Lip Smacker
Alison G. Bailey

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Release Date November 21, 2019

Logan Heath was the sweetest and most beautiful boy I had ever seen. He was popular, smart, and the star quarterback of Fort Johnson High. Every girl in school followed him around in hopes of getting his attention. I was no different, except that I admired Logan from afar. With him being a superstar junior and me being an awkward freshman at a new school, our coupling was a mere pipedream.

Implementing my top-notch investigating skills I learned from reading The Nancy Drew Mysteries, I followed Logan’s life from high school through his college career, and then some. Fearing that my stalker-ish tendencies were becoming more of a mental health issue, I purposely lost track of him five years ago. I admit since that time I have thought of Logan. And when I say thought I mean he has popped into one or forty R-rated dreams of mine.

The day he walked into my bakery, butterflies fluttered in my stomach, tingles tingled my skin, and a sequence of R-rated dreams flashed through my head. But I was no longer that awkward teenager, too scared to speak to him. I had grown into a confident woman. A woman who wanted to admire Logan Heath up close and personal. Unfortunately, from the very beginning, Logan wanted something from me that I was not willing to give him. 

This is a story about life...the good, the bad, the infuriating, and the sad. The characters have pasts that have shaped them. And now they are about to be put head to head over a business deal. Only one can be the winner, right? Or can they both win in the end?

Elipheleta Smacker aka Lip is a strongwilled, smart, and caring bakery owner. She has loss in her past and is very close to her grandmother. She takes great pride in the business they have created together. But they are also in a bit of a slump and a big business owner would love to buy their property. 

Enter Logan Heath...the face of the big business...the charming closer...and her high school crush. He is handsome, cocky, confident, and a bit pushy. He is sure the deal is the right move for Lip and her grandmother and is determined to prove it, but these women are stubborn and won't just fall in line.

But this starts a whole unusual relationship. From antagonism, mistrust, and challenging interactions they fight and flirt. But then slowly an appreciation, fondness, sexual tension, and feelings start to messy the situation up. Unexpected changes and an increasing closeness bring their guards down. But ultimately is one playing the other? Is it manipulation or real?

This is fiery, witty, sexy, sweet, swoony, and heartfelt. It's kind of an enemies-to-lovers rom-com with a more serious and emotional storyline running through it. These characters can understand loss and the fear of losing more, which adds tension and conflict. I really liked their snappy banter and chemistry. Lip has this big, vibrant, and sassy personality, but still comes off as a bit awkward. Her point of view with self-talk and a few daydreams give us all access to her head and her insecurities and feelings. But Logan's personality shines through in his actions and flirty quips (and the chapter from his point of view). Together they are so dynamic and fun!

The side characters especially the incomparable Wavy and Mr. Abrams add humor and depth. Lip and Wavy's relationship is at the heart of this story.  This book is about home, soulmates, second chances, and family. It makes you smile and laugh, but it also makes you feel and believe in love. 

Elipheleta Smacker (Lip) has strong ties to the neighborhood she now runs her cupcake business out of. Memories of walking down the street reminiscing with Wavy (her grandmother) keep Lip tied to the neighborhood even if her building is run down and a major corporation wants to buy her out to build a new hotel in the area. She isn’t willing to leave the spot she chose so deliberately.

Logan Heath is known as the Closer. He is brought in to work the deal when small businesses don’t want to be bought out. But he never imagines when he walks through the door to Lipsmacker that he is going to get more than a business deal out of the encounter.

I struggled a little with some of the chemistry between Lip and Logan. While they started out adversaries, it seemed like Logan’s reason for entering the cupcake shop the first time was forgotten when he connected who Lip was. And Lip generally turned to mush when Logan entered the room anyway, forgetting herself in the process. But I loved the way their relationship built between them. So while their early animosity may have gone by the wayside quickly, they fell back on genuine interest and attraction.

I loved the bond between Lip and Wavy. Lip’s connection to her grandmother was a big part of who she was, and having Wavy around daily is part of what pushed Lip to stick with her dreams even through hardship.

The side characters added a spark to the story as well. From the bakery’s regular customer to Lip’s friend Cindy at camp, there were plenty of characters to push Lip out of her comfort zone and hold out a hand as needed. I would have loved to have some narration from Logan, but Lip’s voice is steady throughout. She is a solid narrator, if a little focused on her business while ignoring some signs around her. The things she misses make for fun revelations when she finally clues in to what has been going on around her.

This was generally an entertaining read. Easy, a little light, and a lot of fun, Lip and Logan’s story kept me grinning from start to finish.

My hands landed on my hips. “You can’t set up a mobile office in my bakery.”

“I have to work, Miss Smacker, and I am a paying customer.”

He took a long sip of coffee.