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Sunday, December 2, 2012

{REVIEW} SUGAR RUSH by RACHEL ASTOR

Sugar RushSeries: 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 
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17 comments:

  1. Sounds cute. I loved You Have Mail. Might have to check this one out.

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  2. Oh this sounds like a super fun read Andrea, I still haven't watched You've Got Mail *face palm* so at least I won't have any comparisons to make with this book! Another great review! :)

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  3. This was so cute. I wanted cupcakes really bad afterwards though :-))) And a guy that bakes those cupcakes??? Even better!

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  4. Ohhh! That does sound sweet! I'm going to have to look this one up! Lovely review :D

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  5. Absolutely loved the cover of this book, and the sweet synopsis. Definitely intriguing. I loved You Have Mail, so I wonder how the author would unfold this story.
    GREAT review, Andrea
    YOor reader,
    Soma
    http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

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  6. This is my first look at this book. Thanks for your review. Lifetime? Hallmark? I'm in! I love books like this every once in awhile. Love the quote that you chose. Yummie! :)

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  7. OMG I used to love the Hallmark movies so much! I haven't watched one in forever! That's such a great description. This sounds like it would make me want to eat sweets and get fat while I read it. Happy to see it has a better resolution and didn't give you a stroke!

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  8. This sounds too cute! And I thought the exact same thing, before I read it in your review. When I read the summary, I was thinking "You've Got Mail"! I also LOVE that movie. It's one of my favorites to watch around the holidays. But you can never have enough of these sweet stories, not matter how similar they are to something else :)

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  9. Oh this looks yummy (pun intended)

    Valerie

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  10. Awesome review chick!!! I really enjoyed this one too. It was totally a sweet book!!

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  11. I love Hallmark movies, especially the Christmas ones and have been dvr the new ones this year..LOL This sounds delightful and sweet!!

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  12. I used to live near this little candy shop in Manassas, VA that was so adorable and had the best candies ever. I think a shop like this would set a quaint stage for a story like this. And I love a good romantic (comedy?). Thanks for sharing the book!

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  13. This seems like a cute, quick read. Plus there's a lot of chocolate involved! What more is there to love? Haha. I haven't actually seen You Got Mail :/ but I'm glad it strayed from the original similarities to the movie. Great review! It seems like Sugar Rush is bursting with strong characters.

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  14. Aww this sounds so sweet! I loved You've Got Mail. One of my favorite movies. Glad to hear things were resolved in a more appealing way. I've seen this book around and wondered if I should pick it up. I think you just gave me that extra push. You deserve an award for not harming anyone while reading this AFTER you went off sugar!! I read Bittersweet, which had recipes and descriptions of cupcakes throughout and I HAD to get a cupcake after that! :)

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  15. Haha, this does sound sweet! I like the title and the cover and I'm glad it was a good read.

    Also, going off sugar is one of the best decisions you could make!

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  16. This sounds like a fun book. Great review.

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  17. This sounds cute and super sweet is definitely a win!!!

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