He’s my ex. My dad’s favorite hockey player. And now… my new bake-off partner.
Drew Kim was supposed to be my forever. We had a dream, a plan, and a recipe for success. Until he bailed before finals… to play for my dad’s NHL team.
Now, I’ve got my own bakery, a shot at winning Sugar & Spice, and one teeny tiny problem. It’s a two-person competition…and I’m one person short.
My dad’s idea: team up with Drew.
Now we’re back in the kitchen. Hot lights. Hotter gossip. And a chemistry I definitely didn’t order.
He still makes me laugh. Still remembers my favorite desserts. Still gets that look that melts my insides faster than chocolate left on to temper.
I don’t know what’s worse—falling for him again… or realizing I never really stopped.
Then the threats start—anonymous notes, tampered ingredients. And Drew goes full protector mode.
Now the competition’s not the only thing on the line. It’s my bakery. My future. And my heart.
Sweet enough to make you sigh, and clean enough to share with your grandma--no steamy scenes, no salty language, just sweet romance.
For Firth City Dragons there is always stuff going on, both on and off the ice. I could feel the satisfaction and creativity Sage found in baking. I appreciated Drew finding the place as a hockey player as part of his purpose. I appreciated that despite a painful history together, they are grudgingly willing to be baking partners. This story is richer and fuller for the wide range of characters included in the story.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author but wasn’t required to post a review. However, upon finishing it I felt I had to offer my honest, voluntary impression I had of it.
Susie has written a story of a dream two people shared that was shattered by unforeseen circumstances and resulted in four years of being estranged from each other as a result.
When Sage is accepted on a national baking show she thinks this is finally her chance to step away from being the daughter of a famous hockey coach and be seen as someone who achieved success on her own. The only problem is she has to have a baking partner and all her friends bail on her leaving her to finally contact her former partner and dreamer to ask him to bake with her in this competition. What follows is awkwardness because of the years separating them and then unresolved issue that led him to leave her and pursue a hockey career with her father!
Their chemistry is still there when they bake together and old feelings resurface but then she starts getting threatening letters and packages telling her to quit the show. Incidents start happening at the studio where they’re filming the show as well and more incidents continue to surface leading up to the final show announcing who the winner will be.
This is a great story of two people thrown together by desperation on the part of one who wants to be recognized for who she is not who her father is and the boy who left her wanting to make amends in the hopes of trying to rekindle what they once had with the drama of threats to her now mixed in if she doesn’t pull out of the competition she is in.
I really enjoyed this book and the extraordinary steps Drew took to win back Sage’s heart to let her know he wanted a second chance with her.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book as one that everyone who loves a romantic story will fall in love with! The plot is exciting and the drama and suspense will keep you turning the pages faster and faster to see what happens next!
I felt like I was reading a story about my best friends I was so captivated by it! It didn’t seem like random strangers to me after the first couple of chapters but people I felt I knew personally. I think most readers want that connection to the characters they are reading about and I certainly felt it here!
Pick up this book today and see if you don’t agree that along with it being a book you’ll enjoy that you’ll feel that deeper connection to Drew and Sage like I have!
Four years ago, Sage and Drew were in pastry school together. One day, Drew got called up to the NHL, and after one fight, he left Sage behind. Now, Sage needs a partner for the reality baking show Sugar and Spice, and at first he turns her down, but Sage is persistent.
Sage feels abandoned by Drew, who never contacted her after the fight they had about their futures. Her father coaches the NHL team Dragons, and Drew is on that team. She feels like she’s always judged by the accomplishments of others, especially her father’s, and even though she opened her own bakery and has been mostly successful with it, it still seems like she’s always in someone else’s shadow.
To be honest, I am not a fan of reality competition shows, because it’s never truly reality. The producers manufacture drama on those shows—yes, on ALL of them—and I can’t roll my eyes hard enough when people get so caught up in that fake drama. That being said, I actually really loved this story. Watching Sage and Drew re-learn how to talk to each other, how to work together, especially under pressure, is a sweet and sometimes heartbreaking journey.
Drew does a bit of “poor me” when it comes to Sage, and she can be very icy with her retorts. Can you blame her? Yes, I understand why Drew did what he did, but he could have made such better choices in how he presented the situation. Sage is the one who was left behind, and she has to be guarded, because all she knows about Drew now is that hockey is more important to him than anything else.
I love hockey romances, and there’s enough hockey action in the book to satisfy me, so bonus points for that. All in all, I enjoyed this book, and it made me hungry for the beautiful things they were baking. Except for anything with raspberry in it, because I’m allergic. Everything else, though, made my mouth water for a taste.
I’m loving this series, and I’m fully invested in reading the rest of the stories this author has to offer.
Pretty cute story! Very lesser-version-of–Great British Baking Show. Kinda silly sometimes. Like, if Drew and Sage didn’t have history, I’m not sure I’d believe it, for one thing! And they sure got engaged fast… (And I was more on Drew’s side in the whole thing…)
(I do have to say that I don’t know why anyone would win against people who are classically trained. But it would make for interesting TV, for sure; I can say the show in this book is amusing. And Sage’s staff as well.
