Limecello’s review of Sweet Trouble (Bakery Sisters, Book 3) by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance released by HQN on 1 Sep 08

The third and final book to Susan Mallery’s Bakery Sisters books was well written and enjoyable. At the same time, this book was a bit predictable, as much of what I suspected how the book would pan out was true. Jesse was my least favorite sister (keep in mind I loved Claire and Nicole), but her story is still definitely worth reading. Sweet Trouble is a great end to the trilogy, and it’s nice that Jesse and Matt’s story isn’t short changed simply because it’s last.

Jesse Keyes is the youngest Keyes sister, and she’s never really felt that she fit into the family. Growing up with little guidance – and her older sister, Nicole, acting as her stand-in mother even though there was only a five-year age difference didn’t help. Jesse moved away and matured, but is currently living out the difficulty of going home. Jesse is a character difficult to place. She doesn’t consider what other people were thinking or feeling in the past, especially in regards to their interaction with her. Jesse is also a bit dense in regards to Matt, but that’s not so much her fault as the point of the plot. Otherwise, Jesse is warm, bright, and willing to do the right thing, no matter how hard it may be. I think what influenced me most was the previous two books. Jesse was written as a villainous, one dimensional brat, and I felt the way her actions got explained away was a bit weak.

Matthew Fenner is something of a typical Ms. Mallery hero. He’s wealthy, self made, and has been burned before- resulting in him being a jerk. Matt was in love with Jesse, but didn’t believe her in a difficult situation. Not only that, but he felt betrayed and subsequently completely changed as a person, becoming emotionally unavoidable, and a player. Even though Matt knows it is wrong, he decides to hurt Jesse, and make her suffer. It’s a bit surprising that he hasn’t grown in five years, and that he would act in such a way considering he’s depicted as such a “great guy.” There were parts of Matt’s personality that didn’t mesh. The loving, devoted son, not materialistic, and then the player mogul, asshole, and emotional idiot.

While the main characters were at times less likable, I absolutely loved the secondary characters and the plot. Gabe is extremely well written, which is saying something, as children in books tend to annoy me. (The writers generally make them weird.) I thought that every scene with Gabe was beautifully written. I also liked the cameo appearances by the secondary characters, especially Raoul. I really wanted Jesse and Raoul to meet- and hit it off – at least as friends. Sadly, that didn’t happen. (And it would have been even better if Matt could have eaten his heart out running into Jesse with pro-football player Raoul.)

What I didn’t particularly understand was how Matt could justify his actions, or any of the characters. They’d be doing so well understanding each other, being reasonable, and then… that would just disappear. Jesse or Gabe would ignore a glaring red flag or other obvious sign, and go on. I didn’t feel that the past justified Matt’s heartless actions, considering his personality and past. There was a slight break in logistics, or at least, I didn’t find it believable. It’s hard to articulate, but I think every scene itself worked. I read it believing the scenes, but looking at the larger picture and thinking it through, it doesn’t particularly make sense. This book, much like Sweet Talk took some getting into. The first hundred plus pages had some extremely irritating sections. There wasn’t quite the epiphany that happened in Sweet Talk either.

I’m not quite sure why but I didn’t like Matt’s groveling as much as I enjoy hero groveling in other books. I knew he meant it – but it just didn’t seem as poignant – maybe because the it was so expected. Regardless, Sweet Trouble was a good book. I don’t like it quite as much as the previous two books in the series, but I still think it’s a fun read. I definitely recommend it to everyone who has been following these series, as well as any Susan Mallery fan. Sweet Trouble is a well written book about reestablishing relationships – family and romantic – as well as finding your way home.

Grade: B+

Click here to read reviews of the rest of the Bakery Sisters series.

Home, sweet home?

Jesse Keyes has done some serious growing up. With a steady job and a vibrant four-year-old son, she’s in a far better place than when she left Seattle five years ago…pregnant and misunderstood by almost everyone in her life.

Now it’s time to go home and face her demons. But her sisters, Claire and Nicole, aren’t exactly impressed with the new and improved Jesse. And then there’s Matt, Gabe’s father, who makes it clear that he never wants to see her again despite the lust that still smolders between them.

Jesse doesn’t know if she can make up for all the mistakes of her past. But the promise of sweet nights with Matt might just give her the extra incentive she needs to make it worth the trouble…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series: