Cream and Punishment

(Smitten in the Mitten, Book 1)

De: Brianne Ritchie Córdova

Narrado por: Shannon Smith

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

You’d think, as a baker, Dekker Piper would be able to avoid burning things. Apparently that doesn’t apply to her personal life, which just went up in flames. Moving next door to him is just the icing on the cake.

Max Fuentes. Hunky. Charming. Hates her guts.

Yeah, him. The man whose life she ruined shares a wall with her now. And if that wasn’t punishment enough, she can’t seem to avoid him. It’s only a matter of time before he exacts his revenge and the suspense is killing her.

When he passes on every chance to humiliate her—and she’s given him plenty—she wonders whether she’s misjudged him. And if that’s the case, can the sparks between them possibly lead to something more, or will she crash and burn yet again?

Cream and Punishment is a feel-good romantic comedy that will bring all the swoony, sizzling chemistry while keeping the bedroom door closed. It is the first in the Smitten in the Mitten series of interconnected standalone novels.

©2025 Conquest Publishing (P)2025 Conquest Publishing

Fun story!

This story was fun to listen to. It had lots of funny, awkward and embarrassing moments. I loved that both characters had character growth and lots of depth. The FMC began to have more confidence in herself through the book and realized what she really wanted.

As the wall crumbles.

Wow. I think I found a new favorite romcom author. I love silly dialogue and this book is packed! So funny, yet it touches on a few serious issues. I laughed. I chuckled. I learned. I got hungry (she's a chef and he likes to eat.) I really enjoyed.

I was gifted an Audible version of this book from the author through Story Origin. The narrator, Shannon Smith, was a delight. She portrayed all these characters very well. Even the male characters were believable. 5 stars for her, as well.

Book 1 - Smitten in the Mitten

This is book 1 in Brianne Ritchie Córdova's new series Smitten in the Mitten. I honestly didn't know what to expect with this read / listen but was absolutely delighted! The narration of our main characters Dekker Piper and Max Fuentes was great, and the characters themselves came thru wonderfully. I loved Dekker's food-based exclamations, especially since I say some of these myself. I've been introduced to so many more and I can't wait to use a few. Max is a wonderful character too, and I love how these two just seem to click and I appreciate the honesty and vulnerability between them. I had a hard time with Dekker's rejection issues and how she handled them but love her friend circle and her open-ness to seeing and adjusting her perceptions. Overall, I so enjoyed this rom-com and I hope to listen to more from Córdova soon!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.
*this review is based on the audio version of this read.

Sweet and Fluffy Rom-Com

Light-hearted and cute rom-com of a book. The author gave the main character depth by having her overcome past difficulties and realize/learn she potentially has undiagnosed ADHD. The love interest chemistry is good and their interactions are cute. I was mostly put off by the main character. She’s a pastry chef so her schtick is to make food exclamations (internal dialogue or vocal) almost constantly. I get it—lean into the character. But honestly, it became excessive and grating. An overly used literary device. She also would hyper-fixate on things that weren’t realistic for her to be sensitive about in any realistic way (I understand it was part of the plot, but as someone diagnosed late in life with ADHD and who is familiar with RSD—some of the fixations of anxiety or worry felt off base). Overall though, this was an easy and quick listen that didn’t take a lot of brain power. Sweet and fluffy. Good to listen to for a road trip, weekend project, or an afternoon of deep cleaning or crafting.

Everything a cute rom-com should be.

Puns? Check.
Jokes? Check.
Romantic tension? Check.
Green flags? Check.
Steamy kisses? Check.
Paint ball? Check.
Tactfully addressing tough topics, like addiction and adhd? Also check.
Lovable characters? Check and check.
Yep, this book has it all.

Charming Contemporary Romance

This was my first experience with this author's work, and I found it entertaining. I enjoyed this sweet contemporary romance which contained many humorous incidents and some witty dialogue which I found amusing. I appreciated that there were some serious themes which were addressed but didn't dominate the narrative. I was entertained by Shannon Smith's narration, and her performance enhanced the story's entertainment. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which expressed my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Sweet, Sassy, and Satisfyingly Slow-Burn

Cream and Punishment is a fun, flirty enemies-to-lovers rom-com with just the right amount of angst and heart. Dekker and Max have a deliciously tense dynamic that slowly melts into something sweeter, and the banter had me smiling more than once.

Shannon Smith does a great job bringing Dekker’s voice to life, funny, vulnerable, and relatable, making the audiobook an easy, bingeable listen. It’s low-steam but high on chemistry, so if you're into romance that keeps the bedroom door closed but the tension wide open, this one delivers.

Overall, it’s a solid start to a promising series. Definitely worth a listen if you're in the mood for a cozy, small-town romance with a side of sass and baked goods.

Thank you to the publisher for the ALC

A Sweet Rom-com that will entertain you

This sweet rom-com was so much fun! I laughed, giggled(out loud), and just curled into this sweet story. This story is about our bakery chef, Dekker, FMC & Max, who works for the FBI. The two of them have history. To tell you my favorite parts would give you a spoiler...so I am going to highly suggest that you take the time to listen or read it yourself.

This book was amazing and the Narrator was excellent on the audiobook! The narration was excellent and I truly enjoyed it!

Hilarious yet real

I really like this story. It has an ADHD rep and is full of funny antics and hilarious situatons that Dekker gets herself into. Max seems to witness all her embarassing moments. I loved the growth both of these characters go through. I loved Dekker's quirkiness and genuine likability.

Dekker Piper is a baker who doubts herself and is quick to think the worst of herself. She goes through learning and finds greater understanding of herself.

Max Fuentes is an FBI agent who works with Dekker's sister, Lexi. He is learning how to express his likes and dislikes.

I also loved learning more about ADHD in grown women. The audiobook is narrated by Shannon Smith amd she does a wonderful job. The audio quality was great and easy to listen to.

There are no swears, mentions of side characters drinking Alcohol, and level 1.5 kisses only. Single first person POV, present tense.

well written and entertaining

- 1st person, single POV
- romantic comedy
- kisses only romance
- Series: Smitten In The Mitten, Book 1

I actually read the second book in this series (A Labor Of Hate) first and loved it so much that I knew I had to get my hands on this one ASAP. They can be read out of order with only tiny spoilers.

Cream and Punishment was such an adorable and wholesome story. And also, just like A Labor of Hate, oh so hilarious. The characters are fun and relatable. And by relatable I mean that I felt super connected to Dekker, as we both share a similar level of awkward. So of course, I love seeing awkwardness in books because I feel less alone in my struggles. And also, like me, poor Dekker can't help but stress and worry about every interaction she has. I really loved her character as well as her growth throughout the story.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, which was narrated by Shannon Smith. I thought she did a beautiful job of capturing the personality and heart of Dekker. It was a great performance that I immensely enjoyed.

The story itself was also well written and very entertaining. I laughed and smiled so much that I was wishing for even more when it was over. I cannot wait for the next beautiful story from Brianne!