How Sweet It Is
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2.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
What happens when the queen of romance falls for the king of horror--you get "a hilarious rom-com romp," perfect for fans of Beach Read. (Kirkus, starred review)
Event planner Kate Sweet is famous for creating the perfect happily-ever-after moment for her clients’ dream weddings. So how is it that her best friend has roped her into planning a bestselling horror writer’s book launch extravaganza? But the second Kate meets—or rather, accidentally maims—the drop-dead-hot Drake Matthews, her well-ordered life quickly transforms into an absolute nightmare.
Drake Matthews is tired of the spotlight and tired of his reputation as the Knight of Nightmares. He's really a nice guy! But he’s not prepared for Kate, a fearless agent of chaos in steel-tipped stilettos, or for that sweet sting of attraction he feels for her. She’s inspiring him to take his writing in a whole new direction—one that no one expects. Because now Kate and Drake are changing up the rules, and this plot twist might just surprise everyone . . . including themselves.
"Fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, and Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur will adore How Sweet It Is!" --The Nerd Daily
As featured in:
PopSugar: Must-Read July Books
PopSugar: 12 Swoonworthy Romances to Read in One Sitting
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A business partnership sparks a sultry connection in this flat, conventional romance from Newton (Piper's Piping). Kate Sweet, dubbed "the Queen of Happily Ever Afters," is a gifted event planner known for her fairy tale weddings. She's not an intuitive fit to plan a book launch for horror author Drake Matthews, "the Knight of Nightmares," but her best friend, Drake's publicist, is desperate and ropes Kate into the gig. The attraction between Kate and Drake is instantaneous, but both choose to ignore their chemistry and keep their relationship strictly professional. Each stands to gain from the partnership: Kate hopes the book launch will help her finally land a highly coveted award in the event planning industry, and Drake finds inspiration to break free of his terrifying reputation and take his writing in a new direction from being around Kate—who becomes his muse for a secret romance novel. But as the book launch draws closer and the stakes get higher, their irresistible connection can no longer be dismissed. While certainly lighthearted easy-reading, the cookie-cutter characters are too perfect and the lack of conflict outside of Drake's changing genres makes for a lukewarm plot. This one misses the mark.
Customer Reviews
A Cute Romance!
Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC for review!
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Love is probably the only thing on this planet worth fighting for. Worth losing everything for. You’re a fool if you let pride stand in your way.
What do you get when The Queen of Happily Ever After meets the knight of Nightmares? Sparks.
Kate Sweet is an event planner who, as a favour to her best friend, agrees to plan a book launch for one of the most prolific horror writers in the world. But he's certainly not what the rumours make him out to be. Can Kate and Drake keep their relationship professional, even as their feelings grow?
This book oozes with cheese. I know, I know, it's chick-lit ~romance~, what do you expect? And How Sweet It Is definitely delivers!
The book really found its groove about halfway through. The romance build-up was believable (thanks to a few time jumps, rather than having our leads fall head over heels in, like, a week), and the drama made sense to the story. Sure, there were a few moments of doubt from Kate and Drake where they presumably couldn't tell for sure how the other felt about them - when it was pretty dang obvious - but other than that, I really believed the final conflict. Kate, who never wants to let anyone down, who has something to prove after not following in her parents footsteps, and Drake, who was screwed over by his ex and terrified of rejection.
The first half of the book, however, dragged. I found it too expositional for my taste. There's a fine line between having characters that ramble and having long speeches of needless description, and both Kate and Drake crossed it a few too many times for it to be a passed off as a character trait. Honestly, this was nearly a DNF for me until things started to pick up, and I don't DNF things lightly.
All that said, and despite the obvious issues, I enjoyed both Drake's and Kate's character. Kate didn't step down when faced with challenges (or a slimy ex), and Drake was just so dang sweet. Maybe it's the reader in me, or maybe it's one of those quirks people don't like to admit, but I write/act out scenes in my head, too.
I wish there had been a bit more character development. I think that's the trade-off when writing a dual-POV, 3rd person novel; everything was very plot-based, and readers don't really get the chance to see characters deal with their own faults, their own insecurities, their own feelings. It makes them seem a bit one-dimensional.
Overall, a fine romance, a quick fluff read that tickles your fancy.