The Bachelor Preferred Pastry (Zebra Contemporary Romance) [Paperback]

Shirley Jump (Author)

Book Description

Series: Zebra Contemporary Romance | Publication Date: February 1, 2006

Olivia Regan is determined to make her new pastry business a success. So what that all of her marketing plans have backfired and no one, including her own family, thinks that she can succeed. What she needs is a surefire attention-getter. And, snaring Daniel Worth - the sexiest, most eligible bachelor in Boston - by bidding on him at a highly visible auction is the way to go. Using Daniel's celebrity to promote her business will be a piece of cake - if she can resist his considerable charms...Daniel Worth inherited his considerable wealth, good looks, and playboy ways from his father and grandfather. He's never had to buckle down and work at anything in his life, and he doesn't imagine charming Olivia will be any different. But, something about Olivia's never-say-die attitude stirs Daniel's own dreams. The girl may attract disaster like his family does money, but she's brave, smart, and downright adorable. She's also the only person he's never been able to buy. And soon, Daniel's got a new idea: walking away from his fortune to become his own man and prove to Olivia that he's the best investment she'll ever make...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Olivia Regan's Boston pastry shop is on the brink of going under when she comes up with one last-ditch scheme to save the business. She takes the last of her money and bids on Boston's most eligible bachelor, Daniel Worth, for a date at a charity auction. She has plans for her man in an ad campaign. Daniel has spent his life living among the idle rich, thanks to his family's hotel chain. Daniel knows that his controlling grandfather would not approve of his role as a spokesperson for the shop, but he is infatuated with Olivia, who is trying hard not to risk her heart and her investment. When Daniel decides to give up his inheritance to pursue a goal with the sort of passion Olivia possesses, the cheesecake really hits the fan, especially when a no-carb bakery opens up across the street. Jump gives her fans a funny, sweet romance that satisfies even if one is counting calories. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Book four in Jump's series continues in the delightful manner of its predecessors with humorous recipes, an offbeat cast...solid writing." -- Marilyn Weigel, Romantic Times Book Reviews, February 2006

"Shirley Jump has written another laugh-out-loud funny story, with great recipes in the beginning of each chapter." -- Nancy Riggins-Hume for The Road to Romance

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821779486
• ISBN-13: 978-0821779484
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,424,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The ending sucked., September 17, 2006

By 

IndigoRaiyne (Aiken, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bachelor Preferred Pastry (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book. However, I was not blown away and I could put it down, and did on several occasions. It never sucked me in like a great book should. I enjoyed the story, and enjoyed the characters. I bought the book mainly because it takes place in Boston and I'm a sucker for books set in Boston. That being said, here is my opinion of The Bachelor Preferred Pastry.

First, let me say it was well-written. The characters had distinctive voices and were well developed. The Hero (Daniel) and the Heroine (Olivia) had a moderate amount of chemistry, but nothing that was setting the pages on fire. My favorite character had to be Olivia's sister Josie, and I would read a book about her and Jake. The story also moved quickly and everything seemed necessary.

However, Ms. Jump lost me near the end when it was revealed that Olivia didn't do the baking (I had always assumed it was Josie and didn't realize that Olivia was trying to pass herself off as the baker rather than business owner.) and that it was really Josie. I never saw this as a personal revelation because she stuck with running Pastries with Panache at the end because her love was running a business rather than baking? But she was never baking? The whole thing felt to me like someone told the author Olivia needed to experience Personal Growth and this was it.

On that same note, Daniel was astoundingly one dimensional and I could never warm up to him like I should have. For 3/4 of the book, all Daniel talked about was how he was so spoiled with his wealth and lack of job. I liked how he had to go out and try to make on his own, and WANTED to make it on his own. I also liked how he admired Olivia for these same traits. However, about 50 pages til the end, it is suddenly revealed that Daniel was adopted and his butler, was his father. AND HE WAS OKAY WITH THIS.

It was like, oh, how nice I'm the son of the butler. That whole part ruined the book for me and felt very, very, tacked on and I'm not sure what it had to do with anything. If it had to be a part of the storyline, it could have been brought up near the begining and have been the catalyst for Daniel going out into the world to make it on his own; to come to terms with his new identity. But I'm not writing the book, so there you go.

5.0 out of 5 stars Shirley Jump is Awesome!, November 9, 2009

By 

Tammy Lynn Mckaskle "The Queen" (Ruston. LA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bachelor Preferred Pastry (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Paperback)

I love ALL the Shirley Jump book I have read. Very quick read and the recipes look delish! Love the Characters in the book!

3.0 out of 5 stars 4th "romance with recipes" is missing something, May 21, 2007

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bachelor Preferred Pastry (Zebra Contemporary Romance) (Paperback)

Struggling pastry shop owner Olivia Regan has scraped together her last $12,332 to purchase wealthy hotel heir Daniel Worth at a bachelor auction. Her intention is to have him appear in ads and appeal to females all over Boston. What she doesn't count on is a no-carb bakery opening up shop across the street, complete with an anti-sugar clientele who drive her customers away. Daniel himself is at a crossroads; he doesn't want to enter into the family hotel business. His dreams of writing have so far not been realized until his domineering grandfather disowns him for voicing his desire to make his own way. Inspired by Olivia's drive to succeed, he attempts to woo the perfect job and the perfect woman. But Olivia is standoffish; burned once too many times by a man, the last thing she wants is a fling with Daniel, the tabloid magnet. But a single kiss has her re-thinking that policy.

Jump's fourth "romance with recipes" has a cute premise, and is much better than her last (The Angel Craved Lobster), but the magical storytelling evident in the first two stories (The Bride Wore Chocolate; The Devil Served Tortellini) just isn't as strong in this outing. The romance was also lacking for me; I never felt the attraction between Olivia and Daniel. Jump tosses in a couple plot twists that the reader might not see coming, but overall, this is a three star read.