Bittersweet

This story is a great read from the beginning to the end. Desiree is a beautiful young woman that you will fall in love with at the very beginning of this story. Gerald Kinglsey is every woman's dream man and you will love him too. This amazing story will keep you on your toes from the beginning to the end and the ending is beautiful.

Desiree Prescott is a New York executive is in the middle of finalizing her life. She is up for a promotion and is in the process of planning her wedding. All is going as planned until she receives a phone call in the middle of the night informing her that her brother and his wife had been killed, leaving their children in need of a guardian. To most people the normal course of action would be to step in when family needs you; especially when it's a sibling. Problem; Desiree believed that she was an only child. Gerard Kingsley is a professional baseball player who steps in to a parental role, when his neighbors are killed in a tragic automobile accident. Initially after his friend's death, their children were sent to live with a maternal cousin, but after the youngest child was physically abused Gerard stepped in and became their temporary guardian. When the news finally sank in, Desiree dropped everything, took a leave of absence from her job and departed for Atlanta. Upon her arrival, she was taken to the home of her brother and family. There she met her new family and the gorgeous family friend who made her weak in the knees despite being engaged. Desiree was not the only one affected because Gerard couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful woman that had recently become his new neighbor. Ms. Poarch has skillfully penned a novel that is light, romantic and suspenseful. She created a protagonist that is not only emotionally strong, but strong in will and morals. It is not everyday that an author can write a character that is truly a good person. I find that they all seem to have a dark side or selfish in some way or another. It was refreshing to read a story about a person that would sacrifice so much for a family that she didn't even know. The secondary characters were well written and were appropriately developed. It is an extremely easy and delightful read that will be placed on my shelf for a re-read; and recommended as this summers must read. Reviewed by: Eleanor S. Shields, Black Butterfly Review

In New York City, Desiree Prescott receives a telephone call that she is the half-sister of a now deceased brother in Atlanta. Her brother, Jordan, his wife and another couple, died in an auto accident and between the two couples, they left behind four young children. The telephone call was the result of a search for members of Jordan's family on his father's side; a side which never knew he existed. After receiving the call and the knowledge the children were placed with other relatives and were mentally and physically abused, Desiree takes a leave of absence from her job and travels to Atlanta to tend to the children and other legal matters with the intention of bringing the children back to New York to start anew. BITTERSWEET by Candice Poarch pits Desiree against a professional baseball player, Gerard Kingsley, who is keeping the children until another desirable family member is located. What Desiree doesn't bank on is the unwillingness of her fiancé to accept the children and the threat that looms after she arrives in Atlanta. With her thoroughly integrated on the children needs and her need to bring some semblance of order to their lives, she never expected the danger involved or the drama of another relationship. Candice Poarch did a wonderful job of telling this tale of family loyalty and sacrifice versus self. Her ability to capture the essence of New York City and the imagery used to describe the charm of both the rural and suburban South is vivid. The author demonstrates expertise by reverting back in time to tell the war story of Desiree and Jordan's father along with his relationships with both their mothers. This was an added bonus, which was approached flawlessly. Her incorporation of other family members, Desiree's mother and Gerard's entire family, demonstrated how families are willing to step in for the sake of the children without ulterior motives. Couple this with the fact that Gerard, the hero of this story, harbored resentment and uneasiness towards members of his family because of his choice of a profession and Desiree's less than stellar upbringing, and this story comes full circle. Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers