Title: A Cup of Latte
Author: Bebe Burnside
Cover artist: Unknown
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications
Amazon buy link: A Cup of Latte
Genre: Contemporary m/m romance
Length: 73 pages
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Guest review by Orion
Review summary: A predictable but still enjoyable story
Blurb:
Tall, dark and handsome, Michael Stafford is one of the biggest names in business. His job is to take struggling companies under his wing and do what it takes to make a profit from them, even if the people working for the company have to suffer from the consequences.
Alan Weissman is a journalist hired to write a fluff piece on Michael Stafford. The only problem is, Alan would rather rip out his eyes than sit across from a soulless creep like Michael Stafford. It isn’t until the interview begins that Alan notices something different about the deeply handsome businessman. Something unexpected and attractive that makes him second guess his opinion of the man with the dreamy brown eyes.
Sometimes all it takes to change your mind about someone is good conversation and a hot cup of latte.
Review:
A Cup of Latte builds on a premise very familiar in romance fiction, the adversaries who become lovers. Alan is no fan of Michael. In his view, the man’s business strategy makes him a great white shark in a pool of seal pups. For his part, Michael sees Alan as a cutthroat journalist. Alan arrives for the interview ready to take his hatred of Michael to even higher levels. Of course, once they sit down together and begin to talk, Alan finds himself questioning his preconceived opinions. He is surprised to discover that Michael has ordered a Mocha Latte for him, his favorite drink. Michael read somewhere about Alan’s tastes in coffee, and his thoughtfulness in ordering the latte puts the first crack in the wall of dislike Alan has put up.
They later have a chance encounter at a local pub, and Alan sees yet another side of the rich, handsome businessman. Michael is far from pretentious or stuck-up, as evidenced by this little hole in the wall being one of his favorite places to hang out. They bump into each other a third time at a restaurant, and that is where Alan’s attraction to Michael really takes off. Yes, it is highly unlikely that a filthy rich businessman would slum around in the same places as a work-a-day journalist would, but this is a romance, and that is all part of the fantasy.
There’s nothing original about the story of Alan and Michael, and the author doesn’t put any kind of spin on it to make this novella stand out from any of the other romances that have explored such themes. I anticipated pretty much the entire storyline, and events unfolded almost exactly the way I thought they would. While it loses points for a lack of originality, A Cup of Latte still provided an enjoyable reading experience for me. The writing is about as good as any you see in the m/m market. (There were a few typos but nothing that seriously detracted from the reading.) The dialogue has a realistic ring to it, and the characters of Alan and Michael are distinctly drawn. The author made me care about these guys, and that definitely pulled me into the story.
This all builds to the requisite happy ever after. There are quite a few nice, romantic moments in this story, but if you’re looking for lots of hot, steamy sex, you won’t find it here. If you’re in the mood for a light, easy read, this one will fit the bill nicely.