REVIEW: Sweet Surprise by Candis Terry

In Sweet Surprise (Sweet, Texas #4) by Candis Terry, Single mom and new cupcake shop owner Fiona Wilder feels like she’s still trying to atone for past mistakes. Living life without giving in to her desires is getting a little old, but doing right by her daughter Isabelle and the Wilder family who have given her so much love and support means everything. But Fiona’s ex-husband Jackson’s best friend Mike Halsey is just too much temptation wrapped up in the most mouthwatering of ways. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop her inner vixen from rising up to the surface. Mike is trying to make good on his word to take their relationship slow, but will Fiona be able to hold back, too?

‘Rarely did she meet a man who appeared to have such heart and soul. What would happen if he found someone he could trust, someone who could help him channel all that wonderfulness in the right direction? What if that someone could be her?’

Mike Halsey knows all the reasons why he should fight his attraction to gorgeous Fiona. She’s his best friend’s ex. She’s a busy single mom who is just starting her own business. And she’s too good for the likes of him. Try as he might, nothing seems to be stopping Mike from flirting and trying to gauge Fiona’s interest. She says she wants to be responsible this time around in the dating scene and take things step-by-step. Sounds like a good plan. But it turns out a guy can only be patient just so long in close proximity to such a beautiful, tempting woman, though.

“Fiona?”

“Hmm?”

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“I’m trying to move slow.”

“Mmmm.” Her thick lashes flutter as she looked up into his eyes. “I like slow kisses.”

Well hell. So much for being a good boy.

This story couldn’t be more aptly named. Sweet Surprise was exactly that. With our hero and heroine tailor-made for each other, a four-year-old cutie pie to steal the show, and that undeniable Texas charm, this romance had a little bit of something for everyone.

I’ve read just about all of the Sweet, Texas series so far and have enjoyed every single installment. But honestly? I’ve been waiting for Fiona’s story, to learn more about her past and how she could possibly be so darn nice about her ex-husband Jackson’s new relationship without being jealous! It turns out that Fiona was genuinely that kindhearted and tried very hard to do the right thing. Especially when it came to her daughter Izzy and the Wilder family in general. I loved getting to know more about what initially happened in her marriage to Jackson–from her point of view–and seeing how devoted she was to darling little Izzy.

Mike was another honestly good, caring person. He might have been a hunky guy who knew how to turn on the charm, but underneath the bravado was a man who put his family and other’s well-being first. Every. Day. It wasn’t just his job as a fireman, either. He definitely gave back to the community and was always there to lend a helping hand. I found that incredibly admirable and inspiring. With Fiona and Mike together, both being so giving and warm? Outstanding. You just know while reading their story that they’ll be in future books helping out the residents of Sweet in one way or another.

Of course the whole Wilder clan and the local townsfolk made appearances. Thank goodness. I get such a kick out of the Wilder brothers and how mischievous they are. Although their mama raised them right, so they were there to help as well. Seeing Mike interact with all of the brothers was a riot considering he had all sisters. So it was a totally new dynamic that proved to be highly entertaining. And let’s not forget Jana Wilder. She was up to her matchmaking, meddling ways again in this story, but like always she did it out of the love she felt for her children and friends. How can you argue with that?

Whether or not you’re already a fan of the Sweet, Texas series, I think you’ll definitely enjoy Fiona and Mike’s modern day fairytale romance. They don’t get much more charming than this.

Book Info:

Published January 27th 2015 by Avon | (Sweet, Texas #4)

Playing naughty or nice…

Fiona Wilder knows all about falling in lust. Love? That’s another story. Determined not to repeat past mistakes, the single mom and cupcake shop owner is focused on walking the straight and narrow. But trouble has a way of finding her. And this time it comes in the form of a smoking hot firefighter who knows all the delicious ways to ignite her bad-girl fuse.

Can lead to heartbreak…

Firefighter Mike Halsey learned long ago that playing with fire just gets you burned. He’s put his demons behind him, and if there’s one line he won’t cross, it’s getting involved with his best friend’s ex. But when fate throws him in the path of the beautiful, strong, and off-limits Fiona, will he be able to fight their attraction? Or will he willingly go down in flames?

Or a sweet surprise!