Customer Reviews

Sweet Trouble (Wheeler Hardcover)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I'll admit that I haven't read the other books in the series, so I might have been missing out on some of this story. But maybe not, because the reason I didn't like this story is that I found the characters so unlikeable.

The heroine wasn't too bad, but really, who ends up in bed with their sister's man? Even if, like she claims, "nothing happened", why would you be in that situation if things are totally innocent? And yes, kissing is cheating--you don't have to actually have sex with someone for it to "count".

And the hero! I hardly know where to start with him. He is unjustifiably angry at the heroine, and his reasons didn't hold water. He claimed that she should have let him know she was having his kid. Umm...hello? She did! She told him she was pregnant, she told him it was his, she even offered to submit to a DNA test to prove it, but he would have none of it. He refused to even consider the posibility that it was his child. What was she supposed to do, hold a gun to his head and force him to be a part of his son's life?

The hero decides he's been done wrong (although how he gets there I'll never understand), and decides to get revenge on the hero by destroying her life and suing for custody. When his lawyer tells him that such action means he might end up having to take care of the kid, he replies that "that's what nannies and boarding schools are for." What a heartless pig! Children are not meant to be used as pawns in adult power struggles. Ripping an innocent child away from a loving mother (and the only parent he's ever known) and them abandoning him to be raised by strangers just to satisfy a petty need for revenge is just plain wrong!

I couldn't stand the hero's "poor pity me" attitude. He's the one who refused to take responsibility for his child. He made his own mess. This is not the way a hero is supposed to act. I spent the whole book wanting to punch him in the nose.

I've enjoyed books by Susan Mallery before, but I recommend skipping this one.

Jesse Keyes is the ne'er do well sister who left town pregnant under a cloud of suspicion after failing to get her family and boyfriend to believe her when she was suspected of sleeping with her brother in law. It's five years later and little Gabe has been asking about his father, so she decides it's time to return to Seattle to heal old wounds with her sister and with Matt. Only Matt is just as excited now as he was five years ago and suspects Jesse's true motivation is his vast fortune. But one look at Gabe and he sees the resemblance. Rather than blaming himself for not believing her, he instead decides to destroy her, by making her fall for him all over and then getting full custody of Gabe. But when his feelings start to change, he is not sure if he wants his heart ruled by passion or revenge. Her attempts at reconciling with older sister Nicole are met with trepidation at first, particularly when Nicole discovers that Jesse is so grounded - enough so that she wants back into the bakery to prove herself. Armed with a recipe of to die for brownies, she tries to revamp the bakery, despite Nicole's misgivings.

Mallery's final installment in the Bakery sisters trilogy is an interesting story, and would easily be my favorite if it weren't for one thing - the constant flashbacks. I would have preferred a prologue that contained all this material then the jump five years later. All it does it confuse the flow of the story. The character of Matt is kind of a jerk. Jesse really should have made him squirm a bit more. And Nicole, who was so nasty in the first two books has grown and is finally a mother, but still is somewhat bitter, making her still a character you wouldn't want as a friend. But Mallery ends the series on a high note - despite the flaws, it is a sweet and uplifting story, and little Gabe will steal readers hearts.

© Tracy Vest, September 2008

I've been reading romances for over 30 years now. This is the first book that has EVER made me wish for anything but a happily-ever-after. I would have been quite pleased if the heroine had dumped him and found someone else.

There is forgiveness, and there is being a sucker. The heroine jumped across that line when she took him back.

Over the span of the "Bakery" sisters series, this one takes the reader forward in the story and really provides definition to the characters. The first two books happen back to back, while this is 5 years beyond, with flash back to the time when Nicole and Jeese pulled apart. Pros: well written, and fully discussed issues of regret, fear of rejection, and redemption. Cons: Repedative if you read the series back to back. Also, in the first 2 books, there was little credit given to the relationship of Matt and Jesse. It took me a while to come around and see it fully. It seems the relationship was not very long. That is an issue I have with this series...the timelines don't always match up. But overall a very satisfying end to the series.

After reading the first two books of this trilogy, I was anxious to read Sweet Trouble. Unfortuantely, the hatred and disception within the book made it a poor read. I prefer uplifting, fun books. Most characters were filled with bitter anger which was a real disappointment.

I didn't really care for this book out of the series. I found it really hard to like Jesse, mostly because she kept saying nothing happened with her ex-BIL Drew. Um, don't you think if you caught someone with in bed with your husband then there is something to explain and accept responsibility for even WITHOUT sex? That you made a mistake? That even without sex it's not an excuse? That even if it was just kissing there is a line?

But I would be mad at my husband and friend/sister if I caught them doing that and not forgive them. I would want her and him to take responsibility for being stupid. So I couldn't like Jesse because she kept making excuses rather than owning up it was DUMB.

Having read the first two "Sweet" books I couldn't not read this one, despite the fact that I didn't really enjoy the other two. I was looking forward to Jesse's story.

I did not enjoy this as much as I hoped I would. Again, I didn't get the chemistry between Matt and Jesse (at least in the present, I adored the chapters that told about their relationship five years earlier.)

I liked that Jesse had grown up, but I was never sure of how she as in the first place. The reader's opinion was always colored by Nicole's hatred. A hatred that was never dealt with, in my opinion.

Nicole was nasty through all three books. I don't know if this was on purpose or it was supposed to show that Nicole was tough, but really she was just nasty. And mean.

She could not forgive Jesse. She kept expecting her to fail, never believed her and would not give her the benefit of the doubt. It's no wonder Jesse had such an empty adolescence. Her sister hated her.

Claire and Jesse were both too quick to forgive her. Nicole would be horrible to Jesse and then, Jesse would apologize because obviously it was her fault. Claire did the same thing in Sweet Talk. Obviously it was Claire's fault that Nicole's life sucked.

The whole dynamic of their "sister" relationship bugged me.

I liked the story between Paula and Bill and was glad they both found happiness. I'm glad Matt and Jesse ended up together, even though I never was sure why. Matt was still distant at the end.

I saw there was another sister series coming soon. I think I will do myself a favor and skip it.

Sweet Trouble (Bakery Sisters Book 3) by Susan Mallery HQN Sept 08
As expected, this book kept me entertained. Every time a conflict was resolved and I wondered how she'd fill the rest of the pages, either of the main characters stumbled and I realized the conflict really hadn't been resolved at all. It was lurking in the background waiting for the right moment. The book has many `right moments'. Some I saw coming. Some I didn't.

Jesse's story is the conclusion to the Bakery Sisters trilogy. Jesse and Matt broke up over a series of events involving miscommunication, bad judgment and most of all mistrust. Jesse tried to tell Matt she was pregnant but because of what someone told him, Matt spurned her. Disillusioned, she left. Five yrs after walking away from her fraternal twin sisters as well as Matt, Jesse is back because her four year old son wants to meet his daddy. Not only does she have to smooth things over with Matt, she has to prove to the sister who raised her that she's a responsible adult worthy of her trust and nothing like the `living on the edge' teenager who bucked authority at every turn.

Matt has led a fulfilling life ever since Jesse left but really, he's been in limbo and only going through the motions. Jesse hurt him. Badly. He's scarred but it won't take much to re-open the wound. He didn't believe Jesse carried his child when she left but now he's faced with the proof. There's no question Gabe is Matt's son and now Matt wants to hurt Jesse for robbing him of those precious first years of Gabe's life.

***Spoiler Alert***
The only problem I have with this novel is that Jesse never admits she displayed bad judgment when she let her sister's husband remove the clothes from the top of her body. Although I could empathize with Jesse for everything else, this stopped me from fully embracing her character. All I wanted was her to admit--just once--to her sister or to Matt that she allowed the incident to happen but stopped it before anything else happened. Instead, she put the blame fully on her sister's husband. Yes, he instigated it, but Jesse didn't protest until placed in a compromising situation. This one `flaw' showed she wasn't as grown up as she proclaimed.
***End of Spoiler***

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read...even when it made me cry...several times, in fact.

As for reading it on the eReader, I loved it. So convenient.

Heat Level: Yummy

My Rating: Great - 4 out of 5 stars (a keeper)

Bakery Sisters Trilogy:
Jul 08 - Sweet Talk
Aug 08 - Sweet Spot
Sep 08 - Sweet Trouble

Jesse Keyes has always been the sister to get in to trouble. It's not always her fault, but no one sees it that way. When Jesse finds out that she's pregnant, her sister Nicole assumes the worst, her boyfriend does to. Matt shoves her out of his life cruelly and her sister hates her, so Jesse decides to make a fresh start somewhere else. It's a struggle, but she manages. Five years later, Jesse and her four-year old son Gabriel, come back to Seattle because Gabe wants to meet his daddy. Matt wants nothing to do with Jesse, until he sees a way to make her pay for breaking his heart. He wasn't expecting to feel something other than hatred for her though. All Jesse wants is to reconcile with her sister and start over with Matt. What she ends up with, is a lot of heartache.

I read the Bakery Sisters novels one after the other. By the time I got to Sweet Trouble I was dying to read Jesse's story! I have to admit, Jesse was not my favorite person at that point, but after reading Sweet Trouble I wanted to throw my arms around her. Susan Mallery had her work cut out for her. I was hard pressed to accept Jesse's point of view. She did it though. Sweet Trouble is a heartfelt and emotional story. Matt and Jesse's feelings are vividly depicted and tangible. You can feel their inner turmoil. Their story is angst-filled, romantic, sensual, and intense. Claire is the innocent and shy sister. Nicole is the strong, capable one, and Jesse is the troublemaker. The tension and drama built more with every book until Sweet Trouble's dramatic conclusion. Sweet Trouble is wonderful, as is each book in the Bakery Sister's series. I highly recommend reading them in order. It makes them that much better!

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I normally love Susan Mallerys series and don't worry the new "Sweet" series is another favourite of mine.
Book 3 in the series is called "Sweet Trouble" and is about Jesse finally coming back after she left Seatlle pregnant 5 years ago because of trouble with her sister Nicole and her boyfriend Matt.
But she's not coming home alone, with her is her adorable little boy Gabe who's actually the reason for her return because he wants to meet his father Matt.
Ok, Jesse was kind of a bad girl in the first two books, "Sweet talk" and "Sweet spot", but even more was she a young woman not too sure about herself and her surroundings and on the search to find her place. Ok, she made some stupid mistakes but when reading the book you understand why she did them.
Actually Jesse is my favourite sister because she is so human and managed to make the best out of her situation. She is a great mother to Gabe, way more self-confident than she was 5 years ago and finally ready to be a full member of the bakery.
Matt is still bitter because he thinks Jesse cheated on him and he manages to stay bitter through nearly the whole book (dumb, but hey he's a man, what do you expect). He nearly destroys his chance of a Happy Ending with Jesse and Matt but thankfully he comes to his senses before its too late.
At the end it's up to Jesse to decide if she trusts the new/old Matt and especially herself to take a another chance with him.
All in all I loved this book and can recommend the "Sweet" series to anyone who loves romances and a little sister interaction.
Next up is the "Lone Star Series" and I'm sure Susan Mallery produced another hit with this.
Enjoy.
S.M.