Arne by Stella Shaw

Arne is the sixth book in The Haven series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.  If you're looking for a book that starts out as friends with benefits and becomes more... check out Red's Book Reads review below.

From the blurb:

Friends-with-benefits is a practical arrangement—until it becomes something more.

Arne’s easygoing nature is sorely tried the night his kitchen’s almost set on fire. It’s the fault of admin assistant Simon, a man Arne’s treated with suspicion ever since Simon joined the Haven Hotel team. But when he has Simon in his arms, injured, vulnerable, yet full of sexy, prickly spirit to match Arne’s own—he starts to rethink.

When Simon confesses he’s struggling with intimacy, and Arne offers his practical help as an escort, it’s only meant as a joke. Until Simon accepts. He’s inexperienced and nervous despite his confidence at work, and embraces Arne’s sensual, unashamed instruction very eagerly. Alongside the passion, a friendship blossoms—and the vulnerability becomes emotional, too.

But Arne’s always been too generous with both his time and his money. When he’s betrayed by someone he trusted, it hits him hard, and halts his plans to launch a cookery vlog. All Simon wants to do is help him in return, but Arne rejects him.

Maybe it’s time for Simon and their friends at the Haven to unite on behalf of Arne’s ambitions and dreams. And help both Simon and Arne decide if there’s a new direction they can share.

Red's Book Reads:

Arne is predominantly the chef at The Haven but has been known to meet with a client or two as well. Simon runs a business from one of the rooms at The Haven and helps with the admin and paperwork. This book is a sweet story of the relationship between the gruff and sometimes grumpy chef and the sweet administrator with a thirst for knowledge and it is just so cute!

I really enjoyed this one and think that Arne might be my favourite in this series so far. The relationship between Simon and Arne developed so organically and I loved how through their relationship they both discovered for themselves that they deserved better than how they had been treated in past relationships. I loved how Simon seemed to get past the gruff exterior and we got to see just how sweet Arne could be!