Overall impression:     

This is the third book in the series. Normally, I don’t like reading books out of order, but when I was searching for my next read, this one kept calling to me. Now I definitely want to go back and read the first two.

This isn’t my first book by Marni Mann, and I should have known it would be another great read.

Walker Weston is angry all the time and no longer enjoys his job. He’s the head chef at Charred LA and the public face of his family’s hotel empire, but his passion for it is gone. His constant anger worries his family, so they step in and convince him to download a dating app and take some time off to relax.

Alivia does nothing but work and dream of the day she can move out of her mother’s house, where she constantly endures cruel words from her mother and stepfather. If she can just make it through one more month, she’ll finally have enough money to get her own place. A chance match on an app she barely remembers signing up for gives her a weekend of freedom and escape—but she’s sure she’ll never see her Whiskey35 again.

Walker and Alivia end up spending two unforgettable days together, sharing pieces of themselves but never their real names. He is Whiskey to her, and she is Sky to him. So imagine Walker’s shock when he sees her again in the most unexpected place possible… as his employee.

I loved watching Walker and Alivia’s relationship bloom. Seeing the grumpy, angry male lead slowly soften—showing just how sweet, protective, and devoted he can be—especially toward Alivia and her dreams, was incredibly satisfying. His “burn down the world for her” attitude made their love story even better.