How Sweet It Is by Sophie Gunn
January 3, 2011
Contemporary Romance
Paperback, 416 Pages
Forever
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “Oh hell no. I know all about you and what you want. If you say you want to make love you probably really want to play scrabble.”
Lizzie Carpenter learned a long time ago that no white knight was going to rush in and save her. So she had to save herself. A hardworking waitress, she has raised her daughter single handedly to be like the independent women in her club-The Enemy Club. A group of former high school rivals that became best friends.
Yet a small part of Lizzie wants that white knight. Someone who can fix the small things around her house that are falling apart. When Dante “Tay” Giovanni appears, Lizzie is sure her fairy godmother must have been listening. Sexy Tay offers to help with no strings attached and slowly Lizzie opens up more then her home to him. But Tay has his own demons and the past is a hard thing to let go of.
How Sweet It Is is a charming slightly heavy contemporary romance that deals with love, hope, and forgiveness. Well plotted with an array of personable and deeply defined characters. Smooth flowing conversational style envelopes you into the story and makes you feel like you have a part in its telling.
Lizzie is a single mom struggling to make ends meet. She is blindsided when her daughter’s father announces he is coming to her home for Christmas to meet his daughter for the first time. Having had to grow up fast as a pregnant teenager, Lizzie is unprepared for the emotions that embroil her upon receiving this news. So she spills the news to her Enemy Club then makes a wish for someone to come and fix up her home with no strings attached.
Dante “Tay” Giovanni just happens to hear that wish and decides to help out. He needs to stay busy while dealing with his own problems. A once successful man, an unfortunate accident sent him down a never ending spiral of shame and survivor’s regret. He is now in town to try and make amends.
Tay and Lizzie are both wonderfully down to earth characters who are trying to deal with the slaps life has handed them. Strong and self reliant; it was fascinating watching them meet and slowly form a relationship.
Lizzie is extremely independent. Her life revolves around her daughter (Paige) and the fear she feels when she receives Ethan’s letter (Paige’s father) is completely plausible. Lizzie doesn’t like to depend on anyone yet it seemed that everyone she knows wants something from her. Ethan disappeared when she became pregnant and now she fears what will happen once he and Paige meet. Lizzie is also dealing with her sister Annie who is suffering from PPD and blames Lizzie for everything-including the fact that Lizzie used to date Annie’s husband.
When Tay appears she is skeptical. A good looking handyman who wants nothing in return? That doesn’t even compute in her world. But Tay needs to do penance and receive redemption that a part of him doesn’t feel he deserves. I love how nonchalant he is with Lizzie. He doesn’t push; he just plods along doing his own thing and slowly pulls her along with him. He motivations are admirable and you can’t help but fall in love with him yourself. His and Lizzie’s journey is filled with laughter, disappointment, hope, and forgiveness.
The secondary characters emulate the small town personality to a T and will have you swaying between laughter and wanting to pop some of them in the head a few times. Paige is the perfect pre teen. Sarcastic, over dramatic, and convinced she is much smarter then any adult. The Enemy Club is the best example of the term “frenemy” I have come across. Lizzie’s sister Annie is one I wanted to pop in the head. PPD or not, she is an extremely selfish and unlikeable person. Even though we have story lines galore, Ms. Gunn handles them ease and blends them perfectly into the main arc.
The ending is perfect in that not only leaves us with a viable out come but chooses a wonderful and heart lifting way to do so. If you enjoy a meatier contemporary that tugs at the heartstrings but also contains some well played action,suspense, and laughter then look no further then Sophie Gunn’s How Sweet It Is.
Rating: B-
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Aww sounds sweet :) I much rush over to another blog now and see how it was liked there
Oh I love contemps like this now and then. Nice review!
Blodeuedd-It was a little darker then I thought it would be but I enjoyed it.
Fiction Vixen-I like our protags alot. Though the sister-what a tool. lol
Hahaha – I thought the sister was a tool too! This was a bit heavier than what I usually like in a contemp, but it was a nice story.
Thank you Tori!
Great review Tori! This book speaks to me on many levels, I will also be placing this on my TBR list! Thank you very much for the insight into this book!