Andi Burke is looking for a way to support herself and her daughter before they are evicted from the house they love. All their hopes rest on the plan she hatches with her sister Kim and best friend Rachel to open Creative Cupcakes. When they struggle to find financing, handsome local reporter Jake Harman comes to the rescue. The attraction between Andi and Jake grows as they fend off the forces threatening the success of their cupcakery, including anti-sugar Zumba dancers and shady characters from the tattoo parlor next door.

THE CUPCAKE DIARIES: SWEET ON YOU is the first novella in new series by Darlene Panzera. I liked the premise because, well, who doesn't love cupcakes. Andi, Kim, and Rachel make a nice trio and each brings her own strengths to their venture. I wanted to like THE CUPCAKE DIARIES: SWEET ON YOU more than I did. As the introduction to the series, there was a lot of set-up which left little time to develop the relationship between Jake and Andi. There was too much going on for a story of this length so I didn't feel like I had much of an opportunity to invest in any one aspect of the plot. Given the zumba dancers and tattoo parlor I expected the story to be funny but instead I found these subplots a bit sad. I like the characters, though, so I am curious to see how the other novellas develop now that the setting of the series has been established.

Book Summary

Everyone knows business and pleasure don't mix ... or do they?

Andi Burke has a dream—a kitchen big enough to dance in, regular income to support her daughter, and a chance to find true love. So when she enlists her sister Kim and their bubbly best friend Rachel to help open Creative Cupcakes, it all seems perfect.

Especially when hunky local reporter Jake Hartman offers to finance the store for them. Andi hasn't dated since her divorce, but the way Jake keeps looking at her might make her change her mind. After all, what could go wrong?

Plenty! There's a shady tattoo parlor behind their shop, a crowd of crazy Zumba dancers out front (chanting "Lose the fat, dance with Pat!"), and about the only thing going right is Andi's romance ... until Jake's media crew captures a story that could shut the two of them down forever.