Customer Reviews

How Sweet It Is

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Deena Livingston is a young woman who seemingly had it all--a rewarding career as a pastry chef in an upscale restaurant, wedding plans well underway--until the night all of her dreams came crashing down around her, leaving scars on her body, and on her heart. Atlanta has become a painful reminder of a life that no longer fits. When her recently deceased grandfather's will provides the opportunity to move to an isolated community in the mountains of North Carolina, she jumps in with both feet, eager to escape life as she knows it.

Taking possession of the cabin, however, comes with one heavy-duty string attached; Deena must donate six months of afternoons at an after-school program for disadvantaged middle-schoolers at her grandfather's church, providing cooking lessons. The young woman who desires only to isolate herself and tend to her physical and emotional wounds is faced with two options; abide by the stipulation her grandfather has set forth in his will, or leave her hidey-hole and return to Atlanta and face the daily reminders of her shattered life.

Deena's world-view, and faith, are challenged and strengthened as she comes to know the people the Lord brings into her life in Bryson City, North Carolina. From her adolescent cooking group, she learns that not all scars are visible, and that it's possible to work through trust and anger issues while still keeping a heart open, and vulnerable, to others.

I chuckled, grinned, and wiped a few tears while reading "How Sweet It Is." Ms. Wisler is a talented new voice in Christian fiction. She speaks a distinct message of renewed hope and purpose through Christ's calling with skill, humor and sensitivity. I eagerly await her next release.

"How Sweet It Is", another great story by Alice Wisler. Wisler has a unique ability to create characters that whittle their way into your heart. Deena has inherited a cabin from the grandfather she barely knows, but who seems to know what Deena needs. A catch to the inheritance is that Deena must teach cooking skills to middle school kids who all seem to have their own issues they are dealing with. Deena, however, is determined to keep to herself, avoid relationships and heal her many wounds (internal and external). Wisler has created a stream of characters, some quirky, some not, who find their way into your heart. Each character comes at a time Deena needs them most - not that she always sees them that way! As she gradually finds her way, you will find yourself urging her on and cheering as she finds her place.

This second novel from Wisler, after "Rain Song" comes highly recommended. Alice Wisler keeps us all begging for more!

Alice J Wisler has done it again. In her new book, How Sweet It Is, we meet Deena Livingston. Deena is a young woman who has been through her fair share of pain. After an accident that left her scarred and a break-up that left her heartbroken, Deena decides to move from Atlanta to Bryson City, a small mountain town in North Carolina. Deena's Grandpa Ernest has left her his mountain cabin with the condition that she teach a cooking class to disadvantaged children. From the day she arrives in Bryson City, she is challenged to let go of her anger and forgive the past, not just by the children, but also by social worker Zack. As Deena continues to deal with her pain and hide her scars, she discovers an attraction to Zack and a genuine love for the children she teaches. She learns that scars are not just on the outside and that she and the children have more in common than she first thought.
Alice J Wisler is a writer with incredible talent. I adored this book, from the first page to the last. I think the thing that makes Alice's books so special is her ability to create characters that are very endearing. The characters in How Sweet It Is were written with such heart and such care. Each character is so unique and has his or her own pain in life. This book really spoke to me and it meant a lot to me to see this group of people, including Deena, come to grips with the need to heal and forgive. I can't recommend this book strongly enough. If you have not already read Alice's first book, Rain Song, do yourself a big favor and read that one too. You will be changed and your heart will be warmed. I loved this book and I am looking forward to more from this very talented author.

Alice J. Wisler has written a wonderful book of survival - not only of her wonderful character, Deena Livingston, the students she encounters, and the men in her life.
It is wonderful.
Deena Livingston was an Atlanta chef, engaged to 'Mr. Right' - as they were racing toward a concert at the Woodruff Center - wreck, and Deena is seriously injured. The jerk doesn't even visit Deena at the hospital, but does send roses - how caring!! Her girlfriends tell her he's been 'seeing' another woman.
Physically and mentally hurt, Deena needs a minor miracle. She has physical scars on her person as well as in her heart.
Deena's grandfather leaves her a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina, with some stipulations - she needs to teach cooking to a group of middle schoolers who have had problems after school in the community center.
Deena makes a very brave decision to accept her grandfather's cabin and assignment and leaves Atlanta behind. She has the courage to accept a new life and turn her back on the pain she has experienced.

