Tabs’ review of Sugar (Sugar and Spice, Book 2) by Seressia Glass
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 03 Nov 15
This is my first read by Seressia Glass. I’ll be honest, I picked it up because the cover is really pretty and the premise promised hot sex. I am an uncomplicated woman sometimes. Unfortunately, I thought the writing was distracting in a lot of spots and I had a hard time staying in the story with the awkward dialogue and stilted phrasing.
Small business owner and wunderkind Charlie O’Halloran is instantly attracted to Siobahn Malloy when he sees her at her cafe. When he approaches her with a business proposal, he also makes it clear that he’s more than interested in a relationship. Siobahn, reluctant at first due to a number of factors, tries to resist but eventually succumbs to his charms.
Charlie is a rather bland character. He has a tragic backstory and is a motivated kind of guy, but there isn’t much more to him. His dialogue is also very awkward and stilted and just never sounds natural or unforced. He talks in cheesy pick-up lines, frank erotic suggestions, and businessman lingo pretty much the entire time.
Siobahn, on the other hand, is a very vibrant character. She’s a business owner, a loyal and caring friend, and a part-time burlesque dancer. Many of her motivations are driven by the fact that she is also a recovering addict who hit rock bottom a few years ago and has been putting all of her energy since then into repairing her life and moving on. She doesn’t wallow or make excuses; she just tries to do better and keep herself in check. She does allow her family to berate and abuse her to an unhealthy degree, but this is framed as something she has been struggling with and obviously trying to break free from.
This book has an interesting heroine and some really great female friendships, but the romance is seriously underwhelming. I think I might have liked it better as women’s fiction than as romance. I don’t anticipate reading this author again.
Grade: C
Summary:
Siobhan “Sugar” Malloy, co-owner of Sugar and Spice Café and part-time burlesque dancer, believes that love is for the young and foolish—and at thirty-five years old, she is neither.
But a new business venture with the sexy twenty-something owner of Crimson Bay Couriers is quickly changing her mind. Charlie O’Halloran is beyond charming—and his flirtatious manner is an unexpected breath of fresh air for Siobhan. Soon an explosively steamy affair begins, and Siobhan discovers that she loves making up for lost time.
When Charlie comes clean and admits he wants a relationship, Siobhan is struck with memories of the troubled past she is desperate to forget. But when her estranged daughter makes a surprise appearance, Siobhan must choose between the family she left behind and the new life—and new love—she’s always wanted…
Other books in this series:
