GRR Reviews Whiskey and Gumdrops by Jean Oram

Whiskey and Gumdrops is a quasi-romance with mainly work problems, with the romance feels secondary.

Mandy was stuck in her life and job as a waitress, and having to watch her ex-fiancee marry someone else finally spurred her into action: she investigates how to open her own restaurant in her town of Blueberry Springs. But her meager savings is not enough. She had to ask for help from her sexy, but platonic male friend Frankie. She knew Frankie's a dare-devil that she can never live with long-term, but Frankie has the ideal building for the proposed restaurant... and she may be able to get enough to get a wrap franchise up and running. And Seth, the franchiser, seems to promise a lot of support, and Frankie even pledged his family building as part of her collateral to ensure she succeeds. But when Seth was accused of running a Ponzi scheme, and Frankie may be about to lose his building along with Mandy's dreams, can Frankie and Mandy save the day with their love?

The ending was a bit too deus ex machina for me, even though it just felt... BARELY plausible, which I won't spoil. But the tension was good. The romance between Mandy and Frankie, on the other hand, seems to be more about guilt and sacrifice than genuine love.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Waitress and Platonic Male Friend Invest Their All into a Food Franchise, only to find they may have trusted the wrong man...

Overall Rating: 4/5

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