Cream and Punishment

King Family, Book 2

By: Susannah Nix

Narrated by: Chris Brinkley, Amanda Stribling

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

She’s not just my ex-girlfriend. She’s my new coworker. 

I knew Lucy Dillard was "The One" the first time I met her. Yes, I’m enough of a sap to believe in love at first sight. When I fell for Lucy, I fell hard. Everything was great between us - until the moment she dumped me.

Now I just want to forget about her. Instead, I’m stuck staring at her face all day. But I need this job, so I’ll find a way to be civil and professional.

There’s just one small problem: I’m nowhere close to being over her.

First, we were lovers. Then enemies. Now we’re trying to work together. 

I didn’t set out to break Tanner King’s heart, but you know what they say about the road to hell.

I’ve got too many responsibilities and no room in my life for love. I can deal with Tanner’s resentment until he starts working at the desk directly across from mine. Obviously, a truce of some kind is required. We’re both grownups. We can handle this situation like professionals.

There’s only one thing threatening this fragile peace we’ve negotiated: all these inconvenient feelings I apparently still have for him.

Cream and Punishment is book two in the King Family series set in the small town of Crowder, Texas, home of the King’s Creamery ice cream company. Each book is a stand-alone, full-length contemporary romance that follows one of the six King siblings as they find and fight for love.

©2021 Susannah Nix (P)2021 Susannah Nix

Cute second chance workplace romance

Lucy didn’t mean to break Tanner King’s heart. Every time she runs into him since they broke up he looks like he hates her. She thought she could deal with his resentment, but when he starts working at the desk across from hers, she knows they need a truce. Problem is there's this one thing that's threatening the fragile peace they've negotiated: all the inconvenient feelings she apparently still has for him.

This is the second book of Susannah Nix's King Family series and I found myself giggling at Lucy's personality. She is straight up adorable. Tanner is a down to earth guy who is determined to forge his own way in life, rather than continue to feel pressured by his father to stay within the family business.

Lucy and Tanner are soul mates; both of which grow a lot in this coming of age novel. Together they make great strides in overcoming the deep rooted insecurities their parent(s) unknowingly ingrained into them. As with the other two books, the narrators were perfectly suited to portray their characters. Chris Brinkley, for the young, lost but thoughtful and ingenious Tanner, and Amanda Stribling as the cute cheerleader-like personality of Lucy.

While second chance romances aren't usually my thing I wasn't disappointed one bit with everything else going on amongst the King siblings and supportive friends. I look forward to learning more about them all. I was sent a free book and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

I love this series!

The King Family siblings saga continues with Cream and Punishment, book #2 in the series. Tanner thought he had found "the one" in Lucy, but she ran and broke his heart. Lucy was up for a casual relationship, but loving someone means more responsibility and obligations, which she doesn't need more of. She's already been taking care of her brother and mother since she was 12, when her father left. When Tanner gets moved to the Marketing department with the family business, he is working directly across from Lucy. I'm not going to lie, Tanner's enduring love for Lucy brought tears to my eyes. But then I'd start laughing with the sibling antics and get swept away with the steamy parts.

I just loved Chris Brinkley and Amanda Stribling's performance. They are fantastic narrators and two of my favorites.

Loved Tanner and Lucy!!!

I had wondered what had happened between Lucy and Tanner when we saw them together in My Cone and Only, and we finally got the story with Cream and Punishment.

So I liked both Lucy and Tanner, and loved them as a couple. I loved they were so much alike with their interest in books, and their chemistry was off the charts hot! Seriously, smoking hot chemistry that grew stronger with each new chapter.

The only issue I had was Lucy’s family being so dependent on her and obtuse to the fact she did everything for everyone. Especially bothersome to me was when she said something to her adult brother, he was like you should have asked for help. It honestly pissed me off.

I loved that Tanner, who had never enjoyed working for his family’s company finally figured out what made him happy. The support from Lucy and his brothers gave me all the happy feels.

Cream and Punishment was a good addition to the King family series. We got to spend even more time with the various family members, and I loved seeing growth from both Lucy and Tanner as they moved towards their happily ever after. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in the series, which is Ryan’s book.

I listened to the audiobook, and once again Chris Brinkley and Amanda Stribling did an amazing job with Cream and Punishment. I love when an author use the same narrators through out the series, as I feel like they know the characters and their traits better with each new book. Mr. Brinkley and Ms. Stribling had a seamless transition each time, and I felt like they each kept the voices distinct from character to character. With the King family alone, that is a pretty big task.

Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
Review copy provided by publisher

Tanner finally gets Lucy's love!

Susannah Nix's King Family series gives us such a great balance of small town romance, interconnect family stories, and a little bit of a complicated family dynamic.

Cream and Punishment is an excellent second-chance romance with tons of heart and fun. I love that Tanner is all in and Lucy is the one that is stubborn to give into love, kind of a role reversal from some other novels. Tanner was in love the first time around, and Lucy was in definite like, but Tanner came on a bit too strong. And now she's forced to work with him, which is a less than ideal situation. It's so easy to be Team Tanner from the start, and it's sweet to see Tanner work so hard to win Lucy over. Their friendship formed the get basis for their relationship.

The audio, narrated by Amanda Stribling and Chris Brinkley, is wonder. I love Chris Brinkley's delivery, and he's got a perfect voice and drawl for these small town romcoms. He's definitely a favorite. Amanda always captures the heart and spirit of her characters, and this was no exception.

Cute Romance with deep characters

3.75⭐️(rounded up)
2.5 🌶

I enjoyed this book much more than the first one! Both characters felt more developed and lovable! I loved seeing the struggle from the male main character's perspective. He has worked jobs that he hated to try to make his dad happy, and realized that he needed to try to figure out what he actually wants to do with his life.
I also enjoyed the fact that the love interests worked together, and it was sort of an enemies to lovers.

This book was a cute romance that I would recommend for an enjoyable, easy read!

After finishing the book, and having time to think about it before writing this review... one of the things that really bothers me is the title. You might think that this is a play on words. Cream (because of the family business - ice cream) and punishment. Making you think it is akin to Crime and Punishment. Maybe they work together as detectives or something? No. It has nothing to do with crime.

Second chances & sweet romances 💗💗💗

Tanner hates his job and struggles to find meaning and a place in his family business. Haunted by the one who broke his heart, he's now forced to work side by side with her in his new position at the company. Lucy has never wanted a serious relationship so when her fling with Tanner turned too serious, she checked out. After years of taking care of her mother and brother, and an absentee father, Lucy has major trust issues that have her second guessing everything when it becomes clear that her and Tanner still have feelings for each other.

This second chance romance was a bit higher on the drama side than I expected. Between Lucy's mother and Tanner's father, the despicable treatment of family in this book was almost too much for me. It was very satisfying to see the MCs finally break through the bullshit and take hold of their HEA. This story is filled with sweet moments, great conversations about life and how we prioritize what's important.

Amanda and Chris did a great job in this book. The story already dealt with some heavy drama so I appreciated that their performances were well balanced and not over the top. I really like Amanda and Chris's voices together.

3.5/5 story, 4/5 narration
💜🎧💜

Sweet Small-Town Romance

“Being surrounded by books always makes me feel better. It’s like being wrapped in a soft blanket covered with words.”

The King family drama continues in Cream and Punishment by Susannah Nix. Book two in the King’s Creamery series, Cream & Punishment is a small-town, second-chance romance. Although the pace of the story lagged a bit for me in the middle, I enjoyed this sweet love story. Tanner was the kind, charming, gentlemanly guy Lucy didn’t think she deserved. Lucy is the one he fell hard for and the one who got away. Tanner freakin’ King is the definition of a cinnamon roll book boyfriend. Despite the awkwardness of working with their exes, Lucy and Tanner fall quickly into a workplace camaraderie. Though Lucy left him heartbroken years before, his chivalry and kind-hearted nature remained untarnished. In their fledgling friendship, Lucy and Tanner were able to support each other through their toxic familial relationships.

