Whole Latte Love

By Rachelle Ayala

Investment banking intern Carina Chen doesn’t need any distractions—especially the sexy, guitar-playing barista she rooms with for the summer.

Free spirit Dylan Jewell appreciates the delightful universe of women who vie for his attention. His goal in life is to do good, make happy coffee, and help the homeless.

When Carina moves in, she insists on rules of conduct to quell her instant attraction to Dylan. But when her boss asks her to turn Dylan into a businessman, she can’t think of a reason not to take advantage of his hospitality.

Their chemistry is white hot, but Dylan refuses to play Carina’s game, unable to understand how he can fall in love with a woman who puts profits in front of people. When Carina realizes Dylan isn’t budging, she risks all to gain a single night with him. Will her gambit backfire or will Dylan discover Carina’s true heart before she runs away with his?

Set in Berkeley, California, Whole Latte Love is an opposites-attract romance mixing bluesy rock music, hot, steamy love scenes, and financial shenanigans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rachelle Ayala
• Release date: Apr 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311806116

Rachelle Ayala

Rachelle Ayala is the author of dramatic romantic suspense and humor-laden, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty, her heroes hot. Needless to say, she's very happy with her job.Rachelle is an active member of online critique group, Critique Circle, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers.Visit her at: http://www.rachelleayala.net and download free books at http://rachelleayala.net/free-books

Reviews for Whole Latte Love

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Whole Latte Love by Rachelle Ayala is a 2014 World Literary Press Publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Carina is someone we have all encountered from time to time in our lives and some of us may be a little bit like her some ways. She is driven to succeed at all cost. I do mean AT ALL COST. She could also be a prime candidate for the old “all work and no play” adage. She doesn’t do friends, parties, date, or have time for any sort of fun. When she arrives in California to begin an internship in investment banking she needs a place to stay. As it so happens she has a friend who knows someone that is looking for a roomie. Enter Dylan Jewell who is Carina’s polar opposite. Oh he could have been like Carina, in fact her chosen field was a shoe-in for him, but he turned his back on that sort of life. Well, Carina is SO unimpressed with Dylan when she first meets him. After all, he works in a coffee shop and plays in a band. Not exactly the up and coming ladder climbing type. But, Carina hasn’t much choice so she agrees to move in with Dylan. Right away the two of them begin having trouble. Dylan is just too good looking for one thing.“Just thinking about him made her tingle in all the wrong places. Men like him should be illegal, contributing to the delinquency of women, especially ones who were serious about careers.”So, Dylan is distracting Carina and causing trouble for her by texting her at work or keeping her from attending important functions. But, Carina is given an assignment by her boss that only a very driven person would agree to. So, for me Dylan becomes the person that is the most impressive and likeable. He is real, down to earth and swoon worthy. There is nothing sexier than a hot guy that helps people for no other reason than because he wants to. So, Dylan is the character with the most depth. He is in a really awkward family situation though. His father is less than pleased that Dylan has refused to work for him and the reasons be damned. So, a little behind the scenes manipulation and scheming is designed to bring Dylan back into the fold. At first I didn’t like Carina. It wasn’t because she was too ambitious. It was her snobby “ I’m a winner and you are a loser” attitude and her judgment of Dylan and the life he led by choice. She still thought he should”better” himself even after she watched him take care of homeless people and many other things that showed his true character. Instead, she jumps in with the serpents and makes deals with the devil all so she can become a hot shot in her chosen field. Not too cool. Now of course Carina will have the chance to redeem herself and this was kind of what made this book a little different from other contemporary romance novels. The guy is usually the one that comes off as being arrogant and superficial, he is also the one that makes judgments without having all the facts. In this case, it was Carina who played that role. So, this was a unique twist and I liked the switched roles. Sadly, the some people will get away with things we wish they were punished for, but in the end it’s possible that Carina will learn what is really important in life. This one gets a 3.5 rounded to 4

[aglutenfreemom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Holy hot! Set in the city of my favorite sandwich, San Francisco, Dylan and Carina's lives collide. Carina is an aspiring investment banker, Dylan a reformed investment banker turned barista. Berkley is home to many hippie-esque personalities that all seem to rub straitlaced Carina the wrong way. Can she come to terms with her past and allow herself to love the world around her? Or will she stay true to her family upbringing and dive head first into investment banking?I loved mentally revisiting San Francisco from the eyes of a native. Ayala does a fabulous job of drawing the reader into the lives of her characters. This one is a keeper!

[dewer421_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a steamy example of what a great romance can be! I have to admit, at multiple times I was annoyed at both main characters and the way they were sabatoging each other and their relationship. Their game playing got a bit out of hand.But watching them open up and grow was so much fun! Carina really started out as a very traditional Asian daughter, but grew to make her own choices and control her life. Dylan comes across as your typical barista-slash-musician, but grows into someone who everyone can be proud of.Definitely a great read, and a neat look at the different sides of Berkeley!*I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

[stressedrach · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am really loving Rachelle Ayala’s style of writing, every book I have read of hers I have loved and Whole Latte Love was no different.Carina is an intern in Investment Banking at Mogal Bank and wants to be kept on at the end of the summer. Having nowhere to stay her friend sets her up to room Dylan Jewell, a handsome man who works as a Barista in a coffee shop and is also lead in a rock band.This book is full of emotion, love, betrayal, lies, and discovery.A beautiful romance novel that will have to captured from the first page.