““You again,” the man said, clearly unhappy if his frown was anything to go by. “Do you ever watch where you’re going?”
Luca knew he was supposed to apologize. Beg for forgiveness, maybe.
But instead he was thinking about the man making him beg for something else.”
Luca Moretti is grumpy—and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Wrangling six—Italian—siblings and the family's restaurants would make anyone cranky. But when his mother requests that he save his aunt’s struggling Italian deli in charming, picturesque Indigo Bay, he has no idea that he's about to overdose on sweetness.
Luca expected his aunt’s stubbornness—she’s a Moretti, isn’t she?—and his cousin’s resistance to actual work, but the last thing he expected is the absolute ball of sunshine known as Oliver Billings.
Oliver loves Indigo Bay. Loves owning his small artisan bakery, Sweetie Pie’s. Helps nice old ladies cross the street. Even volunteers for the local Sweethearts Festival.
Sweet isn't really Luca's style, or so he thinks. But when he discovers Oliver can be a little spicy too, his prickly exterior begins to crumble like a well-baked crust.
If Luca isn't careful, he's going to develop a taste for sweets—and a particular baker’s pie.
And one or two servings will never be enough.
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“This fake boyfriend thing had all been Will’s idea—his apparently very stupid idea—but he asked anyway, “Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah,” Enzo said. “I know I said it before, but get ready. Nobody romances like an Italian, and no Italian romances like a Moretti.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Will said weakly.”
When Enzo Moretti's mom lures him home to paint one of his famous murals in Indigo Bay, he expects an awkward family reunion.
Not an awkward matchmaking attempt.
And not Will Johnson, the new owner of Cherry’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor and it turns out, also who she’s been boasting to about all Enzo's perfect qualities.
He's perfectly embarrassed, all right.
When Will suggests pretending to date might be easier than fighting his determined mama, Enzo knows he should say no. That Will is as tasty as his frozen desserts doesn’t matter. Enzo isn't staying.
Instead, he plans a series of very public romantic dates. Dates that only end up proving that, yes, Will is as sweet as his ice cream, and no, Enzo isn't as immune to romantic entanglements as he thought. The longer they continue the charade, the less it feels like a game of pretend and more like a truth he can't avoid.
But can Enzo really admit his mom got it right—and stay in the town he's always wanted to leave? It'll be tough to live down that "I told you so."
Even tougher to leave Will behind.
Because what he never expected is for Will to be the cherry on top of this matchmaking sundae. He's one tasty treat Enzo never wants to finish.