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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
A perfect romance. Sprawling and messy emotions and more than just romantic love. 10 out of 10.
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book Review: Ain’t She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
I have really mixed opinions on this book. It took a while to get into the characters and the plot because I honestly did not like any of them, and then it got to a point where the more I found out about them, the more I disliked them. But this book also does have the hilarious SEP charm and my oh my that ending was incredible.
This is the story of an 18 year old girl who was absolutely awful in high school. She relentlessly bullied Winnie and tortured her for her entire high school career. Anyone who defended Winnie, including their English Teacher, also received the special sugar treatment. Years, and three husbands later, Sugar comes back into town defeated by life, broke, and in desperate need to find a painting left to her in her aunt’s will that is worth millions.
The conflict is so good. SEP does such an amazing job of building the unlikeable heroine character until readers hate her and think she is irredeemable. I mean she has inherited her dead husbands dog and absolutely loathes the dog. To the point that when Colin points him out, she says someone should call the pound and put him down. But then, there is the one missing piece that is put into place and then I finally am able to understand her. In the end, I don’t think she ever becomes likable, but she really becomes complex, and readers are rooting for her.
What is also so interesting about this book is that Winnie, the kid that was bullied in school, does not only become the antagonist, but I would go so far as to call her the villain. She essentially tries everything to BECOME Sugar. Turns out they are sisters, which is why Sugar hated her because Winnie is the other--illegitimate family. But the father loved Winnie and left everything to her in his will. So Winnie becomes rich, and inherits all of Sugar’s childhood memories--her home, her mother’s pearl necklace, family portraits, ect.
The other thing is that Winnie does something completely unforgivable to marry Sugar’s high school boyfriend, Ryan. She tries and succeeds to get pregnant, by lying that she is on the pill. The first time they are together. And Ryan does the honorable thing and marries her. Their daughter Gigi is also a major character in the story. I really, really dislike how in the ending, Winnie thinks that Ryan needs to chase her “for once”. Like no, girl, all you two need to do is have a conversation. You need to confess some things and be HONEST instead of claiming all he wants is sex when you are trying to keep this man through sex.
I just think Ryan is too good for this world. He is such a good dad and a good husband, even if he was thinking about the one that got away. His one flaw is when Winnine is helping Sugar move back into Frenchman’s bride, and he is watching TV with a beer, instead of helping. Then he demands his wife comes home with him, instead of letting her stay with her heartbroken sister.
Finally, Winnie becomes the new leader of the Sea Willows--Sugar’s friend group. She leads the Sea Willow’s in torturing Sugar when they are guests at the party that Sugar is on the wait staff, collecting their coats, handing out appetizers, serving them at dinner and cleaning up after them. These women delight in torturing her by dumping red wine down her shirt, dropping things under the table to ask her to pick them up so she can crawl at their feet, and all of the above. It was disgusting and awful. But Sugar held her head high through it all.
I think that all of these actions with Winnie and the Sea Willows is where all of my dislike in the book stems from. Sugar is not trying to make amends, but she knows that she deserves the penance. And she takes it without complaint, even when she feels shame. But these women would not be happy if they never stopped punishing her. I cannot believe that it takes two men along with a young teenager to knock some sense into them.
Sugar is really out here, trying to be a better person, and trying to not screw up her life like she has many other times, and she works hard for it. She has been through so much in her life, and she never wanted to get married again, and why did Colin not respect or listen to that? I’m not sure, but the more I think about the ending, the less I like it, too. I also love a baby epilogue, but I don’t feel like this book needed one. I think these two crazies could have been better off without a kid to give them roots. I think they could have been wild goofballs without cured fertility issues…and that is saying a lot coming from me, who loves miraculously cured fertility issues.
Overall, the conflict and the emphasis on the community changing and growing, rather than the hero and heroine, makes this book feel more like a women’s fic, rather than a romance novel. SEP is really good at writing a bad sex scene, and I believe she accomplishes that well in this book. It felt awkward and disjointed and despite the two characters thinking it was incredible, I thought it fit their characterization well. I genuinely did not ship Colin and Sugar together. Instead I wanted Sugar and Ryan to get together. But I guess it works out for the best if the two crazies find one another.
But there was so much that I did love in this book. Notable scenes that were so hilarious I thought I would die if I didn’t pull the car over and text my book club immediately:
-When Sugar calls, pretending she is from Oprah
-When Ryan and Gigi accidentally see the Sea Willow’s initiation and they decide they will pretend it was a bad dream
-Colin calling Sugar at the end and demanding he will not come back into town until their wedding “If you were a normal person, we could handle this differently, but since you are a lunatic…” this scene was so completely brilliant I couldn’t stop laughing
-When Sugar offers Winnie Doritos for breakfast, but offers Gigi full on French toast
-All of Sugar’s one liners: “Your living in the home of the Red, White, and Blue. We speak American here” “The expression is sucking on lemons.” “You should know” “I don’t hate anyone” Mother Theresa replied.
-When Sugar “rescues” Winnie from the fire and makes her trip so she can look like the hero
good. not great, im not really a fan of the main characters like i usually am
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Sugar Beth grew up in a small town and when she was in her high school years she was both popular and a mean girl. She is returning but only to get some things from her inheritance and then leave, but she is confronted by people from her past and she has to choose how she is going to respond.
Sugar Beth ends up living in the guest house of her childhood home and I loved how one of the people she persecuted ended up living in her childhood home. The many times that she is hurt by the people in the past, I loved her many reactions. Eventually the story gets to the love part and I completely loved it. The relationship didn't start easy and had some speed bumps, but I loved how Colin treated her and didn't completely forgive her of her past at the beginning.
Sugar Beth grew up in a small town and when she was in her high school years she was both popular and a mean girl. She is returning but only to get some things from her inheritance and then leave, but she is confronted by people from her past and she has to choose how she is going to respond.
Sugar Beth ends up living in the guest house of her childhood home and I loved how one of the people she persecuted ended up living in her childhood home. The many times that she is hurt by the people in the past, I loved her many reactions. Eventually the story gets to the love part and I completely loved it. The relationship didn't start easy and had some speed bumps, but I loved how Colin treated her and didn't completely forgive her of her past at the beginning.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
it was good but I hope to never meet people like this in real life
Ain't she sweet c'est la toute la question... je me la pose toujours
A woman returns to her hometown, broke and world-weary, and must face the consequences of the messes she left behind as a popular but cruel teenager fifteen years earlier. The teacher she falsely accused and got fired now owns her childhood home and, with the help of her ex-best friends, he’s determined to make her life miserable.
This book had a great setup and took full advantage of the plot to drive some deep character development. There are three generations of characters who all have interesting relationships and histories with one another. Their interactions revolve around jealousy, cruelty, and attraction (or the lack of). The actions of the main characters in high school follow them well into adulthood and shape a lot of their present day choices and feelings. There were some brief high school flashbacks but they worked well in the flow of the story.
Sugar Beth (the heroine) returning to town kicks off a domino effect of drama. If you like the "tortured, outwardly bitter but secretly misunderstood, vulnerable and noble heroine" trope, you'll enjoy this book. It was great to watch how Colin slowly loses his grudge and not only wants to protect Sugar Beth but push her to heal and become stronger. I thought the arc with Sugar Beth, Winnie and Gigi was especially well done and thought provoking. I looked forward to their scenes more than the romance, to be honest.
I didn't like how
This book had a great setup and took full advantage of the plot to drive some deep character development. There are three generations of characters who all have interesting relationships and histories with one another. Their interactions revolve around jealousy, cruelty, and attraction (or the lack of). The actions of the main characters in high school follow them well into adulthood and shape a lot of their present day choices and feelings. There were some brief high school flashbacks but they worked well in the flow of the story.
Sugar Beth (the heroine) returning to town kicks off a domino effect of drama. If you like the "tortured, outwardly bitter but secretly misunderstood, vulnerable and noble heroine" trope, you'll enjoy this book. It was great to watch how Colin slowly loses his grudge and not only wants to protect Sugar Beth but push her to heal and become stronger. I thought the arc with Sugar Beth, Winnie and Gigi was especially well done and thought provoking. I looked forward to their scenes more than the romance, to be honest.
I didn't like how