Fantastic would reccomend to other readers of the genre no doubt. Easily one of the best reads of late

Romance with baker and landlord with the added stalker to be rescued from. Good writing but I did not finish as I avoid stalker scenarios books.

I really liked Leah and Hamilton's story this is the first book I have read in the Off Guard series and I really enjoyed it.It was a lot of fun and really hot and steamy in places.It had me laughing out loud in places it was a really fun book and I cannot wait to read more

Sweet Treat

Loved this book; close to five stars. This author has a quirky way of combining words in the characters' voices, but it ended up being hard to delineate those occasions, from true typos.

The story, though, is excellent (warning, the ending is fairly abrupt and truncated). It's all slow burn and respect, no boorish Alphas here. And living near the book's setting, I found the novelized version of the city to be small, navigable, and intimate, which is unfamiliar but welcome, because even big cities have enclaves in which to belong. Highly recommend Hamilton and Leah; these are the kind of characters that linger pleasantly for some time after the book's finish.

5 stars

Synopsis: Leah owns a bakery and does her best to annoy her uptight landlord. He doesn't approve of the things that she does, but he does love the sweets that she makes for him. One day, Leah makes a mistake, and drafts Hamilton to help her get a big order ready for a customer. He is very persnickety, but Leah is surprised how good he is at following directions in the kitchen.
Hamilton has a very orderly life, and Leah seems to be all about chaos. When Hamilton finds out that a regular customer is making Leah uncomfortable, he makes it his priority to make sure that Leah is safe. As they work together more in the kitchen, Leah realizes that there is more to Hamilton than meets the eye.

What I liked: the build in relationship between Leah and Hamilton. Leah's vendetta against Hamilton was amusing, and the way that she tried to tempt Hamilton in to loosening up a little with sweets was, well, sweet. Hamilton's protective streak toward Leah, even though he didn't want to admit that he had feelings for her was endearing. I had a smile on my face the entire time that I was reading the story. I liked the secondary characters and how they all related to one another.
I liked the interactions between Leah and Hamilton and watching them getting to know one another. As Leah gets to know Hamilton, she realizes that he is shy, and that his rigidity is a way to control it. Hamilton doesn't understand a lot of human interactions.

What I didn't like: this may be petty, but the cover didn't match the story at all. Hamilton would have never been without a shirt in the kitchen, as it would be too unsanitary.

Overall impressions: Hamilton, in spite of being a man of few words, was a strong, caring man. And Leah was also strong, and believed the best of people. Once she figured Hamilton out, she interfered on his behalf with other people. This was told in 3rd person POV from Leah's perspective.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Why, yes...thank you. I am all about a hot Army vet that is a bit grumpy, but totally alpha. Yummy. A delicious, hot and sexy read. Bust out the fans, this has some steamy scenes!

Hamilton (called Ham by Leah) is the landlord of the building where Leah has her bakery. Hamilton is super hot, but a bit socially awkward. He doesn’t do well around women and because of his weirdness...is a virgin! Honestly, that was a new one for me and I applaud the author. I don’t think you have to guess that he won’t be a virgin by the end of this story. Leah can’t figure out why Hamilton seems to be so stand-offish with her, so she does everything she can to push his buttons. Until she realizes that she looks forward to pushing his buttons and realizes that she might be in lust with him.

It’s just such a fun story in a great setting. I’m a big fan of the authors other books, so I figured I would enjoy this one - I totally did! Buy it. You won’t be sorry.

Stevie‘s review of Baking Lessons (Off Guard, Book 2) by Katie Allen
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by Carina Press 01 Mar 18

It wasn’t until I’d read the book and started my review that I noticedthe publisher classes it as erotic romance, and Amazon tags it as erotica, either of which might well have put me off reading it; however, the sex scenes are no more explicit or frequent than I’ve seen in a number of recent contemporary romance novels. Classification issues not withstanding, the book’s blurb grabbed me from the outset. I love books about characters who make a living from baking or sweet-making, and I’ve enjoyed a fair few series about former military personnel forging new careers and relationships in civilian life. I was also intrigued by the concept of a virgin hero, particularly when said hero was ex-military, and wanted to see how both he and the heroine would handle discussion of the situation.


