Paige Jackson is struggling to get her sustainable catering business, Taste and See, off the ground in Washington DC. When she lands a gig catering a fundraiser for a Senator, she figures she’s finally on the way. It’s a bit of a conundrum because she isn’t even registered to vote. She simply doesn’t figure there’s any point.
Jackson Trent is the Senator’s aide in charge of the fundraiser and finds Paige personally attractive. He quickly seeks ways to see Paige away from the details of the upcoming event. When the press begins hounding inconsistencies in the Senator’s budget, Jackson is certain his boss is above board, but is worried that Paige’s event will be canceled. The Senator, however, feels the local foods caterer will balance out the negative press and pushes forward.
Soon Jackson finds himself torn between his job and the woman he is growing to love. Can he protect Paige when things begin to fall apart, or should he trust his initial instincts that all is well?
I’m sure you’ve figured out by now why A Splash of Substance (Taste of Romance Book 1)
But this story isn’t on my radar simply because it matches my brand and vision. It’s also here because I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Paige is a young woman struggling to make a difference. Her father has taken the family restaurant to a more locally-sourced level. Her mother wants Paige to take over the restaurant, and is quite pushy and rude about it. But Paige figures her dad had the chance to follow his vision, and she wants to follow hers. Still, she’s struggling to make ends meet, especially with her roommate moving out. So much hinges on the Senator’s event.
Jackson’s dream is also to make a difference. He can’t understand Paige’s reluctance to get involved politically, especially living in DC. I really enjoyed Jackson’s scenes, both with Paige and with his two roommates. The dialogue and interaction just really worked for me.
Recommended!
Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.
Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys.
Elizabeth Maddrey has created a fresh concept in her Taste of Romance series. Real, passionate characters and easy dialogue, handled with humor and gentleness, are Maddrey’s strengths. What could be more relevant than entertaining stories rife with today’s issues of sustainability and civic responsibility told from a Christian worldview?
~Valerie Comer, author of the Farm Fresh Romance series
