One kinky wood carver. One younger chef looking to try new things. A series of lessons that bring both men more than they bargained for…

Curtis Hunt has made a name for himself as a chainsaw wood carver, winning national competitions and operating a small business in Rainbow Cove, Oregon. As winter whittles away his tourist traffic, his goal is just to survive the season and try to not get lost in grief for his dead lover. It’s been two years, but he’s sure he’ll never be over the love of a lifetime. However, his body has a certain restlessness that he doesn’t quite know how to calm.

Logan Rosner knows a thing or two about restlessness. It’s what drove him to Rainbow Cove to be a chef at a bar and grill run by his friends. And it’s what drives him to a single sizzling encounter with the local legendary lumberjack. Both men get far more than they expected and learn that first impressions aren’t always accurate…

But when Logan proposes a series of sexy lessons, Curtis must decide how much he’s willing to risk. He knows he can’t afford to get attached to Logan’s good cooking, his easy smiles, or his caretaking, but he keeps going back for more, even as deeper emotions become involved. Soon, Curtis must decide whether to risk his heart again or risk losing Logan for good. 

Tender with a Twist is a 75,000 word stand-alone gay romance with a May/December theme, featuring a second chance at love, opposites attract, loads of sexy times with mild BDSM elements, and one emotionally-charged, guaranteed happy ending with no cliffhangers. 

To say that Tender with a Twist, the second book in Annabeth Albert’s Rainbow Cove series, has a different flavor than the first book in the series, Trust with a Chaser, is a bit of an understatement. I guess it’s also a bit of a kink pun too, as the flavor du jour here is BDSM. But even if you’re like me and it’s not your flavor of choice, the character development and storytelling here is more than enough to make for an enjoyable read.

While it’s certainly not necessary to read the first book in the series in order to enjoy this one, those who have will recognize Logan, one of the three friends who revamped an old tavern into a bar and grill in an effort to make the small, coastal town of Rainbow Cove an LGBT-friendly destination, and Curtis, the grumpy and reclusive wood carver whose long-time lover passed away two years prior, the man who still has Curtis’s heart. A big reason Logan moved was to get away from the life he was living in Portland, a life that wasn’t allowing him to be himself, part of which is exploring his need to be sexually dominant. After an altercation with a customer outside the bar leads Logan and Curtis to see each other in a new light, the two strike a bargain to allow both to get what they need. Logan wants more from the start, but though Curtis can take all the pain he can dish out in the bedroom, Logan knows he needs to handle the man with kid gloves if he wants more to become a reality. 

Let’s take care of the gorilla in the room to start. Tender with a Twist does contain elements of bondage, Dom/sub, and S&M spread throughout (only) its sex scenes, mainly those in the first two-thirds of the book. Fair disclosure, I’m not well read in kink, particularly S&M, but even though this has definitely been the most I’ve read in a book, I imagine it’s fairly mild compared to the more hardcore books. While I honestly cannot at all understand the pain-as-pleasure thing, and while reading about it in the past has generally made me uncomfortable, it didn’t really have that effect on me here. I think it’s a testament to this author’s writing style that I can trust her not to make a kink that I’m not into feel yucky, and that’s important because I’m a proponent of the motto “don’t yuck my yum.” 

This really shouldn’t surprise me, though, because Annabeth Albert’s writing generally does work for me, regardless of the topic or character types. Even so, this book isn’t solely about kink. There are plenty of tender, sweet, and romantic moments both in and out of the bedroom. Not only does this make the book’s title work particularly well, it fits beautifully with the one of the other themes present in the story. While Logan’s character arc is mostly about fulfilling his sexual desires—yes, there’s more than that, but don’t we all have parental issues?—Curtis’s is the much more emotional one, and his dealing with the grief, loneliness, and stagnation of losing the man he loved for more than half his life is the stronger storyline in Tender with a Twist. And the author tells it in the manner that fit well with my past experiences reading her novels. It’s part believing he doesn’t deserve a second chance at love, part guilt over the idea of stepping on the memory of his dead lover, and part simply being scared of loving and then losing someone again. It was heartfelt and honest, and real.

