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Sugar Lake #1
As Good as the First Time
True to its name, the small southern town of Sugar Lake is a sweet place to visit — and you might even want to live there...
With her big city career and relationship in sudden free fall, Olivia Gale isn't sure where she belongs. So when her help is needed at Goode N' Sweet, the family bakery in Sugar Lake, she jumps at the chance to indulge her pie-making hobby while getting her life back on track. Olivia's not looking for any distractions. Even if the boy who once left her without a word is now a grown man with intriguing secrets — and the same tempting hold on her heart...
A firefighter and single dad, Clayton Morris is trying hard to fix his past mistakes. He thought he was doing the right thing by leaving Olivia — and now he's sure he has nothing to offer the accomplished woman she's become. But ignoring the sparks between them is impossible. And as unexpected surprises and hard choices endanger their fragile reunion, they'll have to decide which direction to take if they want to find the road back to love...
With her big city career and relationship in sudden free fall, Olivia Gale isn't sure where she belongs. So when her help is needed at Goode N' Sweet, the family bakery in Sugar Lake, she jumps at the chance to indulge her pie-making hobby while getting her life back on track. Olivia's not looking for any distractions. Even if the boy who once left her without a word is now a grown man with intriguing secrets — and the same tempting hold on her heart...
A firefighter and single dad, Clayton Morris is trying hard to fix his past mistakes. He thought he was doing the right thing by leaving Olivia — and now he's sure he has nothing to offer the accomplished woman she's become. But ignoring the sparks between them is impossible. And as unexpected surprises and hard choices endanger their fragile reunion, they'll have to decide which direction to take if they want to find the road back to love...
316 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 30, 2018
174 people are currently reading
1872 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Jackson
26 books484 followersUSA Today bestselling author and native New Yorker Kwana Jackson aka K.M Jackson spent her formative years on the A train where she had two dreams: (1) to be a fashion designer and (2) to be a writer. After spending more than ten years designing women’s sportswear for various fashion houses, Kwana took a leap of faith and decided to pursue her other dream of being a writer. A longtime advocate of equality and diversity in romance (#WeNeedDiverseRomance), Kwana is the mother of twins and currently lives in a suburb of New York with her husband. When not writing she can be found on Twitter @kwanawrites, on Facebook at facebook.com/KmJacksonAuthor, and on her website at www.kmjackson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
June 19, 2021
As Good as the First Time by K M Jackson
Sugar Lake book 1. Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe. Diverse.
Sisters Olivia and Drea return to the small home town of Sugar Lake to help their Aunt run her bakery. Having just lost her job, Olivia needs to look at her life and make some decisions. Seeing her first love Clayton, in all his firefighter glory, makes Olivia want to return to the city immediately but helping with the baking is therapeutic so she’ll stay a while longer. Proximity to Clayton is stirring up unexpected feelings Olivia is not sure what to do with.
A small town return and family make this romance sweet. I didn’t like the two sisters fighting so much through the story, but their relationship grows as well as they find their purpose and create new goals. Clayton’s priority in raising his daughter is admirable.
A bit slow in places but it all comes together.
3.5 increased to 4 for the HEA.
Sugar Lake book 1. Contemporary romance. Second chance troupe. Diverse.
Sisters Olivia and Drea return to the small home town of Sugar Lake to help their Aunt run her bakery. Having just lost her job, Olivia needs to look at her life and make some decisions. Seeing her first love Clayton, in all his firefighter glory, makes Olivia want to return to the city immediately but helping with the baking is therapeutic so she’ll stay a while longer. Proximity to Clayton is stirring up unexpected feelings Olivia is not sure what to do with.
A small town return and family make this romance sweet. I didn’t like the two sisters fighting so much through the story, but their relationship grows as well as they find their purpose and create new goals. Clayton’s priority in raising his daughter is admirable.
A bit slow in places but it all comes together.
3.5 increased to 4 for the HEA.
October 30, 2018
As Good as the First Time by K.M. Jackson is the first book in the new contemporary romance Sugar Lake series. This opener of the small town romance series has the big city girl returning to the small town for a second chance with her old sweetheart.
Olivia Gale had been working at a good job in New York and had a boyfriend she thought things were going well with until in the course of one day she loses both. A victim of downsizing she doesn't even get the chance to get the news out before her boyfriend ends things abruptly.
However, right after Olivia gets a day full of bad news the family gets a phone call from Sugar Lake where her aunt needs help running the Goode N’ Sweet bakery after an accident. Olivia volunteers to go help out but is joined by her sister as the pair heads to Sugar Lake where Olivia runs into Clayton Morris who had left Olivia broken hearted years ago.
Now normally I'm all about the small town romances but for some reason this one didn't grab me the way I'd like. Perhaps it was starting with the abrupt relationship ending which always makes me question why a character jumps from one relationship to another or perhaps it was the constant bickering between the sisters and lots of other small town drama but I never really felt the romance shined in this story or connected to the characters very well. It's not a bad book but I think it tried a bit too hard to cover a lot of often used tropes and just didn't grab the emotion side of a story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Olivia Gale had been working at a good job in New York and had a boyfriend she thought things were going well with until in the course of one day she loses both. A victim of downsizing she doesn't even get the chance to get the news out before her boyfriend ends things abruptly.
