Wednesday, February 5, 2014

How Sweet It Is by Melissa Brayden





Reviewer: Bob Lind, Echo Magazine
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Nov. 2013
Pages: 268


Four Stars Out of Five.


In the small Illinois town of Applewood, Molly owns the bakeshop, humorously called “Flour Child”, which she started with her father, now in a nursing home. Her dad and the shop are pretty much her life, since Molly is still hurting by the death of her partner, Cassie, four years earlier. She keeps in touch with Cassie’s parents, who are very fond of her as well, and share their joy when Cassie’s younger sister, Jordan, comes home from California, where she worked in the entertainment industry. Jordan and Molly start to spend some time together, and an attraction develops that initially bothers both of them as unwise, since Jordan was kind of a sister-in-law to her. Her growing feelings for Molly distract her a bit from her need to make the barely-profitable bakeshop able to pay off the upcoming mortgage.

“Sweet” is definitely the keyword for this well-written, character-driven lesbian romance novel. It is ultimately a love letter to small town America, and the lesson to remain open to whatever opportunities and happiness come into your life. Light erotic content does not take away from the story. There is enough conflict to keep the reader from getting a “sugar rush” from the lighter moments, and I think the blend is done very well. 


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