Sugar and Spite

by Dana Isaly

I’ve just uprooted my life, moving to a new town to live out my dream of owning a cute little coffee shop. I’m ready to start over, swearing off anything that causes me stress. It’s time to live my best life.

The first person I meet is Grady Carter. He owns the bakery across the street, and I swear he’s out to ruin this whole experience for me.

I paint my windows; he paints his. I update my outdoor seating; he gives the entire front of his shop a facelift. I come up with fun, daily drinks; he does the same with bakes, claiming it’s to send customers my way.

So, when it comes time for us to compete against each other in the town-wide Valentine’s Day sweet treat competition, I’m ready to take him down.

But Agatha, the festival organizer and town gossip, decides this is her time to shine. She loves playing matchmaker, and Grady and I are the next on her list.

Forced to work together, lines begin to blur, and that hate I’ve always felt for him starts to morph into something else, something I was determined not to feel again. I just hope I can make it out, heart unscathed and victory secured.

It can’t be that hard…right?

Genres: Romance, Novella, Contemporary

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 11, 2024

Reviews

[Isabella. R · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Happy Season of Love Stars ⭐

It's tough because I didn't dislike Sugar and Spite. Small town living, coffee, baked goods and meddling matchmakers this Valentine's. My issue was that I didn't love our heroine Kara. Grady on the other hand, I wanted to lick him all over.

She’s young, bright, and has her whole damn future ahead of her. She doesn’t need some small-town guy from bumfuck nowhere Alabama messing up her plans.

There's a fine line between being sassy and a dick. Here we had an independent gummy popping woman (I have no issues with cannabis, but the amount of times it was mentioned was ridiculous) who's starting over but couldn't resist being a bitch to Grady.

She doesn’t realize how head over heels I am for her scorned looks and angry pouts.

Instead, the gorgeous baker hero is clearly smitten with Kara while she used animosity to keep him at arms length, for a year. Honestly, Grady deserved his dick sucked for having such patience and tolerance during a nonexistent feud.

I might just stop there cos I feel like I've taken this too far. Had Kara been milder, I probably would have really liked this. Once she admitted her feelings it was a hot sexfest. But Grady, you could have had anyone. But I guess the heart, wants what the heart wants.

[Madeline S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeeee! I am kicking my feet!
What was there not to love about Grady and Kara! Grady is the sweetest! Their banter was so good, I loved that she was the grumpy storm cloud and he was the smiley sunshine. And there opposites attract personalities is what brought them together. Grady fell hard and fast for Kara I get giddy that this novella was like a fuzzy rivals to lover. The spice was scrumptious I couldn’t get over that Kara is a lover of one of my favorite kinks! It was so so yummy! Sweetwater Springs sounds like the delightful place to live. I loved the whole Valentines’s Competition. Dana can really do a spicy feel good novella like no other I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sweetwater Springs and Mielle!

[Katie&Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆."

Leave it to Dana to have us falling in love in 106 pages. The immediate chemistry between Grady & Kara was smoldering and we knew that they would be such a good match. Also, a 6"5 lumberjack lookin man who bakes? Count us tf in! We cannot stress this enough, but Dana is the QUEEN of smut. We devoured this so quickly and cannot WAIT for Mielle's story next!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute and spicy read.. I just adored it! ❤️‍🔥🌶️ I loved the banter between the FMC and MMC, it definitely kept my interest early on! The chemistry was on point. The author did a great job with the character development and just made this novella an enjoyable read.

Read if you like:
- Reverse Grumpy Sunshine
- Snowed In
- Forced Proximity
- Rivals to Lovers
- Small Town Romance
- He Falls First

Thanks to the author for providing me an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Heather Anderson]

Tropes: Small Town Romance, Rivals to Lovers, Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Valentines Day Novella

Thank you, Dana, for trusting me to alpha read!

