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Crossroads at Bethany #1
Sweet Company
This is a standalone inspirational romance in the Crossroads at Bethany series.
When Jessica’s great aunt passes away, Jessica returns to the small town of Bethany for the reading of the will. Much to her surprise, her great aunt left Jessica her bakery, Sylvia’s Sticky Buns. Jessica and her Great Aunt loved to bake but it had been years since Jessica gave up that hobby. What was Jessica going to do with a bakery now?
Things get a bit more complicated when Luke, one of Jessica’s new employees learns of Jessica’s plan to sell the bakery. The town loves the bakery and Jessica is pressured to keep it running. Luke’s little cousin Bradley, has experienced severe trauma that has left him mute. Little Bradley loves the bakery but Jessica has a great offer on the table from a large bakery mega-chain.
Jessica must now choose to between the prospect of sudden wealth or her true love before she loses it all.
When Jessica’s great aunt passes away, Jessica returns to the small town of Bethany for the reading of the will. Much to her surprise, her great aunt left Jessica her bakery, Sylvia’s Sticky Buns. Jessica and her Great Aunt loved to bake but it had been years since Jessica gave up that hobby. What was Jessica going to do with a bakery now?
Things get a bit more complicated when Luke, one of Jessica’s new employees learns of Jessica’s plan to sell the bakery. The town loves the bakery and Jessica is pressured to keep it running. Luke’s little cousin Bradley, has experienced severe trauma that has left him mute. Little Bradley loves the bakery but Jessica has a great offer on the table from a large bakery mega-chain.
Jessica must now choose to between the prospect of sudden wealth or her true love before she loses it all.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2016
117 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 3, 2017
After having posted my five previous reviews of which three had been for anthologies containing a total of 31 hot steamy erotic stories with a hot alpha or shapeshifting male hunk I felt I needed something at the other extreme of the romance genre, I needed a sweet, inspiration romance with no obvious sexual scene when I found this one in one of my emails.
I enjoyed stepping into Jessica’s shoes being able to finally getting from the abusive relationship she’d been in with a cad by the name of Calvin, a relationship where he was forever bad-mouthing her entire family. But the trip back home to Bethany had a melancholy reason attached to it, her aunt [the author had unfortunately called Sylvia her great-aunt, a factual error which is hard to overlook had died.
But unbeknownst to Jessica until the hearing of her aunt’s will, she’s now in possession of Sylvia’s Sticky Buns bakery, an apartment next door, and a bank account contain half-a-million dollars. As a child Jessica spent countless hours with her aunt in the bakery and it had become a hobby which she hasn’t done anything with in years; and even though she still loves to bake, owning the bakery is something she hadn’t planned on doing when she came back to Bethany.
Another thing Jessica hadn’t planned finding a guy who she can once again have a special feeling for, Luke. Luke is one of the bakery’s employees, and he has a younger cousin, Bradley, who is currently mute due to a tragic accident; this cousin loves the bakery as does the town and they fear losing it if she decides to sell it.
Jessica feels the pressure this is imposing on her, and the fact that Luke enters the bakery in the town’s annual bake off without her knowledge and she winds up winning. What complicates matters is that she has received a wonderful offer from a large bakery chain for the bakery.
What is Jessica to do? Does she take the money and run? Does she stay around to keep her aunt’s bakery going as well as possibly finding a real true love with Luke which might end in a HEA?
Forgiving the factual error regarding Sylvia’s relationship to Jessica, I’m happy to give Ms. Kinsley 5 STARS for having given her readers a tender sweet romance which might even bring a tear to one’s eyes.
I enjoyed stepping into Jessica’s shoes being able to finally getting from the abusive relationship she’d been in with a cad by the name of Calvin, a relationship where he was forever bad-mouthing her entire family. But the trip back home to Bethany had a melancholy reason attached to it, her aunt [the author had unfortunately called Sylvia her great-aunt, a factual error which is hard to overlook had died.
But unbeknownst to Jessica until the hearing of her aunt’s will, she’s now in possession of Sylvia’s Sticky Buns bakery, an apartment next door, and a bank account contain half-a-million dollars. As a child Jessica spent countless hours with her aunt in the bakery and it had become a hobby which she hasn’t done anything with in years; and even though she still loves to bake, owning the bakery is something she hadn’t planned on doing when she came back to Bethany.
Another thing Jessica hadn’t planned finding a guy who she can once again have a special feeling for, Luke. Luke is one of the bakery’s employees, and he has a younger cousin, Bradley, who is currently mute due to a tragic accident; this cousin loves the bakery as does the town and they fear losing it if she decides to sell it.
Jessica feels the pressure this is imposing on her, and the fact that Luke enters the bakery in the town’s annual bake off without her knowledge and she winds up winning. What complicates matters is that she has received a wonderful offer from a large bakery chain for the bakery.
What is Jessica to do? Does she take the money and run? Does she stay around to keep her aunt’s bakery going as well as possibly finding a real true love with Luke which might end in a HEA?
Forgiving the factual error regarding Sylvia’s relationship to Jessica, I’m happy to give Ms. Kinsley 5 STARS for having given her readers a tender sweet romance which might even bring a tear to one’s eyes.
February 1, 2017
The idea was nice, but I have never read a professional writer's book with so many grammatical(I passing) and orthographic mistakes (towns people, collage girl ) plus semantical ones like mixing aunt and great aunt, poor word choice (using the verb "get" twice in one sentence for two different activities) and sadly a lack of empathy when describing emotional or intimate scenes or stilted sentences in conversation (if you offer a young lady to call you by your first name would you begin with " even though I am a twenty - four year old entrepreneur.."?). And some things just seem implausible like having a school kid of less than 10 years age suggest to expand the bakery or simply forgetting him at home when they go to wardrobe for the TV production. First there is a spun sugar swan for the cake, one sentence later it becomes glass, then reverting back to sugar.... The story improves a lot in the last third with the kidnapping and the second baking contest fighting against the "bad guys ". It was an insta freebie book, so maybe they gave away an un-edited draft in which case I 'd take all my criticism back.
August 17, 2017
.
Very believable characters. Would like to have seen them expound in growth more. Filled with instant love and compassion.
Extremely delighted the darkness of Jessica's past did not take up much space and time.
Excellent conclusion!
Very believable characters. Would like to have seen them expound in growth more. Filled with instant love and compassion.
Extremely delighted the darkness of Jessica's past did not take up much space and time.
Excellent conclusion!
December 31, 2016
Soooooo confusing
I was confused from the first word of this book. Obviously, the author knows nothing about family dynamics. The synopsis and much of the book says that Jessica inherits the bakery from her great aunt, but in the very beginning we find out said great aunt is Jessica's fathers sister. So that would make the lady Jessica's aunt, NOT great aunt. Several places the author changes the wording and uses the proper reference, but come on lady, this is one of the main sub characters in the whole book, jeesh. Other characters were not well developed and the story dragged a lot. I eventually skimmed most if it and would not recommend this author.
I was confused from the first word of this book. Obviously, the author knows nothing about family dynamics. The synopsis and much of the book says that Jessica inherits the bakery from her great aunt, but in the very beginning we find out said great aunt is Jessica's fathers sister. So that would make the lady Jessica's aunt, NOT great aunt. Several places the author changes the wording and uses the proper reference, but come on lady, this is one of the main sub characters in the whole book, jeesh. Other characters were not well developed and the story dragged a lot. I eventually skimmed most if it and would not recommend this author.
February 24, 2018
I just couldn’t. I pushed to the 10% mark but just ugh. The dialogue was super unnatural. No one talks like that. Use contractions! I hate to write negative reviews but I couldn’t even give the plot a chance to develop trying to slog through the writing.
November 30, 2017
I liked that the first meeting between the main characters wasn't the typical love at first sight scenario. And the suspense and humor were nice addition to the plot.
November 7, 2019
2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge - A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title.
April 17, 2020
Great book
This is a really good book with love and suspence all the way through. One more of those you just can't put down.
This is a really good book with love and suspence all the way through. One more of those you just can't put down.
January 17, 2022
Great book
November 2, 2024
.This was a read with highs & lows. This does have some frightening DV scenes. While reading this novel, I felt like large chunks of the story had been edited out.
December 28, 2016
E-Reader. Mystery / Romance
Jessica Ann Rivers inherited her Great Aunt Sylvia's bakery, Sylvia's Sticky Buns, an apartment & $5000,000 in Bethany.
She just had broken up with her abusive boyfriend Calvin. Went to Bethany for the funeral, not expecting to inherit what was stated in the will. She figured she'd stay 3 weeks settle things sell the bakery & go back to NY.
She does love to bake. After meeting the staff Luke & Nancy, she starts to have special feelings for Luke, who has a young Nephew who hasn't talked in quite a while.
Luke signs her up for the town's annual bake off, without her permission, which she wins.
There are so many characters who live in this small town. Things are on & off between Jessica & Luke. There are laughs, possible love & danger.
You need to read this well written book.
Jessica Ann Rivers inherited her Great Aunt Sylvia's bakery, Sylvia's Sticky Buns, an apartment & $5000,000 in Bethany.
She just had broken up with her abusive boyfriend Calvin. Went to Bethany for the funeral, not expecting to inherit what was stated in the will. She figured she'd stay 3 weeks settle things sell the bakery & go back to NY.
She does love to bake. After meeting the staff Luke & Nancy, she starts to have special feelings for Luke, who has a young Nephew who hasn't talked in quite a while.
Luke signs her up for the town's annual bake off, without her permission, which she wins.
There are so many characters who live in this small town. Things are on & off between Jessica & Luke. There are laughs, possible love & danger.
You need to read this well written book.
January 27, 2017
Sweet Company is my first book by Kara Kinsley. This is a clean read that is safe for any age group. Ms Kinsley has delivered a book that is loaded with lovable characters, drama, suspense and a bit of humor. I enjoyed Sweet Company and would be happy to read more from Kara Kinsley in the future. Sweet Company is part of A Crossroads at Bethany series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I received a copy of this book from instaFreebie.
I received a copy of this book from instaFreebie.
February 6, 2017
Page turner
i enjoyed this book. it was a page turner. it had romance and suspense. the characters were really developed. A lot of people said it was confusing but I still enjoyed the story.
i enjoyed this book. it was a page turner. it had romance and suspense. the characters were really developed. A lot of people said it was confusing but I still enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews