Reviewed by Marieke
TITLE: The Saucy Minx
AUTHOR: Manda Olie
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 60 pages
BLURB:
With a touch of the magic that gives his recipes a culinary kick, Jack Killian has been running his restaurant, the Saucy Minx, for nearly a decade—almost as long as there’s been a spell out there promising to knock him off his feet should he ever meet the other half of his whole. Each day Jack delights his clientele by magically imbuing his food with taste and emotion, even as he slowly loses hope that the man of his dreams even exists.
But when he hires a new dessert manager, his whole life turns upside-down, because his dream man does exist—and he just strolled into the restaurant on someone else’s arm. While conducting business as usual, Jack struggles through what it means when destiny hands you the perfect man on a platter you’re not allowed to touch.
REVIEW:
Jack and Andrew run a little restaurant called the Saucy Minx, and what customers don’t know, is that Jack adds a little extra to the food. He is a witch, and so is Andrew. They have cast a spell when they were still in college, that they wanted to know when they met their destined love.
They feel tugs of magic sometimes, and they know it’s their heartstrings letting them know either their mate is close or they feel some powerful emotion. Neither has been in a relationship, because they just can’t fall in love with someone who is not their mate.
When they hire a new dessert chef named Nick, things start to happen. Nick is a witch too, and he fits right in. But when Jack and Andrew meet Nick’s friends, who are in a relationship together, they know their destined lovers have arrived. However, Jack doesn’t feel right to come between two lovers, so he tries to stay away. That is, until Chris––Jacks mate–– and Grant––Andrews destined love–– break up, and Chris comes on to him. Then Jack flees.
This short novella was so much fun to read. It truly is one of the only short stories that I did not get the feeling that it was rushed and unfinished. The story is very funny, too.
Jack is the main character, but you still get to know Andrew very well. The others are fleshed out quiet well too. Grant and Andrew are almost as important as Jack and Chris.
Chris is totally my type of guy, in books that is. He’s funny, smart, strong and patient. He understands Jack’s feelings and handles them with care. Jack himself is an honorable man, who takes care of the people he loves. The fact that he gets scared shows that he has a great sense of responsibility.
He’s afraid that the spell he cast has forced this connection between him and Chris, and they don’t get a say in who they end up with. When Chris accepts his destiny, he does it whole-heartedly. He has his own way of convincing and wooing Jack––which is very funny.
If this story was a full novel, I think this would have five big fat shiny golden stars. Definitely a good read, now though.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: