I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Anna Zabo who’s stopping by the Back Porch to chat about Daily Grind.
Hi and thanks for having me on Back Porch Reader! I’m glad to be here.
There’s a type of fan fiction trope out there called the coffee shop AU (alternate universe), which essentially takes characters from books or movies or something and sticks them in a coffee shop. Usually one half of the romantic pairing is a barista and the other is a customer and Boom. Love happens.
Daily Grind is, more or less, a non-fanfic version of this trope! (No serial numbers were filed off in the making of this novel.) I adore coffee and coffee shops in real life, and since Brian was already a minor character in Just Business (as Justin’s boss before he’s hired away to work in Sam Anderson’s firm above the coffee shop), it seemed natural to tell his story along with Sam’s cohorts. He’s pretty much an honorary member of the company, anyway.
Brian’s more than a barista, though. He owns the shop—and business isn’t so great after Justin leaves. He can’t catch a break with his employees and he’s pretty stressed. In the middle of this, Rob Ancroft walks in and turns his life upside down. He finds himself flirting hard with a guy for the first time in his life—despite being bisexual, he’s never had the nerve to be with a guy. Or even flirt. But there’s just something about Rob that presses all his buttons. Maybe the red hair. Maybe the British accent. Maybe the sharp wit and shared interests.
Their whole interaction is full of coffee puns and caffeine. Love happens, but so does getting to know each other, some really hot sex, and some tender moments.
And also a hefty dose of Brian being a workaholic, much to Rob and everyone else’s dismay. But I promise, it all works out in the end!
One of the things I tried to do recently was recreate the first drink Brian makes for Rob—a chili mocha. I own too many coffee machines, so this was a good excuse to pull out the espresso machine.
Ideally, I should have used Mexican chocolate, the kind with a little bit of heat in it, but I didn’t have any on hand… so here’s the recipe I cobbled together for a LARGE mocha.
Brew two or three shots of espresso, and mix in:
- 2 tsp of Trader Joe’s sipping chocolate (or 2 tsp of powdered coca and ½ tsp of sugar)
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1/8th tsp of chili powder
- A dash of vanilla extract
Froth milk separately, and pour on top. Optionally, top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Voila! A spicy mocha you can woo a British red-head with!
If you don’t have an espresso maker, I bet you could brew your coffee as normal, add the ingredients, and either use half and half or just top with whipped cream.
Hopefully, this will come out as tasty for you as it did for me!
Blurb:
A man discovers that love can show up when you least expect it—and in a much different form—in this piping-hot romance from the author of Due Diligence and Just Business.
Brian Keppler, owner of Ground N’At, the coffee shop beneath SR Anderson Consulting, doesn’t have time for a relationship. His most recent girlfriend broke up with him because he’d become married to his shop, which is falling apart without his favorite barista, Justin.
As he struggles to stay afloat, the arrival of handsome British high-tech whiz Robert Ancroft becomes another complication. Rob quickly becomes a fixture at the shop with his sharp wit and easy charm, and Brian soon finds himself looking forward more and more to Rob’s visits—to the point where his heart skips a beat when he walks in.
But will Brian be able to come to terms with his previously unexplored sexual identity and find happiness now that he has a chance?
Stats:
Publisher:
Series:
Genre:
Pairing:
Orientation:
Length:
POV:
InterMix, a Penguin Books imprint
Takeover, book 4
Contemporary
M/M
Bisexual/Gay
342 e-book pages
3rd person
Purchase Links:
AmazonUS | AmazonUK | Amazon DE | BN
GooglePlay iBooks | Kobo | Books A Million
Audio Book (Read by Iggy Toma)
Audible | Amazon | Tantor Audio
Other Books in the Series:
GR | AmazonUS | AmazonUK | BN | GooglePlay | iBooks | Kobo
GR | AmazonUS | AmazonUK | BN | GooglePlay | iBooks | Kobo
About the Author:
Anna Zabo writes contemporary and paranormal romance for all colors of the rainbow, and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Website | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Twitter
?Back Porch Reader review of Daily Grind?
I don’t know about you but I CAN’T WAIT to make that Chili Mocha!
Thanks for stopping by!
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