Smooth
A Love Story
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4,0 • 1 beoordeling
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- € 4,49
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If only life came with a guarantee.
Patrick McNaughton wants more. More people drinking Foghorn’s beer, more money to push their brewery past the competition, and more cooperation from his brothers, who have no sense of urgency. He’s all about conquering one challenge on his way to the next, so long as there’s a remote chance of winning. That’s why Aspen Pane sits in the office down the hall, oblivious to his attraction. Patrick has always wanted more with her, but he never was one to risk it all.
Aspen Pane has more than enough. As business manager for Foghorn, she keeps the brewery in the black and lives up to the nickname the McNaughton brothers gave her—Wonder Woman. She’s worked hard her whole life for the money she now has in the bank, the small house she calls home, and time with her friends. So, even though it seems everyone close to her, including her brother, is inconveniently falling in love, Aspen sticks with her to-do list. Because love risks everything and she doesn’t do that for anyone.
After an unexpected flight and an eccentric venture capitalist thrust them into a battle of wits and lies even they’re not sure they can win, Patrick and Aspen must learn the difference between making a connection and making money. They may need to face their fears and risk it all in the name of finding a new work-love balance.
Below are courtesy content warnings to the best recollection. They cover the major topics/themes, but may not be as nuanced as other trigger/content warning sites.
- alcohol, hospitalization, loss of loved one, difficult mother/daughter relationship
Note: Each Love Story is a standalone. There are some shared characters throughout the books (siblings, friends, etc.) Closely related books are often distinguishable by the similar covers. The book order so far is as follows:
- Premiere
- Candidate
- Taste
- Reserved
- Stirred
- Vacancy
- Playbook
- Exposure
- Brew
- Smooth
- Tap
Klantrecensies
Friends to lovers.
Tracy Ewens, ‘Smooth: a love story’.
As an ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here - unfortunately a bit later than planned - it is. English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 4 stars (of 5).
Main characters:
Patrick McNaughton.
Living in a small city, Petaluma (CA). With his brothers - Boyd and Cade - he started a family firm, the Foghorn Brewery. Patrick is the CEO of the company and feels it as his responsibility to make a success of the firm. So he’s a workaholic.
Aspen Pane.
Got her MBA at Berkeley. Her father left his family when Aspen was 10 years old. Since then she was a planner helping her mom (horse trainer) and brother Thad.
Now she’s the Business Manager of the Foghorn Brewery. Very efficient and with a lot af talent; so Patrick is afraid that a head hunter will offer her a better job at a bigger company.
Patrick and Aspen knew each other since they were kids. Patrick had a secret crush on her but she was too busy with planning her life: family, study and the jobs she needed to pay for her college and university.
Joining Patrick’s firm five years ago, the girl Aspen had grown into a gorgeous woman. Patrick, the workaholic, still admired her but kept his distance from an employee and also was afraid to loose Foghorn’s ‘Wonder Woman’ - actually indispensable for the brewery - when possible dating should go wrong.
The story starts when Aspen and Patrick unexpectedly fly together to a convention. Patrick secretly is afraid of flying and before boarding he takes some pills and a glass of whiskey. It makes him very dizzy and sleepy. Aspen has to help him boarding the plane, taking a cab and getting into the bed of his hotelroom. During the flight Patrick confessed to her that she was gorgeous, had a sexy voice and he nuzzled against her neck. Next morning he acts as if nothing special had happened. During breakfast they prepare workshops during which Patrick hopes to find investors for the expanding brewery. So back to their ‘normal’ work relationship, based on mutual respect and admiration for the work ethos they both show.
The author, Tracy Ewens, then writes how the relationship of Aspen and Partick gradually develops from admiration to love. For both it’s not easy. They are afraid to lose control when there is too much attraction and fear that love (or a break up) will influence their attitude to the work they like. The author describes the developments with feeling and insight. For me their fear for commitment wasn’t always logically explained and seemed sometimes a bit overdone. But the book had some wonderful characters and a lot of interesting info about the world of beer breweries. But here also a bit to much worries (as Patrick’s - an intelligent, confident man - compliance with a crazy, nagging, possible investor). But all in all, Tracy Ewen again created a book about the McNaughty brothers that - for me - was a pleasure to read.
R. Huiszoon.