When Kara's ex-fiancé cheated on her, she decided to move to a small town and restart her life. She always wanted to open up her own coffee shop, so that is what she did. What she didn't expect is to meet the annoying, but handsome baker across the street. Grady owns a bakery that is right across the street from Kara's new coffee shop. As soon as Grady laid eyes on Kara, he knew that she was the one, except every time he goes to talk to her, she is always grumpy. When Grady and Kara get paired up to compete in their small town's Valentine's Day competition, Kara is not so happy, but Grady is ecstatic and determined to change Kara's mind about him.

This was such a cute, quick, spicy, Valentine's Day novella. I loved how Kara was always grumpy, she reminded me of myself because I'm always grumpy 🤣 Another thing I loved is that even though Kara was grumpy, Grady was not affected by it, if anything, it made him like her more. It was refreshing to see that the MMC wasn't some "muscled, perfect body" guy, but instead was this tall, lumberjack, dad bod guy -- there's not a lot of books with that representation. This novella had the perfect amount of spice with a little kink too it! I'm excited to read Mielle's story in book 2!

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶/5

TW - cheating (past, mentioned, ex fiance)
CW - creampie kink, restraints, food play, sensory deprivation (blindfolds), (light) spanking

Tropes - reverse grumpy x sunshine, Valentine's novella, small town, forced proximity

Kara (FMC) has moved to a new town for a fresh start and open her coffee shop which happens to be right across from Grady's (MMC). The characters meet due to a mix up at an event and ever since, Kara has been on the defensive while Grady has hearts in their eyes.

Meddling small towners result in them having to work together and they get snowed in at Grady's and I'm sure you can guess what happens... 😏

The characters were really cute and I enjoyed this novella!

Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪

🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek/ The Naughty List

[Jenna Crumpton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and spicy read! Dana Isaly has done it again! Small town, reverse grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, yes please! What was there not to love about Grady and Kara? I absolutely loved their banter and gosh those smutty scenes were just perfect which comes at no surprise when it comes to anything written by Dana Isaly! As someone who lives in a small town, I can relate to so many things that were said in this book! I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait to read more from Sweetwater Springs and I’m super excited for Mielle’s story next!

[victoria °❀⋆. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little read to keep me busy during a slow work day! Grady and “Tink” are so precious in their own individual ways but I just for some reason can’t enjoy them as a couple. I know they’ve known each other at least a year, but it just felt so rushed in the snow storm and even more so after. I would love to have read more of a progression of their relationship so it could give me that warm and cozy feeling.

[Sabelle C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adored this well written novella 😍
The storyline was perfect for a novella! From beginning to end the story flowed seamlessly!
Grumpy x sunshine (she’s the grump)
Witty banter
Small town
Match maker friends
Exciting spice

All around great read!

[Lena Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I loved this cute, short, and very sweet story of Grady & Kara.

I loved the small town vibe. The banter between Grady & Kara was perfection! Not to mention the way Grady crushes on Kara. *swoon*

Agatha is a sneaky one! I loved her, though. And Mielle! She’s a supportive friend who also pushes you out of your comfort zone.

The title definitely fits these two. Throw in some spice and BAM. *chefs kiss*

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little novella. It was short, sweet, and spicy when needed. On top of that, it was really easy to fall in love with both of these characters. Kara and Grady might not have started on the right foot when they first met but their romance was the talk of the town. He definitely fell first and she fell harder. Loved these two so much and would totally visit this little town.

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast read but it packs a punch. Perfect when you need a quick read to give you a pick me up. There is some great enemies to lovers plot where the bickering and banter are top notch. Grady and Kara's enemy-ship built up over the course of a year (mostly prior to the start of the book) but the Valentine's day competition was a great way to get them in the same room. Highly recommend for spicy romance vibes.

-- small town
-- enemies to lovers
-- steam
-- forced proximity
-- age gap
-- he falls first

[Lala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dana Isaly is one of my all-time favorite novella writers, and she writes holiday and seasonal romances so well. She writes the hottest, funniest, and sweetest romances in under 200 pages that’ll have you saying, “Oh wow, that’s hot in one breath,” and “Aww, I need a sweet, attentive man with a filthy mouth” in the next.

And she did not disappoint with Sugar & Spite, a sweet Valentine’s Day novella involving Kara and Grady; it’s the perfect short spicy read for anyone who loves a good he falls first; she falls harder story between two rivals in a small town.

My overall review of the book is ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ /5
Storyline Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ /5
Character Development: ⭐ ⭐ /5
World Building: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ /5
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ 🌶️/5

I enjoyed this book because Kara, the FMC, chooses to move to this small town for a fresh start and chooses to bet on herself by opening a coffee shop. She’s sworn off love after experiencing a bad breakup and heartbreak, so she’s not a fan of the flirty baker, Grady, with the bakery across the street. I love Isaly’s display of a strong female friendship between Kara and Mielle in this book. Mielle gives her the push she needs out of her comfort zone and helps her see outside her pessimistic, bitter perspective. I loved how Grady is a golden retriever boyfriend and that Isaly made the MMC, the bigger character in this book, and talked about his body insecurities as a man. Also, I enjoyed the focus on Kara’s pleasure in the spicy scenes and Grady’s dirty talk.

You’ll enjoy this book if you love the following tropes:
✨ Small Town Romance
✨ Rivals-to-Lovers
✨ Holiday/Seasonal Romance
✨ Opposites Attract
✨ Reverse Sunshine
✨ Snowed In

The story has the following kink play explorations:
✨ Light Bondage
✨Food Play
✨ Orgasm Control
✨ Edging

[Isabella Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want a quick and cute romance read? Sugar and Spite is perfect for you then!!! not only is it the perfect quick read, it will keep you hooked the entire time! The banter and rivalry is absolutely entrancing. you will get hooked from the start!
Kara needed a fresh start. Fresh start meaning running off to a small town in alabama (sweet water), leaving everyone and everything behind. After her Ex-fiancé cheated, it was what she needed most. That was until her plans got upturned by Grady Carter.
from day one she swore I hate him. They were your classic enemies to lovers. from the first moment she stepped foot in town he had stolen her table, and that was the downfall. Since Grady “stole her table” Kara had sworn to hate him and stay away because she knew if she had gotten close she would not be able to focus on herself and stay away from men.
Grady, on the other hand knew he wanted her from day one. All he had to do was let her see that he was different.
in the end, we see them both get their happily ever after and score a win together at the valentine’s day competition.
Yes, this book was short, but it is honestly the perfect quick romance read!!!!

[Yarlene ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She sees herself as grey clouds and downpours, always grumpy, but I’ve never seen someone shine so brightly." 💓

•

This was the perfect little Valentine’s novella I needed!

When you’re in need of something sweet, spicy, and short you go into Dana’s novellas.

This novella was such a cute pallet cleanser. It was fun, quick and short. I read it in one sitting, and couldn’t stop grinning and kicking my feet. The MC’s we’re extremely relatable, we have a golden retriever MMC & a black cat FMC.

I’m swooning with how obsessed Grady was with Kara since day one, and how she tried to deny that she was just as interested and obsessed as him 😂 I loved the small town vibes and their banter so much. Agatha and Mielle’s were two sneaky cheeky characters, and I loved them. Don’t get me started on the spice! The spice was spicying 🤣 Also I loved the way Grady communicated and understood Kara, he was such a patient and mature lumberjack type of man. Lord have mercy!

In conclusion, please go read it! 💘 Ohhh, I cannot wait for the next book!!

Ratings: 4.5/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️

•

As always, thank you so much Dana, for letting me read this as an arc! 🩷

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sugar and Spite is an adorable, albeit steamy, read. Dana packed a punch with this little novella that makes for a perfect Valentine’s Day read and this is from someone who doesn't really read contemporary. It's about a "rivalry" between a coffee shop owner and a baker owner, stories that have a big food element really grab my attention and I'm glad they do or I would have missed out.


At first glance Kara and Grady seem like total opposites, she's a grumpy gal and he's a sunshine boy but they say opposites attract and when you give them a good look, they're not so much opposites as they are complementary. I liked Kara, she may have been a Grump to Grady but outside of that, she seems pretty cool. As for Grady, he has a very bright personality, that people can't help but like.


This book had all my favorite troupes, a winter storm, a small town, a competition (food), great female friendship, forced proximity, and opposites attract. Sugar and Spite was a very entertaining read, I absolutely loved it.

[kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a fun and steamy introduction to the town of Sweetwater Springs! Grumpy Kara and Cinnamon Roll Grady are young shop owners in the southern town, and we know immediately that he’s going to break down her walls and sweeten her heart.

I love a small town romance. I love a grumpy x sunshine romance, especially when the FMC is the grump. And Sugar and Spice has all the great elements: benevolently meddling fairy godmother type elders, small town street festivals, a new-in-town/fish-out-of-water theme, forced proximity, a sassy grumpy gal, and the big sweet fellow who likes her just the way she is.

What was missing for me in this fun book was a little bit more character depth. I didn’t fully understand Kara’s grumpiness. I didn’t fully understand WHY she was so anti-Grady and why she isolated herself from the rest of her family and friends.

That being said, I guzzled this book down like a cappucino and cookie combo. Looking forward to the next installment of Sweetwater Springs!

[Kaitlyn Wurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ if you love a sweet and spicy he falls first but she falls harder story between rivals then I would highly recommend! Grady is perfection, he is what made this novella for me. He was pure golden retriever boyfriend. He was obsessed with Kara from day one and she tried to deny and fight how she was just as obsessed with him. He understood Kara he was so patient and mature he communicated so well. I loved the small town vibes. What I didn’t really like was Kara. I struggled to connect with her a lot. I felt like she was just mean most of the time. I definitely get grumpy but not to that extent. She did finally turn around but I was kind of down on her by that time. The spice is off the charts! This was my first novella by Dana and I now want to go back and read more. So quick, easy and spicy! Thank you for the ARC 😊

[Tiffany W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those times where not rereading the blurb before actually reading the book left me stunned lol..

the first half was so nice and wholesome and then right around mid-way I was like ** clutches pearls** and that’s when I stop did a little research and learned that people call Dana is the queen of smut.

This was a very spicy, Valentine's Day novella. One thing I loved is that the author didn’t write Grady as some chiseled GQ model, but instead was this tall, lumberjack, dad bod guy -- there's not a lot of books with that representation, and it’s good to see. Kara was grumpy and she didn’t change.. I loved her relationship worth Mielle and can’t wait for her book.


Read if your enjoy: Small Town Romance, Rivals to Lovers, Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Valentines Day Novella

[Jade LaRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, isn't this just the perfect bit of Valentine's Day smut for someone who hates Valentine's Day!

Grady and Kara are the perfect mix of Grumpy Sunshine, who have a story that moves quickly but doesn't feel rushed. Dana Isaly did a great job building their history in a short amount of pages, which kept the rest of the novella from feeling like a ridiculous unbelievable situation (I mean it's not happening to me but someone is probably living my dreams).

It was cute, it was naughty, it has a puppy, and I actually enjoyed it. It checks all the boxes! Dana does a great job at writing smut and storyline in less than 150 pages. I completely recommend for a quick read that gets you out of your head for an hour or two.

Thanks, Dana Isaly, for the ARC Copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO GOOD. Oh my gosh. So good. I loved every part of this. This novella just goes to show you can build chemistry and a backstory in 100 pages. I've just read a couple novellas this year that feel like they've fallen flat in that area. But this one was so good. I always love a good grumpy x sunshine (especially when the girl is the grumpy one and the boy is a golden retriever). I also love me some forced proximity, especially when it's due to a snow storm. Those are always the best. I also am just falling in love with small town romances recently. They're all reminding me of Schitts Creek which is one of my favorite shows of all time.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series. It's going to be great.

[maggies_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5 stars
spice: 3/5

Sugar and Spite is one of the cutest novellas I’ve read in a long time. The reverse grumpy/sunshine trope is so underrated. Grady is a dream lumberjack man and the way he is obsessed with Kara is adorable. He loves her grumpiness, and her sass especially when it’s directed at him. Kara is a headstrong, independent woman who goes for what she wants. Kara tries to fight her attraction to Grady but struggles with that when he is always so nice to her. I could feel the tension between both of them just page one. They complement each other so well. This is the perfect short story for valentine’s day.

[alex :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

short, sweet, and spicy was EXACTLY what i needed after my last read, and this novella definitely delivered!! i really enjoyed the tropes in this book, there’s so many good ones!

obviously this is a less than 150 page novella, so i can’t judge it too hard. i will say that i really did not enjoy the female main character :/ she was just very sassy, and i think it came across more mean than anything. but the male main character??? he is a total golden retriever and i LOVED him! all three stars are for him 🤣

this was cute though! i’m glad i read it, i feel like it busted me out of my reading slump :)

[Lizs.book.nook ||Elizabeth|| · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, adorable Grumpy/Sunshine story! Grady and Kara’s story was a joy to read. It had me laughing and smiling like a loony toon and I enjoyed every second of it. It was such a fun concept of Grumpy FMC coffee shop owner with walls built up around her heart and a Sunshine MMC bakery owner sweet as pie and totally smitten with the rain cloud that is our heroine. Between the tension, the town competition, the snow storm, and more, I was completely head over heels in love with this story!

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review
Sugar and Spite by Dana Islay
This is such an adorable and spicy novella. Grady is the small town baker who also happens to be built like a lumberjack with a dad bod. When Kara's ex-fiance cheated on her she decided to move to a small town, open her coffee shop, and avoid the annoying baker across the street.

“No storm clouds today,” I say loud enough so only she can hear. “Nah,” she says, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes are saying all the things. “Sunshine drove them away.”

I cannot WAIT for Mielle's story next!

[SiSi ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this one was so cute!
Grady and Kara were so right for each other. It was nice to see how everything played out, sometimes you just have to go for what you want and then see where you end up, which here was plenty of spice. 🔥 I love a good HEA and this story had just that. I enjoyed the whole story and how we know a little about how book 2 will go and I'm excited for what's next!

If you're looking for a cute, quick and spicy read then this one is perfect, especially for Valentine's Day!

[Stacey Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this semi spicy, funny snap backs, dirty talking, why yes please. His a small town romance. Grady is the small town baker who also happens to be built like a lumberjack with a dad bod. When Kara's ex-fiance cheated on her she decided to move to a small town, open her coffee shop, and avoid the annoying baker across the street. I enjoyed reading the town competition and how they were working together. Kara had her blinders on about how Grady felt for her. It was cute how her friends was telling her to open them eyes, anyways I highly recommend reading this for Valentine day!

[Amanda Davanzati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such an enjoyable and spicy read! Sugar and Spite is hallmark type romance with a grumpy heroine with a golden retriever hero that bring the spice! I love the banter between Kara and Grady. I also love how easy it is between them. This read was fun and adorable and really brought a smile to my face.

I definitely enjoyed this book and the characters in it. Dana set it up perfectly for another book for Mielle and I can’t wait to read it! This is definitely a book I recommend for others especially if you’re looking for a Valentines Day read!

[Emily (EternallyEmily) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short fast paced Valentine's Day competition set in a small town! The spice is spicy with some beginner kink, and the pinning is so so sweet.

I loved the reverse grumpy-sunshine. Grady is a big teddy bear that can't help falling in love with the little storm cloud, Kara.

Of course there might've been some meddling by friends to get the two of them to work together for the town's competition to mesh their business together too.

And what happens when bad weather makes Kara stay at Grady's for a few days? Forced promixity never hurt get things rolling!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book a 4.5⭐️ rating. This book is a grumpy- sunshine Valentine’s Day book, and it’s got all the cutesy stuff. Dana is one of my top authors, and she does such a wide range of stories. I am not a fan of all the cutesy stuff, or Valentine’s Day, or the cartooney covers, but this was a short spicy read. Just enough of a plot to justify it. There was laughs, there was romantic moments, and there was spice. Great read.