Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bittersweet is the first instalment of the True North series by Sarina Bowen. I actually read this a long time ago, but recently re-read and thought I’d review it.
I’m a little new to the romance genre, and I have to admit that I was a bit of a snob towards romance before giving it a real go. However, once I found some great authors who allowed me to see some of the amazing ways the genre can be used – I’m a bit of a fan now.
I love Griff and Audrey, I like them because they are well-constructed characters, with motivations that are real and well-explained. Their story is one that I became really invested in, and I was in love with the Shipley Farm from almost the first chapter.
The author creates excellent dialogue, and I love that – I like the interactions between the characters because of their conversations, it made me feel like I was part of the group standing around and chatting. Their ‘voice’ is how I think, and that made me enjoy the story a lot more.
There was just the right amount of backstory given, and just the right amount of characters to know. I really liked Zara, I thought she was really well-written, and I liked that most of the female characters were strong in who they are and how they live (being a romance snob, I assumed that female romance leads would be flaky women who need a man… I’m sorry romance writers! I swear I’ve seen the error of my ways!).
This is an easy read, but one that makes you feel good while you read it. I really liked it, even more as a re-read, and intend to read the rest of the series.
Ally Jane 