When enemies fall into temptation, love brings out the most delicious flavor of all.
Marigold Lavender lights up every room she enters. Then she’s left to turn out the lights and head home alone. Soft on the inside and a go-getter on the outside, Marigold just wants to make sure everyone else is okay before worrying about herself. When an awful big-city food critic trashes her sister Aster’s new restaurant, Marigold pauses her search for her own happily-ever-after to go to war with the woman, who happens to be just as delectable as she is sour.
Alexis Wakefield’s brutal honesty is what makes her successful. Her readers trust her judgment, and a few sharp strokes from her keyboard can make or break a new restaurant. When, on a whim, she reviews a small-town eatery getting lots of buzz, the owner’s sister sabotages everything, leaving her professional world in jeopardy. Marigold Lavender has gone too far and must pay for the damage she's caused.
Her new job as an on-air reporter in sunny San Diego is a big break for Skyler Ruiz. No more covering small-town softball games or vegetable growing competitions. She’ll be working at the same station as her TV mega-crush and longtime idol, anchorwoman Caroline McNamara, and that doesn’t hurt either.
Unfortunately, people don’t always live up to expectations.
Skyler’s hopes of impressing Caroline are dashed when she discovers Caroline has little time for newbie reporters and is downright unwelcoming. But when Caroline drops her guard, Skyler is left with her head happily spinning, her heart wide open, and oh-so ready to explore a romance she never saw coming.
So, of course, the network pits them against each other.
It’s only when Skyler is ready to sacrifice everything she’s ever dreamed of for Caroline does she begin to suspect love is nothing but fake news.
As winemaker at Tangle Valley Vineyard, Madison LeGrange relies on science and logic to make the best vintage possible. It’s also how she manages her life. But with her career in its prime, her accountant thinks it’s time she diversifies her income. Not a problem because her favorite café, the Bacon and Biscuit, is up for sale. What she didn’t plan on was the time she’d spend with Clementine, who has her feeling anything but logical.
Clementine Monroe loves her job managing the Bacon and Biscuit Café. In fact, after escaping a difficult past, it’s all she has. When Clementine is offered the opportunity to step out from behind the counter and buy the place, her longtime dream is about to come true. That is until it’s snatched out from under her by the very same girl she crushed on in high school. Old habits are hard to break, but Clementine has no plans to forgive Madison anytime soon.
Lauren Prescott had dreamed of being an actress since she was cast as Wendy in her middle school production of Peter Pan. Yes, her nightgown snagged and brought the set tumbling down, but she was hooked. After years of unsuccessful auditions, performing just wasn’t in the cards. Instead, Lauren established herself as a successful stage manager at the esteemed McAllister Theater. Unfortunately, the resident director has cast celebrity Carly Daniel: headstrong, entitled, and always late. So why is their chemistry turning her the hell on?
After partying her way through her twenties and ruining a successful film career, Carly Daniel has to take whatever she can get. If schlepping it onstage will raise her star again, she’ll listen to her pesky agent. Added bonus: the uptight stage manager is a sexy distraction.
When Carly’s costar is sidelined, Lauren must decide whether renewing a long-forgotten dream will jeopardize what she has percolating with Carly. Is the limelight big enough for two?
Gia Malone wants one thing and one thing only: to be the best surfer in the world. Her biggest obstacle is the annoyingly perky Elle Britton. Not only is Elle number one in the rankings, she’s also a fan favorite. But there’s a lot about Elle that Gia never noticed, like her surprising sense of humor and picture-perfect mouth.
Elle Britton is tired. After tournaments, fan meet-ups, and nonstop media requests, all she wants in the world is a little peace and quiet. But with Gia Malone closing in on her ranking, she has to surf her best. When the media picks up the story of their neck and neck status, Elle finds herself forced further into the spotlight, this time alongside Gia, the knockout with the killer shred and sexy smile.
It’s not long before there’s no denying the chemistry on and off the beach. But only one can win…
Advance praise from Publishers Weekly: "The stakes are high and emotions run hot....Brayden sets up a flirtatious tit-for-tat that’s honest, relatable, and passionate. The women’s fears are real, but the loving support from the supporting cast helps them find their way to a happy future."
Anastasia Mikhelson is the rising star of the New York City Ballet. She’s sacrificed creature comforts, a social life, as well as her own physical well-being for perfection in dance. Even her reputation as The Ice Queen doesn’t faze her. Though Ana’s at the peak of her career, competition from a new and noteworthy dancer puts all she’s worked for in jeopardy.
While Natalie Frederico has shown herself to be a prodigy when it comes to ballet, she much prefers modern dance and living on her own terms. Life is too short for anything else. However, when the opportunity to dance with the New York City Ballet is thrust upon her, it’s not like she could say no. Dealing with the company’s uptight lead is another story, however. When the two are forced to work side-by-side, sparks begin to fly onstage and off.
Publishers Weekly says: "Readers will relate to the realism of the romance...This ably plotted, moving offering will earn its place deep in readers’ hearts."
Mallory Spencer is in charge. As the face of Soho Savvy, the advertising firm she owns with her three best friends, it's important that she's poised, polished, and put together. However, as she watches her friends couple up and settle down, she wonders about her own happily ever after. One thing's for sure. It's not going to happen with that blue-eyed bartender from Showplace. It's irritatingly clear they couldn't be more wrong for each other...or have more chemistry.
