My Personal Review for Stirring Up Trouble by ZA Maxfield

I had the pleasure of reading one of the funniest and well written books I have read in a awhile. Stirring Up Trouble is funny, heart warming and sexy all wrapped with a big red bow. Ms. Maxfield delivers a story that will charm the socks off of you and leave you smiling once the last page is read.

Now onto my review of Stirring Up Trouble......

All Toby Andrews knows is that he is a good Chef but has lousy luck when it seems bad things happen whenever he is around. He can’t help it when things go wrong, he just magically in the thick of it. Forced out of working the haute cuisine in the heart of New York City, Toby finds himself unemployed and eager to get revenge on the food critic that destroyed his dreams. Finding work at a local restaurant that is on its last legs, Le Potiron, Toby finds he likes the area, the people and especially the surly owner/cook, Evan Blankenship. Sparks fly between the two men as both men find out the lesson in success as they work together in and out of bed to make Le Potiron successful.

I got to admit, I love stories with a little humor tossed in the story to liven things up. Z. A. Maxfield does a wonderful job in creating a story that is funny, sweet and sexy all at the same time. Ms. Maxfield is a talented author who knows how to create the right balance when adding humor to her stories. Too much overwhelms, too little makes it seem off balanced. This author knows how to keep the balance and delivers a classic comedy story that will have you laughing out loud at times while rooting for Toby and Evan to get their happily ever after. 

What I loved the most was the setting. I could literally picture Le Potiron in my head and the delightful cast of characters that run it. All the characters were multi-dimensional, flawed beings that I could relate to. Toby had an ego but he was so charming it was cute. Evan hated people and being in the restaurant business, all he wanted to do was cook and not deal with them. Enter in Toby. Sparks fly between the two as Toby helps Evan and La Potiron become a success. Toby also learns that he cannot just steamroll over Evan either. It was fun to see these two work out their differences even as their relationship grew amid the pages. A few secondary characters had me hoping they return in the second book, All Stirred Up. They kept the story moving nicely and there was no interruptions in point of view. 


Stirring Up Trouble is a perfect beach read on a sunny afternoon. Light hearted, sensual and fun, ZA Maxfield has another winner. I am eager to see what goes on when we see what happens to Evan's brother, Brandon in All Stirred Up. ZA Maxfield has a talent in creating stories that have a sweet yet sexy romance with a dash of humor in it. I look forward to seeing what else this author can deliver for her readers in the future.


My Rating for Stirring Up Trouble: 4 Stars


Read Stirring Up Trouble and find out what happens for Brandon, Evan's brother in All Stirred Up.

My Review for His For The Holidays Anthology

His For The Holidays
Josh Lanyon, LB Gregg, ZA Maxfield & Harper Fox
Carina Press
Contemporary M/M Holidays
4 out of 5

Four stories of families, Christmas antics and the magic of the season as these talented authors transport the reader when reading HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

First up is author L. B. Gregg’s Mistletoe At Midnight, a charming tale of first love revisited, forgiveness and magic all within the confines of a family who enjoy meddling. Can a man find a way to have his first love in his life again this Christmas?

 I have to admit, this author’s contribution had me in stitches. I loved the dynamics between Owen and his family, who all seemed to want to meddle in the poor man’s love life. The characters fairly stepped of the page and within a matter of minutes I was drawn into a story that had me flipping the pages with eager abandon, looking to see what would happen next for Owen and Caleb. If you haven’t read on of this author’s books, try the latest novella from LB Gregg and get ready to grin your way to a wonderful Christmas.

Next up was Harper Fox’s Nine Lights Over Edinburgh and one that I found a little too heavy for this anthology. Don’t get me wrong, it was a well written story but it felt out of place with the other books and light-heartedness of the stories in HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. The characters were well written and the story flowed nicely. I haven’t read one of this author’s books before and plan to check out the backlist to see if there are any more to read over the holidays. 

Third up is I Heard Him Exclaim by Z. A. Maxfield and found it utterly charming. The story was well told, the characters well written and the romance between Steve and Chandler was sweet and at times, so very hot I thought the computer screen was going to melt. I haven’t read one of this author’s books before but found the novella in this anthology to be a perfect introduction to this author’s writing. I am eager to see what else I can find to enjoy in the backlist of titles by this author.

          Finally, author Josh Lanyon delivers Icecapade, a story of a jewel thief turned novelist and his nemesis, FBI detective finding love after a decade of being apart. Just one teeny problem…the detective thinks he is the one who is robbing houses and is determined to put Noel behind bars…for good. Can Noel show Robert that he is a reformed thief?

          Josh Lanyon is a master at creating complex characters and making them completely lovable. Noel and Robert is a perfect pair together and though Robert comes after Noel, convinced he is a thief still, Noel finds a way to melt his icy heart. Vulnerable and sexy, the way this author creates his books leaves the reader with magic from beginning to end. I am hoping the author comes back to Noel and Robert again in the future. I would love to read more about them.

          HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS is a perfect mix of fun and lightheartedness within the magic of Christmas. Each author delivers a wonderful novella that will keep you highly entertained from beginning to end. If you are looking for a sweet anthology to explore, then grab HIS FOR THE HOLIDAYS and settle in for an afternoon of reading fun. I look forward to finding out what these authors have in store for their readers in the future.