Just Desserts (Jersey Strong)

by Barbara Bretton

Book Overview

Hayley Goldstein is offered the chance to bake a cake for a world-famous rock star and is shocked to learn that she's actually the rocker's long-lost daughter. Hayley needs help letting down her guard... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 051514424X
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Jove
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.0"

Customer Reviews

Fun as well as sweet

What happens when an aging rocker, Tommy Stiles, is getting ready to marry his young supermodel girlfriend, Willow, and during the prenuptial agreement finds out his has a 38 year old daughter? And this daughter, Hayley Goldstein has no idea who her father is; in fact, she thinks she is the product of a test tube pregnancy. His lawyer, fellow band member and son of his deceased best friend. Finn Rafferty is meeting with Willow's lawyer when by fluke a birth certificate shows up naming Tommy Stiles as the father of a baby girl born. Two weeks later this birth certificate is changed to father unknown, so is Tommy the dad or not? Strangely, Tommy Stiles is not your typical rocker. He loves and cares for all his kids...all 7 of them. He takes part in their lives and wants them around. He actually still gets along with his ex-wives. Tommy has a heart that is big enough to love them all and he is exited to find another child. Finn, being a typical lawyer, isn't quite so fast to accept that Hayley is really Tommy's daughter. Hayley had no idea that any of this is going on. She's busy with her own life. Hayley is divorced and the mother of one extremely smart 14 year old daughter, Lizzie. Her ex is known for not hanging out with the best people and it wasn't unusual to have people how up looking for money. Hayley's thrilled that he is gone. To support herself and Lizzie, Hayley owns a bakery. It use to be her former father-in-law's but when he died, he gave Hayley 60% of the business. She is making her mark with her specialty cakes. In order to check out Hayley, Finn decides to drive down to her bakery and order a special cake for an after party for a charity concert that Tommy is putting on. It seems simple enough but what really happens changes everyone's lives forever! This was an interesting book. The basic story is a fun thought to start with. After all, who wouldn't want to find out that a parent is a rich rock star? Of course, what would follow is all the media and after math of that discovery. But what if you also get a bunch of family like younger siblings? And what if your ex is contacting your daughter for money? And what if your mother decides to come home unexpectly with a new man? Yes, there is a lot more going on than a simple father/daughter story. The characters are very well developed. You can understand Hayley not wanting to do anything to upset Lizzie's world. After all, what single mother doesn't worry about introducing a man into their child's life? What if it doesn't work out? Finn isn't wanting to get involved with his employer's daughter. What kind of mess could that create? Tommy just wants to have a relationship with this new daughter but how to break the news to her without a lot of media fallout. I also liked that even though the main characters were part of a rock band, you didn't get stereotypes. The drummer, Anton, has been caught reading romance novels in the back of the band's bus. Anton is also in marriage

Mature romance with a heart

Baker Hayley is barely making ends meet. When Finn Rafferty, a slick and sexy lawyer comes in and offers her an obscene amount to bake a cake for a famous rock star, she is at first suspicious, but relents and lets her teenage daughter iron out the contract, hoping that this high profile assignment helps get the business in the black. What Hayley doesn't realize and that Finn is pretty sure of is that she is the long lost daughter of rock star Tommy Stiles. Her paternity was discovered during an investigation while ironing out a pre-nup with Tommy's latest love. Finn is falling hard for Hayley, and his guilt for keeping the secret is eating away at him, and threatens to destroy their new relationship. When the cat jumps out of the bag, will Hayley's life ever be normal again? Bretton's latest is another charming story featuring a more mature romantic duo. As with all Bretton novels, there are several subplots including Tommy's upcoming marriage, Hayley's mother's health, and daughter Lizzie's quest for her unworthy father's love which takes a dent in her college fun. Comic relief is provided Hayley, who has the worst case of verbal diarrhea; Anton, the band member who wants to be a chef; and Tommy's egocentric mother who can't come to terms that she has a 38 year old granddaughter. Her writing is crisp, the dialogue is realistic, and Bretton never lets the primary focus off her lead couple.

warm family drama

Kind hearted aging rock star Tommy Stiles has hired attorney Finn Rafferty to learn if Hayley Maitland Goldstein is his daughter as he wants to share his fortune with his offspring and his grandchildren. A birth certificate mentions him as her father, but a new one replaced that officially two weeks later stating father unknown. Tommy believes he sired Haley, who was born August 17, 1969 in Lexington, Kentucky to internationally acclaimed oceanographer Jane Maitland. He also knows Haley was married but divorced with one daughter Elizabeth and lives and co-owns Goldy's Bakery in Lakeside, New Jersey. Finn leaves Manhattan for South Jersey knowing his client plans to inform his offspring at a time her mother decides to pay a visit. Having Jane insist on staying with them makes Haley suspicious that something earth shattering is coming, but she was unprepared for Tommy's claim that turned her world upside down; however, it is her reaction to Finn that sends her spinning out of control; he also loses his sense of gravity. JUST DESSERTS is a warm family drama filled with tender humor. The amazement to the entertaining story line is the ensemble cast including two pets are fully developed and their interrelationships genuine. Fans will appreciate Barbara Bretton's invasion of South Jersey as everyone receives their JUST DESSERTS. Harriet Klausner

Good Read

Just finished this book and I really enjoyed it. Look forward to her next.