Hope Sanders wants nothing more than to keep her head down and craft a better life for herself running everyone's favorite nightspot. That means ignoring the groupies that flock to the bar to stare at her all night. However, an uptight brunette has snagged Hope's attention and she knows a challenge when she sees it.
Marigold is a gorgeous romance and I didn’t want it to end—ever.
By Netgalley.com on Jan 13, 2024 06:01
This story is all about relationships, not just Marigold and Alexis’s, but the ones that surround them too. It’s about family and community and how important they are, especially when it comes to getting the girl...
But why do Brayden’s readers love the Lavenders so? The answer is no mystery. It’s the way she develops the relationships between the family members and their community. There’s a wisdom there that’s so generous and comforting; it nearly melts the heart. She understands the intricacies of families and the relationships inside them—especially between women. The nuances of the Lavender sisters and the quirks they share are scripted with a beauty that makes each scene just glow. It all works to give the storytelling texture and flavor, a real depth readers have grown to appreciate and trust.
Basically, it all comes down to this: Brayden writes with an emotional intelligence that elevates the storytelling like no other. She has a keen eye for it. Her ability to skillfully portray conversations, dialogues, and non-verbal cues effectively—one’s that convey emotions and intentions—make the storytelling pop. She knows how to capture the subtle differences of body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions so they add layers of realism to the interactions between her characters. This heightened level of communication enhances the readers’ experience, making them feel intimately involved in the unfolding of the story. It’s what draws her readers to her writing. It’s what keeps them coming back book after book...
Final thoughts…
These characters will get under your skin. In fact, I’m just going to come right out and say it: I wish I was the fourth Lavender sister. I’d revel in every moment with them. I’d cheer Marigold and Alexis on and show up everyday at The Lavender House because they are all that special. Marigold is a gorgeous romance and I didn’t want it to end—ever...
Deb M for Women Using Words via NetGalley
This one is sexy and sweet.
By Netgalley.com on Jan 13, 2024 06:01
Marigold is a great addition to the Last Lavender Sister series. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the first novel in this series and would not hesitate to recommend. Really, you can’t go wrong with any one of Melissa Brayden’s romances. I love the witty banter and the chemistry her characters share. This one is sexy and sweet.
Jennifer Standley via NetGalley
Absolutely delicious story, with drama...and so much cuteness and sunshine it just made me smile.
By Netgalley.com on Jan 13, 2024 05:01
Everyone needs a Marigold in their life!
Marigold is annoyed and upset on her sister, Aster’s behalf when Alexis, a food reviewer, produces a report on her experience at Aster’s restaurant. When her actions end up getting Alexis cancelled, Alexis returns with the intention of making sure Marigold pays for the damage but she ends up learning so much about Marigold that she actually ends up developing feelings she never expected to have.
Absolutely delicious story, with drama, intense moments, and so much cuteness and sunshine it just made me smile. Marigold is completely infectious and got right under my skin, just as she ended up doing to Alexis. She was passionate, loyal, but she had a deep routed sense of care for her family. All that made her such an emotionally complex character that I couldn’t help but be drawn to, admire, and want all the happiness in the world for. When Alexis came back, I was sure all hell might break loose, but as it turned out Marigold and her whole family were completely irresistible and it was great how they all got to know Alexis so we could also learn all about her beyond her status as a food reviewer.
I loved Marigold and Alexis together, both when they kept running into one another and Alexis was hesitant and awkward during their communications. When they finally started to realise that there might be room for one another in their lives, it was magical. Alexis got the most unexpected reaction from a town where she was sure her name was dirt and had completely ruined her career, and yet Marigold discovered the one thing she’d been searching for all her life and finally had the opportunities she’d always wanted to take but held back from out of need to worry and take care of everything and everyone else.
I adored every moment of the story and hope there will be more in future with Marigold and Alexis because an exciting future now awaits them. I couldn’t put this down and loved how every page held excitement, wonder, and heaps of positivity from Marigold, even when things seemed hopeless or not possible. Just an uplifting and fun romance.
Carol Hutchinson via NetGalley
The banter and quick wit kept me laughing.
By Netgalley.com on Oct 24, 2023 09:10
Cute, funny, enemies to forever. Melissa Brayden doesn't disappoint in this Lavender sisters book based on Marigold and food critic Alexis. The banter and quick wit kept me laughing. The family dynamics with the entire Lavender crew bring it all together. Great read.
Denise Judge via NetGalley
...I loved this enemies-to-lovers romance which comes totally naturally.
By Netgalley.com on Oct 24, 2023 09:10
...Just a few days ago the sister-novel to Marigold "The Last Lavender Sister“ won a goldie award for best sapphic romance. Now another sister of the Lavender Family, Marigold, who holds her family together is off to meet her, ahem, enemy. Because that‘s how this sweet romance, set in rural Kansas, starts.
And it also starts with excellent food (foodies will again rejoice!) or rather a day off in Marigold‘s sister‘s restaurant: the critic is acerbic and Marigold rides to the rescue. And off it goes. There is a lot of introspection about the power of social media and influencers and into the role of families and achieving happiness: I loved those insightful nuggets which enriched the story. And I loved this enemies-to-lovers romance which comes totally naturally. Esp. the inevitable stumbling stones are well done.
I already mentioned that this is again a delight for foodies (me!!!) and there is a lovely dachshund as well although I have never heard of a snuggly, sweet-tempered dachshund who is quiet all day - must be a new breed or it is seriously ill ::)))
