“Sugar” by Kimberly Stuart
248 pages, Skyhorse Publishing
Published Feb. 7, 2017
ISBN: 1510714138
Charlie Garrett is tired of holding out for a promotion at the Manhattan eatery where she’s been slaving away for years as an underappreciated pastry chef. But then her ex-boyfriend and culinary school classmate Avery offers her a position as head pastry chef at his new restaurant in Seattle, and he won’t take “no” for an answer.
Initially, this new career change and cross-country move appears to be beyond Charlie’s wildest dreams. The staff at Thrill respects her, she makes over the restaurant’s pathetic dessert menu, she has a luxurious apartment, she now lives in the same town as her best friend, and she meets an amazing guy. But it’s all too good to be true – turns out that Avery’s restaurant is the subject of a new reality TV series. He forgot to mention that little detail, and Charlie isn’t, well, “thrilled” about it. She eventually finds herself enjoying the spotlight more than she had expected, but at what cost?
I don’t often read books like “Sugar.” But the cover just looked too delicious (seriously, if I could eat it, I would), and the synopsis sounded equally appealing. I found myself enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would, thanks to some of the laugh-out-loud dialogue between the characters and zany predicaments Charlie gets into.
The romance between Charlie and Kai seemed a bit rushed and underdeveloped, but otherwise I think the two of them balance out well as a couple. Kai, a diner owner and head cook, sees right through Charlie’s elitism and calls her on it every time. He’s straightforward but not cruel about it – I loved that.
The author did a good job of developing Charlie’s character. Her change of heart about being on a reality show comes about in such subtle ways that I was almost as surprised as she was at the way she “sells out.”
I feel like this book has all the makings of a great romantic comedy, one I would definitely watch.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
About the author
Kimberly Stuart wants you to know that authors write their own bios and are hardly
Bio and photo courtesy of author’s Goodreads profile
reliable sources, particularly if they are writers of fiction. Nevertheless, there are a few facts that stand out:
1. Stuart loves a good story, both written and lived.
2. Stuart loves imported chocolate and her children, though the order of her affections sometimes gets muddled.
3. Stuart writes comedic women’s fiction that has an infusion of faith. However, she seems to make Christians nervous. Read at your own risk, then, and e-mail her publisher if you must.
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