Dessert RIGHT NOW!!!!

Here is what I loved about this book:

Cole gets his baby!!  I went ahead and said it, because I don’t consider that a spoiler.  Did you really think it wouldn’t happen?  And it was absolutely beautiful! Poor Jon got to see more girlie bits than he ever, ever wanted to see!  And my darling Cole was breaking my heart every time he went into that room “at the end of the hall.”

We get George’s POV. I never in a million years would have expected that, nor would I have even thought I would’ve liked being inside George’s head, but it was important.  It’s only for a small part of the book, but we learn things we never would have gotten from Jon.  He was too biased, not that I blame him. Plus, it was really awesome getting to see Jon and Cole from someone else’s eyes.

We get to meet Cole’s frigid bitch of a mother. Or is she really?  We all knew that Cole had some major mommy issues; she wasn’t there for him growing up, she ditched him on his birthday, and skipped his wedding!  That selfish bitch!!  In the end, doors and hearts are opened, and I was defiantly able to understand Cole’s insecurities more so than I did in the first book.

I cried for half the book. That probably sounds like a horribly depressing thing, but that just shows you how deep my emotional connection to these characters really is, mainly Cole.  I know, I know, that makes me sound crazy, but I bet you also have a few of those characters out there that do the same to you.

We finally get closure. I can say with my whole heart that I am happy with Jon and Cole’s HEA.  If I never, ever get to see a glimpse into their life again, I will be okay.

There was no Zach and Angelo. Ugh, I know there are tons of Zach and Angelo lovers out there; sadly I am not one of them. Angelo and Cole are pretty close so there was mention of him, but he gets no page time.

We get more letters to Jared.  Yes, like in Strawberries for Dessert, we get to see a piece of Cole through his letters to Jared.  And if you don’t know who Jared is, you should go read Promises ASAP.

The title was perfect.  There was plenty of hope and fear all throughout this story, and even some bread pudding. I think I will probably cry the next time I eat bread pudding, but unlike Cole, I will be eating the raisins.

I recommend this book to EVERYONE who loved Strawberries for Dessert!  And if you still haven’t read it and blatantly ignored my demand for you to stop reading my review, I hope you are running now to get your own copy.  Although, it’s not required, I strongly recommend you read the entire Coda Series, because this couple, and the other characters mentioned here in Hope, Fear and Bread Pudding, are all closely intertwined.  I would hate for you to miss out on getting the full emotionally intended experience while reading Jon and Cole’s story.

BUY LINK: Dreamspinner Press  ||  Book Store

BUY LINK FOR STRAWBERRIES FOR DESSERT (Book #1): Book Store

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Heather C. is one of the official reviewers on The Blog of Sid Love
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