Kristie J’s review of Bittersweet (True North, Book 1) by Sarina Bowen
Contemporary Romance published by Rennie Road Books 14 Jun 16
Uh, oh – the dreaded “this one was just okay for me.” I’ve seen a number of rave reviews for this book, but, alas, I won’t be a raver.
I like Audrey the heroine, quite a bit actually. She has a very dysfunctional relationship with her mother and, as a result, Audrey has always felt like a failure. She went through a wild-child time in college with a lot of hook-ups, one of them being our hero Griffin. But she went to culinary school and is now a very talented chef. She’s stuck working for a restaurant group, and for one reason or another seems to have a number of failures. She’s stuck working for a restaurant group, but she keeps messing up, mostly due to unforeseen circumstances. But the group is having a contest and the first prize is money. Audrey hopes to win this money to open her own restaurant.
In the meantime, they’ve sent her to the country to try and get fresh fruits and vegetables from area farmers at rock-bottom prices. The first farm she visits belongs to none other than Griffin Shipley, her college days hook-up. The both remember each other well and, in fact, Griffin never did get over her completely. As she bargains with him, the attraction is still there. Griffin had been trying to play pro football but was forced to give up that dream when his father died and he had no choice but to head home and take over the family farm and act as the head of the family for his mother and younger siblings. His real passion seems to be with cider, and he’s hoping to grow this part of the business.
Sparks fly between him and Audrey, but he’s not about to do business with her. He realizes what the company she works for is doing. They hook up again while she’s there, but then she has to head back after meeting with rejection after rejection at each farm without any real commitment between them. But Griffin misses her and tries to think of some way of connecting, even though she lives hours away and she is city and he is country. But before he formulates any real plans, she’s back on another mission.
I said I like Audrey, but, in all honesty, I don’t care much for Griffin. Years ago, before the two of them hooked up, she was seeing his roommate. Griffin sent her up to the roomie’s room, knowing the boyfriend had another woman there. He did it ‘cause he liked her. I find that a rather cruel thing to do. Then much later while she was traveling from farm to farm, he called them all in advance to warn them against her. Not cool, I think. And, again, it just seems like he only used her for sex. True, he was thinking of more, but he never did get around to calling her. Not cool, dude.
Grade: C
Summary:
The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.
At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.
Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.
They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
