How Sweet It Is: A Deep Haven Novel

This is Christenson’s third Deep Haven novel with Sunrise Publishing, and no pun intended it is sweet. Robin Fox and Sammy Johnson, our heroine and hero, were very believable characters. Robin and Sammy both believed they didn’t belong and that they had to prove themselves in order to be noticed. Part of the fun of the book is how they find each other and their real purposes. The faith message was present but subtle enough that I don’t see how anyone, whether a believer or not, couldn’t enjoy this story. If you want a clean read with a wholesome message and characters you can care about, you’ll find all of it in the story. I received an advance reader copy for review, but I have ordered the paperback.

A return to Deep Haven, this time to a bakery, Robin Fox comes home from Paris to help her grandparents run their bakery while they take a well deserved vacation and she recovers from her boss' betrayal. Sammy Johnson lives in Deep Haven but is still trying to find his purpose after a trucking accident that cost him his career. Both are trying to find where they fit in and what purpose God has for their lives. This was a sweet, romantic story of friendship that turns into romance, of healing from betrayal and trauma, and of discovering who God wants you to be. It was fun to visit Deep Haven again and reconnect with old characters and new ones.

It's always so much fun to return to Deep Haven and this introduction to the Fox family was indeed a ton of fun. Robin was an easy heroine to relate to and her pursuit of her dream of becoming a renowned baker in Paris was quite an adventure. Sammy, in his steadfast, faithful, and tender way, was a wonderful hero who needed to overcome guilt and shame of his past and open his eyes to purpose God has for him. Sammy's interactions with the youth of Deep Haven were truly endearing and Robin's confectionery creations were mouth-watering. Their easy friendship from high school that blooms into something more was delightful and the strong faith thread was relevant. I also enjoyed all the cameo appearances of characters from previous books (Seth, Peter, Ronie, Megan, Colleen and Vivien among others). If you enjoy small town contemporary romance, this book will be perfect for you. I received the book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.