REVIEW: Sweet On You by Carla de Guzman

Sweet On You by Carla de Guzman: Sari Tomas has a thriving cafe’ in the town of Lipa, not far from Manila. She even has a coffee lab to experiment and perfect her brews. Her shop is in a community of shops called the Laneways.She is preparing for the upcoming holidays when there is suddenly a huge amount to commotion and building right next door to her shop. Gabriel Capras is a baker whose new shop is trying to woo her customers with first rate baked goods and third rate coffee.

Even though Gabriel looks almost as yummy as his pastries, Sari cannot let him win the upper hand in this competition. She embarks on a “prank war . Can there be a truce in this war?

Sari’s background includes some very dysfunctional parents, but she has two very supportive sisters. The author shows the many loving traditions they still share at the Christmas holidays.

Gabriel is the oldest of many children. He has moved around and tried many things before finding his true passion in baking. He has not let his family know where he is. They still think he is in Australia instead of very close to them. Gab’s father has made him feel as though he is not a true man who can support a family with his baking.

The author builds Sari’s and Gab’s love story to a full boil with a generous helping of spice mixed in. I love that neither of them may have the “perfect” body, but both view each other as gorgeous. The smells of the cafe and bakery had me drooling while I read this delightful book.

The author immerses the reader completely in Filipino culture and customs, especially those that revolve around Christmas. I love novels set in different locales. There is a different sort of charm as well as a way to learn new things in a fun way.

Sweet On You may be considered a Christmas story, but it is one that can lift your spirits any time of the year.
 

Book Info:

Publication: October 19, 2020 | Carina Press |

All’s fair in love and prank wars

For barista and café owner Sari Tomas, Christmas means parols, family and no-holds-barred karaoke contests. This year, though, a new neighbor is throwing a wrench in all her best-laid plans. The baker next door—“some fancy boy from Manila”—might have cute buns, but when he tries to poach her customers with cheap coffee and cheaper tactics, the competition is officially on.

And Baker Boy better be ready, because Sari never loses.

Foodie extraordinaire Gabriel Capras wants to prove to his dad that his career choice doesn’t make him any less a man. The Laneways might not be Manila, but the close-knit community is the perfect spot to grow his bakery into a thriving business. He wasn’t expecting a gorgeous adversary in the barista next door, but flirting with her makes his heart race, and it’s not just the caffeine.

It’s winner takes all this Christmas. And more than one competitor might just lose their heart for the holidays.