What do you think?
Rate this book
Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter
A woman with a violent past gets a chance at redemption in this upmarket suspense debut, perfect for fans of Lisa Taddeo and Tiffany McDaniel.
Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though she survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.
As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.
Sharp and poignant, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a stunning novel that eschews picture-perfect endings and dares to tell a story about a resilient queer woman and her relentless determination to persevere.
Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though she survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.
As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.
Sharp and poignant, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a stunning novel that eschews picture-perfect endings and dares to tell a story about a resilient queer woman and her relentless determination to persevere.
305 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2025
324 people are currently reading
24541 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Crewson
1 book190 followersSamantha Crewson graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in political science. A proud queer woman, she currently resides in California's Inland Empire with her partner and their many cats. She has never gotten over the ending of The Sopranos.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,445 reviews
August 13, 2024
BREAKING NEWS: Author thinks her own book is pretty good. More at 11.
February 8, 2025
Beware, this one’s heavy.
Providence is one of my best main characters I have come across in a very long time. Yes, she was flawed. Yes, she may be morally grey. Yes, she may not be perfect, but holy hell did she feel REAL. She was so well developed that I feel like I know her personally. As for the story itself, heartbreaking. These poor girls. I loved how the story unraveled. Sisterhood and family takes many forms and that is shown in this novel. As upsetting as it may be, I’d love a prequel that explored the eldest daughters’ childhood and the accident more. Essentially I am just not ready to let go of these characters, if I’m being honest with myself. I CANNOT wait to read whatever this author writes next.
Providence is one of my best main characters I have come across in a very long time. Yes, she was flawed. Yes, she may be morally grey. Yes, she may not be perfect, but holy hell did she feel REAL. She was so well developed that I feel like I know her personally. As for the story itself, heartbreaking. These poor girls. I loved how the story unraveled. Sisterhood and family takes many forms and that is shown in this novel. As upsetting as it may be, I’d love a prequel that explored the eldest daughters’ childhood and the accident more. Essentially I am just not ready to let go of these characters, if I’m being honest with myself. I CANNOT wait to read whatever this author writes next.
April 16, 2025
This author was trying to prove herself as an author just a tad bit too much. I swear she wrote this novel with a thesaurus open next to her so she could use the most advanced obscure words.
October 6, 2025
bleak, man. real bleak
May 7, 2025
3.5. Parts of this book were really interesting and well done and I enjoyed the main character Providence who doesn’t hide from who she is - very flawed. But parts of the book bogged down too much for me. The constant repeating of how awful her dad was. I get it. He was horrible. But instead of showing the reader in what ways he was so awful we were just told it over and over.
April 6, 2025
A gritty, fractured and haunting tale of a desolate family with the disease of addiction. This is quite a heavy story, so not one to pick up if you are looking for lighthearted or heartwarming. Think Jenny Gump throwing rocks at her childhood Alabama home. That said, it is incredibly well written and the characters are tragic and deep.
Providence Byrd has returned to her hometown of Annesville, a tiny town of 90 some people in a rural Nebraska county near the reservation. Generations of Byrds have lived in the tiny house on a dirt road, with increasingly inherited trauma. Providence was in prison for running over her mother as a teenager, a moment of blind rage that ended in her guilty verdict. Her mother recovered, but is now missing. Providence and her mother Elissa have had no relationship in the last 13 years, but Providence has returned from her life in Kansas City as a tattoo artist to help her two younger sisters and to find out what happened to her mom.
Alcoholism and addiction has ravaged their family and this is a disease that has sunk its teeth into both of her parents. These are the kind of people that never had a chance in life. Her father is a very believable villain of no redemption, but Providence’s love and protectiveness of her younger sisters is a driving force throughout the novel.
Providence is an unlikely hero, but the reader will be in her corner from the beginning. It is nearly unbelievable that she has the mental health that she does, but it seems that her community and therapy have given her a chance in life. In many ways, she is the only chance her sisters Harmony and Grace have at getting free from the bonds of suffering.
I loved the symbolism- the sisters names alone highlight the role spiritual trauma plays, the setting and descriptions absolutely fits the story. It is a tragedy with a backdrop of white rural rage, and how the world forgets about small towns and those trying to survive in them. The mystery reveal itself is not one I saw coming, we do eventually learn what happened to Elissa.
This book will raise your empathy and may even stir gratitude for the place of your birth and the town and parents you were born to. The ending is satisfying and maybe even slightly hopeful.
A talented new author.
But nearly every trigger warning imaginable.
Providence Byrd has returned to her hometown of Annesville, a tiny town of 90 some people in a rural Nebraska county near the reservation. Generations of Byrds have lived in the tiny house on a dirt road, with increasingly inherited trauma. Providence was in prison for running over her mother as a teenager, a moment of blind rage that ended in her guilty verdict. Her mother recovered, but is now missing. Providence and her mother Elissa have had no relationship in the last 13 years, but Providence has returned from her life in Kansas City as a tattoo artist to help her two younger sisters and to find out what happened to her mom.
Alcoholism and addiction has ravaged their family and this is a disease that has sunk its teeth into both of her parents. These are the kind of people that never had a chance in life. Her father is a very believable villain of no redemption, but Providence’s love and protectiveness of her younger sisters is a driving force throughout the novel.
Providence is an unlikely hero, but the reader will be in her corner from the beginning. It is nearly unbelievable that she has the mental health that she does, but it seems that her community and therapy have given her a chance in life. In many ways, she is the only chance her sisters Harmony and Grace have at getting free from the bonds of suffering.
I loved the symbolism- the sisters names alone highlight the role spiritual trauma plays, the setting and descriptions absolutely fits the story. It is a tragedy with a backdrop of white rural rage, and how the world forgets about small towns and those trying to survive in them. The mystery reveal itself is not one I saw coming, we do eventually learn what happened to Elissa.
This book will raise your empathy and may even stir gratitude for the place of your birth and the town and parents you were born to. The ending is satisfying and maybe even slightly hopeful.
A talented new author.
But nearly every trigger warning imaginable.
April 12, 2025
Hmm well good enough to finish, but every single character was hate worthy lol
April 13, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter was a haunting story about Providence, who was haunted by her past. When she returned home she found her mother missing and confronted her abusive father. From there she set out to seek closure and redemption. I enjoyed following Providence in her harrowing quest to heal the wounds of her dysfunctional family history. This story was categorized as a suspenseful mystery, however, I didn’t find this one to be either. It was fictional with an element of psychological mystery about it.
I appreciated how the story explored themes of redemption, family secrets, abuse, and the search for justice, but unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the story as a whole. The characters were not likable which made it hard to connect to them. The plot was intriguing based on the book synopsis, but that was as far as it went. I wasn’t as engaged in the narrative as I had wanted to be. Although the dialogue was abundant in words, I found much of the narrative repetitive. What I read at the beginning of the story mimicked the culmination with the exception of what happened to Providence’s father. I believe if there were more mysterious and suspenseful elements such as flashbacks, cliff hangers, and a stronger hook, this would have been a successful story. Overall, this was challenging for me to rate because I wanted to so terribly like this book. Of course there were parts of the story I enjoyed but I found there were more parts that felt incomplete, as though something from the moment I started reading it to the moment I finished, was missing. I wish I could have given this novel a higher rating due to the book’s synopsis, but it fell short. It had potential but was a mediocre story that was missing elements to make it a solid suspenseful mystery.
Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter was a haunting story about Providence, who was haunted by her past. When she returned home she found her mother missing and confronted her abusive father. From there she set out to seek closure and redemption. I enjoyed following Providence in her harrowing quest to heal the wounds of her dysfunctional family history. This story was categorized as a suspenseful mystery, however, I didn’t find this one to be either. It was fictional with an element of psychological mystery about it.
I appreciated how the story explored themes of redemption, family secrets, abuse, and the search for justice, but unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the story as a whole. The characters were not likable which made it hard to connect to them. The plot was intriguing based on the book synopsis, but that was as far as it went. I wasn’t as engaged in the narrative as I had wanted to be. Although the dialogue was abundant in words, I found much of the narrative repetitive. What I read at the beginning of the story mimicked the culmination with the exception of what happened to Providence’s father. I believe if there were more mysterious and suspenseful elements such as flashbacks, cliff hangers, and a stronger hook, this would have been a successful story. Overall, this was challenging for me to rate because I wanted to so terribly like this book. Of course there were parts of the story I enjoyed but I found there were more parts that felt incomplete, as though something from the moment I started reading it to the moment I finished, was missing. I wish I could have given this novel a higher rating due to the book’s synopsis, but it fell short. It had potential but was a mediocre story that was missing elements to make it a solid suspenseful mystery.
April 20, 2025
I loved this one and was surprised to find out it’s the author’s debut. Everything here is well done. The writing is terrific and the characters well developed. I enjoyed the mystery and how it played out. Lindsey Dorcus @lindseydorcus is outstanding as the narrator. Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is an April Book of the Month selection.
April 29, 2025
Honestly I expected way more from this. Not to be harsh but ….
I feel like despite delving into dark/intense themes there were a lot of cheesy oneliners and quotes that took me right out of the book and made me roll my eyes.
Every single side character was underdeveloped and did not have a single drop of characterization (not even the main character to be honest) and each served to fulfill one singular plot point each and then were basically discarded after.
Also why didn’t a single person believe she was trying to kill her dad instead of her mom when she was 17? Genuinely everyone was like I don’t believe you but LITERALLY WHY. I literally got that from the flap. Extreme common sense, extremely obvious, I literally think this tiny thing turned me off of the book right at the beginning because it made me think everyone was so dumb
I feel like despite delving into dark/intense themes there were a lot of cheesy oneliners and quotes that took me right out of the book and made me roll my eyes.
Every single side character was underdeveloped and did not have a single drop of characterization (not even the main character to be honest) and each served to fulfill one singular plot point each and then were basically discarded after.
Also why didn’t a single person believe she was trying to kill her dad instead of her mom when she was 17? Genuinely everyone was like I don’t believe you but LITERALLY WHY. I literally got that from the flap. Extreme common sense, extremely obvious, I literally think this tiny thing turned me off of the book right at the beginning because it made me think everyone was so dumb
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2024
This book starts with a content warning, unlike many other books with such a warning, this is absolutely needed. The author tells you what to expect, if you aren’t up for it right now, or maybe ever, don’t read it. We are talking about abuse, self harm, addiction, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The book is well-written, the story never letting you go completely. Providence is a main character you both hate and love, much like some of the side characters do. The book never is an easy read, there are some beautiful moments in, moments that show light and hope in darkness. Overall the book is bleak, but it shows a lot of strength in different ways.
Not a fun and light read, definitely one to recommend for when you want something with substance.
The book is well-written, the story never letting you go completely. Providence is a main character you both hate and love, much like some of the side characters do. The book never is an easy read, there are some beautiful moments in, moments that show light and hope in darkness. Overall the book is bleak, but it shows a lot of strength in different ways.
Not a fun and light read, definitely one to recommend for when you want something with substance.
April 11, 2025
I promise you, I really wanted to like this book.
I am not someone who shies away from books with heavy trauma, as long as there is meaning and intention, not just trauma dumping on a page. Unfortunately, the majority of this book was just that: trauma dumping on a page. While I appreciate that the author wrote about difficult topics, it was very challenging for me to feel that any of this was done in a way that was more than just surface level, or that the trauma was woven throughout the story in a way that makes you really FEEL for the characters and their lived experiences. Instead, there would be 3 sentences of exactly what the traumatic event was, and then..that's it. We moved right along. It was hard for me to get a sense for any of the characters in this book, or their motivation behind the decisions that they made due to what I truly feel is just an overall lack of depth. When I read a book, I want the book to weave a story based on a narrative, not just write a sentence or two about something awful that happened seemingly out of nowhere and then plop in the middle of the page before moving on to something else. Overall, I just found myself wanting more from this story.
I am not someone who shies away from books with heavy trauma, as long as there is meaning and intention, not just trauma dumping on a page. Unfortunately, the majority of this book was just that: trauma dumping on a page. While I appreciate that the author wrote about difficult topics, it was very challenging for me to feel that any of this was done in a way that was more than just surface level, or that the trauma was woven throughout the story in a way that makes you really FEEL for the characters and their lived experiences. Instead, there would be 3 sentences of exactly what the traumatic event was, and then..that's it. We moved right along. It was hard for me to get a sense for any of the characters in this book, or their motivation behind the decisions that they made due to what I truly feel is just an overall lack of depth. When I read a book, I want the book to weave a story based on a narrative, not just write a sentence or two about something awful that happened seemingly out of nowhere and then plop in the middle of the page before moving on to something else. Overall, I just found myself wanting more from this story.
April 25, 2025
*3.5 Stars*
At seventeen, Providence threw the family car into reverse and ran over her mother. Thirteen years later and now an ex-con, Providence receives a call that her mother is missing. She must face her past traumas and go back to the town she promised she would never return to. Providence is determined to find closure and evidence that her father is responsible for her missing mother.
This was a strong debut, filled with flawed characters, generational trauma and the mystery of Providence's missing mother. Providence was such a great main character that you both love and hate. It was heartbreaking to read on how this small town failed to protect these girls and how Providence's life changed trying to protect her family. The mystery into Providence's missing mother was filled with twists and turns, that left me completely shocked at the end.
I would strongly look at the trigger warnings for this book. This book discusses self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse, as well as references to physical and sexual abuse.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review Every Sweet This Is Bitter. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
At seventeen, Providence threw the family car into reverse and ran over her mother. Thirteen years later and now an ex-con, Providence receives a call that her mother is missing. She must face her past traumas and go back to the town she promised she would never return to. Providence is determined to find closure and evidence that her father is responsible for her missing mother.
This was a strong debut, filled with flawed characters, generational trauma and the mystery of Providence's missing mother. Providence was such a great main character that you both love and hate. It was heartbreaking to read on how this small town failed to protect these girls and how Providence's life changed trying to protect her family. The mystery into Providence's missing mother was filled with twists and turns, that left me completely shocked at the end.
I would strongly look at the trigger warnings for this book. This book discusses self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse, as well as references to physical and sexual abuse.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review Every Sweet This Is Bitter. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 10, 2025
I thought this book was absolutely fantastic, and I was shocked to find out it was a debut.
The book is dark and gritty and deals with some trigger warning topics, but does so in a very sensitive way, and really only references them without going into detail.
Thirteen years ago, Providence was convicted for attempted murder when she ran her mother over with a vehicle. No one believed her that it was supposed to be her abusive father, and even her mother took his side. Now, her mother has gone missing, and she Providence returned home to face the demons of her past.
This book had a lot of qualities of a thriller, but it was more of a mystery/suspense and unfolding of the story of what happened to Providence's mother. She attempts to reconnect with sisters who hate her and confronts her abusive father for the last time.
I recommend this one if you don't mind slower stories with some dark themes.
The book is dark and gritty and deals with some trigger warning topics, but does so in a very sensitive way, and really only references them without going into detail.
Thirteen years ago, Providence was convicted for attempted murder when she ran her mother over with a vehicle. No one believed her that it was supposed to be her abusive father, and even her mother took his side. Now, her mother has gone missing, and she Providence returned home to face the demons of her past.
This book had a lot of qualities of a thriller, but it was more of a mystery/suspense and unfolding of the story of what happened to Providence's mother. She attempts to reconnect with sisters who hate her and confronts her abusive father for the last time.
I recommend this one if you don't mind slower stories with some dark themes.
May 17, 2025
TW/CW: Language, toxic family relationships, domestic abuse, physical abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, death by suicide (attempt), cutting, sex (graphic), abortion, Alzheimer's, blood, violence
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though she survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.
As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.
Release Date:
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. I liked Providence
What I Didn't Like:
1. 1,000 mentions of choke cherry pie
2. Lame ending
3. Story falls flat by the ending
Final Thoughts:
Wow that ending was so lackluster. Connors dad killed her. Then Providence goes to her dad's and kills him. Oh but everything works out and she gets everything she wanted.
Is it me or are synopsis' getting longer?God, they are actually hating her because she hit her mother. I get it but she survived. They are just acting like she's dead or something.
This book feels like so much back and forth that I was looking forward to the end to come. I just thought it was okay for what it was but the circles around how her mother is missing and her dad was terrible just kept hitting us over the head with it. One time - okay, twice - yeah, but more than that and it was too much.
Drove me up the wall the amount of times I read choke cherry pie, which is a pie over never heard of before this book.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though she survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.
As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.
Release Date:
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. I liked Providence
What I Didn't Like:
1. 1,000 mentions of choke cherry pie
2. Lame ending
3. Story falls flat by the ending
Final Thoughts:
Wow that ending was so lackluster. Connors dad killed her. Then Providence goes to her dad's and kills him. Oh but everything works out and she gets everything she wanted.
Is it me or are synopsis' getting longer?God, they are actually hating her because she hit her mother. I get it but she survived. They are just acting like she's dead or something.
This book feels like so much back and forth that I was looking forward to the end to come. I just thought it was okay for what it was but the circles around how her mother is missing and her dad was terrible just kept hitting us over the head with it. One time - okay, twice - yeah, but more than that and it was too much.
Drove me up the wall the amount of times I read choke cherry pie, which is a pie over never heard of before this book.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 22, 2025
This didn’t really live up to what I thought it would be. I didn’t like any of the characters that much, I felt like the pacing was off, and it just kinda feels unfinished.
May 1, 2025
I selected this book as one of my April Book of the month club picks, and I honestly wish I would have selected a different book. This one had such an interesting premise and unfortunately it fell flat for me. I was going to stop reading it midway but I only slogged through it because I was on vacation and it was the only book I brought with me (I know-always have a backup read!)
Providence Byrd returns to her hometown to help find her missing mother. We quickly learn that Providence is the black sheep of her family (and the entire town) because when she was 17, she purposefully ran her mother over with her car and then went to prison. During her time searching, Providence hopes to make amends with her sisters, but their father is sadistic, and Providence has a difficult time dealing with her trauma.
The subject matter in this book was DARK, and there is even a trigger warning in the beginning of the book. The entire town knows about Providence’s father and what he does; heck even the local cops are afraid of him. But for all of that, he came across as a cartoony villain at times. The actions of the townspeople felt cliched too, like all the times they made remarks at Providence for no reason -none of it felt like something real life people would say (And this is coming from someone who grew up in a small town). And the part where people are like, scared of her when she’s walking around and they can see all her tattoos? I know this is supposed to be a very rural place but other characters are described as having tattoos? They wouldn’t recoil in fear so dramatically as was described. The pacing felt off and repetitive, and I felt like we never really got to know other characters besides how Providence described them. Perhaps chapters from their point of view would have helped.
As for the big “twist/reveal”? Meh. I was a little surprised but given everything else in the book it didn’t give me the feeling it would have had this been a better written book
The one main thing that annoyed me was the dizzying amount of grammatical errors throughout the book-seriously, where was the editor? Same goes for the annoying amount of thesaurus like words sprinkled at the end of almost every paragraph-ok, we get it, this is a cool word, but does it always have to be followed by a graphic description of something? Readers will be ok with just the word itself, I promise you.
Providence Byrd returns to her hometown to help find her missing mother. We quickly learn that Providence is the black sheep of her family (and the entire town) because when she was 17, she purposefully ran her mother over with her car and then went to prison. During her time searching, Providence hopes to make amends with her sisters, but their father is sadistic, and Providence has a difficult time dealing with her trauma.
The subject matter in this book was DARK, and there is even a trigger warning in the beginning of the book. The entire town knows about Providence’s father and what he does; heck even the local cops are afraid of him. But for all of that, he came across as a cartoony villain at times. The actions of the townspeople felt cliched too, like all the times they made remarks at Providence for no reason -none of it felt like something real life people would say (And this is coming from someone who grew up in a small town). And the part where people are like, scared of her when she’s walking around and they can see all her tattoos? I know this is supposed to be a very rural place but other characters are described as having tattoos? They wouldn’t recoil in fear so dramatically as was described. The pacing felt off and repetitive, and I felt like we never really got to know other characters besides how Providence described them. Perhaps chapters from their point of view would have helped.
As for the big “twist/reveal”? Meh. I was a little surprised but given everything else in the book it didn’t give me the feeling it would have had this been a better written book
The one main thing that annoyed me was the dizzying amount of grammatical errors throughout the book-seriously, where was the editor? Same goes for the annoying amount of thesaurus like words sprinkled at the end of almost every paragraph-ok, we get it, this is a cool word, but does it always have to be followed by a graphic description of something? Readers will be ok with just the word itself, I promise you.
April 7, 2025
2.5
The premise of this book sounded so intriguing- 17 year old Providence Byrd runs her mother over with a car, then spends the next ten years in jail. After getting out, she rebuilds her life in Missouri and only returns to Annesville NE because her mother has mysteriously disappeared.
Besides this mystery, there is A LOT of family baggage to tend to. Providence’s dad was very abusive to his wife and three daughters. Providence has not worked through her trauma and self harms in a very visceral way. She is estranged from her entire family.
The idea of this book was a thumbs up for me. Part of the setting is on Indian land and I liked those inclusions. And I am always up for a family drama. I liked the red herring and then the real culprit is the one you should have seen right from the start. But unfortunately, the more I got into it, the less I liked it. I didn’t like how everyone’s opinion of Providence was the same-I truly think her family would have understood her intentions better. Perhaps her mother did? And disowning her was her way of setting her free? But I’m probably giving her too much credit. I also didn’t get how Tom Byrd got away with so much in that town. Why? And the action of the conclusion, come on. No way. I just couldn’t see it actually escalating to that.
Though this may resonate more with some readers, it just wasn’t for me.
The premise of this book sounded so intriguing- 17 year old Providence Byrd runs her mother over with a car, then spends the next ten years in jail. After getting out, she rebuilds her life in Missouri and only returns to Annesville NE because her mother has mysteriously disappeared.
Besides this mystery, there is A LOT of family baggage to tend to. Providence’s dad was very abusive to his wife and three daughters. Providence has not worked through her trauma and self harms in a very visceral way. She is estranged from her entire family.
The idea of this book was a thumbs up for me. Part of the setting is on Indian land and I liked those inclusions. And I am always up for a family drama. I liked the red herring and then the real culprit is the one you should have seen right from the start. But unfortunately, the more I got into it, the less I liked it. I didn’t like how everyone’s opinion of Providence was the same-I truly think her family would have understood her intentions better. Perhaps her mother did? And disowning her was her way of setting her free? But I’m probably giving her too much credit. I also didn’t get how Tom Byrd got away with so much in that town. Why? And the action of the conclusion, come on. No way. I just couldn’t see it actually escalating to that.
Though this may resonate more with some readers, it just wasn’t for me.
April 21, 2025
Dude why did I demolish this book in a day?!?! The pacing was exceptional, the ratio of plot to relationship building was perfect, the questionable yet valid actions were delectable. I LOVED reading this book. Also, personally loved the themes about familial bonds related to familial trauma. Really well done.
Favorite Quotes:
“‘Blood is thicker than water.’ Triumph at last. Gil holds up the corner piece. ‘That's not how the saying goes. The real expression is the opposite. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’” (83).
"I guess we always find it easier to define people by what
they mean to others rather than who they are alone” (250).
“Their suffering, like mine, is an existential torture: sorrow for the lives we never lived, grief for the people we were never able to become” (265).
“I once thought no place but Annesville could ever be home, but home is not what you run from. It's what you run toward” (301).
Favorite Quotes:
“‘Blood is thicker than water.’ Triumph at last. Gil holds up the corner piece. ‘That's not how the saying goes. The real expression is the opposite. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’” (83).
"I guess we always find it easier to define people by what
they mean to others rather than who they are alone” (250).
“Their suffering, like mine, is an existential torture: sorrow for the lives we never lived, grief for the people we were never able to become” (265).
“I once thought no place but Annesville could ever be home, but home is not what you run from. It's what you run toward” (301).
May 30, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ intriguing mystery that I stuck with til the end. .
Providence Byrd returns to her hometown after the disappearance of her mother, her mother that she ran over with her car years before and went to prison for.
Providence is a mess. She suffers from anxiety, low self esteem and she self harms. Her family is equally damaged,Alcoholic mean father, addict mother, mentally ill sister. Providence is determined to find her mom and help her youngest sister escape.
The story contains many interesting characters, but not a fan of the many Biblical quotes. There are multiple suspects when Elissa, the mom is found dead. Some of the MC choices were questionable and I found her mostly unlikable. And what about Harmony the middle sister? There is an unexpected twist to the plot and a questionable ending!
Providence Byrd returns to her hometown after the disappearance of her mother, her mother that she ran over with her car years before and went to prison for.
Providence is a mess. She suffers from anxiety, low self esteem and she self harms. Her family is equally damaged,Alcoholic mean father, addict mother, mentally ill sister. Providence is determined to find her mom and help her youngest sister escape.
The story contains many interesting characters, but not a fan of the many Biblical quotes. There are multiple suspects when Elissa, the mom is found dead. Some of the MC choices were questionable and I found her mostly unlikable. And what about Harmony the middle sister? There is an unexpected twist to the plot and a questionable ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter (audio) 3.5⭐️
This drama centers around the Byrd family: an abusive father, a passive mother, Providence (oldest daughter), Harmony (middle daughter), and Grace (youngest daughter). Providence is returning to her small hometown for the first time since her time in prison after running her mom over with a car. All 3 siblings are traumatized by their upbringing and struggle in their own way.
This was well written and captured the complexity and ugly realities of marital and childhood abuse and the lifelong effects. The women in this book are broken and surviving the only way they know how. This will be triggering for some.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.
Pub Date Apr 22 2025
This drama centers around the Byrd family: an abusive father, a passive mother, Providence (oldest daughter), Harmony (middle daughter), and Grace (youngest daughter). Providence is returning to her small hometown for the first time since her time in prison after running her mom over with a car. All 3 siblings are traumatized by their upbringing and struggle in their own way.
This was well written and captured the complexity and ugly realities of marital and childhood abuse and the lifelong effects. The women in this book are broken and surviving the only way they know how. This will be triggering for some.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.
Pub Date Apr 22 2025
April 16, 2025
1.5⭐️
Amateur writing. Plot, where? Mystery, where? Intrigue, where? Half star boost because I finished the damn thing
Amateur writing. Plot, where? Mystery, where? Intrigue, where? Half star boost because I finished the damn thing
July 26, 2025
For fan's of S.A. Cosby and "Where the Crawdads Sing", "Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a no-holds barred thriller/murder mystery that grabs ahold of you from the very beginning.
There are themes of child abuse, SA, domestic abuse, but the author does a good job of describing the trauma of these without going into explicit details. You feel the tension and effects of these characters lives so vividly in the book and you just want to keep reading to see if they get the protection the deserve.
The setting was rich and the overall story envelops you, so it feels like you are walking alongside the journey with Providence. I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author.
There are themes of child abuse, SA, domestic abuse, but the author does a good job of describing the trauma of these without going into explicit details. You feel the tension and effects of these characters lives so vividly in the book and you just want to keep reading to see if they get the protection the deserve.
The setting was rich and the overall story envelops you, so it feels like you are walking alongside the journey with Providence. I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from this author.
July 15, 2025
"a cycle of violence enabling a cycle of love."
This was such a sad story - a missing mother, 3 sisters that have been torn apart by violence from their parents. Because the mother is missing, Providence comes back home even though this is the last place she wants to come back to. She hasn't been back since she was 17, attempted to run over her father and hit her mother instead. They lied and she went to prison for 5 years.
Coming back, she knows her sisters hate her. Her father is still a violent alcoholic. Coming back brings it all back up. The mystery kept me reading but the story was heartbreaking. The amount of abuse this town decided to ignore was happening was just staggering. The fact the girls were still alive was surprising, because he was always so close to killing them (or their mom). I didn't guess the twists and was drawn to story, wanting to know how it would all end. Good but heartbreaking.
This was such a sad story - a missing mother, 3 sisters that have been torn apart by violence from their parents. Because the mother is missing, Providence comes back home even though this is the last place she wants to come back to. She hasn't been back since she was 17, attempted to run over her father and hit her mother instead. They lied and she went to prison for 5 years.
Coming back, she knows her sisters hate her. Her father is still a violent alcoholic. Coming back brings it all back up. The mystery kept me reading but the story was heartbreaking. The amount of abuse this town decided to ignore was happening was just staggering. The fact the girls were still alive was surprising, because he was always so close to killing them (or their mom). I didn't guess the twists and was drawn to story, wanting to know how it would all end. Good but heartbreaking.
April 28, 2025
ARC✶REVIEW
#ad mad love for my advance copy @crookedlanebooks #partner
& @dreamscape_media + @netgalley #partner for the ALC
🅴🆅🅴🆁🆈 🆂🆆🅴🅴🆃 🆃🅷🅸🅽🅶 🅸🆂 🅱🅸🆃🆃🅴🆁
What a fantastic read this was!
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter by Samantha Crewson is an emotional thriller/mystery that is impossible to put down. Providence is a relatable character with a gut-wrenching background.
When their mom goes missing, Providence comes back home - but not everyone is happy to see her face. Having spent five years in prison for running over her mother, coming home is bitter-sweet.
A wonderful - though tough - read that I fully enjoyed. I loved the exploration of sisterhood, even if on a sadder note. You can see how generational trauma - violence against women, alcoholism, etc., has far reaching consequences and destroys everything in its path.
I also love how the story touches on the real issues that reservations face. All the liquor stores, which I feel were a strategic move, and the issues they cause. Though some reservations declare themselves as “dry” there’s nothing stopping liquor stores from being places just outside the reservations. I watch a phenomenal documentary on it once but cannot for the life of me remember what it was called.
Def recommend this one.
#EverySweetThingisBitter #crookedlanebooks
#ad mad love for my advance copy @crookedlanebooks #partner
& @dreamscape_media + @netgalley #partner for the ALC
🅴🆅🅴🆁🆈 🆂🆆🅴🅴🆃 🆃🅷🅸🅽🅶 🅸🆂 🅱🅸🆃🆃🅴🆁
What a fantastic read this was!
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter by Samantha Crewson is an emotional thriller/mystery that is impossible to put down. Providence is a relatable character with a gut-wrenching background.
When their mom goes missing, Providence comes back home - but not everyone is happy to see her face. Having spent five years in prison for running over her mother, coming home is bitter-sweet.
A wonderful - though tough - read that I fully enjoyed. I loved the exploration of sisterhood, even if on a sadder note. You can see how generational trauma - violence against women, alcoholism, etc., has far reaching consequences and destroys everything in its path.
I also love how the story touches on the real issues that reservations face. All the liquor stores, which I feel were a strategic move, and the issues they cause. Though some reservations declare themselves as “dry” there’s nothing stopping liquor stores from being places just outside the reservations. I watch a phenomenal documentary on it once but cannot for the life of me remember what it was called.
Def recommend this one.
#EverySweetThingisBitter #crookedlanebooks
September 1, 2025
Providence Byrd has served her time and is attempting to rebuild her life when she gets the call that her mother is missing. Forced to return to her hometown filled with haunting childhood memories, Providence must confront her violent past in order to create a hopeful future.
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is Samantha Crewson's debut novel. I enjoyed the audio and it definitely kept my attention with many twists and turns in the story. This story deals with the topics of family abuse and trauma brought on by alcohol and violence, secrets, and ultimately redemption and growth. I think the story was good overhaul, but not great. I am looking forward to discussing it with my book club to get their thoughts!
Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is Samantha Crewson's debut novel. I enjoyed the audio and it definitely kept my attention with many twists and turns in the story. This story deals with the topics of family abuse and trauma brought on by alcohol and violence, secrets, and ultimately redemption and growth. I think the story was good overhaul, but not great. I am looking forward to discussing it with my book club to get their thoughts!
Read
July 31, 2025When I came to the part about early-onset ALZ, I had to stop listening. It's a personal thing. Oh well. Maybe someday I'll return...
June 20, 2025
The story is good but in many ways it is not believable.
First, the idea that Providence was sexually abused by her father is never really brought to light or in any way explained. It’s easy to think she would be psychologically damaged by how she was treated but why do the other sisters just go along with the father, albeit acting very messed up in their own ways, there is no reason to believe he did the same thing to them.
In most cases of incest in families with multiple children the violations happen to more than just one child. Her father is really inappropriate with all of them but there is no mention of him sneaking into the beds of the other two sisters. Yes, they are both understandably horrified by him but neither of them give any indication that he repeated this activity with them and Providence didn’t seem to be concerned about that either.
You can see that the entire family is dysfunctional at best and Providence has the self mutilation tendency that many victims of this kind of assault will have, there is no clear indication of the same type of abuse being carried over to her sisters.
This is just my opinion but I think it would have been a better story if she had focused on what the sisters went through and maybe more of what had happened to her mother to cause her to be concerned enough to call Providence before she disappeared.
Since she went home to help find her mother it should have been talked about a bit more and might have even been a better ending to have the mother be found alive. There was no real closure for anyone or anything in this story.
The only justice was how she finally got to kill her father but I’m not sure of what he did wrong other than being an abusive alcoholic because, as I pointed out, there was never an outright statement of his guilt in the crime of sexual assault.
Even though the entire book was built around the premise that a childhood of sexual abuse and many other types of abuse and neglect from both of her parents not to mention the many teachers, police officers and other adults who could have helped, lead her to attempt to run her father down with a car, the story does not tie events and people together enough to make it genuine.
Lastly, it is hard to believe that Harmony would have any type of protective tendencies towards her younger sister or that she would choose to spend time in prison for a crime that neither of them had committed. Nothing was ever resolved about the true killer of her mother. Why would Providence let her sister go to prison when she knew who had truly committed the act? Why wouldn’t she defend her sister since she herself, had gone to prison for a crime that she didn’t intend to do?
It’s worth a read but just leaves so many gaps and questions in the readers mind, well at least this readers mind.
First, the idea that Providence was sexually abused by her father is never really brought to light or in any way explained. It’s easy to think she would be psychologically damaged by how she was treated but why do the other sisters just go along with the father, albeit acting very messed up in their own ways, there is no reason to believe he did the same thing to them.
In most cases of incest in families with multiple children the violations happen to more than just one child. Her father is really inappropriate with all of them but there is no mention of him sneaking into the beds of the other two sisters. Yes, they are both understandably horrified by him but neither of them give any indication that he repeated this activity with them and Providence didn’t seem to be concerned about that either.
You can see that the entire family is dysfunctional at best and Providence has the self mutilation tendency that many victims of this kind of assault will have, there is no clear indication of the same type of abuse being carried over to her sisters.
This is just my opinion but I think it would have been a better story if she had focused on what the sisters went through and maybe more of what had happened to her mother to cause her to be concerned enough to call Providence before she disappeared.
Since she went home to help find her mother it should have been talked about a bit more and might have even been a better ending to have the mother be found alive. There was no real closure for anyone or anything in this story.
The only justice was how she finally got to kill her father but I’m not sure of what he did wrong other than being an abusive alcoholic because, as I pointed out, there was never an outright statement of his guilt in the crime of sexual assault.
Even though the entire book was built around the premise that a childhood of sexual abuse and many other types of abuse and neglect from both of her parents not to mention the many teachers, police officers and other adults who could have helped, lead her to attempt to run her father down with a car, the story does not tie events and people together enough to make it genuine.
Lastly, it is hard to believe that Harmony would have any type of protective tendencies towards her younger sister or that she would choose to spend time in prison for a crime that neither of them had committed. Nothing was ever resolved about the true killer of her mother. Why would Providence let her sister go to prison when she knew who had truly committed the act? Why wouldn’t she defend her sister since she herself, had gone to prison for a crime that she didn’t intend to do?
It’s worth a read but just leaves so many gaps and questions in the readers mind, well at least this readers mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2025
I feel as if thrillers lately are getting incredibly dark and violent.
At age 17, Providence backs over her mom using the family car, badly injures her, and goes to prison. Very few people know, however, that she meant to run over her abusive, alcoholic father. Providence is now out of prison, but hasn't seen her family in years. Her mother has been reported missing, and Providence returns to help with the search. This means confronting not only her father but her younger sisters, Harmony and Grace, who blame Providence for their mom's descent into addiction.
The trope of bitter daughters returning to their hometowns to deal with family issues seems to pop up a lot. This debut handles it fairly well, though it is very dark and gritty. The theme of abuse is threaded throughout the story, and there are very few sympathetic characters, starting with Providence's utterly hateful father. We see how the small town closes around him, though, even if it's because they are too scared to stand up to him and prevent the horrific abuse he reigns upon his family.
As an ex-con, Providence is wary and unable to trust, with only a tentative friendship with a fellow inmate, Sara, who lives near her hometown. She's lost a chance to know or have her sisters in her life. Many things in the story feel a bit unfinished--a storyline with Sara's brother Daniel; Providence's childhood lesbian relationship with Zoe, now a local politician; and a lead not followed up on.
If you like your protagonists angry and damaged, along with creepy stories rife with drinking, addiction, and evil, this book will be right up your alley. I will say, despite how violent this book is, it's quite poetically written. 3.75 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in return for an unbiased review.
At age 17, Providence backs over her mom using the family car, badly injures her, and goes to prison. Very few people know, however, that she meant to run over her abusive, alcoholic father. Providence is now out of prison, but hasn't seen her family in years. Her mother has been reported missing, and Providence returns to help with the search. This means confronting not only her father but her younger sisters, Harmony and Grace, who blame Providence for their mom's descent into addiction.
The trope of bitter daughters returning to their hometowns to deal with family issues seems to pop up a lot. This debut handles it fairly well, though it is very dark and gritty. The theme of abuse is threaded throughout the story, and there are very few sympathetic characters, starting with Providence's utterly hateful father. We see how the small town closes around him, though, even if it's because they are too scared to stand up to him and prevent the horrific abuse he reigns upon his family.
As an ex-con, Providence is wary and unable to trust, with only a tentative friendship with a fellow inmate, Sara, who lives near her hometown. She's lost a chance to know or have her sisters in her life. Many things in the story feel a bit unfinished--a storyline with Sara's brother Daniel; Providence's childhood lesbian relationship with Zoe, now a local politician; and a lead not followed up on.
If you like your protagonists angry and damaged, along with creepy stories rife with drinking, addiction, and evil, this book will be right up your alley. I will say, despite how violent this book is, it's quite poetically written. 3.75 stars.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in return for an unbiased review.
July 25, 2025
My first DNF of the year 😭 I really tried. I gave it 60 pages but it was just not pulling me in.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,445 reviews