Sweet Thing

Sweet Thing #1

by Renee Carlino

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together…then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

Mia Kelly thinks she has it all figured out. She's an Ivy League graduate, a classically trained pianist, and the beloved daughter of a sensible mother and offbeat father. Yet Mia has been stalling since graduation, torn between putting her business degree to use and exploring music, her true love.

When her father unexpectedly dies, she decides to pick up the threads of his life while she figures out her own. Uprooting herself from Ann Arbor to New York City, Mia takes over her father's café, a treasured neighborhood institution that plays host to undiscovered musicians and artists. She's denied herself the thrilling and unpredictable life of a musician, but a chance encounter with Will, a sweet, gorgeous, and charming guitarist, offers her a glimpse of what could be. When Will becomes her friend and then her roommate, she does everything in her power to suppress her passions-for him, for music-but her father's legacy slowly opens her heart to the possibility of something more.

A "heartbreaking and romantic" (Aestas Book Blog) debut, Sweet Thing explores the intensity and complexities of first love and self-discovery.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Music, Friends To Lovers, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2013

About the author

Coming July 9th 2024'...

THIS USED TO BE US

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and the bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear On THIS Life, Wish You Were Here, Sweet Thing, Nowhere But Here, Sweet Little Thing, Lucian Divine, After the Rain, The Last Post, Shopping For Love, Blind Kiss, and - coming July 9th - THIS USED TO BE US.

Her books have been featured in national publications, including Cosmopolitan Magazine, InStyle Magazine, USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Redbook, Sunset Magazine, Coastal Living and the Union Tribune. 
Her adaptation with Julia Stiles for “Wish You Were Here” is currently in production and scheduled to shoot in New Jersey in January 2024'. 

Renée grew up in California and lives in the San Diego area with her husband, two sons and their sweet pup John Snow Cash.

Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com

Reviews

[Maditales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why the fuck did Will grab a random woman’s face and kiss her on the mouth and then walk away???

1. Will does not know what consent is at all
2. This woman walked into a coffee shop and he just grabbed her and kissed her
3. The main character also gets grabbed and kissed
4. He kisses 2 women without any consent on one page

Also he’s just super fucking annoying and needs to shut the fuck up. Also again wtf???
You cannot just kiss a stranger on the mouth without any form of consent and force them into a kiss. You are an awful person will.


Quotes from the book:

1. “Just then Jenny walked in the door. Will immediately stalked over to her, grabbed her face and planted the same kiss on her, then sighed, “Hey, baby.” He sped out the door”

Jenny is the mc’s best friend BUT WILL DOES NOT KNOW HER AND WHY THE FÙCK IS HE CALLING HER BABY AFTER DOING THAT???


2. He leaned across the bar, pushed on the front of my nose with his index finger and said, “Boop. Gotta go, sweet thing.”

What the heck was that???


3. For some reason I found Will’s arrogance charming.

🧍‍♀️


4. Still, I remained a die-hard feminist until my feelings for Will took over.

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good looking guy - Check
Cute girl - Check
Kelly and Ryan - good Irish surnames - Check
Lovable Dog - Check
New York City - Check
References to Music - Check
No Bondage - Check
No Millionaires/Billionaires/Trillionaires -CHECK, CHECK, TRIPLE CHECK!!

What a lovely find this was. Had been going through a bit of a slump in the book department there for a while and this one caught my eye on Goodreads. I must say we readers are very lucky with all the new talented authors emerging at the moment. This is a debut novel by this author but you would not think it. The Prologue piqued my interest straight away and the whole book flowed along very nicely for me…. and the Epilogue was good too.

I absolutely loved all the musical references throughout the book. I am a big music fan and all these songs were great.


WILL RYAN
MIA KELLY



FRIENDSHIP
"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together… the you'll hear the sound of your soul."


Awwwwww!



"You've ruined me…."

"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the house of separation ...."


I know some reviewers were not too happy with Mia and her wishy/washy couldn’t make up her mind. But, let’s remember, she had just lost her Pops, had moved to a new city, was trying to run a business, was confused about what career path to take … it is a lot to take on and then to have a certain gorgeous guy kinda fall into your lap – it would have made my head spin too.

“Remember me to one who lives there
For she was once a true love of mine….” – Check out the Johnny Cash/Joni Mitchell version of this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1QO0j...


Will was the hero who never gave up (well deep down he never gave up) – she needed her space, he gave it to her. It was painful, it was sad but sometimes Love Hurts…

One negative thing…. and it probably lost half a star for this. It is 4.5 but could have been 5. If I read another book where the Hero shouts “You’re Mine … Come for Me.” again, I will seriously throw my Kindle out the friggin window…. Let’s be a little bit original here. Ya Hear Me??

... and don't make the Irish guys out to be Paddys from the back arse of nowhere with their "tree tirty" instead of "three thirty" ... well it was some phrase like that - Deliver us Lord from those who think the Irish sound like Tom Cruise sounds like in "Far and Away"!
I am Irish and think I am qualified to make a comment like this. I was born in the "ould sod", I am not a Green Beer on Patty's Day (God I hate that phrase, Patty's Day) Oirish person... I am the Real Deal!

Other than that, it was a fairly perfect read for me.

I remember seeing Van the Man in concert many years ago and when this song was mentioned in the book, I immediately put it on to listen to. It is definitely one of my favourites of his. What a classic!
So crank up the stereo and let the sublime tones of Mr Morrison take you to a Higher Ground…..


And I will stroll the merry way
And jump the hedges first
And I will drink the clear
Clean water for to quench my thirst
And I shall watch the ferry-boats
And they'll get high
On a bluer ocean

gainst tomorrow's sky
And I will never grow so old again
And I will walk and talk
In gardens all wet with rain

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing

My, my, my, my, my sweet thing
And I shall drive my chariot
Down your streets and cry
'Hey, it's me, I'm dynamite
And I don't know why'
And you shall take me strongly
In your arms again
And I will not remember
That I even felt the pain.
We shall walk and talk
In gardens all misty and wet with rain
And I will never, never, never
Grow so old again.

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing
My, my, my, my, my sweet thing
And I will raise my hand up
Into the night time sky
And count the stars
That's shining in your eye
Just to dig it all an' not to wonder
That's just fine
And I'll be satisfied
Not to read in between the lines
And I will walk and talk
In gardens all wet with rain
And I will never, ever, ever, ever
Grow so old again.
Oh sweet thing, sweet thing
Sugar-baby with your champagne eyes
And your saint-like smile....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QzDWI...




Share your music
Share your words
Share your love
Your passion
You fears
Your hopes
And your Dreams
Share your precious heart
Share your wild mind
Share your special soul with me
And I promise to
Give you all of mine


Yes, it was a roller-coaster ride to find ....…. cosmic, soul-shattering, air in your lungs kind of love.



With my eyes wide open
I see the secrets in the rain
I see the loss, see the pain
I see you've lost your way again
No lines drawn
No boundaries made
Dance with me tonight, pretty baby
And let me pray
Don't let me hear you cry
Save your dream
Feed your fear
I'll hold you forever here
I need the rain to cleanse my soul
It tortures me, it makes me whole
I need the rain, I need it all
No lines drawn
No boundaries made
Just stay with me tonight, pretty baby
And let me pray….

[KAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I am six years late to this particular party, but my reading advisor, Robin Hill, recently supplied me with a fantastic list of books she loved and figured I would as well. This gem was on that list, and once again, her instincts were spot on.

With blinders fully in place, I opened to the prologue and it wasn’t long before I was in angst heaven!

I must forewarn you about the main characters, Will and Mia. Will oozes sex appeal and is adorable X 10. Mia ... well, she will most likely get on your nerves a time or two. Ah geez, who am I kidding, at least a half dozen times ;)

Although Will and Mia’s chemistry was palpable, this my friends, is how you write an engaging slow burn romance. I loved how playing music together was their aphrodisiac.

A total page turner, and I savored every word.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a new book boyfriend and his name is Will Ryan. I’m in love. Oh, and did I mention he was a bit of a rockstar?? ;)

Sweet Thing was a sweet, heartbreaking and romantic story that kept me up reading all night! 4.5 stars.

This was one of those books that shifted my entire TBR. I had other plans but suddenly I felt compelled to read it.

I’ll admit though I was hesitant to start it at first because I’d heard about some people being frustrated with the heroine, but then I realized that a lot of my favorite books (Thoughtless and Beautiful Disaster for example) had frustrating heroines at times too and I still loved them so I didn’t want that to hold me back from giving this a shot.

“…sometimes we figure things out and then life changes and we have to figure it all out again.”

Hit hard by the death of her father, Mia decides to move to NYC for a while to sort through his things and take over the cafe he ran. On her way, a chance meeting in an airport crosses her paths with a gorgeous musician, Will. Something about them just clicks and they spend the entire flight talking about their shared love of music.

Turns out she has an apartment for rent and he’s looking for a new place to stay and shortly afterwards they become roommates. Mia insists on keeping things strictly platonic between them – ignoring the pull she feels towards him. She has her life planned out ahead of her – she wants a life partner who can give her stability. Her father was a musician and her parents split when she was young giving her the fear that a relationship with Will, who is so much like her father in spirit, will just end up breaking her heart and so she strongly resists the temptation.

“And so it began, my secret and suppressed obsession with the sensitive, tortured, artist soul. An obsession I was still fighting tooth and nail and one I wouldn’t admit to anyone, namely myself.”

This book is about her journey of realizing the important things with life. It’s heart breaking at times, frustrating and painful, but there are also sweet, beautiful moments that shine though.

Music plays a huge part in this book. Will is a musician on the brink of fame, Mia plays nearly every instruments, and her father lived and breathed music as well. The story is full of musical references that tie everything together.

Will is now on my list of favorite rockstar boyfriends. With his crooked smile, tattoos and an adorable fear of flying, he was hard not to fall for. I don’t think he could have been more adorable if he tried. He was just so sweet, loving, and so endlessly PATIENT not to mention gorgeous and talented as well. Oh, and he cuddled Mia’s dog at night when it was sick. I dare you to read that scene and not have your heart just melt into a puddle of goo.

As frustrating as Mia could be at times, I still really liked her character – especially her love of compound swear words, lol.

“There are at least five swear words I like better than fuck. My favorites are compound words like apeshit, craphat or batshit, but above all, my numero uno, all-time favorite swear word is assclown, without a doubt. Asshat runs a close second. I must say, very few things give me greater pleasure than calling someone an assclown when they really fit the bill. I love it more than puppies and baby seals.”

I guess no one is perfect and she wasn’t trying to be mean or heartless about pushing him away, she was just scared. Scared of where things could go, scared of ending up with a broken heart. And despite the fact that her heart was always pointing her towards Will, she fought long and hard to follow her head instead.

“My real fear was that I would fall in love with Will or that I already had and then he would just leave me alone, broken and pathetic.”

But it just made my heart break each time she pushed him away. I could see how badly it was hurting him and I just wanted to shake her!! I mean, tell me this isn’t heartbreaking:

“He looked so pathetic standing there, rejected. He corrected himself a couple of times when his body made involuntary movements to reach out and touch me. He was fighting the urge just to simply take my hand or kiss my cheek. I didn’t know why I was being so harsh… The charade and the constant touching created so much confusion. I couldn’t tell anymore what we were to each other.”

The middle of the book was painful for me, but not in a way that made me dislike the book, just in a way that hurt. It had what I’d call quiet angst. It didn’t make me want to rip my hair out or throw my kindle, but I still just wanted to shake sense into Mia and scream in her face that what she was looking for was standing right in front of her. Will was just so perfect and clearly so desperately in love with her ♥

”Just let me kiss your mouth,” he whispered, his eyes pleading.“

How do you say no to that??? He just kept giving and giving and it hurt to watch his heart being broken no matter how well he tried to hide it and say he was okay just being friends. But his patience with her was a huge part of why I loved him so much. It was like a part of him understood that she needed to go through her process and he was willing to wait.

“Don’t be silly, Will is no dummy.” She paused for a long second. “He’s in love with you.”

“How do you know?”

“I can tell and anyways, he told me. I believe his exact words were cosmic, soul-shattering, air in your lungs kind of love.”

But I tried to see things from her perspective, and understand what she was afraid of. See, technically she had a valid fear in a certain respect…. But what it came down to was her needing to decide what was worth the risk and whether she could bring herself to take that leap of faith and put her heart out on the line in exchange for a beautiful relationship.

Now, this isn’t a love triangle story technically, but there are other relationships that happen on the side. I guess you could say they’re mistake ones. But you would tell always that they were wrong and they never lasted. It was always Will and Mia at the heart of it all, but it just took Mia a long time to give in to that fact.

Despite romance playing a huge, central role in this book, it’s also just as much a journey of Mia’s self discovery, of piecing together her past, and in doing so finding what was holding her back from Will in the first place.

And in case you’re wondering about the title of the book: “sweet thing”. It’s what Will calls her, right from the start of the book. C’mon, tell me that’s not just fucking adorable??? *melt*

I’ve been asked if it’s a rockstar book and… hmmmm, yes and no. I guess you could call it one. Will does become a bit of a rockstar and there are all the associated issues that go with being with someone on the brink of fame. As I said, music plays a huge part in this story, as does him becoming a little bit famous, but that isn’t the central theme of the story, it’s more just a part of it.

The story is very well written. The writing is smooth and captivating and keeps you totally immersed in the story. I read it in one sitting and didn’t want to put it down.

I loved Will and Mia and really enjoyed their story. I wish they (well, Mia) hadn’t made so many choices that kept them apart but that’s kind of the way life is, right? It’s imperfect and the journey isn’t always smooth but thankfully their story had a beautiful, happy ending (epilogue and all) that left me smiling.

“He buried his face in my neck and pulled me into a hug. I threw my arms around him and whispered, “Never let me go.”

He tightened his grip as his mouth moved to my ear.

“Never.”

Sweet Thing was a fabulous debut novel and I’ll be watching out for more from Renee Carlino!

4 – 4.5 stars. I want to give it 4.5 but some of Mia’s decisions keep pushing it back to 4, and then Will’s sweetness strongly keeps bumping it right back up to 4.5… so I guess it’ll rest somewhere in between, but closer to 4.5 ;)

CASTING (See above and below)

I couldn't decide which pic I liked more for Will so I left them both:

or maybe this?

[image error]



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[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS STORY!!!


WILL ♥♥♥♥♥...


I loved this book.. every single angsty heart clenching moment--and this book was full of them..!!

Mia has recently moved to New York City from her home in Michigan. Her dad recently died and she's come to take over his cafe and live in his apartment until she figures out what exactly she wants to do in her life. She's young and recently through with college. This story is told from her POV.


On the flight to NYC she meets Will.. he's seated next to her and freaking out about flying. Initially she tries to ignore him but that doesn't last long. It's hard to ignore Will... He's sexy as hell and a charmer. He's totally different from what she's normally attracted to. He's got some tattoos and is a little scruffy around the edges.. he's also a musician and plays the guitar.. They laugh and cut up on the plane and she feels like she's made a friend. I won't go into all the details of how it happens but he ends up renting out one of the rooms in her apartment with her STRICT rule that they will only be friends.

The attraction was immediate once he was in the the apartment but she was determined that Will was not they type of guy she wanted and she wasnt going to make things complicated by hooking up with him since he lived with her.

Will... *sigh*... he was so f'king dreamy.. I loved that man.. he was so sweet and caring and he was so totally into Mia. He wanted her so bad but she kept up this wall in between them that she wouldnt step over. She started dating the type of man she "thought" she should be with and he was nothing like Will..

HERE COMES THE HEART WRENCHING ANGST!!!


This book almost killed me for a large part-- Will wanted Mia//Mia wanted Will.. but Mia did not WANT to want Will.... so she kept hurting Will over with her actions. In turn, Will would would try to get on with his life knowing he couldnt have her and this in turn would hurt Mia. This went on for a while. Are you familiar with Abby from Beautiful disaster? Well multiply how much she pissed you off by 10 and you'll have Mia. I wanted to smack this girl around so bad. Just thinking of the pain she caused Will still makes my heart constrict days later after I've finished this book.

But still---even though all the incredibly painful angst..it was such a good story. You get to see Mia grow and become the person she was meant to be.. and this is due in large part to Will. You also see Will become more than he was before Mia. It was such a long twisty road for them to get to where they needed to be. And yes.. there was a sweet beautiful HEA that left me with a huge smile and tears in my eyes at the end.


I'm in awe that this was Renee Carlino's first book.. it was just so so good.. I did not skim a single part of this book-- I couldnt turn the pages fast enough!! And I must thank Amber (Amber Reading Room) for the book recommendation. I was all set to read another book when I got her rec and the blurb made me want to read it right away and I finished it in under a day. I am really looking forward to what Renee puts out there next.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves the sexy sweet musician with the heart of gold and also loves to have your heart torn apart but the put back together in the best way..

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF AT 70% I HATE MIA
Why????? This book was a 5 stars but ugh Mia ruined the whole book for me!!
The story begins with Mia who lost the only person who had the same interest for music with her.Her father.After that she went to take care his cafe business in New York and that's when she meet Will a musician who they eventually become roommates.I loved the beginning and how they developed an adorable and sweet friendship..But things getting more confused between them..because Will has feelings for her.
At 47% my problems begin with Mia -.-
OMG Mia really?????I can't stand her!She really pissed me!She is so stubborn!I really wanted to give her a smack!!Sometimes I felt she was selfish and irritating and I didn't like the way she treat Will!!UGH -.-

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars



Sweet Thing was a really sweet read. It was a beautiful and touching story of two people, Mia and Will, who meet coincidentally and both of their lives change forever.



Mia Kelly is moving from her home in Ann Arbor to NYC. Her father has recently passed away, and she is going to the city to take over his cafe. She is responsible, has a business degree, but her real passion is music. Not only is she grieving her father, but she is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.



Will Ryan knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. Music. Music is his life. He loves to play, sing, write, and he is very talented. He and Mia happen to be on the same flight on their way to NYC. They connect on the flight, just click. She runs into him again and offers to rent a room out to him in her apartment. They become best friends.

Sometimes it takes the love of others to show us who we really are.

Okay everyone- I have a new book boyfriend, and his name is Will Ryan. Yes. I loved Will. How could you not? Musician with tattoos, the sweetest guy ever, charismatic, personable, and funny. He is exuberant and has such a passion for music and life. I just adored him. Will gets Mia to see life in a whole new way. Open her eyes to whats right in front of her. See what real possibilities exist for her. A chance to follow her dreams, do what she loves and what makes her happy. Not what she is ‘supposed’ to do. He is able to reach her and heal her in a way no one else has. Mia is still hesitant. She still can’t get out of her own head that she needs to be with the guy who can provide for her, with real ambitions. I really loved Mia’s character, but for a while, she infuriated me. I was frustrated with her for a large part of the book, but I understood some of it...

“I’m surprised that you can’t see what everyone else can.”

Mia means so much to Will. He wants her as more than a friend, but he will take her anyway he can get her.

My favorite parts of this story were when the two of them were just together, happy, making music, enjoying each other. I loved the build between the two of them.



My heart broke for Will over and over again. Mia just pushes and pushes him away. Mia has gone through so much, she just couldn’t get it together. For a while, she does. Will and Mia together... perfection.



Mia finally see’s past herself and gives Will and herself a chance to be happy together. And they are. For a little while. Will is getting bigger and bigger in the industry. Labels are wanting to sign him, but Will is the type of guy that has to be true to himself and his music. He won’t compromise or change who he is for anyone. It’s an admirable quality, but Mia misconstrues everything and really screws things up between them. Big time. She hurts Will in a pretty unforgivable way.

“The pain of losing someone is always worse when you know you could have prevented it.”


My heart not only broke for Will during this part of the story, but for Mia as well. I was an emotional mess. I wanted this couple to pull through more than anything. Mia hurt Will in a big way. She feels terrible. She’s not really living anymore, her friends are concerned. A lot of time passes before she can finally get herself together. And she is willing to do anything to make it right between them.

‘Never let me go.’
‘Never’
‘Where have you been?’
‘Waiting for you.’


Do you ever have a book that sits on your e-reader and sits on your e-reader. You are constantly meaning to get around to it, but weeks go by and you still haven’t read it? This is constantly happening to me. Too many books, not enough time I guess. But this is one of those books that makes me want to kick my own ass for waiting so long to read it. Don’t make the same mistake I made, get to this one asap! I can’t believe this is a debut novel. It is well written and compelling. The story moved me, the music moved me. I fell in love with these characters. Not only were Mia and Will amazing, but the supporting characters were as well. A story I won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

‘Love life and life will love you back.’

ARC kindly provided by author, Renee Carlino, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[• Lisa • · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 SWEET STARS.



Cutest, most endearing and frustrating book I've read this year. I'm pretty convinced that from the first page I knew I would fall a little in love with this book and here's the reason why ...

WILBUR RYAN.

Now for reviewing's sake heres some of my book thoughts ...

The characters ...
Well we have already established that I'm a firm fan of one of the leading characters, so I'll tell you a bit more about them. Mia is incredibly sweet, determined, talented and a whole lot of lost. Her character teetered on a level of annoying most of the way through the book, but I understood the authors point and found her inner ramblings true to character. Will is a typical charmer, he always has a smile or a wink to give out and I fell for his humorous and cheeky behaviour. I have no doubt that his gregarious ways will grab any readers attention.





What's the story ...
Mia is recovering from her pops death she moves to New York to take over his business and start to make sense of her mid twenties existence without her father. On her plane journey Over the new York she meets aspiring artist and all round charming and gorgeous Will they hit it off immediately ~ the respective love of music tying them together ... Another chance meeting seals the deal with fate and Will moves in as Mia's housemate. Mia has already made the decision that her and will are destined to be 'just' friends, but what they don't realise is that love is round the corner ready to make its appearance, and a friendship can often be sweetest thing.

What I loved ..
Great chapter titles, Irresistible, adorable and charming characters. The best first encounter I've read about, a frustrating push and pull take of a friends to something more story. The beautiful story telling from the author and fabulous music references. There is no doubt I'll be reading more from this author, I ate this novel up, it has a like-ability factor that I'm convinced with sell itself to most.



Why not five ...
One word - Mia, as much as I understood what the author was trying to achieve this character frustrated me no end, and at times I did not like how she treated will or their friendship. With that being said I don't want to focus on the negative as I really was wrapped up in this musically loved up soirée.

Final thoughts ...
This story is a breath of fresh, romance air, I challenge anyone to not find something likeable about this story. Full of sweet and cute and a personable feel to it I applaud the author for bringing a love story alive.

❤❤"Love life, and life will love you back."

❤❤"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together ... Then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

❤❤“The pain of losing someone is always worse when you know you could have prevented it.”

❤❤“Yes, committing yourself to someone requires a leap of faith—that’s why it’s so hard for some.”

4.5 WILBUR RYAN STARS

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it takes the love of others to show us who we really are...

Sweet Thing was a truly refreshing read! What I loved most about this book was its incredible depth. If you were to judge this story by its pretty cover and adorable title, you might expect a sweet and tender love story--but what you're given is substantially more.

This story provides such powerful wisdom—offered in bundles and in subtle whispers. It kicks off with one of the most intriguing and well thought out prologues I've read in a while--really setting the stage for the insightful tone generously present throughout. I love how this unique introduction creatively ties into the heart of the story.



Mia Kelly thinks with her head, and doesn't let her heart lead her through life. She is a talented musician, but stubbornly pushes her passions aside as she focuses on obtaining a sensible business degree. However, all of her perfectly planned out decisions come to a crashing halt when she meets the sexy, slightly neurotic, and adorably passionate musician, Will.

Will Ryan is full of life and abundantly lives up to his name; his strong willed character was an inspiration and I loved him the second he whipped out his rosary beads! Will is guided through life by passion, and refuses to sell-out or conform to what is expected of him. Although he and Mia had music in common, Will possessed an inner-strength that Mia lacked by remaining true to himself always.

The romance in this story was slow building--which I always find extremely refreshing. I adored the genuine feel of the 'friendship first' process and its gradual progression truly allowed the love to ignite when finally recognized.

Music and art saturated these pages—the love for it; the knowledge of it; and its poetic display were all equally and beautifully portrayed. I've never wanted to jump inside the pages of a book so badly before, just so I could listen to the music being played. It was described with such an intricate grace that I almost felt like I could hear it...but I was thankfully able to feel every little bit of it.



