Review Detail

Previously published on my blog: http://fictionfervor.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/review-the-sweetest-thing-by-christina-mandelski/

Just like its title, this book is one of the sweetest I’ve ever read. It bears great resemblance to a novel I’ve read before, Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler, but there are definitely differences.

Sheridan got on my nerves. Constantly moaning about how she wanted her mom to come back even though she knew fully well that her mother left because she cheated on Sheridan’s father. Sure, I understand that she’s attached, but she was attached to the point of obsession. I guess that was the point, but Sheridan still irritates me.

I loved Sheridan’s dad though. Sure, I wasn’t too fond of him when I first started out reading the novel, but seeing him constantly trying to connect with Sheridan while Sheridan just pushed him away and yearned for her mom made me sympathetic to him. He’s one of those wonder dads who tries his best to make his baby girl as happy as possible.

Now, romance interests number one versus number two. Let’s use cliché phrases to sum them up, shall we? Ethan: popular bad boy who suddenly takes an interest in the heroine. Jack: heroine’s best friend who has been longing to be with her since the beginning of time. Although Christina Mandelski subtly inserted that Jack was in love with Sheridan, I could tell as soon as he made his first appearance. (‘Cause I’m just that good.) And of course, since I’m always on Team BFF-Who’s-a-Boy, you know who I chose. Hands down. Not to mention that Jack’s adorable anyway.

I’ve never really been quite impressed with plotlines of contemporary novels as I have for fantasy novels, but there’s nothing you can do about that, eh? (Fantasy novels just require more imagination, I think.) Even so, I was satisfied with the plotline of The Sweetest Thing: Sheridan’s dad, who is a renowned cook, just landed his own cooking show on a channel. But here’s the catch: he and Sheridan will have to move to New York. While he’s all for leaving behind their little town of St. Mary’s, Sheridan’s reluctant. She’d be leaving behind her best friends and her grandmother. And plus, what if her mom came back? So Sheridan’s unwilling to leave her little “triangle” of her house, her dad’s restaurant, and her grandmother’s bakery. She wants to stay at St. Mary’s and continue decorating cakes–her favorite thing in the world.

Ah, I almost forgot to mention the cakes! Personally, I love when sweets are involved in any book (I can’t resist the sugary goodness), so I loved reading about Sheridan’s decorating the cakes. I’d totally love to see them in real life. And then be able to eat them, mmm.

The Sweetest Thing was a cute contemporary that delved deep into my soul; in addition to the adorable romance, it taught an important lesson–that sometimes you have to stop dreaming and appreciate what you have.

Source: Galley received from publisher for review