{REVIEW} SUGAR RUSH by RACHEL ASTOR

Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Publication Date: 8/25/12
Format: ebook
Pages: 158
Source: Received from publisher for review.

There’s nothing quite like your first bite.

Dulcie Carter has been running her family’s homemade sweet shop, Candy Land Confections, on her own since her mom passed away. But business is slow and rent is high, so Dulcie knows if she wants to keep her mom’s dream alive, she’ll need a miracle. Winning the annual Assembly of Chocolatiers competition will change everything, if only she can overcome her fears and bring herself to create something new for the first time in a long time.

Then she meets Nick, a molten-hot guy with a sexy smirk and chocolate brown eyes. The attraction is stronger than any sugar rush—until she discovers he’s set to inherit his family’s big-box candy shop in town, which is her strongest competitor for first prize. Nick’s got his own reasons for needing the win, but then being around Dulcie is proving addictive.

As the competition heats up, so do the sparks between them. Can they keep their sights on winning, when love might be the sweetest prize of all?

 

A charming story that will appeal to your heart. And your sweet tooth.

Would it be terribly cliche if I said Sugar Rush was a sweet, sweet story? I know, it is. But that is simply the best description for the story of Dulcie and Nick, and the confections that consume their lives.

Dulcie (such an appropriate name!) was a great girl, though she has difficulty realizing how talented and imaginative she is. Since her mother's death, she has dedicated her life to keeping her mother's beloved Candy Land Confections open. When she meets Nick, Dulcie immediately drawn to him, and he to her...until they realize one another's identity. Though their families and history says they should keep their distance, Dulcie and Nick can't fight that loving feeling.

I will say, I had the teensiest of reservations in starting Sugar Rush. The premise reminded me a bit of You Have Mail. I happen to love that movie, except for one major hitch: the two main characters were business rivals, with the male owning a mega bookstore that was threatening the woman's small indie bookstore. They fall in love, then she finds out he's putting her out of business and ends it. Shortly after, though, all is forgiven and they live happily ever after. At the time, this really didn't bother me. Now, I would flog the man who ruined my livelihood, hottie or not. Sugar Rush, while having the same business rivalry-turn-love story aspect, was not that story. It has a much, much better resolution to the problems that Nick and Dulcie face. Thank goodness or I might have had a minor stroke.

Sugar Rush read like a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. That is a good thing! It was very well-written, with a pace that never lagged. And though I only focused on Nick and Dulcie, all the characters made an impact (especially Dulcie's grandma!) I even found the candy making aspect interesting. This story made me want to curl up in my cozy living room, by the Christmas tree, and enjoy the fun. Sugar Rush was a sweet escape.


It should be noted that I read Sugar Rush approximately four days after I went off most sugar. It was so good that I still loved the story and managed not to harm anyone whilst reading.


Favorite Quote:

  "Her lips were as soft and sweet as any of the candies surrounding them. She leaned in over the counter, just a little at first, then farther, and Nick let his mind go completely. Let himself get lost in the swirl of delicious smells, the blood rushing through his body, and most of all, Dulcie.
  It was all the vamilla and chocolate and sugary goodness he thought it would be."   (45%)


You can purchase Sugar Rush at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble