THE SWEETEST THING – Sasha Summers
Honey Acres , Book 2
HQN
ISBN: 978-1-335-45854-4
June 28, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Honey Hill Farms, Texas – Present Day

For the Hill family, their beehive farm is their life. This is all that Tansy has known, as well as the fierce rivalry with the neighboring beehive farm, which includes Dane Knudson, the eldest son. Dane and Tansy went to school together, and at one time, she thought she could have a romance with him, but the rivalry came between them. The Hill family is currently preparing for the upcoming Honey Bee Festival, which will award the top prize to one participant. Of course, the Hill and Knudson families are both gunning for the win. Tansy has to grit her teeth whenever they attend a fair or festival because invariably, Dane is there. He attracts the ladies who love his Viking-like looks and hair, which only irritates Tansy that much more. But beneath their rivalry is an attraction that they ignore. Until now.

Dane loves teasing Tansy because it always gets a rise out of her. However, is the real reason he teases her be because he wants to attract her attention? He regrets things that he’s said or done to her in the past, but he is also dealing with some nasty rumors about himself that are going around that were spread by his father’s now ex-wife. Meanwhile, Dane is trying to be the big brother to his little brother, Leif, who is being badgered by their father. Yes, Leif is acting out, but it’s because their dad is being a heel. After Dane and Tansy are forced to work together, the attraction that they’ve denied for a long time springs to life.

THE SWEETEST THING is a cute tale that focuses on a couple with a love-hate relationship. Tansy and Dane secretly like each other but the longtime family rivalry makes a romance/friendship nearly impossible. Add in that Dane’s father is accused of stealing a Hill family honey recipe, it’s no wonder that things are bitter between them. Dane loves to tease Tansy, knowing that it irritates her. Does he want her to keep paying attention to him? It works, but it isn’t until they are forced to be around each other that a thaw begins to occur. But they are still rivals for the first-place prize in the Honey Bee Festival. Will that stand between them?

Dane lost his mother years ago, which left his and Leif’s father reeling. The man has married several times since, but the worst was Kate, who is Dane’s age and went to school with him and Tansy. She likely sabotaged any chance he might have had with Tansy. Kate has also smeared Dane’s reputation, accusing him of sleeping with her while she was married to his father. They’re now divorced, but people still don’t believe his denials because he has a bad boy reputation.

There are several minor characters in THE SWEETEST THING, which was a bit confusing at times as I found it hard to keep track until mid-way through. There are Tansy’s sisters and aunts, as well as Dane’s brother and father, plus several other characters who pop in and out. At times, this tale went slow as Tansy and Dane would call a truce before something would drive them apart. It was like a ping pong not knowing where they would be next in their back-and-forth romance. If you love a tale that is a bit out of the box with the bees and honey, then you will love THE SWEETEST THING. At the end of the book, there are numerous recipes that feature honey.

Patti Fischer