How Sweet It Is by Robin Lee Hatcher Review

Happy Friday Everyone :)

I hope you've all had a great week, and that if you're reading from Canada that you had a great Canada day. And if you're reading from the USA that you have a great Independence Day tomorrow.

Today's post is not going to be a link up for First Line Friday, as I decided to take a week off from it and instead tell you guys about this fantastic book I had the chance to read a few days ago. I couldn't get enough of this beautiful story, and I can't wait for you all to read this one when it releases in less than two weeks.

How Sweet It Is by Robin Lee Hatcher:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: July 14th, 2020

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary

Series: Legacy of Faith

Synopsis:

He lost his brother. She lost her dream. Together, they might find what they're really looking for. 

Holly Stanford is doing the best she can with the restaurant she inherited from her late uncle. But after her fiancé abandons her and the business, Holly regrets having given up her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Now a few bad financial decisions might cost her everything, including her hope for the future.

Jed Henning has done well with his new company despite his prodigal brother’s behavior. When Jed‘s father , the controlling member of the board of directors, temporarily suspends operations until his sons work out their differences, Jed resentfully chases his brother, Chris, to Boise. There Jed rents a basement apartment from Holly and hopes to convince Chris to get his act together before their company collapses.

Unaware that Holly is the one person who can help him get through to Chris, Jed starts the tough work of reconciliation armed with little more than a few family photographs, a stack of old letters, and a Bible that belonged to his great-grandfather, Andrew Henning. And as romance blossoms between Holly and Jed, the story of Jed’s great-grandfather highlights the power of God across the generations and the legacy of a family’s courageous faith. 

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Of all the Robin Lee Hatcher books I've read over the years, How Sweet it is is definitely my new favorite. I couldn't get enough of this heartwarming story that focuses around family, friends, romance, and learning to follow God's plan for our lives even when the plan doesn't seem to be leading where we want it to.

With how much I ended up enjoying this one, I'm kind of sad that I didn't read the first two books before I read this one. However, I appreciated the fact that I never felt like I was missing out on the story by picking this one up without reading those two first.

I really enjoyed Holly and Jed's story. The cover is adorable, and I thought it worked perfectly considering how much baking means to Holly. I enjoyed the way their romance develops naturally, and never feels rushed or like insta love, which I'm never personally a fan of. Instead the transition seemed natural from strangers to acquaintances to close friends before finally moving onto something more. Holly's journey wasn't an easy one, but I loved the way that Robin Lee Hatcher used her overcoming all the obstacles in her past to grow closer in her relationship to God. Likewise, Jed's frustrations with his brother have lead to a lot of hurt and turmoil, but through his quest to fix things, he also realizes just how far he himself has strayed from God through the years. The faith element was perfectly blended in, and an integral part of the story, but it never felt preachy or hypocritical and I loved that. 

If this whole story has just been Jed and Holly's, I would have still loved it, but having a timeslip element where the reader gets to know the Henning family patriarch, grandpa Andrew, just made this beautiful story even better. I absolutely adored Andrew and Helen and the amazing life they lived for Christ. The choices they made had such an impact on the family for years and years to come, and they are honestly one of the main reasons I want to go back and read the first two books.

Final Rating: 5/5.

I couldn't get enough of this beautiful book, and I'm honestly sad that this is the last book in the series. I can't possibly recommend it enough, especially if you love Christian contemporaries or timeslip novels.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great weekend :)