Hi friends! So, you may or may not know, but I was a blogger for Heroes and Heartbreakers. I was with them since pre-launch … but then they booted us, so I went and nabbed my posts before all the content was removed, and I figured … why not revive it, right?! Also, I’m the review quoted on Rebekah’s site. 😀 <3 So we’re starting out with a story that made me really happy. (And there’s more to it… but we’ll get there. Anyway I also get to correct the errors/typos/messes where I was edited and it was kinda choppy or unfinished.)
So Sweet by Rebekah Weatherspoon
Contemporary romance released by Rebekah Weatherspoon on September 29, 2015
Desperate times call for desperate measures…
And desperate is the only way to describe Kayla Davis’s current situation. Out of work and almost out of money to cover her bills, Kayla finally caves to her roommate’s nagging and follows her to Arrangements, an online dating site that matches pretty young women with older men of a certain tax bracket.
Convinced this “make-rent-quick” scheme will surely fail—or saddle her with an 80 year old boyfriend—Kayla is shocked when Michael Bradbury, Internet billionaire and stone-cold salt and pepper fox, offers her a solution to all her financial troubles. It’s hard enough for Kayla to accept his generosity, but what’s a girl to do when the wealthiest man she’s ever met is a dream in and outside of the bedroom?
So Sweet by Rebekah Weatherspoon is just so cute. It’s a fun story that will leave you feeling good after you’ve finished it. Although So Sweet is a novella, Weatherspoon balances things nicely—there’s just enough realism to let you believe this totally unbelievable situation maybe might could happen. Really. There’s a refreshing frankness to Kayla, and the tone of the story that makes it almost—almost—tongue-in-cheek. It’s just a grand jaunt and you’ll want to be along for the ride.
I really enjoyed So Sweet, and I still like it even upon discovering that this story is a continuation. (I am firmly entrenched in team “give me a stand alone story.”) So Sweet satisfies, and the couple could work, but I’m glad there will be more. Kayla and Michael are honest from the start and don’t play games. What also helps is Michael is … basically perfect. It might seem a tad skeevy he’s dating someone so young, but that’s taken care of with the whole sugar baby aspect—you expect it and that helps the reader move on. Also because he’s actually not at all creepy.
I found So Sweet to be an interesting juxtaposition of stark reality and absolute fantasy. Kayla is a regular girl. She’s cute, but a big girl. She’s down on her luck, but determined not to stay there. Kayla is someone any number of people can identify with, especially someone in her 20s or early 30s. Even the sugar baby aspect is steeped in the real world. It’s a major—and competitive—subculture. The fantasy part is, of course, the billionaire owner who happens to be there, and who wants a real, emotional, and lasting relationship. It’s the perfect frothy and light balance. There are key moments outside the romance—Kayla’s shyness but determination to get a satin scarf once she’s whisked off to New York was a scene that I loved. You see that Kayla is self conscious, but also strong enough to demand her needs be met even if it makes her uncomfortable. And again when she’s on a private jet for the first time. You can’t help but like her. The girl also has a great sense of humor. While I normally don’t like texts in stories, they’re necessary here, and are just perfect. My favorite is when Kayla first meets with Michael and texts her roommate.
Going to NYC with Michael for a few days. If you don’t hear from me in eight hours I’ve been murdered. Tell my mom. Then avenge me.
So Sweet is also sexy—don’t think based on the title and cover it’s PG. Kayla and Michael get down, and there is “butt stuff (sic).” Kayla’s words. Yes, that’s part of the refreshing frankness I mentioned above. The story (and characters) are completely pragmatic while also equally wildly romantic. It’s madcap and fun, but also grounded. What made So Sweet such a great read isn’t the plot, but the voice and characterizations.
Reading this novella made me happy. I’m definitely looking forward to more.
Grade: B-
You can buy a copy here.