Tag Team Review: Kneading You by C.S. Poe

Christopher Hughes is new to the small New England town of Lancaster, New Hampshire. He’s been hired to save an old library from closing, but his obstacles include not only fighting for state funding, but a Selectman who wants to tear the building down in favor of a shopping center. Christopher meets Miles Sakasai, a charming tattooed repairman hired to help restore the historical interior. Working in close proximity has both men falling hard for each other, and also provides Christopher an opportunity to learn about Miles’s passion for baking. As it turns out, Miles’s skills in the kitchen may end up being the key to saving the library—but only if his bread can rise to the occasion.

v. 1.0, previously published by Dreamspinner Press in the Simmer anthology, 2016. No new content added.

We agree on all the things!

* A Reader Obsessed * - 4 Hearts

Co-Review with Ann! Now I’ve yet to read a full length novel from Ms. Poe, but this being my 6th short from her, I can honestly say that none have disappointed and that’s pretty high praise because shorts are fickle and can go either way.

Set in Lancaster, New Hampshire, and having not initially realized that this is also the setting of Joy and Color of You, have no fears regarding continuity sake as this was the first to be published in the Simmer Anthology (but in all honesty I feel these can be read as standalones).

Christopher is new to town, and he desperately needs a job so he can stay. Thus, when he gets the opportunity to revamp the old library, he feels this is his chance to solidify his usefulness to the community. When local handyman Miles, helps him fix up the dilapidated library, Christopher can’t resist being wooed by the reticent man’s steady presence, as well as his phenomenal baking skills. Can you blame him??

This was a quaint look at small town life with great MC’s to root for, and I loved how these two flirted and how easily they came together. When an opportunity arises to help save the library, the win was oh so satisfying!

Overall, as with all good shorts, this wasn’t close to being long enough, leaving me wanting more of Christopher and Miles’s happy ending!


Ann - 4 Hearts


Some authors just know how to pen a short story and C.S. Poe is one of those authors. She can build an entire environment, introduce characters with depth and create a tale that makes me believe two people can fall in love in 40 pages.

I was all for Christopher and his mission to save the small library in the little New England town he relocated to. I had to admire his love for this new place and his desire to belong and make a difference there. Who doesn’t love a man who wants to save a library? But his reasoning was so pure and altruistic I fell for him harder than your average bear.

Miles is a gem and while what I know of him is much less than what I know of Christopher, I enjoyed every bit of page time he got. He’s a strong, quiet man with a serious talent for bread making. When Miles and Christopher had their dinner together it was probably the best first date I’ve read in a long time and it’s what made me believe in the budding relationship between the two.

I absolutely loved the romance in Kneading You, but just as wonderful to me was the link between the library and the locals. The author built a relationship there that was so sweet to read and I wanted to move to a small New England town and champion a library myself.

The story is told from Christopher’s POV and the only thing I would ask for is more Miles. I wanted to know him as much as I knew Christopher and while there was absolutely nothing lacking in the story, I just liked him so much I wanted more.

** a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**