Sugar by Kimberly Stuart

Sugar by Kimberly Stuart

Let’s begin with the summary:

After realizing her coworkers at L’Ombre, a high-profile restaurant in NYC, will never appreciate or respect her, Charlie Garrett allows her ex-boyfriend, Avery Michaels, to convince her to work for him as executive pastry chef at his new Seattle hotspot, Thrill. She’ll have her own kitchen, her own staff—everything she ever wanted professionally.

When she arrives at Thrill, however, she realizes that Avery wanted more than a pastry chef for his restaurant—he wanted a costar for the reality show they’re filming about the restaurant and its staff. Charlie is uncomfortable with the idea at first, but she soon realizes that this is her chance to show the world what women in the kitchen are capable of. She sets some ground rules with the film crew, signs a non-disclosure agreement, and promptly meets the man of her dreams, Kai, off-camera.

The show, and her demanding work schedule as head of the pastry kitchen, makes it nearly impossible for Charlie and Kai to spend time together. Drama on and off the set soon take a toll on Charlie’s well-being, forcing her to choose if life in front of the camera is worth sacrificing life behind the scenes.

And now, my review:

I had a difficult time getting into this story. I’d heard people raving about this book, but after reading the opening chapter or so I couldn’t relate with their opinions.

I liked the idea of a story framed around a heroine chef. I enjoy cooking shows and the occasional Hallmark movie centered around chefs. So I was looking forward for a lighthearted read about a chef's journey, even a bit of romance. 

The story was not at all what I expected, both in content and in genre. Unfortunately, I assumed this was a CBA book, but what I found was bleak, violent, and crude. Because of this, after about 2 percent into the story, I decided to move on to the next book in my TBR list.

I wish the author well.

Newton and Polly by Jody Hedlund

Newton and Polly by Jody Hedlund

Due to everything I heard about this one, I was excited to read it.

Let’s begin with the summary:

In the mid-eighteenth century as England and France stand on the brink of war, John Newton is a young sailor wandering aimlessly through life. His only duty is to report to his ship and avoid disgracing his father—until the night he hears Polly Catlett’s enchanting voice, caroling. He’s immediately smitten and determined to win her affection.

An intense connection quickly forms between the two, but John’s reckless spirit and disregard for the Christian life are concerns for the responsible, devout Polly. When an ill-fated stop at a tavern leaves John imprisoned and bound, Polly must choose to either stand by his side or walk out of his life forever. Will she forfeit her future for the man she loves?

Step back through the pages of history, to uncover the true love story behind a song that continues to stir the hearts and ignite the faith of millions around the globe.

And now, my review:

John Newton wrote the infamous hymn “Amazing Grace.” Even folks who may not attend church have likely heard this song. So I was interested in reading this fictionalized account of his life. I had heard there was some violence in his life on board a ship at some point, but I wasn’t prepared for all the violence in this novel. I had to skim. In that way, the story kept pushing me out and I also didn’t quite believe there would be that much violence in his life. Was this normal? Was he just that incorrigible? That much of a target? Is this normal for a novel around this time period? I didn’t see other characters being beaten, only the hero of the story.

When we’re in his POV, we can see he doesn’t always make responsible decisions. But he doesn’t come across as unlikable. You just worry for him, as the reader. That builds tension, which keeps you reading. This is good. But all the beatings kept me from reading the entire book, especially when things took a turn for the worse (see summary above).

I enjoyed his interactions with Polly. Though she was naïve, I felt readers could sympathize with her.

If you enjoy adventures and don’t mind reading about several beatings, you may enjoy this story. There was a lot of potential here, unfortunately, the story just wasn’t for me.  

The Promise of Rayne by Nicole Deese

The Promise of Rayne by Nicole Deese

I really enjoyed A Season to Love by Nicole, so I was thrilled when I won a contest and received this book. 

Let’s begin with the summary:

Rayne Shelby has spent her entire life trying to earn the approval of her high-powered family, with the hope of one day managing her late grandfather’s prestigious Idaho lodge. But when she makes a mistake that puts her future in jeopardy, she faces an impossible choice: defy her family or deny her dream. The only way to fix the mess she’s created is to enlist the help of her neighbor, Levi, the apprentice of her family’s greatest enemy. And if Rayne gets caught crossing the divided property lines, the consequences will be irreparable.

Levi Harding has never forgotten the August night he shared with Rayne when they were teens—or the way she later rejected him. Despite his warring instincts, he can’t ignore her plea for help or the spark that’s ignited between them. But now, as wildfires bear down on their town and family secrets are revealed, their newfound alliance might just go up in smoke.

And now, my review:

I had a hard time getting into this book. Certain key elements seemed to be missing at the story’s outset, which made me feel like I’d missed a Part One somewhere. I even re-read the beginning, and though that helped, the story didn’t hook me. The other (related?) issue was that the narrative focused more on the stakes at the beginning, reiterating them more than once, and not enough on the heroine’s [the point-of-view character (POVC) at the beginning of the story] heart or emotional history/experience. This distance kept me from sympathizing with her. I could see what she could lose if things fell apart, but I didn’t have enough of a bond with her to feel much of her angst about those threats. I couldn’t believe in her dream with her; I never caught the vision.

The heroine came across as weak, which is fine at the beginning of her character arc, but unfortunately this felt contrived. Because of this, I became more frustrated than sympathetic with her.

I couldn’t see where the title fit in, though to be fair, I gave up on this book at the 50 percent mark. There wasn’t enough of a through thread, a reason for her to keep being pushed to the bottom rung without overcoming, to keep me reading. I wanted to see her grow and have some victories. She came across as rather young and made immature choices (like sneaking around—see the book’s summary above) rather than acting like an adult, and to the point I read I didn’t see her growing in this regard.

One of the themes in this story is going after your dreams and persevering. That's a relatable and desirable theme. I liked the romantic elements. The author has a way with writing those. She also includes some strong, original description in the narrative. I connected more with the hero in this story. Perhaps if the heroine had had a mentor figure (An ally in her own family. Her grandmother, perhaps?) we could have seen a different, competent side to the heroine that would have helped me believe in her. Or watch her make tough choices and have victory. She does show strength by persevering, which helped me respect her. But then she made immature choices, which made her less heroic.

I’ll be watching for the next novel from this author because I loved her first book with Waterfall Press. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.