The only thing that kept this from moving past being really good into being unforgettable was my being a little dissatisfied with the events that trigger the story’s “black moment” and its resolution. I’m not going to spoil details for you, but as good as I thought the author did with showing me Curtis’s emotional baggage throughout the story, dealing with the black moment itself seemed rather disconnected by comparison, as if his emotions were caused by another event that happens. Then, once he’s (very quickly) worked through his concerns and realizes he needs Logan in his life, there are some things Curtis does that we only get to hear about instead of seeing first hand, things that would have made his mental transition much stronger. This results in the denouement lacking the level of emotional punch I thought the storyline deserved. There were feels there, just not the big ones I so hoped for with the build-up the story had, especially since I know the author is capable of delivering them.

All in all, Tender with a Twist is a wonderful read, especially for those who are, like me, nervous about stories being overrun by the kink they contain. Fear not, for at no point did this feel like kink solely for kink’s sake. It’s a wonderfully emotional, yet low-angst, story that incorporates the kink as a part of the journey for the relationship arc it contains, which is exactly what sex scenes of any sort should do for a romance novel. I definitely recommend this one.

The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of Tender with a Twist in exchange for this fair and honest review.

Logan Rosner is one of three young men who have moved to Rainbow Cove, Oregon to open a LGBT friendly bar and grill and hopefully increase the tourist pull to the area. Logan is the chef and is enjoying being able to make his own choices and use his creative skills. He had his own reasons for leaving the city behind and finding some quiet in the small town. He's handsome, charming, and wants to live his own life without external pressures. He has recently watched his business partner, Mason find love with the town Sheriff.

Curtis Hunt is a friend of the Sheriff and is a local lumberjack and chainsaw wood carver. He lost the love of his life two years ago and has since become more of a hermit, more eccentric, pessimistic, and temperamental. He is a vegan and Logan likes to try to entice him into trying new vegan food choices without much success. And he also likes a bit of kink...and Curtis would love to explore some of that with him.

But Curtis initially treats Logan like a baby-faced kid and shows no interest. Their interactions tend to be cold, sarcastic, and antagonistic. But one night changes everything. They each have something the other needs and decide a hot, one-night stand is just what they could both use.

No one takes Logan seriously. But he's got needs and skills he wants to practice. He just has to convince Curtis to be the man willing to give him pointers.  Logan is optimistic, enthusiastic, and lightens up the room. Curtis is self deprecating, needs to move on, and has been living in the dark. They may just have more that the other needs that they did not realize. But that is a scary prospect neither is ready for. Trust in each other is necessary, but trust that something could last and they could avoid getting hurt is harder. And it will all come down to letting go of fears holding them back, believing in someone, living the life they want, and being willing to fight for a chance at something new that could be just what they need.

This is a May/December, second-chance romance with BDSM elements,humor, and some emotional situations. It is told in dual points of view that was really important especially since they were not the best at communication at times.. I will admit am not really into reading about the whole dom/sub thing, but it did not really turn me off from the story. Their needs fit with their characters and histories so I could understand where they were coming from. And they were such opposites that it was fun watching them spar verbally and get under each other's skin physically. As they began to become more open and vulnerable, I started to like each one of these men more and more. They both had challenges and opportunities for growth. 

I liked getting more with their friends Mason and Nash, Adam, and Brock. I am looking forward to the other books in this series in Rainbow Cove.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Add to Goodreads

Released August 1, 2017

Buy Amazon (also Kindle Unlimited and paperback from other retailers)
Our 4.5 star reviews

One hot cop. One bar owner out for redemption. One smoking-hot summer fling destined to leave scorch marks…

Mason Hanks has returned to Rainbow Cove, Oregon with one goal in mind: turn the struggling coastal community into a thriving LGBTQ tourism destination. Step one is transforming an old bar and grill into a gay-friendly eatery. Step two? Don’t piss off Nash Flint, the very hot, very stern chief of police who’s not so sure he’s on board with Mason’s big plans.

Nash Flint just wants to keep his community safe and enjoy the occasional burger in peace. He’s not big on change nor is he a fan of Mason’s troublemaking family, especially his rowdy older brothers. But Mason slowly wins him over with fantastic cooking and the sort of friendship Nash has been starving for.

When their unlikely friendship takes a turn for the sexy, both men try to steer clear of trouble. Nash believes he’s too set in his ways for Mason, and Mason worries that his family’s reputation will ruin any future with Nash. Burning up the sheets in secret is a surefire way to crash and burn, and discovery forces a heart-wrenching decision—is love worth the risk of losing everything?

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.