However, right after Olivia gets a day full of bad news the family gets a phone call from Sugar Lake where her aunt needs help running the Goode N’ Sweet bakery after an accident. Olivia volunteers to go help out but is joined by her sister as the pair heads to Sugar Lake where Olivia runs into Clayton Morris who had left Olivia broken hearted years ago.
Now normally I'm all about the small town romances but for some reason this one didn't grab me the way I'd like. Perhaps it was starting with the abrupt relationship ending which always makes me question why a character jumps from one relationship to another or perhaps it was the constant bickering between the sisters and lots of other small town drama but I never really felt the romance shined in this story or connected to the characters very well. It's not a bad book but I think it tried a bit too hard to cover a lot of often used tropes and just didn't grab the emotion side of a story.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
October 2, 2018
3.5 Second Chances Love Stars
* * *1/2 Spoiler Free
Sometimes it seems The Butterfly Effect is happening front and center to your own life. What can happen at work can impact what happens personally and then before you know it, you are going back home to help your Aunt and play at the bakery you always loved.
That is exactly what happened to Olivia Gale. She had not been thrilled with her big time corporate job and used her hobby of baking pies to relax her. In a huge landslide of events, she loses her job and has "her guy" dump her for no specific reason. Then she receives a call from her beloved Aunt needing help with the bakery back home. All of these incidents point her to sublet her place in the city, go back home and ponder, What the hell do I want in Life...
Clayton Morris is also someone who has been through all the changes life can throw at you... One of them caused him to turn away from the woman he wanted to be with, Olivia. Clayton has grown into a responsible man...a firefighter and single dad, yet with all of those admirable qualities, he feels he has nothing to offer this accomplished woman.
But Butterflies had other ideas and flapped their wings to bring these two together to give them a second chance for love. This tale had many interesting secondary characters and gave solid lessons in recognizing to appreciate what is happening in the here and now.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * *1/2 Spoiler Free
Sometimes it seems The Butterfly Effect is happening front and center to your own life. What can happen at work can impact what happens personally and then before you know it, you are going back home to help your Aunt and play at the bakery you always loved.
That is exactly what happened to Olivia Gale. She had not been thrilled with her big time corporate job and used her hobby of baking pies to relax her. In a huge landslide of events, she loses her job and has "her guy" dump her for no specific reason. Then she receives a call from her beloved Aunt needing help with the bakery back home. All of these incidents point her to sublet her place in the city, go back home and ponder, What the hell do I want in Life...
Clayton Morris is also someone who has been through all the changes life can throw at you... One of them caused him to turn away from the woman he wanted to be with, Olivia. Clayton has grown into a responsible man...a firefighter and single dad, yet with all of those admirable qualities, he feels he has nothing to offer this accomplished woman.
But Butterflies had other ideas and flapped their wings to bring these two together to give them a second chance for love. This tale had many interesting secondary characters and gave solid lessons in recognizing to appreciate what is happening in the here and now.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 10, 2018
➳ Rate: 4/ 5 stars
As Good as the First Time is a very cute small town romance/ second chance romance/ single dad. The heroine is currently leaving in NYC but when her aunt back home has an accident, she needs help to get around and to run their family bakery. So the heroine, Olivia, and her sister move back to their hometown temporarily to help out. And only when she gets there that she finds out that her neighbour/ex-boyfriend who deserted her +10 years earlier is also back in town and now she'll have to confront him and their past and is forced to hash it all out between them.
Instant sparks fly once they see each other again and all those feelings come back too along with the regret. Clayton never forgot about Olivia and how he ended things and he is out on a mission to apologize and get back in her good graces but she doesn't make it easy for him. At times she will piss you off with her stuborness and just the way she thinks of the world. Secondary characters add a lot to the story and make the small town feel even more special, with all the help, compassion and drama they bring out. Overall, this was just a very sweet story about second chances and new dreams, and if you love small town romances, you'll like this one for sure.
➳ARC kindly provided by TLC Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review.
➳ Order at: Amazon UK ⁕ Amazon US
➳ Follow me on: Blog ⁕ Instagram ⁕ Facebook ⁕ Twitter
As Good as the First Time is a very cute small town romance/ second chance romance/ single dad. The heroine is currently leaving in NYC but when her aunt back home has an accident, she needs help to get around and to run their family bakery. So the heroine, Olivia, and her sister move back to their hometown temporarily to help out. And only when she gets there that she finds out that her neighbour/ex-boyfriend who deserted her +10 years earlier is also back in town and now she'll have to confront him and their past and is forced to hash it all out between them.
Instant sparks fly once they see each other again and all those feelings come back too along with the regret. Clayton never forgot about Olivia and how he ended things and he is out on a mission to apologize and get back in her good graces but she doesn't make it easy for him. At times she will piss you off with her stuborness and just the way she thinks of the world. Secondary characters add a lot to the story and make the small town feel even more special, with all the help, compassion and drama they bring out. Overall, this was just a very sweet story about second chances and new dreams, and if you love small town romances, you'll like this one for sure.
➳ARC kindly provided by TLC Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review.
➳ Order at: Amazon UK ⁕ Amazon US
➳ Follow me on: Blog ⁕ Instagram ⁕ Facebook ⁕ Twitter
June 12, 2018
This story is perfect for any reader who likes big families, small southern towns, and second chance love stories.
