Anna McAllister cannot believe it has been ten years since she saw her late husband’s grad school roommate. She had not forgotten Ty Clayton. Unfortunately, after they sent Ty an invitation to their wedding, he turned it down and they lost contact. She wonders if he is there to apply for the cook job, but Ty has other plans. As the Vice President of Acquisitions of TexAmerica, he is there to purchase her business. He knew a widow held the property, but he had no idea it was Anna or that Mike was deceased. When he learns her business is in the red, Ty wants to help. Not to mention when he overhears about a barbecue cook-off contest, and someone named Porky Lundgren, who wants to buy the barbecue restaurant, is giving Anna a hard time. Ty jumps in to be a consultant for the contest. Anna cannot let her husband’s dream go. The restaurant was important to Mike. Ty has a plan to keep the place running for a month then break the news to Anna about the buy-out. He is pretty sure they can beat the competition for the cook-off contest. Everything seems to be running well, until she gets wind of the real truth. She wants to tar and feather him, but how can she turn against someone she has fallen in love, and how can Ty actually go through his plans when Anna has captured his heart?

Home Style Lovin’ is a delightful story. I have to say when I saw the cover alone, I fell in love with the way it invites one inside the pages. Just like the inviting cover, all the lively characters pull the reader in and emit a fascinating tale I absolutely loved. I adored unbending Anna, who is determined to not allow anyone to step on her toes. Feisty and with a very compassionate heart, I thought the way she and Ty interact together was great. The dialogue is wonderful as they work with the challenge between them. The emotions they express over the years, as well as the love tug that circles them, is really written well. Elizabeth Palmer creates a story that tugs at the reader and brings many things, one being trust, into light, where the characters seem to find their own journey of discovery in this magnificent read.

Reviewed by: Linda L.