(And that would be dumb if a show pulled you out for someone else threatening you. That producer guy was…not good, to say the least. Wouldn’t you at least check security camera footage or something? There are occasional other jumps to conclusions by characters, too. Glad Mariana was better…
(And Sage’s mom just waltzing back in la-di-da like she did is way not-okay…I didn’t like her dad’s attitude about it, either…
(They didn’t get to practice with their new partners? It also feels wrong to use that one to choose a team to “ice out.” Or the accident, either. GBBO is more fair about that stuff…
(And, since I’m griping—sorry—you’d need a permit to move a baking business, even temporarily, to someone’s house…)
So Scooby-Doo toward the end! 😂
“We’ve got chaos, camp, and culinary cults.”
“My hands still know what to do, even when my heart’s not sure where it belongs.”
After entering and winning a spot in a culinary competition, Sage discovers she has just a couple days to find a partner. Multitudes of contacts later she is forced to ask a former boyfriend who walked away from her years ago in culinary school to play hockey. Bad news that's worse? He's on her dad's hockey team and dad has a "hands off" policy for his players regarding his daughter. After a wild card start and expected friction, the intensity of the contest is mounting and they are back to being a good baking team. But someone is trying to make sure winning will never happen! An engaging story that held my interest and had me finishing the book instead of doing what I should have been doing... It was a sweet "enemies to friends" trope, plus more that included fun hockey parts, her bakery business, and a worrisome mystery combined. Many details and side dialogues included enriched and elevated this book above others in the same general trope. Don't miss the opportunity to read Sweet on the Coach's Daughter but prepare to want a little sweet baked treat to nibble on while reading!
A nice love story. I wanted swoonier moments sooner in the plot and more frequently. The competition was enjoyable. On the show, they didn't express special romantic attention, maybe some unconscious looks, but viewers and fans were easily carried away by their barely-there romance. I like their serious attitude during the competition, not engaging with the fans' narrative. I don't like the quiet, proper behavior with Sage's mother. When hurt, pain, and anger aren't talked out, even when one is full of happiness and success, these feelings remain. This isn't healthy, and it makes it harder to forgive and forget. Saboteurs were dealt with fast; I could partly guess who it was. I liked Drew's admittance of his feelings and determination, but I almost lost faith he'd act on his thoughts. Towards the end, I finally witnessed their honest heart-to-heart talk, leading to their resolution about past hurt and current feelings. I don't think they should've rehashed their past wrongs for everyone to know. I like sugary sweet chapters at the end.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Is a sweet small town, enemies to more, found family, second chance, close proximity, baking/hockey romance with a touch of mystery and no cliffhanger. Some of the lines I really like --- "I'm good with my hands in all sorts of ways." --- --- "It's just flour and sugar. No hockey sticks involved." --- "Let's just try not to murder each other before the judging," --- "Life usually is. But baking isn't. It's just ingredients coming together to make something better than they could be separately." --- "Girls like her? They're rare. You already know that. So if you're lucky enough to get a second shot…" --- "It was the right call. Some- times you have to fight for what matters." ---- "But life doesn't always let you follow your heart. Sometimes you have to make hard choices." --- "sometimes love means making impossible choices. And sometimes it means finding your way back." --- What's Coach up to? What's Haley up to? Who threatening Sage and Drew? These and other questions will all be answered. I loved Sage and Drew's story and I'm sure you will too. I've loved everyone of her books that I've read and I can't wait to read her next book.
Sage and Drew She’s a baker and he’s a hockey player who used to have plans in the kitchen.
He walked out on their relationship and dreams for a hockey call-up, and the way it was managed was pretty poor. My earlier thoughts revolved around how selfish he is/was. Comments like these when she needs help drive me up the wall “Then she can ask me herself” "Did you come to beg in person?"
I was 100% - ‘Ugh…. There better be some redeeming going on’.
“I’m fighting the urge to tell her I'm sorry." You really should, because that was a horrible, horrible decision you made. Definitely could have handled it better instead of abandoning her before finals” Finally! He admitted it.
Quite a bit of tension, drama, mystery and a little suspense. And he definitely came good. Doesn’t mean I forgive him, but he ended up becoming an absolute sap for her!
Anecdotal note as reading: A baker named Sage, sounds very Hallmark. Ookkkk, baking competition Oh snap, a hiccup already Drew...you're being a turd! Uh oh, there's some unresolved tension from 4 years ago. Hint of a Nailed It! type atmosphere sprinkled in. "It's disorienting how natural it feels. Like slipping into an old hoodie I forgot I still owned." Who is being the bleep? Threats aren't cool! Second chances my friend, sorry goes a long way when said with sincerity Oh, mid-season shake-up could spell trouble for Sage and Drew. Drew, it's a two-way street, my man. Sage could do/say something as well. What a cute wedding set up, cafe tables, a bouquet of rosemary and sugar flowers, and throwing sprinkles instead of rice. Nice leap Sage!
Sage owns a bakery and enters a cooking show, it isn't until later that she realises she needs a partner that she panics. She needs her staff to support her at the bakery while she's on the set so they can't help. After asking lots of people she knows she has to ask her ex, the man who chose hockey over her, the one who plays for the team her father coaches! Drew has been waiting for Sage to ask him to be her partner for the show, he still bakes for his team mates. He realises that he shouldn't have let Sage down as he did but he was immature and was only concerned with his parents financial situation. Once they get on set unfortunate events occur, is there a saboteur amongst the competitors?
Second chance romance is hard to get right, but Susie Heart certainly did in this sports romance. Believing he has to choose between baking and hockey, Drew chose hockey because he needed the money to cover his father's medical bills. Four years later, Sage is entering a baking competition and the only partner she can find is Drew. They decide to work together begrudgingly and after Drew originally says no (he was being petty).
As they work together, they quickly rekindle their feelings but are reluctant to admit it. Add a little sabotage and suspense, a dash of protective MMC vibes, and splash of chemistry and you have a fun, engaging, sweet story about two people taking advantage of an unexpected second chance.
MC: Sage McAllister and Drew Kim, First Perso Dual POV , 5/5 stars
This is a well written and developed story. The story flowed seamlessly. The tension between them can be felt we're not just told that there is tension. Baking and hockey are such different realms and Susie Heart did a wonderful job intertwining them. The suspense/mystery about who is sabotaging and threatening them received just the right amount of attention - not so much that it detracted from the overall story and not so little that we forget there is a mystery. Final - this is going on my Favorites shelves.
Related books: This is Book 3 the "Falling for the Dragons of Firth City" series
I received an ARC copy of the book and this is my honest review.
Sweet on the Coach’s Daughter is a sports romance with Bakers!! This is Sage and Drew’s story and I love this second chance romance with baking competitions. Sage is such strong independent baker and would do anything to make her dreams come true. Drew is a hockey pro who is an excellent baker who wants to make things right. I love their chemistry and the way they just synced when working together. I also like the added suspense in someone who’s trying to sabotage them, it added more depth and got them closer together. I really enjoyed their story and can’t wait to read more.
I voluntarily leave an honest review of this gifted advance readers copy.
This book contains the romance and humor I’ve come to expect from a Susie Heart book. It doesn’t hurt that it combines two of my favorite things, hockey and cooking. One I can do, the other is a strange love for a Texan. I imagine most of us could identify with Drew. When we’re young we make decisions that we come to regret but usually have no way to correct. Drew is lucky, he’s given a second chance, curtesy of his second, or maybe it’s his first, love, cooking. Earlier decision was based on the fact that hockey pays, cooking often doesn’t. His exit needed some work. Sage needs a cooking partner, she just can’t trust this ghost from her past, Drew, add in threats and sabotage and Drew is definitely her best bet. I really enjoyed this book.
This book was all kinds of sweet! Drew and Sage's story just jumped off the page, wrapped around you, and had you holding on tight for the end! Once again we get to see the Dragons hockey team at play, centering on Drew. He left a life of baking and Sage to take care of his family. Sage, sweet and amazing, baker extraordinaire moved on but finds herself needing Drew's help. Their story had everything I've could want! From hockey to baking, tension to love. It was terrific! Want to know what happens next though!!
Drew and Sage have unfinished history before Drew played for the Dragons.
"One of the best," Zeke agrees. "But he's missing something." He taps his chest, right over his heart. "Purpose, maybe." (Chapter 3, page 23, kindle edition) - Zeke's comment to Sage shows a possible element missing for Drew underneath his showmanship and teasings comments to his teamates from previous books
I enjoyed the intermix of bakery, hockey games and baking show filming behind the scenes with Drew and Sage unresolved history and feelings.
I love hockey romances, add in the baking competition and this book was perfection. The story was engaging and the characters were relatable. Exciting plot with drama and suspense will keep you reading to see what happens next!
Easy to read 'second chance romance'. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!
Ice hockey and baking weren't the team I was envisioning, but it worked perfectly. Sage, the baker, Drew, the hockey player, working as partners after four years apart. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty, but it all works out in the end. The hockey team's bantering us hilarious.
I love when a story starts as enemies or estranged lovers and goes back to lovers. That path to get back to where they were or better yet, get to be stronger partners together the second time, amazing. Come find out what he is willing to go through in order to get her back! Will it work, read to find out?
This book is fabulously fun. I love the Dragons and their banter, Sage and Drew are perfect for each other, and Coach is one of my favourite characters. A delightful read!
A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.
Drew and Sage are sweet as pie! They did okay on their own, but together... they were a delight! Made me want a cupcake because they were good together.