The writing was eloquent, insightful, and truly allowed the characters to become relatable.This touching story became such a lovely example of breaking down those protective walls that guard us, and having the faith to go forward. After all, the barricades we build around our hearts may protect us for a while, but never allow us to truly thrive in their presence.

You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together...then you'll hear the sound of your soul.

*This was a birthday buddy read with my girls! Thanks for joining me, ladies, even though I severely trailed the read!!*

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Romance/New Adult
▪ Steam Caliber: Moderate/Steamy
▪ Romance: Gradual/Friendship-first. Sexual tension. Solid connection.
▪ Characters: Adorable, sexy, passionate, musician hero. Guarded, strong but sweet heroine.
▪ Plot: Uniquely executed. Centered on finding that balance between listening to your mind, and having the faith to follow your heart. Awesome prologue!
▪ Writing: Developed and lyrical; engaging.
▪ POV: 1st Person: Heroine
▪ Cliffhanger: None/Standalone

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together...then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

4 STARS for this SWEET, HEARTWARMING, MEANINGFUL, TOUCHING STORY about love, loss, friendship, music and so much more. It's a story about two people trying to come to terms with their past and trying to find a way to realize their hopes and dreams together in the city of New York.

Mia --


Will --



After reading this story's thoughtful, original and intriguing prologue, I knew I was in for an unforgettable read and that's exactly what this book turned out to be. From the moment I started reading it, I could not put it down and I ended up devouring it in one day.

Mia and Will meet each other on a plane to New York City. Will has been living there for quite some time, while Mia is heading there to take over her recently deceased father's cafe. After they land, Will promises to stop by at the cafe some time so they can chat over a cup of coffee, and he keeps true to his promise. When they meet each other again, Mia mentions that she's looking for a room mate to share her father's old apartment with and before she realizes it, Will, who was looking for a new place to live himself, has taken her up on the offer of becoming her new room mate.

"The idea that I just invited a relative stranger, who owns nothing, to live in my apartment gave me a stomachache, but the weird thing was that I felt like I had known him forever."

Although they haven't know each other for a long time, they both feel comfortable living together. They become room mates and best friends, and although it takes them a long time to realize it, their friendship slowly but surely evolves into something much more...

Mia

At first I really liked Mia; she seemed to be an open-minded, talented, adventurous young girl and a character I could easily relate to. But as the story progressed, the way she acted started to irritate me more and more and I had to ask myself:

Seriously, the way she kept pushing Will away while he was being nothing but sweet and kind to her, and the way she treated him like a loser for not selling out his soul in order to gain a promising record deal and earn a lot of money.. Yep, that made me really *really* dislike her, a lot. I even think Mia might be one of the most frustrating female characters I've ever come across. Still, she had some good qualities too and she was a remarkable musician. I do understand why it was so hard for her to let people in and let herself be vulnerable knowing that Will was a rock artist and would probably be away on tour a lot of times, but still, it wasn't easy to read the way she treated Will and some of her other close friends sometimes. Luckily, towards the ending, she really changed her attitude and I ended up understanding her reasonings much better.

Will

"Hey, little firecracker, you like taunting me, don't you?"

From the moment, Will and Mia meet on the plane, there's an easy banter between the two of them. They often tease each other and make each other laugh, but at the same time they can also be open to each other about their past. Because their each other's best friends for a long time before evolving into something more they really get to know each other's deepest secrets and they really just want the other person to be happy. It was refreshing to read a story that wasn't about insta-love/lust but about a slow-building kind of love, based on a solid friendship.

"You're beautiful and amazing and you have a special soul, Mia. You deserve the best."

*SWOON*

I really loved Will. He was sweet, caring and always trying to make Mia happy. He was always there to support her and stand by her no matter what. It was obvious he had deeper feelings for Mia but he never pushed her into wanting something more. Instead he gave her all the time she needed to realize how she really felt about him. Will was a very talented musician on the verge of major breakthrough and I loved how he still tried to makes as much time for Mia and how he showed her his true feelings through his song lyrics.

I also loved the many music references throughout the story; especially the ones of the song called Sweet Thing by Van Morrison because "sweet thing" was the nickname Will often gave to Mia.

"And you shall take me strongly in your arms again
And I will not remember that I even felt the pain
And we shall walk and talk in gardens all misty and wet with rain
And I will never, never, never grow so old again
Oh sweet thing, sweet thing oh, my, my, my, my, sweet thing."
~ Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing"

"It's a fool who thinks love will set you free. Love equals a morbid and relentless fear of losing the other person. To love is brave and Will was the bravest person I knew."

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and would highly recommend it to anyone who's looking for a thought provoking romance story with a little bit of angst!

I think the author Renee Carnilo did an outstanding job at writing this debut novel and I'm already looking forward to reading much more of her work!


**ARC courtesy of the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS! ★★★★



“You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... then you'll hear the sound of your soul.”

Holy motha of emotions. I never thought I'd live to see a day where a book could have pushed all my buttons like Thoughtless did and to go through a heroine as frustrating as Kiera all over again (minus the cheating and love triangle, thankfully). All I wanted to do is set my Kindle on fire repeatedly or throw it against the wall in hopes that it'll somehow be enough to knock some sense into the heroine, Mia.

I swooned, I yelled, I cried and I raged a helluva lot that it left me so worn out by the end of the book. But did I love this book? Without a doubt, YES.



Honestly, this book left me in a mess. Where do I even begin? The prologue itself was already so thought-provoking and original, the writing was absolutely poignant and beautiful that I just knew that this read is gonna be different. Throw in an adorably chance encounter between both MCs on an airplane, little did I know I was going to be swept away by a hurricane of a story that is Sweet Thing.

This is a story of Mia Kelly who moves in to New York after her dad passed away and left behind his cafe that has been home to many undiscovered musicians and artists. Being a musician herself (a pianist to be exact) and going through a quarter-life crisis at the age of 25, Mia who graduated with a business degree is figuring out her life as she's torn between doing the sensible thing by living the life she has planned out with her degree or to follow her one true passion; music.

But when one Will Ryan crosses path with her and opens up her eyes to a whole new life where music is concerned, she's about to realize that life is about taking chances sometimes and following your heart.



Allow me to preface my thoughts by introducing my new book boyfriend:

Will Ryan, oh sweet motha of jeebus that is him. He stole my heart from the first moment he showed up and whipped out a rosary chain! He had such an irresistible charm that had me grinning from ear to ear everytime he burst out into a converation. His love for music comes alive through the pages when he speaks about it with such passion and he was just the most kind-hearted, free-spirited and forgiving guy you can possibly ask for.



Now Mia really tested my patience with this read. Honestly I nearly DNF-ed this read 2 or 3 times because I was at my breaking point with this woman and the amount of frustration and RAGE boiled up in me was enough to send me into annihilation mode. In my eyes, she was such a hypocritical, judgemental b*tch that couldn't see the most amazing, patient guy standing in front of her and instead decided to f*ck things up with him SEVERAL times. I mean, C'MON!! I would sell my left kidney in a heartbeat to be able to find a guy like Will.

It broke my heart so many times for Will when Mia couldn't get her shit straight and being absolutely fickled about whether she should reciprocate her feelings for him. It left me feeling so angry at her that I had to put down my read, mentally write a hate note to Mia and take in deep breaths. But it's also at this point where I tried to reason out with myself on why she would act this way.



And honestly, I'm glad that I did because I found it in myself to forgive her. Often in life, we always wonder if we make the right choices and if opting for a safer route is the right one indeed. People often forget that fear is something that drives us to do unwanted things and it's only when we screwed up is when we learn what truly matters in your life. I can see where Mia is coming from and while I don't approve of her choices sometimes, I get it.



Sweet Thing is a journey of self-discovery filled with ups and downs, joyous and heartbreaking moments, finding friendship in the strangest places and most of all, taking that risk and fall in love. I really struggled with how to rate this one because on one end, it was beautifully written and there was just a certain depth to this read that strike a cord with me. The rich music setting also added another beautiful layer to it and there was just so much you can take away from this read. But on the other end, the choices that Mia made truly left me raging in frustration and made me all stabby. On an angst scale of 1-10, the angst was a very high 9 and I swear I could feel my veins popping during this read.



Weighing all the highs & lows of this read and how it affected me emotionally, I'd say it was definitely a solid 4-stars read for me. It's just one of those unforgettable reads that you'll look back and say "oh this book sure as hell did a number on me!" and I don't regret going through a single moment of it.

I'm not sure how I've missed out on this author previously but she's definitely one to be on a lookout for. Considering this was a debut novel by her, I was captivated by her writing as this read consumed me from the very beginning and by the end of it, I was left in awe on how she brought everything back to a full circle.

I would recommend if this read if you're a fan of the music-setting read that's (be warned) profoundly heartbreaking yet beautifully thought-provoking as you embark on this journey of self-discovery ♥



Sweet Thing is a standalone contemporary romance read.

[Lucia · Rating 2 out of 5]

And the award for the most disappointing and bitchy character goes to…. Mia Kelly!

Mia; main character and narrator; is super judgmental, hypocritical, snob, dishonest, self-centered, self-pitying, rude and cruel when angry. She is the worst. I wonder how someone who prides herself in being sensible could make such stupid life decisions and behaved so terrible to loved ones. I truly could not stand her and there were plenty of moments when I considered simply DNFing this novel.

It is very likely that my huge issues with heroine played a role but either way I truly did not like this book. Overall flow of the story was weird and storytelling was extremely weak. Not recommended!

MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome debut novel! Freaking loved it!



This is the story of Mia and Will. Mia moves from Ann Arbor (shout out to my hometown) Michigan to NYC after her father passes away. On the flight to New York, she sits next to a very hot, very flying-freaked-out Will Ryan. He's got his guitar and a rosary....around his neck. Hmm. They hit it off, chatting comfortably the entire flight. Here is where I fell in love with that man. He was so irresistibly sweet and funny, I couldn't resist. The rosary around the neck made me laugh out loud...obviously not a true Catholic as that's balked in Catechism 101. Anyways.....they part ways only after Will insinuating they're soul mates for living through a life threatening event together. Ha. Loved him....oh, I already stated that.

My Will-


Mia starts her life in the city. She takes over running her Pop's diner. Her parents were divorced when she was a baby. Her dad was a very eclectic music buff, her mom more conservative and driven career wise. Mia was close to her Pop, even with him 1000 miles away. She had a great support system to help her with the diner. Great friends she would need through the journey that lies ahead. After all, this wasn't her plan when she attended Brown University to own a diner in Manhattan.

My Mia-


Mia runs into Will at the diner. His band is playing in a local bar. She's in search of a roommate. Without much thought, she offers him a room in her apartment. It's very apparent early on that Will is totally enamored with Mia. They both share a love of music. Music is instilled in this entire book. Mia teaches piano and Will plays several instruments (mainly guitar) and the times they come together and play was one of the best parts of the book. They had an easy friendship and Will was just what Mia needed during such a trying time. Music is everything to Will. He's not out for fame and fortune... Just to be able to perform and do what he loves.

What Will doesn't realize is how set Mia is in her ideals of the kind of life she's going to have. The kind of man she's going to be with. Will doesn't fit that bill....and she pretty blatantly tells him so. It broke his heart time and again. It was obvious she had feelings for him but she just didn't accept him for her future. She saw what happened with her parents...the free spirited artist. He'll either live on pennies or he'll make it big someday and leave her behind. Neither option is a path she's aiming for in life. So she just continues dating douche-bag businessmen right under Will's nose.

“It's a fool who thinks love will set him free. Love equals a morbid and relentless fear of losing the other person”

Mia with Jackson-


It broke my heart watching Mia's antics with Will. I wanted to scream at her for being a heartless b&tch but I knew she was human and a product of the life she's lived so far. I was so happy to finally read a book that didn't have tons of emotional "I had a horrible childhood" baggage. She had great parents and they loved her. She just had this ideal and Will didn't measure up....or was her wall something totally different? Was it ideals or was it more? How much rejection will Will take before he gives up and can Mia stand to see him walk away?

“He looked so pathetic standing there, rejected. He corrected himself a couple of times when his body made involuntary movements to reach out and touch me. He was fighting the urge just to simply take my hand or kiss my cheek. I didn’t know why I was being so harsh… The charade and the constant touching created so much confusion. I couldn’t tell anymore what we were to each other.”

This book was a metamorphosis of sorts for Mia. She needed to find herself, to find what was truly important for her in life before she was ready to move forward in a relationship. But can Will's heart hold on that long?

Loved the character development, the secondary characters, the music, the writing style... Also not one single typo found. I seriously cannot find a weakness in any part of the book. As much as Mia frustrated me, I understood her. I understood what it's like to go to college, have ideals and expect life to fall into this cookie cutter plan you've got set for yourself. Then life happens.....

On a lighter note, this was one of my favorite early conversations between Will and Mia-

“There are at least five swear words I like better than fuck. My favorites are compound words like apeshit, craphat or batshit, but above all, my numero uno, all-time favorite swear word is assclown, without a doubt. Asshat runs a close second. I must say, very few things give me greater pleasure than calling someone an assclown when they really fit the bill. I love it more than puppies and baby seals.”

At the risk of naming other books in a review, I feel safe listing a couple simply because this is a debut author and her book rivals that of a couple best sellers very similar to it. I felt a big similarity to the whole Thoughtless series in this book. It revolved around music and the heroine was one that I too wanted to strangle (no love triangle though.). It also had Slam poetry and that reminded me of Slammed.



The Prologue was awesome- different. Loved it. Go forth and read this. You will NOT be disappointed.

“You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... then you'll hear the sound of your soul”

[Smitten's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning!

Absolutely loved this. It really was gorgeous.

It's a story of friendship, fear, insecurity, loss, self discovery and faith.

I absolutely love those stories where two characters make that transition from friendship to something more. It creates such a warm, fuzzy feeling. And Sweet Thing was no exception.

"Whatever you need me to be, I'll be! Friends? Fine! Best friends? Great! I'll do it, because I want you in my life more than anything I have ever wanted."

Music plays a huge part in this book. The characters use music to say the words they are unable to speak and to convey emotion that they are unable to explain.



Playing, writing, listening. They connect through music, they use music to comfort them, to drown sorrows, to feel closer to those they have lost and to heal. It's incredibly emotive and really gives the reader an insight into the minds and souls of the characters.

Will could dance and if I remember correctly, someone told me once to stay away from a man who could dance.

Will is a fantastic hero. He is cheeky and loveable right from the word go. The author cleverly introduces him to the reader in his most vulnerable state and you instantly fall in love with him. He is cocky and cute, but not too proud or arrogant.

"What do you want to do?" I asked.
"I just want to get wasted with you and find out if there is a god," he murmured into my neck before tugging on my earlobe with his teeth.

The plotline isn't anything off the wall or ground breaking, but the execution and characterisation of Mia and Will are what make this book so beautiful. I was drawn in to their world and I didn't want to climb out.



I loved the feel, created by surrounding characters, the visual of Kell's Cafe, the apartment, Jackson... everything. Renee has a way of writing you into the story.

Some parts of this book are almost painful to read. I was tearing my hair out and wanted to scream at Mia, at times. But she comes with her own set of heavy issues and the story is true to those in the way Mia reacts to things.

It's the only way to know you're really in love, when you ask the question would it be harder to watch him die, or to know he'll watch me die? Is there more mercy in being the one who does the watching or in being the one who does the dying? It's when you realize what mercy-killing actually means, it's when you actually care to the point of tormenting worry. It's not roses and white horses, it's fucking brutal and it can send a person running for the hills. To love is brave and Will was the bravest person I knew.

My heart shattered for Will, sooo many times. He was just too adorable. He was so constant and, supportive, and sweet, and... *sigh*. Girls, you will adore Wilbur Ryan!

This is a very quick, easy read. I read it in one go and felt like it was over in a flash. But it was perfect. It was long enough to build and run with the story, but not too long that there were unnecessary fillers or parts that dragged.

"Wilbur, I want to have like a million of your babies."
He looked happier than I had ever seen him.
"Really? Should we start now?"
"Definitely."

And can I just end by saying, at the end of this book, the author writes...

For Jackson: The best damn dog in the world. RIP, Buddy.

Oh my goodness. Cue me = blubbering wreck! *sob*

So anyway, this book has been getting fantastic reviews all over the place, and I can totally see why. If you've got it on your TBR list and are umming and arring, or don't know what to read next, give Sweet Thing a go. It's got a bit of everything, from cute, to sexy, from dark, to light. I loved it and would highly recommend. And I do believe it's on sale right now!



