Treasure Trail by Nicole Dennis

Nicole Dennis - Treasure Trail Cover sTitle: Treasure Trail

Series: States of Love 01: Florida

Author: Nicole Dennis

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Short (71pgs)

ISBN: 978-1-63477-588-5

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (24th August 2016)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Owner of Matey’s Tavern, a popular brewpub-tavern in St. Augustine, Florida, Derick Keyes loves his adopted hometown and job. He also harbors a crush on a pirate captain. 

Tour guide for the popular Pirate Pub Walking Tour, Christopher Easton portrays a pirate captain as he takes visitors on a guided tour of St. Augustine, stopping at certain taverns for a pint of grog and tales of the golden age of piracy. With a little liquid courage, Chris breaks the cycle when he talks to Derick. Things change between them. Derick wants a chance for more with Chris. 

During the Annual Pirate Festival, Derick creates a treasure hunt for Chris after “cursing” him. To break the curse, Chris must find four clues before the final battle on Sunday night. Only then can the curse be broken.

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Purchase Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/treasure-trail-by-nicole-dennis-7375-b

Review: Derick loves owning a pub in St. Augustine but sometimes finds the crowds overwhelming, the one time he can be found at the bar is when the pirate tour is passing through because he has a crush on his favorite pirate captain. Chris is a tour guide on the Pirate Pub Walking Tour and he’s secretly admired the owner of Matey’s Tavern for a couple of years but has never had the courage to approach him, until he has a little liquid courage one night.

This is a really cute story that is fun and sweet. Derick has social anxiety and Chris finds it hard talking to people one on one, they’ve both liked the other man for years but neither man has had the courage to approach the other man. Chris liquors up so he can finally talk to Derick, and it’s the beginning of a sweet, hot courtship.

Both Derick and Chris are great characters, we get to know a little about each of them and we learn that both Derick and Chris have a lot in common. Derick surprises us with his curse on Chris, and it’s fun watching both men come together as Chris hunts for clues.

I enjoyed this story and loved the way that Derick and Chris’ courtship played out, it was fun and at times hot and it was great to see them getting to know each other in the limited time they had together. Their attraction to each other is explosive but gentle at the same time, you can see that they will have a passionate relationship that is also built on more than just sex.

I recommend this story to those who love fun light stories, great characters, sexy men, overcoming your anxieties and sweet happy endings.