Reviews

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton

jessicasilfenroy's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 ⭐️This was a super cute/ feel good read. I liked the small-town vibes, horror writer hero, the party planning and book launch premise, the supporting characters (especially Drake's mom), and the crazy antics the main characters got themselves into. On the flip side, I'm not a huge fan of disastrous meet cutes and found Kate and Drake's introduction a bit much. I also wish there was a bit more romance after all the tension and build up! 

Read if interested in: 
-Instant attraction 
-Slow burn/ workplace romance 
-Party planning 
-Male romance writers  
-Small town vibes
-Supportive community

virgo_reader's review against another edition

2.0

I enjoyed this book as a sweet and simple romance, but it was missing an extra OOMPH. I would’ve loved if the hero Drake had leaned into his “IRL” awkwardness - I loved the quotes from him about how he hated talking to people because unlike with writing, he couldn’t craft and redraft a perfect sentence or witty banter. Or if he would have leaned harder into the romance he wanted to write - tied it more to the history of his grandparents or made it “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” where Kate is unaware of the writing she inspires.

While the book was perfectly sweet, I saw all the places it could’ve been elevated to something more. But I checked the author’s Goodreads and I think this is her first adult contemporary romance, so I’ll definitely check out future releases from her.

lilysmomreads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

kristensreadingnook's review against another edition

5.0

When Kate Sweet (the Queen of Happily Ever Afters) gets involved with planning Drake Matthews’ (the Knight of Nightmares) book launch, two worlds collide in more ways than one.

This laugh out loud funny rom-com had me feeling all the feels, and singing Marvin Gaye’s classic every time I looked at the cover.

The best part was buddy reading with some friends! We all really enjoyed the book, and chatting about our favorite parts was the icing on the cake!

mindfullibrarian's review against another edition

4.0

(free review copy) The only thing I like as much as dogs in my romance novels is bookish stuff in my romance novels ~ and this one more than delivers! With one of the main characters being an author, there is all kinds of delightful content about books and writing and fans and such. Oh! And wedding planners are totally my jam too, and while she may dispute this title, the other main character is a wedding planner. The whole story was a lot of fun and I’m so hoping that this will be the first in a series. Maybe all the brothers can have their own books???

justinevandale's review against another edition

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I was never the biggest romance reader but I’m starting to try them out. I loved this book! It was adorable. Romance really gets you in the feels. Like I want this kind of romance. It was definitely what you call a slow burn lol I took until the last like 50-100 pages but it was all worth it. I would recommend this read for sure. 

monlbrown17's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

bookish_bytrade's review against another edition

3.0

I genuinely enjoyed this cute romance. I'm not sure if there was anything that blew me away about it, but it was quite enjoyable and I loved that the male MC was a horror writer. There were some very unique and creative tid bits and insights into the writing process sprinkled throughout the story that it gave the book such an authentic feel. I will absolutely continue reading the rest of this series. I think the author does a fantastic job with writing the atmosphere and the ambiance of the setting. I loved the descriptions of the victorian house Drake lives in. It sounds to die for and I want to live in it! I wish the book's pacing had been better. It felt so rushed at the end and the beginning was so slow. I had wanted the romance to have been more developed throughout the story instead of beginning in the back half of the book. I think because of this the chemistry between the two characters fell flat for me. I did enjoy reading this book and it will be the perfect read for Fall. It made me wish Summer was over already and I"m being immersed in the Fall foliage, Halloween, crisp weather, and all things pumpkin spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

bernadettebloom's review against another edition

2.0

Kate is an event planner hired to do his book launch, Drake is a horror writer with a new book coming out. Uninspired by horror, but inspired by his grandparents’ love story, Drake starts writing romance.

Not enough banter, not enough fun. This one just didn’t grip me so I wasn’t invested in this couple.

sassidys's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0