Leah was taught to bake by her late grandmother, who raised her following the death of her parents in an accident, and she now runs a busy bakery and coffee shop, helped at times by a high school student, but often working on her own. One of her regular customers is the owner of her shop’s premises, Anthony Fitzgerald Hamilton III, who lives at the top of the building and has worked as an actuary since leaving the services. Leah delights in teasing her uptight and very proper landlord, but when she has a rush order of cakes to ice, Hamilton has no problem stepping in to help out.

The pair begin spending time together, in and away from the bakery. Hamilton has trouble forming deep friendships because of his exacting standards and has never been attracted enough to anyone before to overcome his dislike of mess, especially of the type he associates with physical intimacy. With Leah, however, he is prepared to try various forms of sexual contact, and she is more than happy to take things steadily with him.

Their situation is soon complicated, however, when one of Leah’s more pushy customers turns into a stalker. Hamilton takes the threat in his stride and does everything he can to keep Leah safe, but he can’t be with her all the time, and there’s eventually a confrontation.

I was mostly happy with the way the stalker subplot was handled, and didn’t find the sex scenes too intrusive. I would have liked to get more of a feel for Hamilton, ideally by seeing at least some of the scenes from his point of view. It was one particular sex scene, though, that really pushed this story down from a slightly shaky ‘C’ to a definite ‘D’. (Highlight following for spoiler.)

In spite of delaying vaginal sex due to not having condoms the first time they end up in bed together, Leah and Hamilton later have unprotected anal sex in the bakery, using butter cream icing as lube. Do I have to list everything that’s wrong with that scenario?

Grade: D

I absolutely loved this book. Amazing read, fun, hot steamy and just great. It's a love story between landlord Hamilton and copper Leah. After knowing each other for months, the unusual event at the bakery pushes them to spend time together. So Leah is starting to see the real character from Hamilton. He is really different than the normal people, he is aware of that and not hiding. But Leah likes him either way and when their relationship turns into physical it does not take much that feelings grew deeper. Both Leah and Hamilton are great developed, I liked that Hamilton does not change that much, perhaps with Leah, he is different and more open but he is still the same. I liked this kind of story with funny elements, great characters steamy action and a little bit of suspense. GREAT READ
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Baking Lessons is a contemporary romance erotica from Kkatie Ruggle writing as Katie Allen. Unlike those she writes under Katie Ruggle, which are fantastic romantic suspense thrillers, Bakiung Lesson leans towards very erotic contemporary romances. Baking Lessons is about Leah a baker who has a very sweet crush on her very hot but very proper landlord. It turns out Hamilton is extremely uncomfortable with small talk and very anal retentive about mess. But the attraction is great for Leah's sweet stuff and he can't stay away, pretty soon their getting really messy in the bedroom ( and shower and kitchen as well. Apparently this mess, doesn't bother Hamilton's obsession with keeping everything clean and orderly. In fact he wants more of Leah and her sweet goodies but is he enough for this vibrant and sexy female? I really love Ms. Ruggles characters and story line and though Baking Lessons is more romance erotica her signature tone that made her beloved to her fans is pretty !much apparent. If you want romance with great heaps of sexy time with a dash of suspense then give Baking Lessons a try and you won't regret giving in.

Leah is the owner her bake shop that is owned by hot ex-army now actuary Hamilton. Ham is addicted to the sugar that Leah makes and will tear threw a dozen cupcakes in 5 minutes. Leah slowly draws Ham out of his shell and gets him to show the real him to her. Imagine her surprise when she finds herself insanely attract to a man who admits that he is a 30 year old virgin.

I loved that Ham was almost Sheldon like with his cleanliness and exact standards to everything.

This author is new to me and I do love finding new authors and their books as I love reading so much. This is one fantastic book that I absolutely enjoyed from the first page till the very last page. It has a great storyline that grabbed me from the blurb and held my attention throughout the story. I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other as well as the secondary characters too. Has just the right amount of romance and chemistry for this storyline and I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author in the future. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book too.

Baking Lessons is the second book in the Off Guard series by Katie Allen. It is currently scheduled for release on March 12 2018. The books can be read as stand alones, the only connection to the previous book is that the guys happen to be close- however they make no cross over appearances.