Sweet Thing Statistics
Length: 342 pages
Steam Rating (out of 5): ♥♥♥
Ending: HEA
Series: ✗
Can this be read as a standalone? Yes
Themes:
Music
Grief
Friendship
Warning. This book includes...
Death of a dog
Writing: Great

AMAZON UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweet-Thing-e...
AMAZON US: http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Thing-ebo...

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[Pearl Angeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... Then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

Sweet Thing is indeed a sweet thing. I love the musical theme. It kind of makes me feel comforted. Actually, the theme was particularly the main reason why I took this book in the first place. It holds such delightful promises.

The book opens when Mia Kelly's dad died and she had to move on by going to New York to settle and find herself-- discover her dreams and perhaps find her dream man. While on the way, she met the handsome and struggling musician Will whom she instantly felt a strange connection with. Because Will is such a funny, cool, and sprightly guy, and because Mia has that musical inclination as well, she was not able to resist her attraction towards him. They met again for the second time and Mia learned that Will was in need of a room to stay while he's working at a bar. They eventually ended up as roommates.

I enjoyed most parts of this book. I especially love the way both characters connected through their music. Will playing a guitar and singing, and Mia playing a piano. Don't they really make a good pair? *sigh*. And Will... Will... Will... What a perfect guy he is. If he exists in real life, then I'll definitely take him home. Ha! He has such a great and deep soul, one who's always there to stay by your side whenever you need someone to rely on, and one who overlooks your imperfections and just focuses on your beautiful side just to be with you.

What kept me from rating this book higher was Mia. I understand her angst, but I could not understand how inconsistent she was in this book when it came to her decisions and her reasons. She made a slightly bad impression when she underestimated Will and his not-promising musical career and instantly hooked up with a rich, handsome, and boring banker instead-- without even getting to know the guy better. For me, it was such a crazy resolve. Then she ended up being jealous becuase of Will's series of girlfriends.

Female leads with immature attitude doesn't always sit well with me. That includes Mia. All throughout the book I was so hoping that her character will improve, but nah. Maybe improved a little but still, her confused mind and the way she continued to reject Will kind of annoyed me. Like, please can you just love Will already? He's proved so much and yet.... argh. (I'm already ranting. Haha!)

Anyways, despite Mia's attitude, I still find this book good. I also highly recommend this, because the concept is awesome and it's not often done. Only rare authors give this theme a chance. The romance was good and there were steamy scenes, too. Are you a fan of Colleen Hoover's Maybe Someday? Then go read this book! :)

Rating: 3 Stars

[JoJo - JJJ (Jo Anna) Janesko · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Million Stars!!! This book was amazing!!! In the top 5 books I have read this year!!! Such a beautiful story. This book didn't appeal to me when it first came out for some reason. I only read it because my buddy reader wanted to read it and let me tell you I am so glad I did. I laughed, I cried and I just loved this book to pieces. I am normally one who has to have steam in her books. This book wasn't that steamy but that was okay. The story was so good that it truly didn't matter. When the couple finally got together it wasn't about steamy sex it was about making love and it was beautiful. This truly is an excellent book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a beautiful love story. A must read.

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

**May contain small spoilers**



After her beloved father's sudden death Mia finds herself on a plane to New York where she slips right into her Pops old life; she runs his cafe, loves his eclectic mix of friends and makes a special, new musician friend of her very own....Introducing the very charming, very lovely, nearly 30 years old, scared of flying, I can play any instrument, Will Ryan ♥

"....brown dishevelled hair and dark eyes, a chiselled jaw, high cheekbones, and great lips"
"....kind, sensitive, creative, determined"

♥"Your antics are cute, Will." ♥

Cute and adorable, Wilbur (yes that's his real name!) sits next to Mia on her flight to New York (♥ fate is amazing ♥) Mia is his flight distraction; they have the same 'cool' taste in music.

Their personalities draw each other together.

"We kind of hit it off.......there was something about him that drew me in....."
but
".....I convinced myself at that moment that Will was not boyfriend material..."

And here the frustration began....aghhhh!! Mia!!!! What's wrong with you? Will is adorable, caring, gorgeous....just perfect!!! She sees him as a struggling musician; she should trust him, he has dreams and talent....a sense of truth and faith ♥

"...I felt like I had known him forever."

So Mia & Will become 'roomies' & the very best of friends but should they be more? Mia pushes Will away into the arms of another....then she is jealous??? But still she thinks they should only be friends; best, best friends, forever in your life kind of a friend. Why didn't she tell him she was free and single....why??

"...I knew Will would eventually move on." That was her fear. It made me feel achingly sad inside, if Mia would just open up to him, reach out, he would be everything she needed him to be and more, I just knew it...

"I had no desire to be his humdrum history......it took every fibre of my being to refuse his touch in that way."

Mia loves Will but is scared of his outlook to life, his free and easy spirit. She would rather be his friend in his present and future, than a lover of his past. I believe her parent's past relationship has an effect on Mia's judgement in this situation. The author cleverly interweaves two love stories, her parents and of course, Will & Mia, both stories had me in tears at times. ♥

"Love life and life will love you back"~ Pops
Pops would have loved Will - her mum and dad's belief systems are pulling her in different directions.

Will is an amazingly talented musician and writer, Mia herself is talented in this area and together they share their passion and love for music. But Mia knows that Will is on the brink of something special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMY4W0...
These three lines from an old Smiths song perfectly sums up their relationship for a large part of the story, take a listen, it's a fabulous song, I think so anyway.....

"And so it began my secret and suppressed obsession with the sensitive, tortured, artist soul."

"I wanted to commit everything about Will to memory before I lost him..."

"I cried because I knew that if I gave myself to Will, I would be left in pieces... left behind. The only way I could hang on was to be his friend, even though every part of me wanted more."

"I was drowning in a huge chasm created by some obsession I have with getting things right."

"You're beautiful and amazing and you have a special soul, Mia. You deserve the best."
"You're so good and you don't even know it. Night, Baby." ♥

She breaks his heart.....


"The leap of faith is giving it a chance and not projecting your own crap on someone else because you're afraid of failing."

I really liked the narration. I felt like Mia was talking to me, drawing me into her confidence, her inner feelings. Yes she's extremely frustrating but she has real motivation for her actions...

'Sweet Thing' doesn't offer instant gratification but a slow build up of character realisation, an intense friendship, a shared love of music and then love of each other. They have a deep, amazing connection...I felt it, it moved me deeply, and left me feeling quite emotional. The extra scenes from Will's POV are a must for 'Will lovers' especially the one at their friends wedding, it had me in tears. Did I mention, I love Will?♥ Money and fame are not his driving force....it is his love and his passion for music and being true to yourself.....Swooooon!!

"You're my best f*cking friend, Mia. I wish it were more and I think you know that....Whatever you need me to be, I'll be!"

"I hadn't believed that people could be made for each other until that moment. "I love you."

"We're the static in the chaos, the one thing...the something so sweet."

Share Your Coffee
Share your words
Share your music
Share you love, your passion, your fears
Your hopes, and your dreams
Share your precious heart
Share your wild mind
Share your special soul with me
and I promise to
give you all mine

**BR with the very lovely, pink ladies**

[Kelly| Just Another Horror Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, I really loved this book!! It's everything a romance book should be and then some. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. Renee Carlino is one talented writer and her next book will be an auto-buy for me.

Read it for the romance, read it for the music (music plays a huge part in this story), or read it for the excellent writing. Just read it!!!

[Ninoska Goris · Rating 3 out of 5]

English - Español

Will is the almost perfect man that every romantic woman can desire. On the other hand, Mia is the annoyance, interested one. Think that the only way to be happy is to have economic stability. The whole book is spent worshiping Will, but doing all sorts of slights.

Mia must abandon her career and her plans when her biological father dies and moves to New York to the apartment she inherited from her father and take care of the coffeeshop he had. She decides to look for someone to rent a room and reluctantly offers it to Will, whom she meets on her trip to New York, with the only condition that they will only be friends.

It is obvious from the beginning that they have a lot of chemistry and something that unites them deeply: music. But although Mia likes Will, he does not represent the ideals she considers for a couple, among which the most important ones are that be successful and wealthy. Because of this and because she also finds him attractive, she ends up dating Robert, VP at JP Morgan but without any other quality.