Chris Brinkley and Amanda Stribling continue the King’s Creamery series with another terrific narration. Chris is perfectly cast as the even-tempered, romantic, cinnamon roll Tanner. Amanda embodies Lucy, the introverted, beautiful, enchanting book worm. This narrator duo pulls you into the dramatic world of King’s Creamery and brings Susannah’s words to life with their well-balanced, lovely storytelling styles.

I loved this second chance romance!

I want a Tanner of my very own!!!

Book 2 in the King Family Series is a second chance romance. Tanner and Lucy dated for a short time several months back but when Tanner got a little more serious in the relationship and confessed his love Lucy broke his heart and breaks things off with him. Now Tanner has been transferred to work right across from her and the awkwardness between the two amps up. He still loves her and the more time they spend together the more she questions her decision to break things off with him….

I am just loving this series so far! Both of these characters have issues within their families and those issues kind of motivate their actions in relationships. Lucy has the absolute worst mother on the planet, she manipulates like it’s a sport and she’s going for the gold medal. Lucy shoulders so much responsibility that is not her responsibility at all. Cleaning, cooking, working, helping pay bills for two grown adults. She longs for a place of her own without shouldering other peoples chores and bills and adding a serious relationship I think was just to much at the time. The best part of this whole book is that while the pair dated before they really didn’t have time to get to know one another but as they work closely together and they know each other more it puts then in a better place to have a successful relationship. They are truly perfect for one another. I also loved the growth as individuals throughout the story.

Chris Brinkley and Amanda Stirbling are back in book two narrating and I gotta say the more I listen from them the bigger fan I become. They both seem to take on these roles and make them their own, with thought, depth and delivery that holds your ears captive as a listener. I think even above their work in book one as Wyatt and Andie they fit Tanner and Lucy perfectly!

This was a good one! the dual POV, the light angst, the great character chemistry and quality sexy times as well as the laughs and emotional moments make this book a well rounded must listen romance in my opinion. I loved it.

3.5 ⭐️s - a sweet romance, but not without flaws…

Susannah Nix’s second story in the King Family series is good; I enjoyed Tanner and Lucy as a couple. He’s looking to build a family because his is a bit dysfunctional. Lucy also has family struggles, but this cause her to want to avoid attachment at first. Their first time around, she ran from his feelings. The second times, they’re more evenly matched because they actually come to know each other more meaningfully. Following their relationship through the growing pains was satisfying. I love that Tanner is literature guy (he has a cat named Radagast ❤️!) and that that love helped him find a meaningful career path. It was also sweet how he and Lucy shared a bibliophile connection.

One downside for for me was that I felt the story could have been shorter. I understand that the King family drama has to build to play out in other books, but it didn’t always work for me here. I was much more interested in the Lucy’s frustrations with her manipulative mother rather than Tanner’s with is blowhard of a father. The saving grace of the Kings is the connections between this siblings, which was something I did enjoy.

The narrator performances were a mixed bag. Chris Brinkley does his usual excellent work; I’ve adored him since Penny Reid’s Winston Bros series. He is perfectly cast as Tanner, not only in terms of his voice fitting the setting, but his delivery is always so thoughtful and he makes characters that much more genuine. I cannot say the same for Amanda Stribling. She is a new narrator to me and sadly,so far I am not a fan. While I suppose her voice fit the character in some ways, I found her cadence and tone grating. Maybe it’s a voice I have to adjust to, but I don’t know that I want to. Narrator preference is very much a matter of personal taste and she just isn’t to mine.

Overall, the story is enjoyable and I do recommend it, just maybe listen to Tanner’s chapters and read Lucy’s?

I received a review copy via Home Cooked Books. All opinions are my own.

Book 2 - King Family

This is book 2 in Nix's King Family series, and I was hooked after book 1 and this book was just as additive and entertaining. I adore this series, these characters, this small town and - well just everything. Tanner is wonderful. I completely fell in love with him. Struggling to find his place in the family, business and well, life. Lucy and he started dating and Tanner fell hard and fast and mistakenly told her which sent her running - problem is, now they are working together - what could go wrong - or right?!? Dual narration with Chris Brinkley, Amanda Stribling makes this audio perfection and the southern accent WIN!!! I could listen to these narrators all day along with these wonderful characters and storyline I found this book and this series as addictive as the ice cream this King family is all about.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.