Leah loves everything about her bakery; the heavenly smells, the satisfaction of feeding people and, of course, unlimited cookies. The only thing she doesn’t like is her uptight landlord’s daily visits. Sure, the man’s drop-dead gorgeous, but for someone with an insatiable taste for treats, he’s anything but sweet. Army vet Hamilton knows he comes off as rigid. He just can’t seem to bite his tongue around Leah. He might be a virgin but he can imagine a dozen better ways to use his mouth. But when the woman he considers absolutely delicious is threatened by an unwanted admirer, Hamilton intervenes, captivating Leah with his softer side. Now the man Leah couldn’t avoid is swiftly becoming the one she can’t resist. Unrelenting temptation soon overwhelms them both, leading to an indulgence in everything they’ve been craving. But when past actions bring a fallout neither imagined, they’ll be forced to confront whether their affair is half-baked or something to savor forever.

Baking Lessons is a wonderful romance, with characters that are quirky in their way. I found Leah to be very relatable. She has loves her job and baiting her landlord to see if she can get a reaction from the stoic Hamilton. She was just very fun, and someone that I would love to hang out with in the real world. Her relationship with her roommate, and the way Ham interacted with her, just made everything even better. I loved seeing the pair discover each other beyond the verbal sparing that began their knowledge of each other. As with my reading of Acting Lessons, I found myself laughing out loud on occasion- not as often, but still. I was glad to see the depth of the characters, particularly the explanation of why Ham liked things so neat and controlled. He was just so in control, but such a soft touch and off center when it came to Leah that he was endearing. I loved the pair together, and that they actually talked about things like adults- when they got past their initial hesitation. The secondary characters were on point, and I would love to see more of them. . I found the danger of the stalker to be realistic and well done, and something I could see happening all too well. I look forward to seeing more from this side of Katie Ruggle.

Baking Lessons is a sweet and fun romance with a hint of danger. There is plenty humor, well defined characters, a dash of danger, and plenty of steam. Well done all around. My only question is, how long do we need to wait for the third book?

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
This book has so many elements that I absolutely LOVED that I can't name them all.

Leah is a pastry chef, running her own business with the help of one part-time employee. Her best friend, and roommate, is supportive and caring. When her building is bought by Anthony Fitzgerald Hamilton, III, she believes that he doesn't like her and will do just about anything to get her out of his building.

However, as she gets to know Hamilton, or "Ham" as she calls him, she sees that there is more to him than meets the eye. He's socially awkward, especially around women. He has some OCD tendencies that Leah finds quirky and cute, but most of all, it’s the heart of the man that Leah comes to adore.

Hamilton, I think, falls somewhere on the autism spectrum, although it’s not discussed in detail. He does tell her that he believes that his parents don't really like him much because he "didn't fit in" with their lives.

What really sold me on this book is that Leah not only accepts Hamilton's personality traits but embraces them. Her acceptance of him just the way he is gives Hamilton the ability to break down some of the barriers that has kept him hidden away from life.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance
Triggers: Stalking

This was a very sweet story. Leah is an amazing baker and has a great store. She has a hilarious employee, Q, whose antics had me laughing out loud. I loved the playfulness between these two and how they were able to respect each other but still have fun. I really enjoy that she is so accepting of everyone around her.

Hamilton is somewhat socially strange. It seems that he might have some OCD tendencies and perhaps is on the spectrum. Hamilton's quirkiness is endearing and sweet. He and Leah have a strange beginning and I actually thought he was kind of strange and creepy at first. However, when you see how devoted he is to Leah, his behaviors and mannerisms just endear him more.

Watching Leah and Hamilton find their way and their experiences together is a treat to watch. Then, when you throw in Leah's stalker and how protective Hamilton becomes, it's so sweet. This couple is well developed and have sweet, quirky chemistry.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really fun book, with a bit of a stalker undercurrent, and a wonderful twist, which is just inspired.

Leah is a very warm hearted, very talented baker. I loved all the sections where she is baking and clearly pouring her heart into her work. She has a strange relationship with her landlord, but the interactions are essential. It was a clever way to give us some insight into Hamilton's cautious and reserved ways. As things heat up, it becomes clear that he has some issues – but Leah is a cure for them all. We get to enjoy their journey of exploration.

Super cute, sweet, and yet very, very sexy too!


