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:

Limecello’s review of Sweet Spot (Bakery Sisters, Book 2) by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin on 1 Aug 08

I thought that Sweet Talk was a good book, but Sweet Spot blew it out of the water. This may be my favorite book I’ve read all summer – possibly longer. It might be the happy book high, but I know that’s not all. This is definitely one of my favorite Susan Mallery novels.

Nicole Keyes is a character first introduced in Sweet Talk [Bakery Sisters, Book 1], and she’s someone you feel comfortable with. The beginning might be a bit more meaningful if you’ve read Sweet Talk, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. Nicole’s the bitchy sister, but not a bitch, and for all her crusty exterior, she’s pretty much as soft and sweet as cotton candy. Nicole is a character you cannot help but like, and definitely someone to respect. And be friends with! Have I mentioned she owns a successful bakery?

Eric Hawkins, or Hawk, is a great romance hero, and very realistic. He’s ridiculously hot, was former pro-athlete, was madly in love with his wife, is a good father, a good coach, a good person, but… has regular stupid moments. Hawk’s so charming and disarming it’s hard to dislike him, even though you almost feel you should, based on principle – too much perfection. (Much like how Nicole feels.)

The story itself is interesting as well. There are many secondary characters, and all of them are well written, and well developed. Generally I’m not a fan of high school characters, especially as a secondary romance, but Ms. Mallery does a great job here. Raoul and Brittany often provide a great contrast to Nicole and Eric, and other characters make nice cameo appearances as well.

A few things I didn’t like as much were the scenes with Jesse, who gets her story in Sweet Trouble. Much like the annoying aspect of Sweet Talk, the parts with Jesse were a bit too maudlin and ridiculous. Too many accusations and characters playing the victim card. I did notice how Ms. Mallery set the foundations for Jesse’s story, however, and how she’s going to save her from being a hateful character. Another minor issue was how different Drew, Nicole’s ex-husband was in Sweet Spot from Sweet Talk – although it did make sense. Then there were the idiotic and overdramatic teenagers … but then that does fit how a teen would act overall. And they fit into the book, so I can’t fault Ms. Mallery for that.

The plot and events in Sweet Spot progress nicely and make for a very enjoyable read. It was fun, yet had a realistic tone to it, even while all these fantastic incidents kept occurring. A time or two things fell a bit too neatly into place, but I found them easy to get over. I might wish for just a tad more romance between Nicole and Hawk, because the secondary characters commandeered so much of their time and attention. However, I enjoyed reading about all the shenanigans so much it’s rather inconsequential.

I have to admit that when I first heard about the Bakery Sisters trilogy, I was skeptical. (Yes I was!) So I feel my gushing means that much more. I recommend everyone read this book. It’s very well written, flows- I never felt that there was too much, or that the author was trying too hard. It’s a great summer read. Basically, this book was just right in my Goldilocks test, and I think all romance lovers should read this book. (And the one before it, Sweet Talk because it’ll make this one that much better.) I will say I’m still unsure as to how Ms. Mallery will present Jesse’s story in Sweet Trouble, but at this point… I’m expecting good things.

Grade: A

If only her life was more sinful than sweet…

“Responsibility” should be Nicole Keyes’s middle name. After all, not many people would sacrifice their lives to run the family bakery and raise a younger sibling. But with Nicole’s twin sister now blissfully married and her younger sis turning out more femme fatale than girl next door, superreliable Nicole is getting sick of putting everyone else’s needs first!

Enter Hawk. The deliciously sexy former NFL player offers Nicole a taste of the freedom she craves. Hawk may know the way, blindfolded, to her sweet spot, but Nicole’s not about to let him get close enough to break her heart. Of course, she might not have a choice in the matter if Hawk’s past keeps getting in the way of their present…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Limecello’s review of Sweet Talk (Bakery Sisters, Book 1) by Susan Mallery (caution! music on the site!)
Contemporary romance published by HQN 1 Jul 08

I really enjoy Susan Mallery’s books – both her novels, and the categories she writes. There’s a special quality to her writing that keeps me coming back for more. In a way, I equate her with Diana Palmer – because her writing is loosely formulaic, and in a way you know what you’re going to get (N.B. I mean this as a good thing). Ms. Mallery is an author I make note of, and read her books as soon as I can get my hands on them. In fact, I pretty much picked up Sweet Talk at 1 AM, and read it until I finished it at 4 AM.

