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A sugar-infused, enemies to lovers Holiday romance!
Sweet on You
Holiday Romance
Carina Press
October 19, 2020
ebook (paperback to be released December 29, 2020)
263
All’s fair in love and prank wars
For barista and café owner Sari Tomas, Christmas means parols, family and no-holds-barred karaoke contests. This year, though, a new neighbor is throwing a wrench in all her best-laid plans. The baker next door—“some fancy boy from Manila”—might have cute buns, but when he tries to poach her customers with cheap coffee and cheaper tactics, the competition is officially on.
And Baker Boy better be ready, because Sari never loses.
Foodie extraordinaire Gabriel Capras wants to prove to his dad that his career choice doesn’t make him any less a man. The Laneways might not be Manila, but the close-knit community is the perfect spot to grow his bakery into a thriving business. He wasn’t expecting a gorgeous adversary in the barista next door, but flirting with her makes his heart race, and it’s not just the caffeine.
It’s winner takes all this Christmas. And more than one competitor might just lose their heart for the holidays.
“Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.” – H.L. Mencken
Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman is the super sweet, with lots of heat, Holiday romance that you should immediately add to your TBR pile. While Sweet on You does not fall under your typical brand of marshmallow fluff Christmas-themed romance, the fact that it takes place in a town outside of Manilla brings an unexpected, yet wholly welcome change. Think of Sweet on You like Chocolat but with Filipino flair.
My favorite romance trope —hands down—is enemies to lovers. Carla de Guzman completely delivers on all the angst and feelings going into this one. You know what they say about that fine line between love and hate? Sari and Gabriel flirt with that line like their lives, and business, depend on it.
Sari Tomas is a fierce business woman, whose talent is crafting coffee creations that bring visitors in from far and wide. Her only downfall is her distinct lack of equally delicious pastries to enjoy with her amazing coffee. Gabriel Capras unknowingly started a war when he crashed into Sari’s life, upending her peace and quiet, and hitting her right where it hurts…by opening a bakery right next door.
So what’s a coffee girl to do? Start a prank war and deny those warm fuzzy feelings for the handsome new bakery owner next door. Sari and Gabriel’s prank war is the perfect remedy to distract each other from their budding feelings, as well as the family drama that is so lovingly described throughout the story. When Sari and Gabriel finally give into their feelings, well that’s when the real drama begins.
Sweet on You reads like a small town romance set within a distinct neighborhood. The characters are vivid and lovable. The descriptions of the coffee and pastries don’t detract from the storyline at all, in fact, it enhances the romance and fun of the storyline. Sometimes the smattering of Filipino phrases could be distracting when they came without context, but other times I could easily pick out the phrasing easily and it often enhanced the reading.
Overall, this holiday-themed romance was highly enjoyable, and I highly recommend reading Sweet on You! The ebook is available now, and if you’re a paperback fan, mass market editions will be released in late December.
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