Olivia is the "together" sister, and Drea the sassy one who is a bit more unconventional. Olivia's well-planned life falls apart at the exact time that her aunt in Sugar Lake could use some temporary help, so she and her sister take off for Georgia. When they get there, we meet more of the extended family, become intrigued by a series of fires and other shenanigans, and meet the very sexy Clay Morris, Liv's first love. He broke her heart back in the day (misguided as his reasons were, he thought he was doing what was best for her). Now he's a single dad and struck by seeing Liv again.
Although at first blush this type of storyline may sound familiar, the details of town, and the characterization of the family, keep it very fresh and engaging. It's a heartwarming story that should be read with a warm drink and a pastry, of course. Or perhaps a slice of the berry pie (recipe in the back of the book!)
Enjoy!
Olivia is the "together" sister, and Drea the sassy one who is a bit more unconventional. Olivia's well-planned life falls apart at the exact time that her aunt in Sugar Lake could use some temporary help, so she and her sister take off for Georgia. When they get there, we meet more of the extended family, become intrigued by a series of fires and other shenanigans, and meet the very sexy Clay Morris, Liv's first love. He broke her heart back in the day (misguided as his reasons were, he thought he was doing what was best for her). Now he's a single dad and struck by seeing Liv again.
Although at first blush this type of storyline may sound familiar, the details of town, and the characterization of the family, keep it very fresh and engaging. It's a heartwarming story that should be read with a warm drink and a pastry, of course. Or perhaps a slice of the berry pie (recipe in the back of the book!)
Enjoy!
October 23, 2018
As Good As The First Time was definitely one rollercoaster of a ride. Lots of ups and downs, lots of laughs and sad situations, many of them bringing you into deep thoughs.
The writing was amazing, keeping you interested the whole time, never getting bored.
Promises have been told, mistakes have been done and teenage love never forgotten. 12 years later arising old feelings coming to the surface although sans wanting to make the same mistakes twice, all around wrapped in sweet pies and delicious honey biscuits.
Is it possible to fall in love for the same person again or is it that the heart never has stopped to beat for the other one at all? That's the question with capital B.
I loved every second of this beautiful story.
The writing was amazing, keeping you interested the whole time, never getting bored.
Promises have been told, mistakes have been done and teenage love never forgotten. 12 years later arising old feelings coming to the surface although sans wanting to make the same mistakes twice, all around wrapped in sweet pies and delicious honey biscuits.
Is it possible to fall in love for the same person again or is it that the heart never has stopped to beat for the other one at all? That's the question with capital B.
I loved every second of this beautiful story.
October 28, 2018
Really enjoyed this one. It's a small town second chance romance with a spunky baker and a gorgeous firefighter single dad. So what's not to love? Liv and Clay are reunited when Olivia returns to Sugar Lake to help in the family bakery. The story is very sweet and while perhaps not terribly unique the characters, the big extended family, and the small town make it fresh and fun. The writing is excellent with an easy flow to the story. It's a feel good story that I think everyone will enjoy. I definitely recommend it.
September 25, 2018
“A perfect blend of great storytelling, unforgettable characters, and a delicious setting. Aunt Joyce and her pie shop in Sugar Lake reminded me why I love books with cooks so much.”
February 1, 2019
I kept going back and forwards on the rating... It's not a bad story and she is a good writer but it is rather dull.
February 15, 2021
A damn-near perfect story of family, starting over, and second chances.
October 26, 2018
I gave this one 🥧🥧🥧🥧 aunt Joyce pies!!!!
Who doesn’t love a small-town story with sweet treat baking? In “As Good As The First Time” we travel to the small town of Sugar Lake where we enjoy family baked secrets, a second chance romance, mysterious supporting characters and suspense…. In every small town there is a spirit of hospitality that families share, but when it comes to their children it is common to always want better for them. Clayton and Olivia just wanted to be sweethearts and their love grew more and more with each summer visit, until one visit shattered everything without an explanation.
Olivia Gale tries to live her life doing the right thing and when her big city career and current relationship falls apart, she is more than ready for a redo. So, when the family’s bakery hit a rough spot, she welcomes the opportunity to have the change of scenery and cultivate her baking abilities, but not the distraction. Clayton Morris tries to put his life back on track after his pass mistakes, he has his plate full as the town’s fire chief, single dad and looking out for his mom and brother. His contentment is derailed when he walks into Goode ‘N Sweet and unexpectedly puts eyes on Olivia and old feelings come flooding back. Now they are forced to deal with their past and rekindle sparks that can’t be ignored.
I enjoyed this small-town romance and the author penned some strong supporting characters that made this story complete. Aunt Joyce made you feel right at home with her strong-willed, witty and loving personality. Now Caleb Morris, the recluse brother spotlighted this one with his mysterious personality and I REALLY HOPE THAT HE HAS A STORY IN OUR FUTURE!!!
Who doesn’t love a small-town story with sweet treat baking? In “As Good As The First Time” we travel to the small town of Sugar Lake where we enjoy family baked secrets, a second chance romance, mysterious supporting characters and suspense…. In every small town there is a spirit of hospitality that families share, but when it comes to their children it is common to always want better for them. Clayton and Olivia just wanted to be sweethearts and their love grew more and more with each summer visit, until one visit shattered everything without an explanation.