Claire Keyes is an interesting heroine, because she’s out of her element. A very well written, dynamic character that seems to have everything going against her, excerpt for her inner core of steel. She’s kind, loving, and loyal – which the reader finds out from page one, and that opinion of her never changes. In fact, she’s so great, it’s hard to believe she’s real, other than the fact that Ms. Mallery does a fabulous job of making Claire human, and relatable. What with everything Claire has to go through, the reader fines themselves rooting for her all the way.

Wyatt Knight is a perfect hero – and typical of the males Ms. Mallery writes. He’s smart, handsome, capable, loyal, and cares a lot more than he’s willing to admit. He’s also emotionally stupid, and knows it, which adds depth to his character, and humor to the book. Wyatt is willing to do anything for his friends and family, and he’s fiercely protective of them. However, he’s also able to see reason, and isn’t so set in his ways that he’ll ignore the truth before his eyes. He’s pragmatic, and his dry humor was quite enjoyable.

The secondary characters were interesting, and I felt that I got a sense of who they were, but they acted as a support net, and the focus of the book was on Claire. A lot of background and the foundation of the family was laid down in this book, so it’ll be interesting to see if the same occurs in the other books. I would have liked a bit more interaction between Claire and Wyatt throughout the book. It felt like they spent very little time together. Only a few dates, and then more drama ensued. Still, the plot flowed nicely, and I enjoyed this story.

Some things that bothered me, however, was how stubborn the secondary characters, particularly Nicole were. The actions of the all the characters were rather unreasonable, and it wasn’t until page 145 – I made note of the page- that Claire finally stands up for herself and doesn’t allow her sister to say ridiculous, hateful, and hurtful things to her with no repercussions. The blind assumptions made about Claire simply because she’s famous really irritated me. A few other mundane details irked me as well, one being the scene early on when Claire drives home from the airport. However, being somewhat accustomed to Ms. Mallery’s writing, I knew there would be a point when all of that changed – and thankfully, it did.

I liked the fact that there were multiple layers of conflict in the novel that all worked together. Claire and her fear that her career was slipping through her fingers, rebuilding a connection with her sisters, the initiation of her relationship with Wyatt, and trying to figure out how to live a “normal” life. I loved how Claire fell in love with Wyatt, but he being a romance hero dropped her cold, and she accepted it. She lay her heart on the line, let him know what was going on, and then got on with her life. Claire didn’t come up with some cockamamie idea to make him fall in love with her, and thankfully the reader didn’t have to go through the agony of pretending to believe that it would work. (Thank you, Ms. Mallery!)

Of course, there was the happy ending – and a very nice one at that. (Though I’m still not sold on the idea that there’s screaming for concert pianists. Clearly I’ve gone to the wrong concerts.) The events in Sweet Talk were all very believable, and the characters warm and likable. I can’t wait to read Nicole’s story in Sweet Spot – and want to see how Jessie develops, and how the series ends with Sweet Trouble. I definitely recommend reading this book, and it’s a must if you’re a fan of Ms. Mallery.

Grade: A-

Is there anything sweeter than a first love?

Don’t ask Claire Keyes. The twenty-eight-year old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family – which is just part of the reason she’s estranged from her two sisters.

But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can’t boil water, she’s determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to-do list….along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.

Ambitious? Maybe. But a girl’s gotta dream. And ruggedly sexy Wyatt is a dream come true. Although he keeps telling himself that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet-talk him into her bed….and her life.

Read an excerpt here.