Sweet Love

Yum! What a wonderful book. Julie had a child with Donald, but they are no longer together. Julie and her teenage daughter, Em, live next door to her parents. Julie's mom drives her crazy with her do this, do that. Julie's best friend Liza and her mom are in on a scheme to get Michael, Julie's crush from her childhood, and Julie together, so they put them in a dessert cooking school. Things are looking up, when Julie's world falls apart. What a delightful, engaging book. I became fully engrossed in it. Sarah Strohmeyer hit such a note, that I think it will stick with you for awhile.

Sarah Strohmeyer's Sweet Love is a paean to both sweetness, as in desserts, and love, romantic and familial. Betty Mueller starts off the tale by buying her daughter Julie and Julie's one-time crush Michael, who she hasn't seen in six years, slots in a local dessert class. Julie rolls her eyes but agrees to go, not realizing how easily she will be seduced into the thrill of making these masterpieces from scratch, a far cry from her mother's back of the box recipes. Meanwhile, reporter Julie is grappling with a possible promotion at her job as a TV news reporter while trying to hold off the woman gunning for her job. Throw in a tragic murder, an overeducated homeless man, sizzling passion and jealousy between her and Michael, and various family health crises, and you've got yourself a story that's full of snappy drama as Julie grapples with her own heart's calling, which she's kept buried for a long time. The tension between Julie and Michael is built to perfection, and the supporting characters, from Julie's daughter Em to her best friend Julia and eccentric work crew, are all masterfully worked into the story. The fraught mother/daughter relationship, a battle of wills, is one that will be recognizable to many moms and daughters of various ages. And let us not forget desserts, about which Betty Mueller waxes so enthused at the story's start. Strohmeyer makes sure to infuse sweetness of the edible variety in most every chapter, from chocolate orgasms to crème brulee and beyond. How to craft these mouth-watering deserts is a source of generational tension between Julie and her mom, and also a path to seduction. This is a sweet, tender, sexy and wonderful romance that I raced to get to the end of, even as I was sad to put it down. The title is fitting on many levels; Strohmeyer looks at the highs and lows of different types of love, and ultimately at how strong the pull of it is. This is the first book of Strohmeyer's I've read, but it certainly won't be the last.

Sarah Strohmeyer was inspired to write SWEET LOVE as a way of honoring the memory of her beloved mother, but also to gain closure after she passed away. The book opens with a prologue, written from the viewpoint of Betty Mueller, who feels a need to correct a wrong she thinks she did to her middle-aged daughter many years ago. Betty did not approve of Julie's budding crush on Michael Slayton, a family friend who was a bit older than Julie's teenage years. In the same breath, Betty also confesses that she loves desserts (and cooking in general) and believes it's what helps make the world go 'round. She admits that her own daughter hates to cook because she was a slave to her kitchen. Julie will have none of that. Looking at Julie today, Betty sees an unhappy, divorced, middle-aged woman with a teenaged daughter. This, she believes, is all her fault. Through some finagling, she manages to get Julie into a very exclusive cooking class focusing on desserts. What Julie doesn't know is that Michael also has been given this same gift. When the two attend their first session, Julie is shocked to find the love of her life there. It's the beginning of a renewed acquaintance, in which both Michael and Julie are reminded of their joint pasts, the friendship they shared, walking down memory lane and thinking of what had ruined their relationship --- a misunderstanding that occurred between them in their professional lives. Julie is embarrassed to even see Michael, because her feelings for him --- the crush she had when she was growing up --- was never reciprocated, as he only saw her as his best friend's little sister. And obviously those feelings still remained, because why would she be reacting this way to him after all these years? To make matters worse, Michael doesn't come to class alone. He brings a very attractive woman with him, and Julie is convinced they are involved. Betty continues her manipulating, hoping to get the two of them together. But as she's doing this, she's also dealing with her own issues that will bring Julie and Michael even closer together. SWEET LOVE is written in a very humorous tone, but there are also a lot of touching emotional scenes. I believe this is the best book Sarah Strohmeyer has written thus far. While her earlier novels, which comprised the Bubbles series, were light comedies with one-dimensional characters but still a lot of fun, her stand-alone titles have an added depth to them. SWEET LOVE continues to showcase her humor, but there is a serious side to this book --- with the characters being much more rounded and three-dimensional, changing and growing from their mistakes, and a few heavy themes that definitely bring more to the story. As always, I was not disappointed by Strohmeyer. Her book especially rings true for me because I too have recently lost my mother. --- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton

What words best describe SWEET LOVE? Warm. Touching. Poignant. What Sarah does best in SWEET LOVE is take what could be real life and show us what matters the most. Love. A mother's Sweet Love for her family. A daughter's Sweet Love for her parents and child. There is history to be had in Ms. Strohmeyer's SWEET LOVE. She opens our eyes to the important things in life....our family, friends and loved ones. And in a way, she reminds us that sometimes it is the simplest things that keep that Sweet Love alive. Truly a heartwarming story. This is definitely one to share with all of my loved ones. Most especially, ones who are facing their own personal battles in life. And the recipes are incredible, too! And always remember this....Love Abides. This is definitely a book to gift to mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins and friends... especially those who are dealing with real life. Yes, I have bought five so far, and will hope that they mean as much to my loved ones as it does to me.

Julie Mueller once loved Michael Slayton, but that was long ago, as a teenager. Now Julie is in her forties and the single mom of a teen. She is a television reporter for a station in Boston. Out of the blue, for Mother's Day, Julie receives three free dessert classes at The Famous Boston Cooking School (from her own mother). Julie did not really want to attend, but her mother guilts her into going. So Julie's next three Friday nights will be learning to make scrumptious desserts from Chef D'Ours. Turns out there is more going on than Julie would have believed. Michael Slayton is a fellow student. Julie cannot help but wonder if her mother knew that at the time of purchase. Perhaps her mother is playing matchmaker. However, that would be odd since her mother is one of the main reasons they never got together so long ago. Also, six years ago, Julie did something that seems to have ruined Michael's career. There is no way Michael would ever forgive her for that. Michael is the least of Julie's worries lately, though. Her mother is having dizzy spells lately and Julie is worried that something serious may be going on. Then there is work, where Julie is being considered for a position on the national election team. That would be a big step up. One thing is certain, Julie is about to make some tough choices and learn that when it comes to family, career, and dating, you should always follow your heart. ***** In my opinion, this is Sarah Strohmeyer's best book to date. There is a lot more going on that my synopsis mentions. I only hit the main items, but there are several secondary items happening and they quietly flow throughout the story. The best thing about this author's writing is that every single thing is believable, from the characters to the problems. The reader can easily identify with Julie. By the time you finish this gem, you may very well look at your mother in a totally new light. ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.