What do you think?
Rate this book
Cape Shore Romance #2
Sweet Rivals
Sweet Rivals is a modern spin on You've Got Mail mixed with The Great British Bake Off set to a small town beach backdrop -- the perfect spicy beach read.
The only man Jenna has ever been able to sustain a relationship with is the stranger in her online bakery management class, who she will probably never have the nerve to meet. In real life, the long distance relationships forged with visitors to her small beach town end shortly after the whirlwind of vacation ends. Leaving her stuck working in her parent's restaurant, always putting everyone else's needs, plans and dreams in front of her own.
None of that matters though. She has her sights set on opening her bakery and living happily ever after, satisfied in realizing her dreams. That is until the famous, arrogant, TV chef, Jared Wallace, shows up to buy the bakery out from under her and ruin everything. Now her new life goal is to ruin him by any means necessary.
Will she be able to get out of her own way to defeat her rival and realize her dream? Or perhaps this stranger is exactly what she needed all along to force her out of her comfort zone and find the real meaning of happily ever after.
This enemies to lovers romantic comedy delivers the 90s romcom feel, with spicy forced proximity, hilarious hijinks, and a beach bake off rivalry.
The only man Jenna has ever been able to sustain a relationship with is the stranger in her online bakery management class, who she will probably never have the nerve to meet. In real life, the long distance relationships forged with visitors to her small beach town end shortly after the whirlwind of vacation ends. Leaving her stuck working in her parent's restaurant, always putting everyone else's needs, plans and dreams in front of her own.
None of that matters though. She has her sights set on opening her bakery and living happily ever after, satisfied in realizing her dreams. That is until the famous, arrogant, TV chef, Jared Wallace, shows up to buy the bakery out from under her and ruin everything. Now her new life goal is to ruin him by any means necessary.
Will she be able to get out of her own way to defeat her rival and realize her dream? Or perhaps this stranger is exactly what she needed all along to force her out of her comfort zone and find the real meaning of happily ever after.
This enemies to lovers romantic comedy delivers the 90s romcom feel, with spicy forced proximity, hilarious hijinks, and a beach bake off rivalry.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2024
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 11, 2024
I really liked the story concept, but the actual writing wasn’t great.
September 13, 2025
This was my favorite of this series. Cute rivals to lovers, a people pleaser learning to stand up for herself, references to “You’ve Got Mail.”
Typos throughout, which was frustrating, but not the worst I’ve seen where I had to stop reading.
Typos throughout, which was frustrating, but not the worst I’ve seen where I had to stop reading.
August 12, 2024
I received Sweet Rivals as an ARC and overall it was an enjoyable read. The first 6-7 chapters were a bit of a struggle to get through though. It was such a slow building of characters I nearly lost interest, but the second half of the book really makes up for it. I found myself extremely annoyed by the constant mention of "only working with men". It really didn't seem realvent at all to Jenna's story and character development. I also wish that we could have seen a little more character development for Jared. It felt like he was just there and didn't really do much in terms of growth. On to my pros: there was some pretty solid banter at different points, which I am always here for. It's why enemies-to-lovers is one of the best tropes. I really enjoyed the bakery/restaurant setting and the competition aspect. Also the best friend is easily my favorite character even if we didn't get much of her. Overall a solid story just wish it had a little bit better character development.
August 23, 2024
Jenna and Jared's story is a delightful concoction of humor, rivalry, and romantic tension, set against the backdrop of a small beach town and the world of competitive baking. This novel is a charming modern spin on classic romantic comedies.
Jenna, a small-town baker with big dreams, finds her world turned upside down when the famous, arrogant Jared Wallace buys out the bakery she's been dreaming of opening. The clash of their personalities sets the stage for a humorous and engaging enemies-to-lovers romance. The witty banter and playful hostility between Jenna and Jared drive much of the novel's charm, providing plenty of laughs and light-hearted moments.
The small beach town atmosphere adds a cozy, picturesque touch to the story, and the bakery/restaurant setting provides a sweet backdrop for their competitive antics. Jenna's struggle with confidence and Jared's celebrity persona create a dynamic that fuels their humorous exchanges and eventual romantic tension.
The chemistry between them is palpable and adds depth to their evolving relationship. The side characters, particularly Jenna's best friend, provide additional layers of humor and much needed support.
"Sweet Rivals" is a fun, light-hearted read perfect for fans of witty banter and romantic comedies. Its blend of small-town charm, baking competition, and enemies-to-lovers trope makes it an enjoyable escape. If you’re in the mood for a beach read with a sprinkle of romance and a generous helping of humor, this book is worth a try.
--
I received an advanced copy and am voluntarily reviewing.
Jenna, a small-town baker with big dreams, finds her world turned upside down when the famous, arrogant Jared Wallace buys out the bakery she's been dreaming of opening. The clash of their personalities sets the stage for a humorous and engaging enemies-to-lovers romance. The witty banter and playful hostility between Jenna and Jared drive much of the novel's charm, providing plenty of laughs and light-hearted moments.
The small beach town atmosphere adds a cozy, picturesque touch to the story, and the bakery/restaurant setting provides a sweet backdrop for their competitive antics. Jenna's struggle with confidence and Jared's celebrity persona create a dynamic that fuels their humorous exchanges and eventual romantic tension.
The chemistry between them is palpable and adds depth to their evolving relationship. The side characters, particularly Jenna's best friend, provide additional layers of humor and much needed support.
"Sweet Rivals" is a fun, light-hearted read perfect for fans of witty banter and romantic comedies. Its blend of small-town charm, baking competition, and enemies-to-lovers trope makes it an enjoyable escape. If you’re in the mood for a beach read with a sprinkle of romance and a generous helping of humor, this book is worth a try.
--
I received an advanced copy and am voluntarily reviewing.
October 26, 2026
You’ve Got Mail Vibes but Lost Me at Insecurity
Sweet Rivals by Amber Reed almost became a rare DNF for me. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to put this book down, but I kept going, hoping it would redeem itself. Spoiler alert. It did not.
You’ve Got Mail is one of my all time favorite movies, so a romance inspired by that storyline? Sign me up! Unfortunately, I should have saved myself the time.
Jenna’s insecurities were exhausting. Girl, I wanted to root for you, but you have to give me something to work with! She was so consumed by her own doubts that I struggled to believe she could build a healthy relationship with Jerad. A little confidence would have completely changed this story.
The premise had so much potential, but the execution left me wishing I had just watched You’ve Got Mail again.
Sweet Rivals by Amber Reed almost became a rare DNF for me. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to put this book down, but I kept going, hoping it would redeem itself. Spoiler alert. It did not.
You’ve Got Mail is one of my all time favorite movies, so a romance inspired by that storyline? Sign me up! Unfortunately, I should have saved myself the time.
Jenna’s insecurities were exhausting. Girl, I wanted to root for you, but you have to give me something to work with! She was so consumed by her own doubts that I struggled to believe she could build a healthy relationship with Jerad. A little confidence would have completely changed this story.
The premise had so much potential, but the execution left me wishing I had just watched You’ve Got Mail again.
August 18, 2024
A cute book - a nice, easy read that gives you a little bit of everything - online attraction, girl-next-door vibes, a not so cute meet cute, and a few frustratingly-used ellipses to keep our FMC guessing. Jenna is a small, beach town girl with big dreams but missing the confidence to bring them to reality. To make matters worse, Jared (a greedy, chain-creating “celebrity” - according to Jenna) swoops in and steals her dreams out from under her. Jenna isn’t willing to sit back and watch them die at his hands… but why does she wish those hands would do more … to her?
NOTE: I received an advance copy of this book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for their next “beach read”.
NOTE: I received an advance copy of this book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for their next “beach read”.
August 9, 2024
Jenna wants to open her dream bakery, the problem is; she’s too scared. So when Jared comes to town and buys her bakery, she wants to destroy him. As they both compete and argue, their relationship changes. They finally come to an agreement, and both win.
This story is a cute and funny one. Jenna and Jared have plenty of banter, wit, hostility and humor. There’s not a lot of spice (at least scenes) but you can feel the chemistry through the pages. This is the perfect book for those who love to laugh with the characters and enjoy witty banter between everyone.
4/5 Story 📚
2/5 spice 🌶️
4/5 characters 👫🏻
5/5 drama 🎭
This story is a cute and funny one. Jenna and Jared have plenty of banter, wit, hostility and humor. There’s not a lot of spice (at least scenes) but you can feel the chemistry through the pages. This is the perfect book for those who love to laugh with the characters and enjoy witty banter between everyone.
4/5 Story 📚
2/5 spice 🌶️
4/5 characters 👫🏻
5/5 drama 🎭
February 21, 2025
3.5⭐️ there were lots of typos and grammatical errors which was super annoying. I thought the book was good. I felt like some of it was super predictable when it came to Jared and Jenna. It did take me a little while to put the connection together that Jared was the same guy she talked to on the computer. I did however figure it out before she did but when she went to Jared’s house, his dogs name confirmed it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2024
OMG!!!! This book was just the cutest! If you love enemies to lovers this book is it. The banter between the FMC and the MMC was so adorable I was swooning for more!! 💗💗 For the MMC to do his big gesture for love was heart melting!! 🥰🥰 Amber did such a beautiful job telling this story!!❤️❤️
January 22, 2025
You've got mail !
This was such a great story! Jenna had so little faith in herself, if was painful up watch. Jared believed in her but she didn't trust him! Being a part of seeing her realize her worth war so fun!
This was such a great story! Jenna had so little faith in herself, if was painful up watch. Jared believed in her but she didn't trust him! Being a part of seeing her realize her worth war so fun!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews