Cream and Punishment

(Smitten in the Mitten, Book 1)

By: Brianne Ritchie Córdova

Narrated by: 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

fantastic romcom

Cream and Punishment
4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

This was such a cute romcom set in a portion of my home state, the state I grew up in, love and still live in ❤️❤️
A beautiful closed door funny story full of lovable, real life like characters with real life struggles and filled with laughter, loyalty, suspense, depth, heart, hurt and even some healing. My favorite stories are those with characters that seem like the real people living next door and this one totally fits the bill! I loved Dexter and Max and all the other side characters, I also love stories about bakers 🍪👩‍🍳 and it makes me want to bake and try new things.

I can't wait to read the next book and if you like real down to earth characters, enemies to lovers, baking, closed door romcoms this book is for you!

Thank you @b.r.cordova_writes and publisher for the ability to listen! I really appreciate it.

Shannon Smith did a fabulous job with the narration.
And thank you @the_audio_collective for connecting me with Brianna ❤️

#ALC #2026reads #audiobook #bookreview

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.

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.

A Sweet, Swoony Rom-Com with Just Enough Heat

Cream and Punishment is exactly the kind of cozy, chemistry-filled rom-com that’s perfect for an audiobook binge, and listening to it made the experience even better. I went with the audiobook edition, and Shannon Smith’s narration was genuinely impressive, warm, expressive, and perfectly in tune with the story’s humor and heart. She brought Dekker’s chaos, Max’s charm, and every awkward, hilarious moment between them to life.

Dekker Piper is a wonderfully relatable hot mess of a baker whose life has crumbled at the worst possible time. And who ends up as her new next-door neighbor? Max Fuentes, the man whose life she accidentally derailed and who supposedly hates her. Their history gives every scene tension and spark, and the banter between them had me smiling throughout.

Max is a fantastic love interest, steady, unexpectedly kind, and way more patient than Dekker (or I) expected. Watching their relationship shift from avoidance to curiosity to something sweeter is one of the best parts of the story. The romance is closed-door, but the chemistry is absolutely there, and Shannon Smith really nails that emotional buildup.

I settled on four stars only because a few plot points felt predictable, and I wished we got a slightly deeper dive into their shared past. Still, the charm, humor, and overall feel-good vibe more than make up for it.

If you enjoy warm rom-coms with great banter, swoony tension, and a narrator who elevates every scene, the Cream and Punishment audiobook is definitely worth adding to your playlist.

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.