Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Baby, It’s Cod Outside
SERIES: Silver Shoals
AUTHOR: Kat Cassidy
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 192 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2025
BLURB:
With his CEO father away, Benjamin Whitaker III is left running the family empire. And, you know, trying not to implode from anxiety while he’s at it.
Local investigative reporter Jackson James smells something fishy going on at Whitaker Seafood, and it’s definitely not just the mackerel.
One’s trying to keep things clean and tidy. The other’s digging up some serious dirt.
This year, Silver Shoals isn’t dreaming of a white Christmas. Just a low stress week, a front page headline, and a way out of this very merry fish-mess.
Baby, It’s Cod Outside is a low heat, opposites attract, hurt/comfort, small town MM holiday romance. It can be read as a standalone.
CW: anxiety rep, on page panic attacks, loss from cancer (family member, past)
REVIEW:
Ben is the son of a the owner of a successful fish processing business. It’s a big employer in Silver Shoals and the Whitaker family are probably the biggest community philanthropists. Ben’s dad, the CEO is away for a conference, so he’s been put in charge. Oh joy. It’s not like the long term employees of the company actually respect him 🙁
Jackson James is an investigative reporter who has come to Silver Shoals after a situation gone wrong in the big city. He hears some rumblings about dead fish and oil in a cove and so he decides to check into it. At first Ben wants nothing to do with him. Then he discovers that he may be being set up to take a fall with a shady disposal company. So he calls on Jackson to help him figure out what’s really going on.
Jackson and Ben have chemistry immediately. Jackson wants to find the truth, but he also wants to protect Ben and help him get to the bottom of the mystery of who is setting him up. Ben has ideas of how to make the company more sustainable – but he’s getting nowhere with the other management. Jackson is determined to help Ben find his own way – and maybe find someone for himself at the same time 😉
I really really enjoyed this. Like last year’s story set in this town, there is a pretty fast romance under stressful conditions. I wanted to just hug Ben so hard! He’s not had it easy despite having money. Jackson had his own baggage and together they were perfect for each other. I loved getting the cameo from Eli and Alex too 😉 This is a fairly low angst, slightly holidayish romance with the small town feels. If you haven’t read last year’s I recommend it, but it’s not necessary to enjoying Ben and Jackson solving a mystery and finding love!
RATING: 
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