An Officer and a Fortune by Nina Crespo

Release: April 27th, 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N

His homecoming was temporary until he met the woman who changed everything.

Captain Collin Waldon is in Germany but has come home on leave to take care of Sam, his terminally ill father. He has strong emotions and frustrations with Sam but meeting Nicole and spending time with her brightens his day. He has an attraction for her but also knows long-distance relationships do not work. So he holds back on his attraction.

Not to mention, Nicole Fortune is the executive chef of Roja, the family-owned restaurant in the Hotel Fortune. Her creativity has been on the decline, and she is struggling to develop the summer menu. Moreover, the restaurant was having difficulties with employees leaving and losing business to a local diner. The connection she feels with Collin and their shared love of cooking prompts Nicole to ask Collin to help her create her summer menu and help with the upcoming family fundraiser.

As such, these two unlikely lovers seem perfect for each other until Collin’s reassignment threatens their newfound bliss…

To summarize, Harlequin Special Edition: Belief in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

The Fortunes of Texas: The Hotel Fortune

1st Book: Her Texas New Year’s Wish by Michelle Major

2nd Book: Their Second-Time Valentine by Helen Lacey

3rd Book: An Unexpected Father by Marie Ferrarella

4th Book: Runaway Groom by Lynne Marshall

5th Book: An Officer and a Fortune by Nina Crespo

6th Book: Cowboy in Disguise by Allison Leigh

About the Author:

Nina Crespo lives in Florida, where she indulges in her favorite passions — the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero, and dancing. Besides, her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom, where she discovered her first romance novel. Let Nina’s sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales satisfy your own craving for love, romance, and happily ever after.

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An Officer and a Fortune Review:

Reading Harlequin books from time to time is always a guilty pleasure for me. They are relatively short, feel-good stories filled with romance, with a touch of mystery and suspense. “An Officer and a Fortune” adds nicely to the genre and delivers well.

The author shines in writing the romance for the main leads. I enjoyed Nicole and Collin in their roles. Moreover, they have lovely chemistry and support each other. Both of them face challenges, either personally or professionally, and I liked how they came together while helping each other out. Moreover, I loved Sam and thought he shared a genuine relationship with Collin. I loved the scenes where he sees the old photos and reminisces. Another memorable scene was when he bonds with Nicole, as this was unexpected. Megan, Grace, and Ashley also add well in the supporting roles and encourage the reader to pick the earlier books in the “Fortunes of Texas: The Hotel Fortune” series. The author also incorporates the food theme very nicely, which is an inspiration for the reader to get passionate about the culinary arts.

However, there is an underlying mystery where someone is trying to sabotage Nicole’s work at the restaurant. The storyline doesn’t get resolved, and I guess the author would continue it in the next book? This part is probably the only moment I felt like I should have read the previous books to understand the element of suspense. The mystery element left me disappointed because I hoped the author would resolve it in the story.

Apart from that, I liked reading “An Officer and a Fortune.” The book tempted me to pick up and read some of the previous books in the series.