Fantastic Story & Narration🎧 Sweet & Spicy!

Susannah Nix pens another fabulously delightful novel set in her “King Family” series, a romantic comedy that has the perfect balance of drama, humor, heartfelt emotions and romance. Tanner King, like his brother Wyatt, has not been a fan of his father lately, seems like their father is a ruthless and heartless but not everything in life is not always like seems, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt, those Tanner or Wyatt may not agree, especially with working for the family business. Tanner’s father ousted him from sales into a humiliating position but his sister bails him out suggesting he join her in marketing, the only downfall is seeing his ex-girlfriend, the one who ran after he professed his love to. Lucy works hard and is hoping for a promotion, but when Tanner joins her department, she immediately thinks she does not stand a chance for promotion anymore, that it would automatically go to him. Little does she know he wants her to have the promotion and, despite her rejection, he still has feelings for her. Lucy has a lot going on in her life and is jaded with love and relationships, but the more time she spends with Tanner, the more she realizes the error of her way. There is never a dull moment in this wonderfully written and plotted second chance romance, the witty dialogue will put a smile on your face and the charming romance will warm your heart. Besides the relationship drama, there is family drama for both and some workplace drama. Susannah Nix, thank you for another fabulous story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the wonderful narration, Amanda Stribling and Chris Brinkley continue to do their magic at their mics while bringing these characters and their story to life. I love how they take each role, make it their own sounding believable and just as I picture the characters to sound. Amanda Stribling grasped every side of Lucy’s personality as Chris Brinkley did the same for Tanner. Both were great performing the roles of all the secondary characters as well. You could hear how much heart they put into their work as they capture all the character’s emotions and project them into their performance, making your feel every single one. These entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen.

real second chance

Lucy broke Tanner's heart when she left him just after he telling her he loved her. Now they work together and Tanner's feelings are as strong as before. Will he convince Lily to give him a second chance? A swwr story about true love, family, healthy relationships and pursuing your dreams. The audiobook is great. Amanda Stribling and Chris Beinkley do a really good job

Second Chance Romance…Check! Workplace Romance...

Second Chance Romance…Check! Workplace Romance…Check! Small-Town Romance…Check!

‘Cream and Punishment’ is book 2 in the ‘King Family’ series. Here we have our H, Tanner, and our h, Lucy. After Tanner gets fired from his job working in sales for his family’s Ice Cream company, and is embarrassed in his intermediate job, he takes on a role in marketing (I think? Don’t quote me) at the family Ice Cream company. Unfortunately, he realises he now has to work with (and trained by) Lucy, who happens to be his ex, and who had previously unceremoniously dumped him after he told her he loved her (ouch!).

This was such a sweet second chance romance that featured very complex family relationships and drama. Tanner was such a cinnamon roll hero! I loved him! I do wish both him and Lucy had gotten their family situations in check and under control a lot sooner. But overall, I really enjoyed this book!

As with the first book, this was also narrated by Chris Brinkley and Amanda Stribling. I loved how they brought the characters to life and were amazing in their roles as Tanner and Lucy respectively!

family

loved the dual narration of Chris Brinkley and Amanda Stribling. Perfect

Lucy's struggles with her family, especially her mother. Tanner is a nerd and wears his heart on his sleeve. He has struggled to find his place in his father's company and is desperate to try and impress his father. Both Lucy and Tanner each have a lot of baggage. Tanner and Lucy are forced to work together, they have to find a truce must be made for them to keep their jobs. Romance starts. Oh the heat.

It was fun, witty and I loved it.

Lucy and Tanner had me hooked from the first time I read the blurb. I love trainwreck disaster office romances.
A brilliant forced proximity romantic comedy.
Lucy wants to do a great job, Tanner wants to make doing Lucy his job. This book gave me Hating Game vibes, and i adored it. This was a light fluffy read that came as a welcome break from all the Dark Romance and Mafia types. Thankfully they aren't infuriating, theres no mental shouting at them to get it together. They were lovers, they became enemies... and then friends to lovers.

Really enjoyed this.