Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Tender with a Twist
SERIES: Rainbow Cove (Book 2)
AUTHOR: Annabeth Albert
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 288 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2017
BLURB:
One kinky wood carver. One younger chef looking to try new things. A series of lessons that bring both men more than they bargained for…
Curtis Hunt has made a name for himself as a chainsaw wood carver, winning national competitions and operating a small business in Rainbow Cove, Oregon. As winter whittles away his tourist traffic, his goal is just to survive the season and try to not get lost in grief for his dead lover. It’s been two years, but he’s sure he’ll never be over the love of a lifetime. However, his body has a certain restlessness that he doesn’t quite know how to calm.
Logan Rosner knows a thing or two about restlessness. It’s what drove him to Rainbow Cove to be a chef at a bar and grill run by his friends. And it’s what drives him to a single sizzling encounter with the local legendary lumberjack. Both men get far more than they expected and learn that first impressions aren’t always accurate…
But when Logan proposes a series of sexy lessons, Curtis must decide how much he’s willing to risk. He knows he can’t afford to get attached to Logan’s good cooking, his easy smiles, or his caretaking, but he keeps going back for more, even as deeper emotions become involved. Soon, Curtis must decide whether to risk his heart again or risk losing Logan for good.
Tender with a Twist is a 75,000 word stand-alone gay romance with a May/December theme, featuring a second chance at love, opposites attract, loads of sexy times with mild BDSM elements, and one emotionally-charged, guaranteed happy ending with no cliffhangers.
REVIEW:
I loved getting to come back a visit the guys at Rainbow Cove.
This book was completely different than book one. I had no idea that Chef Logan was a hidden Dom, or at least that’s what he wanted in life. And who would have ever guessed that Chief Flint’s best friend Curtis, the lonely widower Woodcarver, was a major pain slut. But when a drunk tries to take advantage of Logan when he’s taking out the recycling at the end of Leather night Curtis discovers Logan’s secret. But can a smaller, much younger, inexperienced man be the answer Curtis has been seeking?
I wasn’t sure I could see the young chef Logan with the grumpy curmudgeon friend of Nash’s but it totally worked. The BDSM was just the link these guys needed to find each other and learn to let old hurts go and open their hearts. I was thankful that there was a long work up to friendship. Logan might be open and welcoming but Curtis has way, way to many hard earned calluses covering himself and particularly his heart. This needed to be a slow burn so that the many layers of Curtis could be stripped away.
The part I didn’t care for was that all the parents in their lives were against them. Logan’s parents were the typical helicopter parents of an only child. The fact that they were from Lake Oswego and that young Logan had gone through some tough bullied years in school made them even more clingy. But Logan isn’t a child. He’s a grown man that know what he wants and needs.
And Janice, Troy’s mom (Troy was Curtis’s husband that was killed in a tragic accident that destroyed Curtis) telling Curtis that moving on was disrespecting her son and their marriage. Who says things like that if they truly love someone.
I did love how their relationship moved from one of learning how to navigate a D/s scene for novice Logan, to learning to be friends, to learning about true trust that comes with being in love. Logan flat out knew he wanted more with Curtis than scenes fairly fast but knew it would be tricky to get Curtis to let go. When Curtis finally figured out what he almost lost he wanted the moon for his sunshine. He might be a bit set in his ways but he was willing to become young again for his man.
I truly enjoyed this book and look forward not only Adam’s story (book 4) but Curtis’s friend Johnny’s too next.
RATING: 
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