The outcome seems to me obviously rushed and I did not like that the author include Lauren, a character that has nothing to do with the story, at the beginning and end of the book, just to try to close it with gold clasps and have a "serendipiti" vibe.

✨✨✨

Will es el hombre casi perfecto que toda mujer romántica pueda desear. Por otro lado, Mia es un incordio, una interesada. Piensa que la única manera de ser feliz es tener estabilidad económica. Se pasa todo el libro adorando a Will, pero haciéndole todo tipo de desaires.

Mia debe abandonar su carrera y sus planes cuando su padre biológico muere y se muda a New York al apto que heredó de su padre y hacerse cargo del café que tenía. Decide buscar a quien rentarle una habitación y de mala gana se la ofrece a Will, a quien conoce en su viaje a New York, poniendo como única condición que solo serán amigos.

Es obvio desde el inicio que tienen mucha química y algo que los une profundamente: la música. Pero aunque a Mia le gusta Will este no representa los ideales que considera para una pareja, entre los cuales los más importantes son que sea exitoso y adinerado. Por esto y porque además lo encuentra atractivo termina saliendo con Robert, VP en JP Morgan pero sin ninguna otra cualidad.

El desenlace me parece a todas luces apresurado y no me gustó que incluyeran a Lauren, un personaje que nada tiene que ver con la historia, al principio y al final del libro, solo para tratar de cerrarlo con broches de oro y tener una vibra "serendipiti".

[Amber Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Free

5+++ Beautiful, heart wrenching, outstanding stars!!!

First let me say I am so thankful to the Author for contacting me wanting me to read her book. I am so happy she did.

This book consumed me to the very core. I can not think of a life of a book with out these two characters. They had me wrapped up as their own personal sock puppet just getting hungry with each page wanting more.

Lets meet the cast shall we???



Meet MY Will



Will, has made it to my list of book boyfriends. He is right up there with my favorites now. I am so happy to have him on my on growing list. I will re visit him again I am sure.

I wanted to wrap him up in a blanket and put him in my pocket for safekeeping.

I am just grinning ear to ear thinking about Will. Will, is poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame. The love he has for his music shows in the book and the way both characters bond over it. I could lay there for hours and watch and listen to him sing and play his soul out in front of you.

Mia


Mia is a very likable. You feel every emotion she has and the reasoning behind them. You get captured in her head and still want to scream at her for the obvious reasons.

How can you not love a book that takes you on such a beautiful journey that captures you and holds you very dearly to its heart. This emotional roller coaster of a ride is one I want to go through all over again to experience it for the first time.

This is a must read if you love having your heart open on a sleeve for this book to come and jump right open inside of it. If you have the love for music, laughing at the friendships that you see and desperately want to be apart of then this is a must read.

I recived an ARC from the Author exchange for a honest review

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[♥ Barb ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

^^^3.5 SEXY WILBUR STARS^^^

He had a big, thick angel wing tattoo on his forearm....VERY SEXY

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*******************************************************
This book starts out with Mia and Will on the airplane headed to New York where both are making a fresh start in their lives. Mia's father passed away and she's taking over her father's business and apartment. Will, a hot musician has no where to go and becomes Mia's ROOMY.
Yes....exactly what you think is going to happen...only it took 75% of the book for the two of them to admit their feelings. I really LOVED Will...he was AMAZING, PERFECT, HOT, SWEET, did i say he was perfect???
Mia...i wanted to like her, i really did, but not until the end of the book, which THANK YOU MOTHER OF GOD had a Happily Ever After.
*******************************************************

"You're name is Wilbur?"


WILL


"Remember Mia, LOVE life and life WILL love YOU back."


MIA


“It's a fool who thinks love will set him free. Love equals a morbid and relentless fear of losing the other person”



We're the satic in the chaos,
the one THING....the something so SWEET



“You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... then you'll hear the sound of your soul”




And I will stroll the merry way
And jump the hedges first
And I will drink the clear
Clean water for to quench my thirst
And I shall watch the ferry-boats
And they'll get high
On a bluer ocean
Against tomorrows sky
And I will never grow so old again
And I will walk and talk
In gardens all wet with rain

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing
My, my, my, my, my sweet thing
And I shall drive my chariot
Down your streets and cry
Hey, it's me, Im dynamite
And I don't know why
And you shall take me strongly
In your arms again
And I will not remember
That I even felt the pain.
We shall walk and talk
In gardens all misty and wet with rain
And I will never, never, never
Grow so old again.

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing
My, my, my, my, my sweet thing
And I will raise my hand up
Into the night time sky
And count the stars
That's shining in your eye
Just to dig it all an not to wonder
That's just fine
And I'll be satisfied
Not to read in between the lines
And I will walk and talk
In gardens all wet with rain
And I will never, ever, ever, ever
Grow so old again.
Oh sweet thing, sweet thing
Sugar-baby with your champagne eyes
And your saint-like smile....





May your hearts always beat
wildly...
and
May your minds always sing
wildly...
but most of all...
May your souls always dance
wildly...
For each other...
For eternity...





BR with the pink ladies Mistress & Temptress :P

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quite a struggle to read a story in the POV of a character I strongly disliked at first. If it weren’t for Will, I wouldn’t have had the patience to read it through but he is such a great, sweet, talented and genuinely thoughtful guy that I needed to know more about him even if it had to be through Mia’s too self-absorbed, self-serving and arrogant mind. I couldn’t fully blame her though. It’s probably just the grief and uncertainty about herself.

I guess she needed more time and experience to realize that love and stability aren’t the same thing. You don’t look for a person with a stable career and force yourself to fall in love with him. Instead, you fall in love with a person and try to build a secure and comfortable life with him.

Thank goodness, Mia finally realized the error of her ways in the last quarter of the novel and was punished enough for her to deserve a happy ending. I was actually really pissed at the angst and heartbreaks both characters willingly subjected their hearts to, to the point of making me think their relationship was borderline toxic until I understood that they needed to go through the pain to discover who they were and what they truly meant for each other.

There was just times the narrative got a little repetitive, also kind of sexually too graphic but still enjoyable and gripping enough for me to read it in one day. What I liked about the story is the great supporting characters and the concept of the small café with poetry reading nights as well as the element of music. In short, for a New Adult novel, this wasn’t that bad. Lol.

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4.5 ★'s

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together... then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

Mia and Will meet on a plane heading to New York. Her father just passed away and she's going there to run his cafe. Will lives there. He's freaked out about flying and she takes him mind off it. They part ways at the airport thinking that's the end of it but luckily, it's not.

One thing leads to another and Will ends up being Mia's roommate but she's quick to enforce the friends only rule much to Will's dismay. Things get a little dicey when Mia starts dating someone else and Will walks in on them. He has to give Mia a taste of her own medicine but what in the hell was up with the horsie ride? That was just weird.

Will and Mia are both musicians and I love their love of music and how much they can relate to each other through it. But Mia's father was also a musician and it caused problems between him and her mother leading them to break up. This is something Mia wants to avoid at all costs. She wants a man with a well paying job and Will is not him.



Mia has a lot of maturing to do...not so much about growing up but learning to live her life. She's stuck - not only with her "planned" partner but with dealing with some hard knocks life has given her already.

After some drama and after a lot of grieving, she womans up and decides to put some things to rest so she can move on. She takes some chances and it pays off but...the biggest thing she has to do is be patient.

I really enjoyed Will and Mia together and the drama was pretty angsty. I did like the way it ended but felt like I needed more happy times. Imagine my surprise in learning that the follow up novella, Sweet Little Thing does just that...and in Will's POV!


(Prior to review...)
5/27/13 ~ Will's POV:

http://www.maryse.net/news/sweet-thin...

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 Amazing Stars.

Mia is heartbroken and lost after her father’s death, so she decides to move to NY and take over his bar. On the plain she meets Will, a talented musician still trying to figure out what to do with his gift.
Life brings them together and they start to develop a friendship that turns into something more. But at the same time life keeps them apart until they figure out what they want and how far they want to go in order to find peace and happiness.
Unfortunately, that’s a road that isn’t easy to make and they will have several obstacles, their doubts and ghosts the biggest ones of them, until they finally reach that place.



I loved how music was a big part in this book. Loved the story, the emotions it brought me and how this book drowned me from the very first page.
One of the best books I’ve read this year. (I know it’s almost starting, but…)

And let me tell you another thing. There’s a part in this book where Mia says “I heard Portuguese are great lovers.” (or something like that). As a Portuguese girl, I can confirm that. We are great at basically everything. (Stop laughing, people! I hear you!)



Rating: 4,5 Stars.
Storyline: An amazing story. Prepare yourself for some tears, but also for some butterflies in your stomach. It’s angsty, but written in such beautiful manner that you will just hope every page for an ending that both of them deserve.
Writing Style: First person, female POV. It’s completely addictive and will leave wanting so much more.
Character Development: Okay, the ONLY reason I’m not giving this book five stars it’s Mia. She was a complete bitch at several moments and said some really hurtful things. Most of their problems and drama would be nonexistent if she wasn’t like that. I understood were she came from, but still, I hated it. Will was perfect and I loved him through the whole book. An amazing hero. The supportive characters were also pretty good.
Steam: Some hot scenes.
HEA: Yes.

[beautyliterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5 stars

Changed my mind again ;(

Last book for the Booktubeathon!

[M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember the journey that brought me to those decisions and that memory gives me great solace, because the memory is a reminder of who I am among all the chaos that is life.

I am very torn about this book. It started out as a four star for me, then almost became a DNF, changed into three star, back to almost DNF and ended with four star. It has been the hardest book for me to finish. I've read disturbing books, crappy books and just boring books and none of them gave me as much of a hard time as this book did. I liked the beginning and ending, but everything in between made me end up giving it a three star rating.

I get the message the author tried to convey with this book and I do love the message. I just feel like the execution didn't have to be this frustrating. 95% of the time I just wanted to bang Mia's head against the wall. It was painful to read.

After her father's death, Mia goes through a quarter-life crisis. She's an awesome girl, but she's been playing it safe her whole life and even though she has a real talent to make music, she went for a business degree and kept music as a mere hobby.

I was drowning in a huge chasm created by some obsession I have with getting things right.

She flies to New York to take over her father's cafe and start a new life there. On the flight to New York, she meets the amazing Will. He is a musician and the funniest, kindest, most loving, caring and forgiving person ever. He has the biggest heart and not just for Mia. Seriously he is loving towards everyone.

I would straighten things out with the cafe, then go to grad school, further my education, meet some strapping doctor or business man and let my life follow the square rules I set forth, but the moment I stepped onto that plane back in March, I'd started to feel a different pull.

This carefree, funny and silly attitude attracts Mia. I don't want to get into the how or why, but somewhere in the story Mia is looking for a roommate and Will is looking for an apartment. Will moves in and they become best friends. They soon start to play music together and share a mystical alchemy.

Will is kind, sensitive, creative, determined and he's been a good friend to me.

To love is brave and Will was the bravest person I knew.

You guessed it. Will falls in love with Mia. Does Mia fall in love with Will too? Yes, she does. But does she act on it? Nope. On the very first day Mia pulls the friendship card on him and leaves it to that.

Will was the rock-and-roll type I'd swooned over my entire life and I still wouldn't give him the time of day.

I get that she's scared to make the wrong choices in her life and she just wants security. I also get that it takes some time to build a relationship or to get her comfortable with the idea of one with a musician. However, 80% of this book consisted of Mia being a total bitch and Will being the biggest sweetheart ever. It was just too painful. I wanted to grab Will and take him away from mean Mia so she would stop hurting him.

You're my best fucking friend, Mia. I wish it were more and I think you know that. You are the most guarded person I have ever met, yet everything you feel is right there on your face and you don't even know it. Whatever you need me to be, I'll be! Friends? Fine! Best friends? Great! I'll do it, because I want you in my life more than anything I have ever wanted.

Why the hell he wanted that beats me. I would've left her ass a long time ago. The thing about Will is that he saw right through her and was patient like a saint, waiting for her to find herself. He knew she was struggling, so he put up with all of her shit. He didn't deserve it. Yet he gladly took it and kept coming back. It made me think Mia was not worthy of his love and I wasn't rooting for them to be together at all. This whole book consisted of a Mia feeling bad for herself and a Mia being bitchy. She is the most annoying heroine I have ever encountered.

I was running away full board into a plain old ordinary existence - when I had angels singing, heart-thrashing love reaching out for me, why couldn't I allow myself to let him in?

Her reasons weren't very clear to me. The things that she loved the most about Will were the things that were keeping her away from him. Her reasons kept changing as his situation changed. It was as if she was trying to find excuses to reject him. First she rejected the guy because he wasn't financially secure enough for her. And when he had prospects of becoming rich, she rejected him because of insecurities (he won't have time for her anymore, he won't love her, blah blah blah). I mean how dense are you? It's obvious the guy adores you and would move heaven and earth for you. Stop trying to find excuses to push him away.

All of this just ruined the reading experience for me. I know she was lost and trying to find her way, but seriously? I couldn't handle this. I considered the fourth star for quite some time, because there were many quote-worthy parts in this book and many life lessons to take from it. I didn't eventually give it the fourth star, because I ended up skimming a few scenes because it became so repetitive and at several points I seriously considered quitting.

You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together. Then you'll hear the sound of your soul.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Love, Love this book.
If you loved Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens, you will love Sweet Thing. Oh, I am swooning over Will. I want my very own Will!



Mia is heading from Detroit to NYC to take over her father's business and apartment after his death. On the plane ride there she sits by Will, who is petrified of flying. They strike up a conversation to help calm Will's nerves and discover that they actually have a lot in common. Will is a musician. Mia is also into music but is trying to be practical and not a "flighty musician" She has a business degree and she is determined to make something of her life.



Will is a struggling artist living in a storage unit. He has big dreams and his willing to work for them.



Mia decides to take a roommate and Will is there to fill the room. But he ends up filling more than the room, he begins to fill her heart. Mia is bound and determined that she will not let Will in. She knows that he is going to end up breaking her heart.



Will waits patiently hoping that Mia will see what they have for what it is. Together they are magic and she knows it, but she is running scared. She makes bumbling mistake after bumbling mistake. Some of them were cringe worthy and made me literally ache for them.



Sweet Thing is poignant and heartbreaking. I absolutely adored this book. I fell in love with Will and Mia. I loved that they were facing the real trouble of a young twenty-somethings trying to muddle through life and figure out what they want. Mia struggles to deal with the loss of her father in the only way she knows how. Will is her rock, her best friend, and he could be so much more if she would just let him in.

You get a HEA, and it is so worth ALL of the heartache!

I can't rave enough about this book! LOVED IT!

http://johnstohbibliomaniac.wordpress...

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was Kris' (KC) birthday read. Happy Birthday! Love you, girl!!

Maybe it was fate that I sat next to her that day, or serendipity, divine intervention, who knows?

Will & Mia meet on an airplane headed to New York. Their friendship was centered around their love of music and playing together.

Mia's lack of faith in Will is their undoing. Healing the hurts spoken out of lack of trust is the making of Mia.

"I love this."
"It's a lotus flower."
"I know."
"It symbolizes purity of the heart and mind."


I haven't taken it off since...

[.Lili. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Beautiful Stars!



This is the story of Mia and Ryan. Mia is on her to New York after the death of her father. She's going to sort his things and find herself. She's hoping it'll be a quick stop for her. On the plane ride there she meets Will. As soon as they meet you feel a connection. Once in New York they lose touch but soon cross paths again. They become roommates and best friends. It is obvious to everyone including Mia that Will is love with her but her fears stop her from pursuing a romantic relationship. What ensues is a beautiful story of self discovery and love.

There were so many great things about the writing. The dialogue was brilliant. I felt a part of the story. I felt their joy, pain, fear, and love. The dialogue was written in a way that was believable and relatable. Though at times I did get frustrated- I understood why. From the moment I began reading I knew there was something special about this story.



"Where have you been?"

"Waiting for you."

Mia and Will

I recommend this book to everyone. The writing is amazing. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Lyndy Ann ♫ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this story it just worked for me.

I had a love/hate relationship with Mia & Will when they were good together they were cute, sexy & sweet BUT when they were having a bad patch I wanted to bang their heads together AARGH.

What happened to Jackson made me cry. I had a dog a Springer Spaniel called Kelly she was 17 half years old, she was not only my dog she was my best friend so for this reason I have given Sweet Thing 5*.