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆
2.5 Stars

I just didn’t love this one, I struggled to get through it. It starts off interesting but drags in the middle, and though I really like Leah’s character, I wasn’t a fan of Hamilton.

Leah is a baker who is putting her soul into her bakery, the highlight of her day is the few minutes each morning when her brutish landlord, Hamilton, comes by and Leah does her best to make him uncomfortable. Hamilton is very quiet and standoffish for most of the first few chapters but like an onion, Leah peels back his layers. Hamilton has a major sweet tooth and Leah can’t help but to feed his obsession, especially when it means she gets to see his gorgeous face all the time. When Leah winds up with a bit of a stalker from the bakery, Hamilton steps in to act as her knight in shining armor.

Unfortunately, I have to say Hamilton might be one of my least favorite characters ever, he just didn’t have a personality at all. I just don’t get why Leah was attracted to him from the start. Leah, on the other hand, is hilarious and the reason I kept reading to the end. I didn’t realize this was the second book in the series – so it can definitely be read as a standalone.

4 stars

Baking Lessons by Katie Allen is a fun, sweet and entertaining read and I really enjoyed it.
The storyline was entertaining, the characters were likable, engaging and my interest was captured from the first page until the end.

Another wonderful read by Katie Allen and a great addition to the Off Guard Series.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy*

Baking Lessons is fricking adorable! It’s sweet and fun and sexy all rolled into one.

Leah is a talented baker who is as sweet as the treats she makes. She may tweak Hamilton’s nose as often as she can in the beginning of the story when he’s merely her uptight landlord, but she also can’t resist feeding him. She’s a friendly, funny heroine with boatloads of charm and a good heart. Not to mention her baking skills will make you wish her shop was real. As for Hamilton… Katie Allen made me sigh over him. He’s sexy, intelligent, protective, and incredibly sweet (I know I keep using that word, but it fits this book and its characters perfectly). He’s also so precise in every way and I adored it, even though I could see why Leah wanted to good-naturedly mess with him. But beneath his formal and Thor-like exterior is a socially awkward man who truly has difficulty with things being messy. Leah is the first person he’s ever wanted to “get messy” with, and I loved that she (1) worked to understand him instead of trying to change him and (2) helped him feel safe enough to move out of his comfort zone with her.

The first half of Baking Lessons flies by as Leah and Hamilton tease, flirt, and get to know one another. I can’t count the number of times the two of them made me smile and the way they fell for one another felt organic. There’s no false drama, no game-playing and it was incredibly easy to root for Leah and Hamilton to get together. Once the sexual tension boils over and they hit the sheets (and the shower, the stairwell, etc.) Baking Lessons gets seriously steamy. When Ms. Allen turns the heat on high the book is still fun, but I felt like some of the momentum of the first part was lost. I also kept hoping we’d see more of Hamilton’s background and that we don’t is a missed opportunity. Even with these few quibbles, I adored Hamilton and Leah and their romance was a delight. I’ve never read Ms. Allen’s books before, but now I will definitely keep an eye out for her work.

I fell completely in love with this book and it's characters. Funny, witty, charming, and steamy. Leah and Hamilton generate incredible heat but also such sweetness. From their laugh-out-loud banter to the sizzle created by their longing looks and mating dance of cream-filled cupcakes, this book will just melt your heart, charm your socks off and earn a place on your keeper shelf. Take one strong, talented woman, mix in a bit of drama, a hint of danger, a dash of opposites attract and a large amount of sexy, alpha virgin hero and you have a blue ribbon recipe for romance.

Let my start by extending a huge thank you to the author for making sure consent was established in all the steamy scenes. The idea that consent is sexy seems to get forgotten in many books I've read lately. I appreciate being able to finish a book without feeling icky and uncomfortable. But that's a rant for another day. Moving on.

I love a man in the kitchen, my husband will attest to that. Put an attractive man in the kitchen on the cover of a book, and I'll be one clicking it before I even read the description. With that said, I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review this book without having to pay for it - thank you Harlequin (Carina Press) and NetGalley. 

Now on to the actual book. I pretty much loved everything about Baking Lessons. In the beginning we meet Leah who owns a bakery and seems to get off annoying her uptight landlord, Hamilton.The two of them were adorable. I loved Ham's little quirks and the way Leah was so accepting of them all. The games she played with him at the beginning of the book amused me.

