Lone Star Book Blog Tour: Gingerbread Kisses by Minette Lauren (Review and Giveaway)

“Sometimes, the skeletons in our closets are only scary to us. They don’t hurt anyone but the owner.”

Gingerbread Kisses by Minette Lauren is book 4 in the Hot in Magnolia series, but it can stand all by itself. The entire series is hot and spicy, so maybe get all four books and binge read over a long weekend. Just make sure you have plenty of bubbly and cupcakes on hand to sustain you while you read about some sizzling escapades in Magnolia, Texas.

In Gingerbread Kisses, Ginger Lynn Harding plays sexy Dallas Derringer in Seducing Saturn, but she has been fired from the show and practically blacklisted in Hollywood after her ex-boyfriend, Kirk, allegedly released a sex video filmed without her knowledge. What a hot mess! Small town Magnolia seems like a safe place to go incognito and save up some money to start a new life. On day one, however, Ginger is blindsided by the smoking hot constable, Roland, who pierces her no-more-men defense with his luscious looks and good-guy persona. As if that steaminess isn’t enough, Lexi and Noah reunite and rekindle their relationship from a few years ago, scorching the pages of this book even more.

Minette Lauren’s writing is delightful, and if you don’t mind some saucy sex scenes that are quite descriptive, then you are in for a real treat. One particular elderly character often steals the show with her flaming red hair and outrageously racy statements. Amidst all the love in the air, several serious themes come into play, such as forgiveness, trust, and friendship. Lexi, who has been widowed for many years, invites Ginger to live at her ranch for free in exchange for her help with housework and with her three young sons. Ginger also takes a job at the local diner, which makes for a few slapstick scenes because while she knows her way around a Hollywood set, she is completely out of her element in a bustling, short-order kitchen. But can Ginger maintain her low profile and keep her past a secret, or will her new friendships and her red-hot relationship with Roland fall apart if that sordid scandal catches up with her in Magnolia?

A wonderful bonus in Gingerbread Kisses is the presence of two pets: Roland’s pit bull named Rollo and Ginger’s iguana named Igor. Animals always add an enchanting layer to any story, and these two pets have such strong, well-developed personalities that they deserve top billing with the human stars of the story. Another favorable aspect is the many references to old movies and movie stars. Roland is a one-of-a-kind modern hunk who happens to dig classic flicks from a bygone era. “Now, if he could make the new gal like him enough to say yes to a date, but all bets were off if she didn’t go in for Casablanca.”

With such an entertaining mix of seriousness, family dynamics, secrecy, romance, and sex, Gingerbread Kisses is perfect for readers looking for a little diversion from real life and a whole lot of enjoyment all around, complete with a few surprises along the way and not one but two Epilogues!