Customer Reviews

A Bittersweet Love

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This is the first book I've read by Janice and needless to say, I will be ordering her other books. In "A Bittersweet Love", Teddy, a photojournalist, is trying to obtain a staff position at this prestigious magazine. She is assigned to interview the reclusive Joachim West. Joachim, a writer, is in Ireland attending a friend's wedding and writing his next book. The first chapters of the book are dedicated to developing the characters individually. I did find this part to be interesting, but a little on the slow side. They actually don't meet until chapter 7. But, knowing they will meet and waiting for them to meet kept me reading. I loved this story. Teddy was definitely a strong, independent, caring black woman/mother. I could really relate to her. Joachim was the epitome of what we women want in a man. Love, security and devotion (not to mention tall, dark and handsome). I'd let him rescue me any day. You just have to read this book.

Whether she is writing about alien life in "Out of the Blue" or giving history about African American life on a Montana ranch in "For Keeps", Janice Sims manages to bring an excitement in romance with nontraditional twists and turns. She has done it again managing to develop a romance and capture our hearts in Ballycastle, Ireland. Theodora (Teddy)Riley, free lance journalist, is counting on obtaining an interview with best selling novelist, Joachim West. His last book won the National Book Award but he steadfastly refuses any interviews, despising the press afater the way his young wife's memory was tarnished during her funeral. His best friend, Conal, an Irishman, has offered his home as a retreat so that he can jump start his blocked writing. The last thing he expected was to come across the beautiful, alluring, Teddy. All Teddy wanted to do was convince the reclusive Mr. West to give her an interview because she was promised a permanent position with the magazine if she pulled this coupe. She badly needs to obtain permanent position employment because it appears her ex-husband wants to fight her for custody of their two-year old son. Adrian Riley walked out on his pregnant wife and had nothing to do with his son, Alex because it didn't fit into his game plan. His broadcast career was top priority and an unexpected child was not going to get in his way. Now he is on Teddy's doorstep sparking a hostile reaction from her. A mugging after she arrives in Ballycastle brings about a series of events and Joachim ends up as Teddy's protector and because they are the only two African Americans in town everyone assumes they are husband and wife. What a mess, but Joachim decides to keep up the charade because of the connection he feels with Teddy. This was a well written story with a picturesque view of the countryside of Ireland with colorful secondary characters there and back at home in San Francisco. Ms. Sims also captured the historical background of Carmel-by-the-Sea. I can't wait to see what angle this author comes up with next.

Janice Sims is a very talented writer who is not content to bring her readers the same old stories in the same old places. A Bittersweet Love is a very mature love story about two African Americans who meet and fall in love in a small Northern Ireland town. Neither time nor distance can dampen the love between two very bright, funny and engaging characters. I kept wanting the story to go on and on.

As a huge fan of Janice Sims, I can honestly say there is nothing's bitter about this book. She is not your typical author that writes about the same thing over & over again. I have always admired the way Ms. Sims places black characters in exotic, far away locations and give us the readers, something different to read. You can tell by reading any one of her many books, that Ms. Sims is always thinking of ways to be creative and inspiring. Beautiful work Ms. Sims...

Once again, Janice Sims gives us a novel that is not only unique in its setting but a marvelous "relationship" novel too! Ms. Sims does a wonderful job of bringing her characters and settings to life! I can just see Ms. Teddy Riley the journalist, Joachim the writer, Teddy's "pretty boy" ex-husband and the quaintness of the small Irish town where the story is set. Ms. Sims takes the reader to an unusual place for African-Americans and does it in a believable way. This novel, as well as her others are well worth the price of the book and the time reading it! I guarantee it will make you run for the bookstore for all of her other titles!

I am still kicking myself for waiting so long to read this one, but life got in the way. When I did have the time, I read it in one sitting and all I could do was smile for page after page. Then, I was so sorry that I'd reached the end that I read it a second time a week later. I NEVER REREAD A BOOK THAT SOON, but this one took me there. Charm and wit are Ms. Sims' trademarks and they are certainly on ample display in this story. I've always heard that Ireland was a chilly place, but Ms. Sims did a wonderful job of heating it up. To paraphrase that Irish Spring commercial, "Joachim is made for a woman, and I love him too".

Bittersweet is the story of Teddy who goes to Ireland to do a story of the very popular author Joachim West who's been out of the public eye for awhile. People end up thinking they are husband and wife because Teddy has to stay at his house and he don't want to ruin her image. The two end up falling for each other fast. Pretty good.

This was a beautiful story of a new found love between Theodora (Teddy) Riley and Joachim West. Both had lost at love. Teddy, the photojournalist - due to a selfish husband who at first put his career before his love for Teddy and parenthood, then later tried to complicate Teddy's life with a custody battle over their son. Joachim, the writer - due to the death of his wife. These two situations had turned into bitter episodes of love. However, Teddy and Joachim had a second chance at love.

While on assignment in Ireland, Teddy not only gains her interview with Joachim, who for some unknown reason becomes captivated by Teddy. But, Joachim is not alone. Teddy, who has not had strong feelings for another man since her divorce with Adrian, has stirrings of unexplained emotions for Joachim as well. From their first meeting, the heat grows hotter and the sexual attraction is there. Nevertheless, during Teddy's two day visit, Teddy and Joachim refrain from submitting to the physical act, and later, Teddy returns to San Francisco.

You have to read the book to find out what happens (1) after Teddy returns to San Francisco, (2) when several months later Joachim joins Teddy on her birthday, and (3) with Adrain and Teddy's custody battle over their son, Alex.

Ms. Sims wrote an interesting book about losing love and finding a new love. Teddy and Joachim were the perfect couple. Teddy was who Joachim needed to share the love he had stored inside of him, while Joachim was the man Teddy needed to experience a true love that was willing to accept responsibility, as well as whatever life had to offer. Each was given another chance at finding happiness in life and realizing that love can be sweet and wonderful.

A very good book.

I loved this story. The story line was one of my favorites, pretending to be a couple when you are not and you bearly know one another, and then you fall in love in the process! I Loved It! Teddy and Joachim (strange spelling but very sexy) were great together. Joachim is a man that does not take "No" for the final answer. He takes the motto, "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again" very literally. Much Love to Ms. Sims!

What a wonderful novel! I've enjoyed Ms. Sims' other novels, but this, in my view, is one of her very best. In A Bittersweet Love, Ms. Sims permits her characters to develop independently, incorporated other sub-story lines that are all too often absent from the run-of-the-mill romance novel. Her characters were developed as "whole people" long before they actually met. They were not neurotic or emotionally handicapped; they said what they felt and dealt with each other as typical adults would (such a wonderful change from the ordinary). Also, with romance novels, we readers expect that all will end well (love conquers all) with the main two characters so that the mystery is always absent. We know how the book is going to end, but in the case of Bittersweet, Ms. Sims intrigued us with divergent subcharacters that we were still guessing about until the very end of the story. That was another very refreshing change. These factors made her book much more interesting and enjoyable. I hope that more of this style of story line -- characters without exaggerated neuroses -- will be forthcoming from other romance writers. Ms. Sims has already shown how it's done.