Customer Reviews

Raspberry Crush

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A former web designer axed in her prime by a downsizing, Billy now makes her living as a cake decorator at a fancy Boston bakery. When she is assigned the task of decorating the cakes for Churchill's annual town celebration, memories of her lost love Seth Lanigan surface, since he is from the Churchill.

Seth left Billy behind four years earlier to take a job in Seattle. He's back at his mother's house fixing it up in preparation to sell while she is out of town. When he drops in at the bakery to check on the cake order, he runs into Billy and immediately feels old desires kick in. Faster than you can say salmonella poisoning, a patron drops dead and Billy's overactive imagination thinks it was deliberate. As she drags Seth into amateur sleuthing, passion rides to the surface, and has Billy running scared since she does not want to be twice burned by Seth.

Winters has penned a witty, sensuous, funny, and endearing story loaded with chemistry and her trademark quirky secondary characters.

Six months ago, web designer Billy Cabot was downsized because her company Net Circle was trying to avoid bankruptcy. Four months later, she accepts work decorating cakes at Boston's Bella Donna Bakery. Currently she is working on the cakes for Churchill, Massachusetts annual jubilee. Churchill has bitter memories as the hometown of Seth Lanigan, who was her boyfriend for a few months four years ago before he accepted a job at Mackind Associates Consultants in Seattle.

While his mother is in Dublin, Seth is in town for a few weeks fixing up his mom's homes so she can sell it. As a favor he goes to Bella Donna Bakery to see how the cakes are coming. He and Billy see each other and he wants to renew what they had. When a newcomer rude fisherman Ted Schneider dies from an allergic reaction, Billy thinks a homicide occurred while everyone else says no way; she investigates with Seth's help and gets no where as to the so-called crime, but somewhere with her beloved Seth. However, Billy fears a second time around because her heart has not recovered from the first time he left her behind.

RASPBERRY CRUSH is a sweet contemporary romance with a bit of an amateur sleuth mystery starring two nice protagonists and a fine support cast, mostly those working at the bakery. The story line works because of the chemistry between Billy and Seth who have a second opportunity at fulfilling what was left incomplete if she takes a chance. Billy's bungling investigation adds the icing to a delightful contemporary tale.

Harriet Klausner

I am really enjoying my discovery of Jill Winters books! I started with The Unprintable Big Clock Chronicle and am working my way backwards. So far Raspberry Crush might very well be my favorite! Though I'm not a romance reader per se, I loved the chemistry in this book between Billy and her ex-boyfriend, Seth, and just how likable both leads were. The setting and mystery were thoroughly entertaining as well and without giving anything away, I will say that I did not see the twist and resolution at the end coming! There were a few different aspects to the mystery, which made it more interesting than a straightforward sub-plot that you might read in other books. This was a rare case where I was genuinely absorbed in BOTH the story of Billy and Seth rekindling their romance that had been cut too short years ago, and the mysterious life and death of a fisherman who once dated Billy's aunt and has now resurfaced in a bizarre set of circumstances... Like I said, I don't want to give too much away, but I'll say that it was a fantastic read! (Note: this book is appropriate for an adult audience, as there are several steamy scenes).

THIS BOOK IS SO FUNNY! MY GIRLFRIEND'S A FRIEND OF A FRIEND OF THE AUTHOR AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I GAVE IT A TRY. BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT IT WAS HILARIOUS. REALLY WELL-WRITTEN, LOVED THE SIDE COMMENTS ON ALL THE STUFF GOING ON AROUND HER. THE BOOK IS SEXY TOO SO BE PREPARED. WELL DONE!

This book was wholehearted fun, mixing up love between exes and a tricky murder plot with more than a dash of humour throughout. I love the use of descriptive language that brings ordinary people and places to flourishing life. I highly recommend this one especially to those seeking an Autumn-scenic read.

I really enjoyed this book. It took me away from all my cares for a couple of days! Basically Billy is a good person who is just trying to enjoy life as best she can while she bides her time between "real jobs". She is working at a bakery which actually seems like great fun because she gets to decorate the cakes in the back rather than dealing with the customers a lot, since she is an artist. In the meantime little does she expect her ex-flame Seth to walk into the bakery, there on behalf of the planning committee for the jubilee that the bakery is catering in a few short weeks! And even more surprising: someone dies at the jubilee. It appears to be accidental...or is it murder? For various reasons, Billy and Seth work together to learn more and along the way the sexual tension and emotional connection builds between them. I was dying for these two to finally hit the bedroom and went they did...oh wow!!! This was the best book I've read in a long time. It really provided an escape from things and had me on the edge of my seat. They mystery kept me in suspense and the love story was really sexy and passionate, everything you could want in a book!

this book was soo sweet and passionate and funny! the heroine was a woman i think most people could relate to in the sense that she was close to her family but also was a loner in some ways. she wants love like everyone else, yet she doesn't whine about it. meanwhile she investigates a mystery out of a link to her family which was also just delightful and clever! just a caution for those who might like a more g-rated read, this book is VERY SEXY.

by the way i'm wondering if the reviewer below has even read the book because she says that seth and billy are ex-husband and wife - what! no they are ex-boyfriend and girlfriend who dated several years back.

i definitely consider this one one of my top reads of 04. you might enjoy it too!!

RASBERRY CRUSH IS AWESOME!!! THE HEROINE IS SO SWEET AND YOU JUST WANT TO TELL HER NOT TO WORRY THAT THINGS WILL TURN OUT JUST FINE! THE MURDER MYSTERY WAS SURPRISINGLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT. I LOVE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES AND THIS ONE STANDS FAR AHEAD OF THE REST TO ME. I LAUGHED SO HARD AT SOME PARTS. THE RELATIONSHIP IS WELL HANDLED, I BELIEVED EVERY MOMENT OF THE LOVE STORY AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT. (I'M HOPING THERE'LL BE A FOLLOW UP BOOK ABOUT BILLY'S SISTER, CORRYN) THIS WAS ALSO A VERY SENSUAL AND MOVING READ.

RASPBERRY CRUSH is a very sexy romance with a great story to tell. Great quirky characters, fun murder plot, and some truly smoldering scenes. I just loved it!

enjoyed this book tremendously. I don't think there was a single moment that I wasn't enjoying reading it. It had comedy, romance, murder, sex, and a main girl you could truly relate to, what else could you want? Normally I am not one to read lots of "romance" but "Raspberry Crush" was not your typical story. Give it a whirl --- I can't say enough how much I recommend this book!!!!