Olivia Gale tries to live her life doing the right thing and when her big city career and current relationship falls apart, she is more than ready for a redo. So, when the family’s bakery hit a rough spot, she welcomes the opportunity to have the change of scenery and cultivate her baking abilities, but not the distraction. Clayton Morris tries to put his life back on track after his pass mistakes, he has his plate full as the town’s fire chief, single dad and looking out for his mom and brother. His contentment is derailed when he walks into Goode ‘N Sweet and unexpectedly puts eyes on Olivia and old feelings come flooding back. Now they are forced to deal with their past and rekindle sparks that can’t be ignored.
I enjoyed this small-town romance and the author penned some strong supporting characters that made this story complete. Aunt Joyce made you feel right at home with her strong-willed, witty and loving personality. Now Caleb Morris, the recluse brother spotlighted this one with his mysterious personality and I REALLY HOPE THAT HE HAS A STORY IN OUR FUTURE!!!
October 26, 2018
Really enjoyed this sweet second chance at love romance. Loved the food aspect of it as well! Wish I could have everything Aunt Joyce and Liv baked. Maybe i can have a tiny bit if it cuz there's a recipe at the back of the book! :)
I love how Clay and Liv got to know each other again. Even with the past hovering over them they were able to talk it out. As with most books I read, I love when the MC have people in their lives who they can go to for support. Family is most present in this book in various forms. Family you can't stand sometimes, bickering siblings but who love each other. Family who believe in you when you're not so sure yourself. Both Clay and Liv have this. Especially nosy family! lol.
This book is quite low and the heat level, with very few kisses but I really enjoyed these two just being in each others' space again.
Now I love when we get little breadcrumbs and clues about the next couple in a series so i'm *eyes emoji* at Clay's bro, Caleb and Liv's cousin Rena. We'll seeee if i'm right.
I enjoyed this and am looking forward to what's next in Sugar Lake :)
I love how Clay and Liv got to know each other again. Even with the past hovering over them they were able to talk it out. As with most books I read, I love when the MC have people in their lives who they can go to for support. Family is most present in this book in various forms. Family you can't stand sometimes, bickering siblings but who love each other. Family who believe in you when you're not so sure yourself. Both Clay and Liv have this. Especially nosy family! lol.
This book is quite low and the heat level, with very few kisses but I really enjoyed these two just being in each others' space again.
Now I love when we get little breadcrumbs and clues about the next couple in a series so i'm *eyes emoji* at Clay's bro, Caleb and Liv's cousin Rena. We'll seeee if i'm right.
I enjoyed this and am looking forward to what's next in Sugar Lake :)
Want to read
November 12, 2018I really enjoyed reading As Good As the First Time by K.M. Jackson! This is the first book I’ve read by the author. Her stories are clean, filled with strong family bonds, drama and pies! I’m happy to report there are recipes at the end of the story in case you’re wondering. It’s a small town romance and I felt the community lifestyle and charm quite entertaining. Olivia is a strong heroine, not sure of her feelings after being heartbroken the first time around by her first love, Clayton, who’s now divorced and with a daughter. He sure is sweet as the honey he makes (and a charmer) is all I can say. After many years apart, Olivia’s back in town to help her aunt with her bakery and she learns a few truths about the past and herself in the process.
October 31, 2018
As Good as the First Time plays to many of KM Jackson's strengths - family relationships, a strong sense of place, and characters who are good at their jobs. It does, however, suffer from first book in series syndrome, with a slow beginning due to a large cast of characters and a somewhat complicated setup.
We meet the hero at around 20% into the book, which is when the book picks up.
Overall, if you like second chance romances and reading about families, I think this is a good book for you. Personally, I'm looking forward to the second, which will hopefully get off to a quicker start and still retain the things I liked about this one.
We meet the hero at around 20% into the book, which is when the book picks up.
Overall, if you like second chance romances and reading about families, I think this is a good book for you. Personally, I'm looking forward to the second, which will hopefully get off to a quicker start and still retain the things I liked about this one.
December 26, 2018
Olivia returns to Sugar Lake to help run the family bakery. She has just lost her job and her boyfriend so she turns to her favorite hobby of pie baking. Clayton is happy to see her return but she is leery since he broke up with her without explanation years ago. He's now a single dad and a firefighter with half the ladies in town after him. Olivia is job seeking and when a really good offer comes along she has to decide if big business is what she really wants. I liked the story but I found the sibling bickering a little annoying. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 6, 2020
Two contrary sisters, picking up where their contrary mother and aunts left off, embark on a trip to help the family business out. But there is so much more going on in Sugar Lake, mm-hmm! Lots of sass and lots of fun.
February 8, 2021
A good time
The story was a good time. A second chance story that occurred in the small town called Sugar Lake. I liked the couple and was happy when they made it official.
The story was a good time. A second chance story that occurred in the small town called Sugar Lake. I liked the couple and was happy when they made it official.
November 8, 2018
Sorry, but this book was awful & I couldn't finish it. I've never read this author's books, but I have read this storyline before in others & wanted to see what she would bring to the table that was different. I couldn't get into the story or the simplistic writing style, the imaginary words, or the grammatical errors. Just can't rate it any higher.
November 6, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading the second in the series.
August 1, 2018
Loved this read. Had to calm down when Olivia kept me going up and down with way her mind was working. This read made me realize that trying to hold on to the past and control the future, you are going to miss what is going on in the present. Happy she finally decided which she wanted. Just wish Caleb and Rena will have a story after that one explosive scene.
August 8, 2018
"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."
Loved this book very much. It had just enough comedy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!
Loved this book very much. It had just enough comedy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!
October 30, 2018
K.M. Jackson’s latest romance, As Good as the First Time, features a driven, practical heroine conquering past hurts when she returns to the small town where she had her young heart broken. Naturally, the boy who left her among the walking wounded has grown into a handsome, heroic single dad and wouldn’t you know it, he’s just recently moved back to the same small town our heroine is about to visit.
Olivia (Liv) Gale has had a heck of a day. First, she got ‘restructured’ out of a job. Then, hoping for some loving comfort from her boyfriend she returns instead to an apartment emptied of his clothes – and her television. Taking a deep breath, she loads up her signature pies and heads to her father’s retirement party, determined to keep it together and not rain on her daddy’s parade. The pies are a huge success but her reunion with her family is not. She bickers with her sister Drea incessantly and this event is no exception. The two women begin snarking at each other almost immediately and keep at it for most of the evening. The only lull is when the sisters learn their parents are thinking of postponing/cancelling their dream vacation in order to help out at the Goode’N Sweet, the family bakery in Sugar Lake, Georgia. It seems Aunt Joyce, who runs the establishment, has broken her hip and could use some help. Rather than let their parents cancel their trip, Drea and Liv determine to go in their stead.
The journey from New York to Georgia goes fine, but they arrive to find the bakery surrounded by firemen. While the oven fire is nothing to be concerned with, Fire Chief Clayton Morris is very much a problem for Liv. He’s the reason she stopped spending summers in Sugar Lake. They’d been hot and heavy for a whole season when he’d up and left her without so much as a goodbye. Seeing him again -ever- had never been in Liv’s carefully executed life plan.
Clayton knows he owes Liv an explanation for how poorly he treated her after their last date all those summers ago. He just never thought he’d have the chance to tell her in person how much she meant to him and why he felt he had to give her up. Seeing her again stirs all the feelings he’s kept repressed for years but it’s clear that she wants to keep their encounters professional, polite and pithy. Clayton wants none of that; he knows if he doesn’t have the courage to speak this time, he’ll never have a shot again. Now if he can just get her to listen. . .
While I found the opening chapters a bit difficult because they involved a lot of bickering – between Liv and Drea, Joyce and her sister, another aunt and her children – the text fortunately smooths out and the author seems to hit her stride and find her voice. As a result, fans of small-town romance will find a lot to love in this story. Quirky relatives, the charm of country living, the healing balm of familial relationships, the folksy wisdom of the locals – all the standard tropes make an appearance here. See the rest of my review at https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
Olivia (Liv) Gale has had a heck of a day. First, she got ‘restructured’ out of a job. Then, hoping for some loving comfort from her boyfriend she returns instead to an apartment emptied of his clothes – and her television. Taking a deep breath, she loads up her signature pies and heads to her father’s retirement party, determined to keep it together and not rain on her daddy’s parade. The pies are a huge success but her reunion with her family is not. She bickers with her sister Drea incessantly and this event is no exception. The two women begin snarking at each other almost immediately and keep at it for most of the evening. The only lull is when the sisters learn their parents are thinking of postponing/cancelling their dream vacation in order to help out at the Goode’N Sweet, the family bakery in Sugar Lake, Georgia. It seems Aunt Joyce, who runs the establishment, has broken her hip and could use some help. Rather than let their parents cancel their trip, Drea and Liv determine to go in their stead.
The journey from New York to Georgia goes fine, but they arrive to find the bakery surrounded by firemen. While the oven fire is nothing to be concerned with, Fire Chief Clayton Morris is very much a problem for Liv. He’s the reason she stopped spending summers in Sugar Lake. They’d been hot and heavy for a whole season when he’d up and left her without so much as a goodbye. Seeing him again -ever- had never been in Liv’s carefully executed life plan.
Clayton knows he owes Liv an explanation for how poorly he treated her after their last date all those summers ago. He just never thought he’d have the chance to tell her in person how much she meant to him and why he felt he had to give her up. Seeing her again stirs all the feelings he’s kept repressed for years but it’s clear that she wants to keep their encounters professional, polite and pithy. Clayton wants none of that; he knows if he doesn’t have the courage to speak this time, he’ll never have a shot again. Now if he can just get her to listen. . .
While I found the opening chapters a bit difficult because they involved a lot of bickering – between Liv and Drea, Joyce and her sister, another aunt and her children – the text fortunately smooths out and the author seems to hit her stride and find her voice. As a result, fans of small-town romance will find a lot to love in this story. Quirky relatives, the charm of country living, the healing balm of familial relationships, the folksy wisdom of the locals – all the standard tropes make an appearance here. See the rest of my review at https://allaboutromance.com/book-revi...
November 7, 2018
As Good as the First Time is the first book in the Sugar Lake Series. Sugar Lake is one of those wonderful small, southern towns full of quirky characters that are sometimes more fun than the main characters. Aunt Joyce is one of them. Joyce Goode never married, but rather is married to her business, the Goode-n-Sweet Bakery. She is old enough that she should be thinking about retiring, but no one is going to tell her that. When she falls and injures her hip, the extended Goode family sends in reinforcements in the form of three nieces. One lives locally, and two others, Olivia and her sister Drea, come down from New York to help the tide of cakes, pies, and cookies continue to flow. The sisters spent every summer growing up in Sugar Lake and Olivia loves to bake, especially pies. She has a talent and a love for it which Aunt Joyce doesn’t miss and puts her to work right away. For Olivia, after losing her high-powered marketing job, her jerk of a high-powered boyfriend, and even her new high-end flat screen television, returning to Sugar Lake is a welcome low-key change.
Olivia is a control freak. She likes lists, order, and predictability and the pace of Sugar Lake pulls her from that mindset. Mostly, it’s a defense mechanism. When she was eighteen, she lost her heart and her virginity to Clayton Morris, literally the boy next door. After promising her the world, Clayton got another girl pregnant, married her, and left town without so much as a word to Olivia. Needless-to-say, Olivia was definitely not expecting to see Clayton and his daughter back living next door, employed as the Fire Chief, and divorced. Olivia is not about to make anything easy for him, including a long overdue apology.
Clayton, really has no good excuses for what he did. He offers them, but if it hadn’t been over a decade, Olivia may have not entertained them at all. The whole book attempts to rebuild the relationship they lost as teenagers and does so with only moderate success. The story arc was fairly predictable, including the subplots with other family members and townsfolk. For me, this was not a pager-turner where I had to see if they would or would not get back together, if his apology was any good, or if she could let go of her life in New York for small town living. I did, however, come to enjoy Sugar Lake. For Aunt Joyce’s sake, I’ll return to this series to check in on the townsfolk and romances that are yet to come to fruition. I’m keeping my eye on Clayton’s reclusive big brother Caleb.
Now you can’t have a book about a bakery with prize-winning pastries and not offer up a couple of recipes. In the back there are three recipes for Peach Pecan Cobbler for One, Quick and Handy Blackberry Pockets, and Berry Lovely Swirl Pie. All three are beginner baker-friendly.
Read this full review and more at That's What I'm Talking About: https://twimom227.com/2018/11/review-...
Olivia is a control freak. She likes lists, order, and predictability and the pace of Sugar Lake pulls her from that mindset. Mostly, it’s a defense mechanism. When she was eighteen, she lost her heart and her virginity to Clayton Morris, literally the boy next door. After promising her the world, Clayton got another girl pregnant, married her, and left town without so much as a word to Olivia. Needless-to-say, Olivia was definitely not expecting to see Clayton and his daughter back living next door, employed as the Fire Chief, and divorced. Olivia is not about to make anything easy for him, including a long overdue apology.
Clayton, really has no good excuses for what he did. He offers them, but if it hadn’t been over a decade, Olivia may have not entertained them at all. The whole book attempts to rebuild the relationship they lost as teenagers and does so with only moderate success. The story arc was fairly predictable, including the subplots with other family members and townsfolk. For me, this was not a pager-turner where I had to see if they would or would not get back together, if his apology was any good, or if she could let go of her life in New York for small town living. I did, however, come to enjoy Sugar Lake. For Aunt Joyce’s sake, I’ll return to this series to check in on the townsfolk and romances that are yet to come to fruition. I’m keeping my eye on Clayton’s reclusive big brother Caleb.
Now you can’t have a book about a bakery with prize-winning pastries and not offer up a couple of recipes. In the back there are three recipes for Peach Pecan Cobbler for One, Quick and Handy Blackberry Pockets, and Berry Lovely Swirl Pie. All three are beginner baker-friendly.
Read this full review and more at That's What I'm Talking About: https://twimom227.com/2018/11/review-...
January 1, 2021
This was... fine? It was fine! I liked it much more as a story about a woman coming home and realizing that there's more for her there than there was in the life she thought she wanted than as a second-chance love story. Liv is a great heroine, and I liked her relationship to her family and her hometown and her sister (though I wish we'd gotten a bit more resolution; it felt like they went from being at each other's throats to a cool truce to just being completely chill with each other in the blink of an eye? without any actual discussion or process?), and I did feel firmly like she ended up where she was supposed to be at the end. But I wasn't fully sold on her relationship with Clayton, on... pretty much any level. We never really got a fully satisfactory explanation for their breakup, and we don't really see them connecting as adults; I feel the same way about this as I do about every single second-chance Hallmark movie, which is that you CANNOT just seamlessly pick up where you left off romantically with someone you haven't seen in, like, a decade based on the people you were then?? You just can't!! Both of you are going to be pretty different people, and even if you relate to each other in the same way, you can't just... have feelings for someone based on who they WERE because TIME AND LIFE CHANGE PEOPLE AND YOU GOTTA RELEARN ONE ANOTHER. It's very frustrating when it's just like... oh, we loved each other all along and no one else ever measured up, and surely nothing of any significance has changed in the meantime, no need to see if the people we are now can get along too, right?? Ugh.
Also, I'm pretty ready to say that K.M. Jackson is just... real, real bad at endings. The feelings cascade through in about a page or two, which is not NEARLY enough space for them, and then it just ends very abruptly after that, feeling entirely off-balance and inadequately resolved. It's not the only thing that deters me from reading more of her books, but it's definitely a very bad note to end an already pretty "meh" book on!!
Also, I'm pretty ready to say that K.M. Jackson is just... real, real bad at endings. The feelings cascade through in about a page or two, which is not NEARLY enough space for them, and then it just ends very abruptly after that, feeling entirely off-balance and inadequately resolved. It's not the only thing that deters me from reading more of her books, but it's definitely a very bad note to end an already pretty "meh" book on!!
October 29, 2018
As Good as the First Time by K.M. Jackson
Sugar Lake #1
Oliva Gale has just finished baking pies for her father’s retirement party, sent her lover off to work and headed out the door for her own job when the story begins. By the end of the day she has said goodbye to more than one thing she had taken for granted and is saddled with a sister she bickers with constantly as she heads to Sugar Lake to help her aunt with the family bakery. She will meet up with her first love, spend time with family and be faced with big decisions before the books ends.
This is a new-to-me author and I am on the fence because I had trouble relating to the characters and found the plot somewhat predictable. Perhaps there wasn’t enough of the backstory or time in the second chance segment for me to see why Olivia and Clayton would be drawn to one another? I am not sure if it was that or the fact that I didn’t know enough about Olivia’s job in New York to see why she would prefer small town life as a baker over living in the city or just what it was that had me feeling just okay at the end of the story. I am wondering which of the characters mentioned in the story will have stories of their own: Liv’s sister, Clayton’s brother, some of the cousins or perhaps others who have not been introduced.
Did I love the story? No
Did the story flow? Yes
Would I read another book in this series? I think so
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
Sugar Lake #1
Oliva Gale has just finished baking pies for her father’s retirement party, sent her lover off to work and headed out the door for her own job when the story begins. By the end of the day she has said goodbye to more than one thing she had taken for granted and is saddled with a sister she bickers with constantly as she heads to Sugar Lake to help her aunt with the family bakery. She will meet up with her first love, spend time with family and be faced with big decisions before the books ends.
This is a new-to-me author and I am on the fence because I had trouble relating to the characters and found the plot somewhat predictable. Perhaps there wasn’t enough of the backstory or time in the second chance segment for me to see why Olivia and Clayton would be drawn to one another? I am not sure if it was that or the fact that I didn’t know enough about Olivia’s job in New York to see why she would prefer small town life as a baker over living in the city or just what it was that had me feeling just okay at the end of the story. I am wondering which of the characters mentioned in the story will have stories of their own: Liv’s sister, Clayton’s brother, some of the cousins or perhaps others who have not been introduced.
Did I love the story? No
Did the story flow? Yes
Would I read another book in this series? I think so
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
October 21, 2023
Want a second chance romance in a small town? Then this book could be for you.
Sugar Lake seems like a good place to grow up and leave when the time is right. However, it's also a town that Olivia Gale wants to come back to when things aren't going well in her life. With her work and personal life up in the air, she needs time with her family to get herself back on track. However, she never imagined coming back to Sugar Lake would reunite her with Clayton Morris. Yet, it does.
Finding their way back to each other isn't going to be easy, especially with the way Clayton broke up with Olivia in the past. He thought breaking things off with the heroine was honorable, so she could chase her dreams. No way was he going to hold her back from being the best version of herself she could be.
Being back in Sugar Lake and around Clayton brings up all the old feelings for Olivia but can she trust him again? I liked Olivia, but I didn't enjoy the constant fighting between her and her sister, although they did grow closer as the story went on. I also enjoyed the relationship between the hero and his daughter and I really liked Clayton. He does his best to raise his daughter as well as protect the town as a firefighter. Really, the hero is a man to admire because of everything he does for his daughter and the town.
Overall, I found this story started off a bit slow but it did start to grow on me the more I read. The romance didn't shine as much as I would have liked but I enjoyed how Clayton and Olivia found their way back to each other.
Sugar Lake seems like a good place to grow up and leave when the time is right. However, it's also a town that Olivia Gale wants to come back to when things aren't going well in her life. With her work and personal life up in the air, she needs time with her family to get herself back on track. However, she never imagined coming back to Sugar Lake would reunite her with Clayton Morris. Yet, it does.
Finding their way back to each other isn't going to be easy, especially with the way Clayton broke up with Olivia in the past. He thought breaking things off with the heroine was honorable, so she could chase her dreams. No way was he going to hold her back from being the best version of herself she could be.
Being back in Sugar Lake and around Clayton brings up all the old feelings for Olivia but can she trust him again? I liked Olivia, but I didn't enjoy the constant fighting between her and her sister, although they did grow closer as the story went on. I also enjoyed the relationship between the hero and his daughter and I really liked Clayton. He does his best to raise his daughter as well as protect the town as a firefighter. Really, the hero is a man to admire because of everything he does for his daughter and the town.
Overall, I found this story started off a bit slow but it did start to grow on me the more I read. The romance didn't shine as much as I would have liked but I enjoyed how Clayton and Olivia found their way back to each other.
November 24, 2018
The first book in a series about a small town called Sugar Lake. The beginning starts off a little predictable, with the main character Olivia Gaye losing her job and man. She decides to go to her place of birth, Sugar lake after finding out her Aunt Joyce needs help at her bakery after dealing with health issues. While there, Olivia runs into local fire chief and first love Clayton Morris, who is a divorced single father.
One of the major things I enjoyed about the story is that it doesn't focus on sex, but the two characters building a renewed relationship with each other. But Aunt Joyce happens to be my favorite character. She's one of those aunts that never had the chance to bare children, but everyone for the most part takes her advice to heart. I also liked the relationship between Clayton and his daughter. I enjoyed reading about this town, and can't wait to read the next book in the series. I noticed sparks between Clayton's reclusive brother Caleb and Olivia's cousin Rhea, so I'm hoping the next book will be about the two of them. The book included some recipes, and of course my favorite, Peach Cobbler, so I'm anxious to try it.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book.
One of the major things I enjoyed about the story is that it doesn't focus on sex, but the two characters building a renewed relationship with each other. But Aunt Joyce happens to be my favorite character. She's one of those aunts that never had the chance to bare children, but everyone for the most part takes her advice to heart. I also liked the relationship between Clayton and his daughter. I enjoyed reading about this town, and can't wait to read the next book in the series. I noticed sparks between Clayton's reclusive brother Caleb and Olivia's cousin Rhea, so I'm hoping the next book will be about the two of them. The book included some recipes, and of course my favorite, Peach Cobbler, so I'm anxious to try it.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book.
December 21, 2018
True to its name, the small southern town of Sugar Lake is a sweet place to visit—and you might even want to live there . . .With her big-city career and relationship in sudden free fall, lost job the same day her boyfriend ghosted her, Olivia Gale isn’t sure where she belongs. So, when her help is needed at Goode ʼN Sweet, the (family bakery) in Sugar Lake, she jumps at the chance to indulge her pie-making hobby while getting her life back on track and helping her Aunt Joyce who has suffered a hip injury. Olivia’s not looking for any distractions. Even if the boy who once left her without a word is now a grown man with intriguing secrets—and the same tempting hold on her heart . . .A (firefighter) and a single dad to Hope, Clayton Morris is trying hard to fix his past mistakes. He thought he was doing the right thing by leaving Olivia—and now he’s sure he has nothing to offer the accomplished woman she’s become. But ignoring the sparks between them is impossible. And as unexpected surprises and hard choices endanger their fragile reunion, they’ll have to decide which direction to take if they want to find the road back to love . . .
little weak, slow as the south, not much romance, and no resolution until last page GOOD RECIPES INCLUDED!
little weak, slow as the south, not much romance, and no resolution until last page GOOD RECIPES INCLUDED!
August 16, 2019
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
I had read a couple chapters of this book in last year's Buzz Books Romance collection and was intrigued by them. So I figured I'd check out the full book! And as much as I was interested in the book based on the couple chapters I read, the book overall fell kind of flat for me. I didn't find that there was enough meaningful interaction between Clayton and Olivia for me personally. They spent a lot of the book not only resisting each other but also not communicating well and not having the type of important conversations that I would look for with character and relationship development. And not just with the two main characters, I also thought that Olivia and her sister Drea's relationship could have been developed more. I think that a lot of the issues I had with the book though were just based on personal preference and what I enjoy with my reading. Overall the book was entertaining and the characters were interesting, this one just wasn't quite the book for me. I'd still recommend it if you like a sweet, small town romance (almost all closed door romance) with zany characters and a second chance romance, I'd recommend this one.
I had read a couple chapters of this book in last year's Buzz Books Romance collection and was intrigued by them. So I figured I'd check out the full book! And as much as I was interested in the book based on the couple chapters I read, the book overall fell kind of flat for me. I didn't find that there was enough meaningful interaction between Clayton and Olivia for me personally. They spent a lot of the book not only resisting each other but also not communicating well and not having the type of important conversations that I would look for with character and relationship development. And not just with the two main characters, I also thought that Olivia and her sister Drea's relationship could have been developed more. I think that a lot of the issues I had with the book though were just based on personal preference and what I enjoy with my reading. Overall the book was entertaining and the characters were interesting, this one just wasn't quite the book for me. I'd still recommend it if you like a sweet, small town romance (almost all closed door romance) with zany characters and a second chance romance, I'd recommend this one.
November 6, 2018
This is the first book in the new contemporary romance Sugar Lake series. This is the first book and it’s a second chance romance. Olivia lives in New York and on the day of her fathers retirment party loses her job and her boyfriend. At the party her mom gets a call from her sister that she broke her hip and needs help in the family bakery in Sugar Lake. Olivia and her sister decide to help out there aunt so their mom can go on the vacation with their father that they have had planned for ages. Once in Sugar Lake she immediately sees Clayton Morris who she loves years ago when she spent her summers with her aunt.
i had a hard time connecting with this book. I normally love small town romances but it seems more time was spent on Olivia’s family then the development of the romance. The bickering between sisters and the family drama was the main focus not the romance. It felt more of an afterthought. I ended up giving it three stars because it was a easy read and base of the story was there just needed to focus on the romance a bit more.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
i had a hard time connecting with this book. I normally love small town romances but it seems more time was spent on Olivia’s family then the development of the romance. The bickering between sisters and the family drama was the main focus not the romance. It felt more of an afterthought. I ended up giving it three stars because it was a easy read and base of the story was there just needed to focus on the romance a bit more.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
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