After a shaky start with the kids, all having had more problems in their young lives than they ever should have had, Deena seizes a new life, and in doing so, betters others'.
There is kindness, romance and a gentleness that lovers of a true romance and need to read sometimes just to feel good.
This is Ms. Wisler's second book, and one hopes after reading the eloquently simple story one can easily embrace, there will be many more from her.

As the aroma of a freshly-baked cake delights your senses, enticing you to take one bite and then another and another, so this book seeps into your heart, slowly drawing you in until you've devoured the whole thing - possibly in one sitting! Yet instead of feeling uncomfortably stuffed, you will simply feel satisfied. Her grandfather's request and challenge to Deena regarding his Southern Peanut Soup is fitting for the book as well as life:

See if you can taste all the flavors. Sometimes you have to concentrate on the good in order to experience it. The good stuff in life doesn't always come with a big sign around its neck...You can't help but find when your hand is firmly encased in His. (p. 56)

There are indeed many individual flavors and characters in this book which combine to make a delectable and thoroughly satisfying read. Even flavors which appear to be strident and overstrong turn out to provide just what Deena needs, once she learns how they are best utilized. Like a well-crafted dessert whose flavors blend and enhance one another, the writing in this book causes you to savor every morsel and sigh with delight at the end.

Alice Wisler was an unknown author to me but I was drawn in by the premise of her book. The story started out a little dreary and I felt too bogged down in the main character's misery for too long a time at the beginning of the story, I admit I was afraid it would be a long slog through the book. However, as life started to surprise Deena in her mountain retreat and interesting characters like Jonas and Zack and the kids at the Center appeared on the scene, the story became gripping and I found it hard to put down. She does a masterful job of character development and her cooking and baking references were fun. The only thing that made my eyes pop was the story about Deena's grandfather stuffing plastic in his shoes. I was scratching my head and wondering what kind of plastic was available when he was a child. I was born in the 50s and plastic wasn't a common thing till sometime after that as far as I know. I certainly never heard my mother or grandmother talking about using plastic for anything when they were younger. After all is said and done, I find myself curious about Ms. Wisler's next book and ready to add her previous book to my reading list.

This is a sweet romance with lessons on forgiveness and healing. The heroine, Deena, moves from Atlanta into her grandfather's cabin in the mountains of North Carolina as she recovers from a nasty car accident that left her with 150+ stitches, and from finding out that her fiance was two-timing her.

Deena's intention is to open a cake-decorating business, but she finds that inheriting the cabin is conditional on her giving cooking lessons for middle-school children at the local youth centre. Her first lesson is a near-disaster as she tries to teach a McD's/BK audience how to make a basic white sauce. She also meets Jonas, a mentally-retarded plumber, and Zack, a social worker for several of the children in the class. As she learns more about the internal scars some of these children are hiding, she also learns to deal with her own broken heart and physical scars.

It's a bittersweet story, told in the first-person present tense, which gives it a sense of melancholy without being depressing or angst-ridden. Whisler's first book was worth reading, and this is even better. I think she is a writer to watch for, as she has a real way with words - this is not throw-away popular fiction, but nor is it the heavy 'literature'.

I really enjoyed the book. It was hard to put down!! I will recommend it to other friends.

Beyond the story line itself, what I fell in love with about this book is the depth Alice Wisler has given to her main character. I thoroughly enjoyed reading along to see how a baker/"foodie"character interprets the world around her. (If you are dieting ... this might not be the best book for you!) This book also tackles at least two heavy topics; the main one being the process of healing and forgiveness after a very personal betrayal, and the other of slowing down to savor the small moments in life. Moving on with your life after being hurt - either physically or emotionally - is difficult for anyone who hasn't experienced it to understand ... but Alice has captured it quite well. An enjoyable read, that tackles tough topics with a light-hearted, yet serious touch.

Alice Wisler has done it again with this heartfelt tale of a young woman dealing with a broken heart, the healing power of God's unending love, and the support of a charming cast from a Southern town. Deena's struggles with her past and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is very telling of the everyday life that many people with PTSD face. This is a story of hope and healing that will make you laugh, cry, and find faith in the God who loves us all.