Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Baiting Burke

SERIES: Shore Thing, Book 5

AUTHOR: Jaclyn Quinn

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 273 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 6, 2023

BLURB: 

Burke Russo

I don’t do lovey dovey. Watching my four best friends trip and fall into their forever person has been both comical and confusing. When a hurricane hits Coral Pointe Inlet, it throws me into a tailspin I didn’t see coming—with a man who lives to drive me crazy. Jared, the sexy—I mean, the snarky fisherman, has been the bane of my existence for the last three years. How I find myself by his side during a difficult situation is beyond me. Realizing I may actually want to be that person for him makes me question a choice I made a long time ago. Which doesn’t make any sense because my decisions are never wrong…right?

Jared Boone

I’ve lived a simple life in Coral Pointe since the day I was born. All I need is my bait shop, my boat, my dog, and the home I’ve lived in for the past several years with the only family I have who matters. Unexpectedly, life has thrown a stone into my calm waters. Somehow, I find myself leaning on Burke, the sexy, stubborn chef of Oceanside Bar and Grill. I’ve made it my mission to bait that man every chance I get. The question is, now that I’ve got him on the hook, do I toss him back into murky waters, or is he finally ready to admit he’s been caught?

Baiting Burke is the fifth book in the Shore Thing series. It can be read as a standalone, but if you’d like to truly dive into the shenanigans between these five best friends and love being immersed in a fun, quirky small town, it’s suggested the books be read in order.

REVIEW:

Baiting Burke, the fifth and final book in Jaclyn Quinn’s Shore Things series, finally gives us the enemies/antagonists-to-lovers romance of Burke, the gruff, anti-relationship, stubborn owner and chef of Oceanside Bar and Grill, and Jared, owner of the Bait & Tackle shop on Coral Pointe Inlet and BFF of Aiden and Cole (featured in the first book, Convincing Cole).  Quinn has upped her game with each installment in this series, and I thought she had reached the pinnacle in the fourth book, Navigating Noah.  Well, I was wrong.  Baiting Burke is an uncomplicated, highly entertaining, heartwarming rom-com that capitalizes on years of UST between Burke and Jared, exhibited through snarky, obnoxious, pigtail-pulling behavior. It’s funny yet also super sexy. In fact, they have the strongest chemistry of all of the couples in the series. When Burke stalks Jared like prey … whew. Get the fire extinguisher.

The storyline features Jared’s relationship with his beloved grandfather who is in hospice with failing health, and his strained relationship with his horrid immediate family. Quinn adeptly delivers some devastating scenes of sadness by balancing them with humor and the heartwarming reassurance of friendship and found family. Conversely, we also get the complicated dynamics of Burke’s Italian family. His stubbornness and need to prove himself butt heads with the realization that he’s been depriving himself of the love and closeness of a family that wants him and misses him. The best parts of the book feature Mama Russo. She’s adorable, hysterical, and undeniably loveable, even despite her often OTT, contrived behavior. She’s sunshine in petite form, and I adored everything about her. Burke’s BFFs, the aforementioned Cole, Levi, Ford, Noah, and their partners feature prominently. It provides a 360 view of the group that rounds out the journey for this eclectic, vibrant family of friends.

I found myself eagerly turning the pages of this story and felt both happy at the satisfying HEAs and sad that our time with these guys is over. While it’s not strictly necessary to read the previous books to read and enjoy Baiting Burke, you will appreciate it much more in the context of those stories. But however you choose to approach it, just read it. I highly recommend Baiting Burke.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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