Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen

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Title: Bittersweet
Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: True North #1
Published by: Indie
Release Date: June 14th 2016
Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 293
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2018 #LetsReadIndie Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 Beat the Backlist Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 New Adult Challenge, Lenoreo's 2018 Reading Assignment Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:

Blurb:

The new series is set in Vermont. True North is populated by the tough, outdoorsy mountain men that populate the Green Mountain State. They raise cows and they grow apples. They chop a lot of wood, especially when they need to blow off steam. (Beards are optional but encouraged.)

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

My Review:

4.5 stars — So I actually went about this series all backwards, and read the 4th (most recent) book first.  And I honestly didn’t think anything was going to be able to top Dave Beringer and Bountiful.  I was wrong…or rather, I don’t know if this book (and Griffin) topped it, but it basically gave me the same happy and effervescent bubbles in my tummy…like a delicious sex cider.  😛

I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect this series to be so fun and light!  But I can’t even tell you how many times I found myself giggling in this book.  It was the usual perfect blend of giggles and feels.  And, as with all my favourite books (and as I should just expect from Ms. Bowen at this point), the highlight of this book was wholeheartedly the characters.  They were just so well developed, and unique, and the kind of characters that I want to be real.

Griffin…was…ADORABLE.  Grumpy Griff.  Grouchy Griff.  Dudes, he was such an odd hero, I don’t even know quite how to describe him.  He was loyal as fuck to his family, hardworking, and sexily smart (both in the chemistry and business areas).  He also had a really soft inner center that I wasn’t expecting.  You could really *feel* how much he cared when he let someone into his heart.  And he wasn’t afraid of falling in love, he just assumed he didn’t have time.  And while he could be a teddy bear in some areas, he was grrrr good kind of aggressive in the bedroom…like, just manhandly, but in a sexy way.  And can I just say that I appreciated his love of Star Wars, and all those little references?  And his nerdiness about his business and organic farming in general was just…swoon.

Audrey!!!  OMG Audrey!!!  That girl had me almost from moment one.  She was the epitome of a perfect balance of sweet and sassy…OH THE SASSY!!  The way she bantered and gave as good as she got with Griff just made my whole life.  I love good banter…LOVE IT.  I laughed so hard at so many of her tiny little digs/snarks.  And OMG, she broke my freaking heart!!!  I did not expect her, and how her childhood shaped her.  It was so…real.  I got who she was, how she came to be how she was…just, you know, all that good stuff.  I was so relieved that we got to see some glimmers of hope for her near the end with her Mom, and with future business prospects.  You go girl!

And, it will come as no surprise, but Griff and Audrey together were magic.  I didn’t even mind any bad assumptions, or cautiousness.  I understood it.  But wow, the chemistry was zowey.  They had me from the outdoor shower.  And even outside of the steamy chemistry, I loved the conversations they had, and how they tempered the other.  I loved that they wanted the best for each other.  And OMG, Griff’s gift was PERFECT.

As with all books/series by Ms. Bowen, the secondary characters were rich and full and intriguing.  I LOVED Griff’s family, from the siblings to the Mom to the Gramps.  They all added to both Griff and Audrey’s growth.  And it was so nice to see the Zara parts that were hinted at in Bountiful — that was even better than I was expecting, and makes me want to go back and reread Bountiful.  And then there was Jude and Zachariah.  OMG, I cannot WAIT to read their books.  Like it’s physically killing me to be sitting here writing out this review when I could be reading Steadfast.  Type faster fingers!!  And can I just give a “hey-o!” to the tie in to Goodbye Paradise?  I wasn’t surprised, b/c I saw the reverse easter egg in that book, but it was still fun.

One last thing, you know what surprised me that I loved?  The atmosphere/setting of this book.  Am I the only one that has a hankering to visit Vermont now?  Tour some small towns, farms, and cideries?  Who’s with me??  Road trip!!

OK, now I’m just getting silly, but I loved this book you guys.  And that makes me so happy!