Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world. Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love. Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together. ~From GoodReads
To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of SWEETNESS. (Sorry, Lindsay!) I couldn't tell you why, for certain. Maybe it was the length of the book. Maybe I'm just weird sometimes. But I have to say, I was, overall, pleasantly surprised.
I would describe SWEETNESS as "sweet" with a bit of an edge. I know that seems easy because of the title, but it really was. The main characters had such an endearing charm. But they were also fragile, particularly Emily. Jake was such a rock, despite his circumstances, and treated Emily almost to perfection. Their progression throughout the story was charming and, again, sweet.
The issues the teens face are sobering. Emily has undergone a traumatic experience and hasn't fully recovered. I did feel the issues were pretty heavily glossed over, and that was a missed opportunity. I don't know if the author has delved more deeply in subsequent books, or plans to leave it be. Regardless, I know I would have felt more deeply for Emily if I had know a bit more about her past, instead of just the bits she shared.
SWEETNESS definitely snuck up on me. I didn't expect to care as much for the characters as I did. I am definitely curious as to what happens to Jake and Emily next, more so if their issues are fully fleshed.
Favorite Quote:
"That short act of slamming the metal door closed and hearing the clack of metal on metal made me feel slightly better. It was a smaller ecstasy of doing something like standing on the top of a three-story building and throwing stuff over the edge." (ebook, 1%)
Published November 11th 2011 by CreateSpace
You can purchase SWEETNESS at:
Amazon | Smashwords
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.
