What do you think?
Rate this book
The Sweetheart Deal
"One day I’m going to marry you..." Jake Harper had said those words to Vanessa Conroy since kindergarten, but after watching her parents’ bitter divorce and living with her mother’s devastation, Vanessa made a promise to herself—she’s never getting married. She’ll stay single and pursue her dream of being a ready-to-wear fashion designer. In high school, Vanessa dated and broke up with every bad boy in the book, while Jake remained her consistent buddy. He was her wingman, her best friend, her go-to person for special occasions, but she held him at a distance. Why ruin a wonderful friendship? On the night of their final prom, Jake takes a risk and kisses her. Stunned by how right it feels, Vanessa rashly blurts out a if they’re still single at thirty, maybe she’ll marry him. Now, thirteen years later, they’re back in Sweetheart Bay to be part of her sister’s wedding. And they’re both still single at thirty. Vanessa begins to see Jake in a new, more romantic light, but Jake, a successful architect living in California, hasn’t said a word about their old pact. As family drama bubbles and old feelings resurface, Vanessa must face the one possibility she’s always run what if her true love has been standing beside her all along? Can she and Jake find their happily-ever-after back on Sweetheart Bay?
221 pages, Paperback
Published October 2, 2025
6 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Lenora Worth
278 books383 followersLenora Worth has written 75 books for three different publishers. She reached a milestone when she received her 50th book pin from Harlequin. Her books have won both regional and national awards and she now has millions of books in print and is a NY Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Currently she is writing both Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense and Tule Publishing. Married to her childhood sweetheart, Lenora has two grown children and lives in Florida.
Pen name: Lenora Nazworth
Pen name: Lenora Nazworth
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 24, 2025
THE SWEETHEART DEAL is by Lenora Worth. It is not the first book I have ever read by Ms. Worth and I’m excited to read more of her older books THE SWEETHEART DEAL is an amazing story that held my interest from the very first page. The story takes place in Sweetheart Bay and Lenora describes the area so perfectly that the reader will feel like they are standing right in the middle of it all. Jake has been telling Vanessa since he was five that he was going to marry her. Thirteen years ago, Jake and Vanessa made a pact that if they weren’t married, they would marry each other. Oh sure, you know how this one is going to go right?
Lenora Worth is such a fantastic author. I’m so excited to get caught up on her back list. If you have never read Lenora before THE SWEETHEART DEAL would be a great place to start. All of her characters feel so real and she puts her readers right in the middle of the story where they are left feeling like they are right there. I really love the way Vanessa stays true to herself throughout the story and doesn’t let anyone stear her differently. I would love to spend the weekend at Sweetheart Bay with all of these fun and awesome characters. They made me laugh over and over again.
THE SWEETHEART DEAL is a heart tugging story that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! THE SWEETHEART DEAL is a beautiful book of family, friendship, and letting go. It is such a fun story, yes a bit predictable, but exactly what I was craving at the time. My emotions were all over the place while reading. Ms. Worth has such a talent for bringing the characters to life and making you feel as they are your friends. You will totally experience all the feelings and struggles they are going through. When they were sad, I felt sad. When they were happy I found myself smiling. I love when an author can do that to me and Lenora Worth did it perfectly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through JustRead. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
Lenora Worth is such a fantastic author. I’m so excited to get caught up on her back list. If you have never read Lenora before THE SWEETHEART DEAL would be a great place to start. All of her characters feel so real and she puts her readers right in the middle of the story where they are left feeling like they are right there. I really love the way Vanessa stays true to herself throughout the story and doesn’t let anyone stear her differently. I would love to spend the weekend at Sweetheart Bay with all of these fun and awesome characters. They made me laugh over and over again.
THE SWEETHEART DEAL is a heart tugging story that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! THE SWEETHEART DEAL is a beautiful book of family, friendship, and letting go. It is such a fun story, yes a bit predictable, but exactly what I was craving at the time. My emotions were all over the place while reading. Ms. Worth has such a talent for bringing the characters to life and making you feel as they are your friends. You will totally experience all the feelings and struggles they are going through. When they were sad, I felt sad. When they were happy I found myself smiling. I love when an author can do that to me and Lenora Worth did it perfectly.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through JustRead. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.
September 30, 2025
The Sweetheart Deal is the first book I have read written by Lenora Worth. This book hooked me from the start.
The setting was perfect, set in small-town Sweetheart Bay. Who could not find love there? The storyline was all kinds of sweet and endearing. With childhood best friends, and the boy, Jake, who declares his love and intention to marry Vanessa one day, from kindergarten onwards. During Prom, Jake kisses Vanessa, and she declares that if they are both single by 30, she will marry him. Then flash forward, and that day arrives. Though having to deal with the issue of her parents’ divorce affects her and holds her back from finding love. As they come back to attend Vanessa’s sister’s wedding, things take on a different look.
This friends-to-more romance was sweet and perfect.
The faith aspect is a little on the light, with just a sprinkle of prayer and faith mentioned.
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.
The setting was perfect, set in small-town Sweetheart Bay. Who could not find love there? The storyline was all kinds of sweet and endearing. With childhood best friends, and the boy, Jake, who declares his love and intention to marry Vanessa one day, from kindergarten onwards. During Prom, Jake kisses Vanessa, and she declares that if they are both single by 30, she will marry him. Then flash forward, and that day arrives. Though having to deal with the issue of her parents’ divorce affects her and holds her back from finding love. As they come back to attend Vanessa’s sister’s wedding, things take on a different look.
This friends-to-more romance was sweet and perfect.
The faith aspect is a little on the light, with just a sprinkle of prayer and faith mentioned.
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.
September 22, 2025
This is my voluntary review of a copy I was given.
Jake and Vanessa had different views on love and marriage from the examples they saw in their parents.
I loved watching them finally come to terms with what was their skewed view and what was reality. Those two really earned their Happily Ever After!
But the main characters aren't the only ones with a growth arc in this story.
Jake and Vanessa had different views on love and marriage from the examples they saw in their parents.
I loved watching them finally come to terms with what was their skewed view and what was reality. Those two really earned their Happily Ever After!
But the main characters aren't the only ones with a growth arc in this story.
September 22, 2025
THE SWEETHEART DEAL by Lenora Worth is the wonderfully captivating story of Vanessa Conroy and Jake Harper. Childhood friends back together in their hometown twenty-five years later for a wedding - her as maid-of-honor and him as the best man, they hope to renew their best-friend status and a promise made in youth revisited as adults.
Vanessa’s childhood was jaded by a bitter divorce. Her father, while he sent money, was physically absent in her and her sister’s lives. After seeing the pain her mother went through, she’d vowed to never to marry. She worked hard and managed to follow her dreams. Living on the east coast, she owns her own ready-to-wear fashion company. While in the black, she’s not where she’d like it to be. To make her dream go forward would be extremely expensive in New York. With a major opportunity placed before her just two days before going to her sister’s wedding, she has some BIG decisions to make. She’s hoping to figure things out while on this trip back home.
Jake had once thought about following his father’s footsteps and work for Mr. Conroy, but upon his father’s advice he followed his own dreams. He’s worked his way up the architectural ladder joining a seasoned firm a few years back on the west coast. However, his dream is to return home and to build affordable housing for hard-working families. Through the years, the one thing he’s never veered from is his love for Vanessa. Never one to push her, but he’s always been there for her from the very first time he asked her to marry him in kindergarten. All through school, they were best friends able to talk to each other about anything. It was only after graduation that their paths divided. However, neither had ever married and their both 30 now!
Will their friendship stay the same, grow or fade into the days of the past? Can they become best friends as adults? Can Vanessa get over her “I’m never getting married” attitude? Can Jake see a future without Vanessa in it? Will fear keep them apart or will fate throw them even closer?
THE SWEETHEART DEAL is a story you can’t stop reading. It’s like seeing one side of two coins and while loving them both you realizing how much better they would be together as a two-sided coin – each complimenting the other. Such a sweet story of best friends separated by time and space, who as adults find themselves in completely different but both demanding jobs. Can becoming adult best friends fulfill a promise made in kindergarten? Lenora Worth gives us a story of hardship, determination, friendship bonds, the strength of a promise, sweet romance and wraps it in a thread of faith. THE SWEETHEART DEAL is positively a FIVE STAR story that I highly recommend to everyone!
I receive a copy of this book with no requirement or expectations of a review. All opinions are completely my own.
#TheSweetheartDeal
Vanessa’s childhood was jaded by a bitter divorce. Her father, while he sent money, was physically absent in her and her sister’s lives. After seeing the pain her mother went through, she’d vowed to never to marry. She worked hard and managed to follow her dreams. Living on the east coast, she owns her own ready-to-wear fashion company. While in the black, she’s not where she’d like it to be. To make her dream go forward would be extremely expensive in New York. With a major opportunity placed before her just two days before going to her sister’s wedding, she has some BIG decisions to make. She’s hoping to figure things out while on this trip back home.
Jake had once thought about following his father’s footsteps and work for Mr. Conroy, but upon his father’s advice he followed his own dreams. He’s worked his way up the architectural ladder joining a seasoned firm a few years back on the west coast. However, his dream is to return home and to build affordable housing for hard-working families. Through the years, the one thing he’s never veered from is his love for Vanessa. Never one to push her, but he’s always been there for her from the very first time he asked her to marry him in kindergarten. All through school, they were best friends able to talk to each other about anything. It was only after graduation that their paths divided. However, neither had ever married and their both 30 now!
Will their friendship stay the same, grow or fade into the days of the past? Can they become best friends as adults? Can Vanessa get over her “I’m never getting married” attitude? Can Jake see a future without Vanessa in it? Will fear keep them apart or will fate throw them even closer?
THE SWEETHEART DEAL is a story you can’t stop reading. It’s like seeing one side of two coins and while loving them both you realizing how much better they would be together as a two-sided coin – each complimenting the other. Such a sweet story of best friends separated by time and space, who as adults find themselves in completely different but both demanding jobs. Can becoming adult best friends fulfill a promise made in kindergarten? Lenora Worth gives us a story of hardship, determination, friendship bonds, the strength of a promise, sweet romance and wraps it in a thread of faith. THE SWEETHEART DEAL is positively a FIVE STAR story that I highly recommend to everyone!
I receive a copy of this book with no requirement or expectations of a review. All opinions are completely my own.
#TheSweetheartDeal
September 19, 2025
New York Times Bestselling author Lenora Worth scores another hit with her new romance set in Sweetheart Bay. In the charming opening chapter, Worth shows the beginning of Jake Harper and Vanessa Conroy’s friendship in kindergarten when Jake first vows he will one day marry Vanessa. However, even from a young age, her parents’ bitter divorce, her mother’s grief and her wealthy father’s remoteness have made Vanessa determined never to marry. But a shattering good-bye kiss before they each head off to college prompts Vanessa to propose a rash bargain: if both are single when they reach age 30, she will marry him.
Fast forward thirteen years and Jake is now a successful architect with a California firm, while Vanessa has followed her dream to New York where she designs her own line of clothing. Though the friends have kept in touch, they’ve spent little time together until their duties as best man and maid of honor at Vanessa’s sister’s wedding call them back to Sweetheart Bay—now both 30 and still single. Jake wonders if Vanessa has forgotten that old promise or whether the girl he’s never stopped loving might finally be ready to go from friends to lovers. For Vanessa, trying to decide where she stands with the man who’s been her anchor her whole life in addition to handling a nervous bride, her mother’s new romance, and a serious decision that will drastically affect her career, seeing Jake again is both pleasure and complication. Family drama and lingering traumas complicate their desire to forget past promises and start anew. It will take a good deal of soul-searching for each of them to discover who they are and what they truly want—and whether they can build a future together in Sweetheart Bay. A sweetheart of a book from an author who never disappoints!
Fast forward thirteen years and Jake is now a successful architect with a California firm, while Vanessa has followed her dream to New York where she designs her own line of clothing. Though the friends have kept in touch, they’ve spent little time together until their duties as best man and maid of honor at Vanessa’s sister’s wedding call them back to Sweetheart Bay—now both 30 and still single. Jake wonders if Vanessa has forgotten that old promise or whether the girl he’s never stopped loving might finally be ready to go from friends to lovers. For Vanessa, trying to decide where she stands with the man who’s been her anchor her whole life in addition to handling a nervous bride, her mother’s new romance, and a serious decision that will drastically affect her career, seeing Jake again is both pleasure and complication. Family drama and lingering traumas complicate their desire to forget past promises and start anew. It will take a good deal of soul-searching for each of them to discover who they are and what they truly want—and whether they can build a future together in Sweetheart Bay. A sweetheart of a book from an author who never disappoints!
September 23, 2025
This novel has such a cute premise and was a plot I often dreamed of when I was younger. Who doesn’t want someone that loves you unconditionally and is always faithful and a huge supporter in your life? It’s clear from the jump that Jake is a real one. While Vanessa might not take him seriously when they were kids, it’s obvious he’s got a pure heart and is growing into a strong, loving, and supportive man.
I’m not sure what it was, but there was something about Vanessa that rubbed me the wrong way. She came across as a pretty selfish person while also having moments of caring, but only when it comes to her and her family. There were moments that seemed to drag as Jake and Vanessa hash and rehash their relationship, which became tedious with each conversation. While I felt charmed by the pair and the premise, over time it did become a bit tired and felt surface-level. The ending was incredibly predictable yet sweet, but I was left wanting and wishing there was more focus put on Jake.
While not the most eloquently written story, there is a sweet charm that permeates the narrative. The invisible strings that bind Vanessa and Jake together are evident with every scene they share, and you can’t help but feel something for these characters. While I was reading this novel, I was deep into the throws of helping to plan my younger sister’s wedding and felt the wedding chaos in my bones, though I hope my sister’s wedding goes a lot smoother than Rachel’s did.
With a cute premise and charming characters, The Sweetheart Deal is an entertaining read and is one deal that, honestly, we all win.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
I’m not sure what it was, but there was something about Vanessa that rubbed me the wrong way. She came across as a pretty selfish person while also having moments of caring, but only when it comes to her and her family. There were moments that seemed to drag as Jake and Vanessa hash and rehash their relationship, which became tedious with each conversation. While I felt charmed by the pair and the premise, over time it did become a bit tired and felt surface-level. The ending was incredibly predictable yet sweet, but I was left wanting and wishing there was more focus put on Jake.
While not the most eloquently written story, there is a sweet charm that permeates the narrative. The invisible strings that bind Vanessa and Jake together are evident with every scene they share, and you can’t help but feel something for these characters. While I was reading this novel, I was deep into the throws of helping to plan my younger sister’s wedding and felt the wedding chaos in my bones, though I hope my sister’s wedding goes a lot smoother than Rachel’s did.
With a cute premise and charming characters, The Sweetheart Deal is an entertaining read and is one deal that, honestly, we all win.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
September 25, 2025
Romance genre is one that I have enjoyed for many years. The Sweetheart Deal by Lenora Worth is the latest in this genre that I have read. Lenora Worth has published many books, but this is the first book by her that I have read.
WOW, I was captivated by the story from the first few pages. The 2 main characters in the book are Jake Harper and Vanessa Conroy. They have known each other and have been best friends since Kindergarten. The line that most Kindergarten kids say to one another is one that Jake and Vanessa said to each other. "One day I’m going to marry you..." was echoed by the 2 best friends, but Vanessa made a decision early in life that could make that promise never happen. Vanessa witnessed her parents go through a bitter divorce and she swore off marriage. The pair stayed BEST Friends throughout High School, but never really dated. I thought the Pact they made on the night of Senior Prom was very interesting. The move on with life, but remain friends. They are bought together 13 years later, at the time their pact would come to reality, if circumstances stood true. Vanessa has always been reluctant to pursue anything Romantic with Jake, but she suddenly realizes that Jake might have been "the one" all along. I really ENJOYED this book and the Sweet Romance that became of the characters. The book is one that shows that our eyes can be opened to many things, even years later. We have to be willing to look deep into our hearts and be willing to pursue what is set before us in life and choose the right path. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Sweet Romance books! GREAT BOOK!
WOW, I was captivated by the story from the first few pages. The 2 main characters in the book are Jake Harper and Vanessa Conroy. They have known each other and have been best friends since Kindergarten. The line that most Kindergarten kids say to one another is one that Jake and Vanessa said to each other. "One day I’m going to marry you..." was echoed by the 2 best friends, but Vanessa made a decision early in life that could make that promise never happen. Vanessa witnessed her parents go through a bitter divorce and she swore off marriage. The pair stayed BEST Friends throughout High School, but never really dated. I thought the Pact they made on the night of Senior Prom was very interesting. The move on with life, but remain friends. They are bought together 13 years later, at the time their pact would come to reality, if circumstances stood true. Vanessa has always been reluctant to pursue anything Romantic with Jake, but she suddenly realizes that Jake might have been "the one" all along. I really ENJOYED this book and the Sweet Romance that became of the characters. The book is one that shows that our eyes can be opened to many things, even years later. We have to be willing to look deep into our hearts and be willing to pursue what is set before us in life and choose the right path. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Sweet Romance books! GREAT BOOK!
September 12, 2025
Jake Harper had told Vanessa Conroy since he was five years old that he would marry her one day. They continued as friends until they left for college, each with their own dreams. Vanessa's sister's wedding brings them back to Sweetheart Bay, and they meet again as adults.
The sweet romance was believable, the characters had layers, and there was enough tension between them to keep me turning pages. There was one chaotic incident after another that kept them confused. I kept wondering what would happen next. There is a happy ending, and everything is wrapped up nicely.
I received a complimentary copy from the author; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.
The sweet romance was believable, the characters had layers, and there was enough tension between them to keep me turning pages. There was one chaotic incident after another that kept them confused. I kept wondering what would happen next. There is a happy ending, and everything is wrapped up nicely.
I received a complimentary copy from the author; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.
October 1, 2025
The Sweetheart Deal by Author Lenora Worth is an emotionally charged sweet romance. Jake Harper decided he wanted to marry his best friend Vanessa Conroy in kindergarten. They remained good friends through school with Vanessa dating bad boys and Jake continuing to be her best bud. Due to her parents’ divorce she has sworn off marriage but when Jake kisses her on the night of their prom, she blurts out if they are not married to others by age thirty, they would marry. Thirteen years later they come back home to attend Vanessa’s sister’s wedding. Both are still single and successful in their careers, Jake in California, Vanessa in New York City. Will they remember their pact? Will they have their happily ever after? The characters were endearing but at times I wanted to shake Vanessa. An entertaining must-read!
I received a complimentary book from the author. All opinions are my own.
I received a complimentary book from the author. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews