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lnzava's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Domestic abuse
abookwanderer's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
How Sweet It Is is a perfect example of just how little it takes to persuade me to read a book! All I needed to see was the reference to Beach Read and I was jumping over to Netgalley and requesting this rom-com days after it was published—even though I was in the middle of my no-ARCs summer reading. And while I had fun with this one, comparing it to Beach Read is quite the stretch.
Since I read this one so quickly, I’ll just be listing my pros and cons instead of a longer review. I’ve got to get back to those backlist reads!
Let’s start with what I liked about this debut romance:
First off, it’s set around Halloween, and I’m a fan of seasonal reads. (If only I could have read it in the fall…) If you’re a reader who enjoys seasonally-set books, pencil this one in for October!
It’s always refreshing to come across something different in the romance genre, and I enjoyed watching the male lead realize his feelings before the female. They had great chemistry and while it was super sweet (hence the title), it didn’t venture into sugar overload for me.
The only facet of the book that can really be called similar to Beach Read is the horror-novelist-writing-a-romance angle, and once again, I was a fan. It was fun watching Drake step out of his comfort zone and use his burgeoning feelings for Kate as romantic inspiration for his next book.
Now, what I didn’t like:
I was a bit taken out of the story when things suddenly became ultra-steamy. I have no problem with detailed sex scenes (although I do tend to prefer when authors leave a little to the imagination), but it didn’t seem to fit the narrative. One minute I’m reading a sweet rom-com and the next I’m making sure no one is reading over my shoulder.
One of the most glaring problems I’m now noticing in new romance releases is the lack of diversity. While I don’t want authors to add diverse characters just for diversity’s sake, it’s important to include characters that reflect reality.
Lastly—without spoiling anything—the story includes a scene where Drake has a meaningful encounter with a fan of his horror novels. It felt terribly lacking in the delivery, though. After I read it, I couldn’t help thinking that it actually came across as demeaning for the fan, and it left me feeling uncomfortable. It could just be me, though? I would be interested in hearing if other readers had a similar reaction.
So while it wasn’t perfect, I did have fun escaping with this one. It was very well-written and had me dreaming of cooler weather and pumpkin-spiced everything. I look forward to more from the author!
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Since I read this one so quickly, I’ll just be listing my pros and cons instead of a longer review. I’ve got to get back to those backlist reads!
Let’s start with what I liked about this debut romance:
First off, it’s set around Halloween, and I’m a fan of seasonal reads. (If only I could have read it in the fall…) If you’re a reader who enjoys seasonally-set books, pencil this one in for October!
It’s always refreshing to come across something different in the romance genre, and I enjoyed watching the male lead realize his feelings before the female. They had great chemistry and while it was super sweet (hence the title), it didn’t venture into sugar overload for me.
The only facet of the book that can really be called similar to Beach Read is the horror-novelist-writing-a-romance angle, and once again, I was a fan. It was fun watching Drake step out of his comfort zone and use his burgeoning feelings for Kate as romantic inspiration for his next book.
Now, what I didn’t like:
I was a bit taken out of the story when things suddenly became ultra-steamy. I have no problem with detailed sex scenes (although I do tend to prefer when authors leave a little to the imagination), but it didn’t seem to fit the narrative. One minute I’m reading a sweet rom-com and the next I’m making sure no one is reading over my shoulder.
One of the most glaring problems I’m now noticing in new romance releases is the lack of diversity. While I don’t want authors to add diverse characters just for diversity’s sake, it’s important to include characters that reflect reality.
Lastly—without spoiling anything—the story includes a scene where Drake has a meaningful encounter with a fan of his horror novels. It felt terribly lacking in the delivery, though. After I read it, I couldn’t help thinking that it actually came across as demeaning for the fan, and it left me feeling uncomfortable. It could just be me, though? I would be interested in hearing if other readers had a similar reaction.
So while it wasn’t perfect, I did have fun escaping with this one. It was very well-written and had me dreaming of cooler weather and pumpkin-spiced everything. I look forward to more from the author!
Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide and Physical abuse
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