If you're on a diet with a weakness for pastries, you might want to pass on this book. I don't even like cupcakes and I found myself pining recipes on Pinterest and wondering if I had the ingredients in my pantry to make a batch. Probably would have been worth it though, filled cupcakes sound wonderful. 

I watched the relationship blossom with a goofy smile on my face. Everything was just so darn cute. From Ham's virginal shyness and his aversion to messes to the blunt and awkward way they discussed their relationship, the whole thing was adorable. It took a while for the two of them to get together but when they finally did, I had to fight the urge to fist bump the air. 

My one and only criticism of the book is I wish we got to learn more about Ham. He is obviously haunted. During the course of the book I grew to care about him and I wanted to know what kept him up at night why does he feel his parents don't like him. I'm sad I never got the chance to find out. 

The steamy scenes were hot and a little naughty. It's perfect if you're looking to spice things up in your bedroom. These scenes are worth reading for the top notch sexy time communication. 

Overall Baking Lessons was a good weekend read. The story was engaging, and I fell in love with the characters right away. It was exactly what I look for in a book. I would recommend it for anyone who's looking for a steamy book that will leave you with a smile on your face.

This is my first Katie Allen/Ruggle book. I didn't know Katie Ruggle also writes contemporary romance!

I requested the ARC for the virgin hero thing, and I liked it a lot. It wasn't explicitly mentioned but I think Hamilton also has OCD? Most of his behaviour and the fact that he was a virgin were basically because of that. I still adored him and his social awkwardness, and how he couldn't stay away from Leah and her baked goods. The food descriptions in this made me hungry.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37571349-baking-lessons" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Baking Lessons (Off Guard, #2)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518236262m/37571349.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37571349-baking-lessons">Baking Lessons</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1979165.Katie_Allen">Katie Allen</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2314883724">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It had humor and affection and GREAT dialogue and strong characters who were not afraid to show weakness and GREAT dialogue and affection....did I mention GREAT dialogue and humor? There are so many books out there that have all of this but Baking Lessons had something they don't. An imperfect hero. Okay, yeah I get it, there are flawed, and "tragically" flawed heroes that need a strong woman to complete them. Hamilton is one of those. But more than that, he's human and knows it. He has his quirks and odd habits but he owns them. He doesn't reveal some big backstory in the middle of the book that shows he really doesn't have flaws. He really has these and there is something so human and endearing and sweet about it. And Leah doesn't dominate him to make up for it. They are people and have fantastic chemistry. And the supporting cast? Quentin is an unusual but well drawn individual. He has enough life to like him without becoming a competing character for Ham and Leah. If he should eventually get his own book, great - I will read it. But there wasn't anything left hanging for him that says its coming. And that's okay. Jude was a great foil for Ham and Leah. His sister was a bit disjointed but not enough to make me drop my rating. The only thing that was really odd and out of place was the kitchen sex scene. I won't say anymore about that other than it didn't belong. Or at least the frosting didn't.....<br /><br />All in all, this was a wonderful book and I would recommend it! Wonderful characters, great storyline, hot sex and laughter - lots of laughter!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3822752-stephanie">View all my reviews</a>

Baking Lessons is funny. I mean REALLY FUNNY. I dare anyone not to read this book without breaking into laughter at least once.

In this story, we have Leah, who owns a bakery. She is a complete 180 from Anthony Fitzgerald Hamilton III, who owns the building where Leah has her bakery and has a huge sweet tooth. If anyone was ever OCD, it's Ham, as Leah calls him. This is a story of how opposites attract.

Allen has written two characters who have off-the-charts chemistry. Leah is a character full of warmth. From the beginning, it's clear that she cares about people and that shows in her interactions with cutely awkward Ham, who is oblivious to the the women falling all over him.

The intimate moments fit nicely in the story, but I will say there is one jarring scene involving an icing tip that is completely out-of-character for the OCD Ham.  I finally shrugged and decided that maybe Leah healed Ham of his particular nature. That would be a shame, because he's so cute with it.

I can only imagine the chuckles that Ruggle/Allen had while writing this story.  Fortunately, she has the skill to pass those chuckles along to the reader. Enjoy!