Dessert lovers will enjoy sinking their teeth into Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting ($12). Blaire Calloway has worked hard to be able to open her own cupcake and cocktails shop, and won't let anything stand in her way of success — especially not Ronan Knight, who runs the popular sports bar next door. The two may constantly butt heads over winning new customers, but there's also a growing attraction they can't ignore.
In a genre that thrives on farfetched plots (do people actually fake date in real life?!) and fast-developing romances, the thing I always appreciate from Helena Hunting's books is how realistic the dialogue and pacing are, and how she can make entirely plausible and even ordinary scenarios highly entertaining. I found this book charming, with the perfect balance of steamy and sweet — the latter of which definitely includes the delicious cupcake flavours Blaire concocts. And okay, I know I just said I love the author's realistic take on writing romance, but there is one scene in which Ronan meets Blaire's unconventional family that's SO funny in its absurdity.