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Small Town Sparks #2
Smoke and Sugar
You can never plan for love. You definitely can't plan for llamas.
Practical, down-to-earth Kaia Kingsley loves life in the rural wilds of New Zealand. Even if country life comes with its own challenges: keeping the bank from repossessing her farm, keeping her jam-making business afloat, and... finding a llama in her strawberry patch?
When she drags it back home, she doesn't expect its owner to be a gorgeous older woman. Tessa is icy, but Kaia can see the lonely woman under the surface… and she wants to see more.
But when Kingsley Jams gets the chance to enter in a famous food competition, Kaia needs to focus. If she doesn't win, her jam business will go under, taking her farm with it.
But the only person who can help her win is the biggest distraction of them all.
Her jams are made to make a person crave more. But now, Kaia is the one wrestling with sweet temptation.
She went searching for a new life. She found new love.
It's been six months since high-powered lawyer Tessa's breakup, but her ex's words are still ringing in her ears: Tessa Wright, you're heartless.
A small New Zealand town is the perfect place for Tessa to lick her wounds. But life in the country comes with challenges she wasn't prepared for—like her new neighbor, Kaia.
The younger woman is as sweet as the jam she makes. Tessa needs to stay away from her. Kaia deserves better than a cold-hearted city lawyer.
But when Kaia begs for her help saving her business, Tessa can't say no. As the competition day approaches, the two of them will have to work together. To save what Kaia holds dear, Tessa will have to learn to listen to her heart.
Smoke and Sugar is the second book in the Small Town Sparks series, but can be read as a standalone novel.
Practical, down-to-earth Kaia Kingsley loves life in the rural wilds of New Zealand. Even if country life comes with its own challenges: keeping the bank from repossessing her farm, keeping her jam-making business afloat, and... finding a llama in her strawberry patch?
When she drags it back home, she doesn't expect its owner to be a gorgeous older woman. Tessa is icy, but Kaia can see the lonely woman under the surface… and she wants to see more.
But when Kingsley Jams gets the chance to enter in a famous food competition, Kaia needs to focus. If she doesn't win, her jam business will go under, taking her farm with it.
But the only person who can help her win is the biggest distraction of them all.
Her jams are made to make a person crave more. But now, Kaia is the one wrestling with sweet temptation.
She went searching for a new life. She found new love.
It's been six months since high-powered lawyer Tessa's breakup, but her ex's words are still ringing in her ears: Tessa Wright, you're heartless.
A small New Zealand town is the perfect place for Tessa to lick her wounds. But life in the country comes with challenges she wasn't prepared for—like her new neighbor, Kaia.
The younger woman is as sweet as the jam she makes. Tessa needs to stay away from her. Kaia deserves better than a cold-hearted city lawyer.
But when Kaia begs for her help saving her business, Tessa can't say no. As the competition day approaches, the two of them will have to work together. To save what Kaia holds dear, Tessa will have to learn to listen to her heart.
Smoke and Sugar is the second book in the Small Town Sparks series, but can be read as a standalone novel.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2021
57 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Bel Blackwood
10 books65 followersBel Blackwood (they/them) spins stories of flawed women finding happiness, aimed at readers who like their lesbian romances to be heartfelt, quirky, and funny.
When they're not writing, Bel loves hiking with their mutts, baking up a storm, and trying (and failing) to learn to meditate. If they followed the advice to write what you know, all of their books would be about heroines waging war on the caterpillars eating their zucchini plants.
When they're not writing, Bel loves hiking with their mutts, baking up a storm, and trying (and failing) to learn to meditate. If they followed the advice to write what you know, all of their books would be about heroines waging war on the caterpillars eating their zucchini plants.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 30, 2022
Kindle Unlimited. A very sweet, fun, and feel good read!
Set in a small town of New Zealand outside of Auckland. Lawyer and cool cucumber Tess is taking time off, housesitting for a friend, mending a broken heart from an ex that called her heatless and cold.
Next door adorable Kaia is making tasty jams from scratch trying to maintain her Gran's farm and business legacy, without help.
I liked the town vibe and the delicious food and cooking scenes and descriptions. There was a lot of heart for a novella (less than 2 hours?) But well done.
I think many lesfic readers would enjoy this one for a light easy breezy read, or a palate cleanser. So give it a go on KU.
Set in a small town of New Zealand outside of Auckland. Lawyer and cool cucumber Tess is taking time off, housesitting for a friend, mending a broken heart from an ex that called her heatless and cold.
Next door adorable Kaia is making tasty jams from scratch trying to maintain her Gran's farm and business legacy, without help.
I liked the town vibe and the delicious food and cooking scenes and descriptions. There was a lot of heart for a novella (less than 2 hours?) But well done.
I think many lesfic readers would enjoy this one for a light easy breezy read, or a palate cleanser. So give it a go on KU.
September 12, 2021
This was such a sweet and cute book. No angst, just fluff and some steamy sexy moments 😏 an amazing way to spend Sunday afternoon 🥰
April 11, 2022
Sweet as jam!
Kaia, the jam making country girl trying to keep her family's farm afloat and Tessa, the icy attorney who moves in next door for a much needed respite from her big city job. I absolutely loved both main characters and the secondary character of the teenager Ruby with whom Tessa somehow managed to connect. There certainly is a lot that goes into making a winning jam recipe and their romantic connection certainly helps to spur on the motivation that Kaia is good enough and will not let anyone down. I loved that all of their friends were there to support her. Small town living can be such a blessing. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a laid back, cozy feeling with a group of musicians, a quarter of quirky llamas and plenty of antics. What's not to enjoy?
Kaia, the jam making country girl trying to keep her family's farm afloat and Tessa, the icy attorney who moves in next door for a much needed respite from her big city job. I absolutely loved both main characters and the secondary character of the teenager Ruby with whom Tessa somehow managed to connect. There certainly is a lot that goes into making a winning jam recipe and their romantic connection certainly helps to spur on the motivation that Kaia is good enough and will not let anyone down. I loved that all of their friends were there to support her. Small town living can be such a blessing. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a laid back, cozy feeling with a group of musicians, a quarter of quirky llamas and plenty of antics. What's not to enjoy?
September 30, 2021
Better and better
The first book in this series was cute and satisfying, but this one was even better! Not short on cute, but it does turn the whole "thawing the ice queen" trope on it's head a bit, which added an element of ingenuity I really enjoyed. It's not about changing yourself, it's about finding someone who wants who you are. That was refreshing. The Ruby b-plot was well executed as well. In fact, I think it was necessary to the development of the story. I wouldn't have minded more of it, but it was everything it needed to be.
I didn't have any complaints here. I liked the first book a lot, and loved this one, now I'm eager to see what Bel Blackwood does next. Watching a writer evolve from good to great is one of my favorite things.
The first book in this series was cute and satisfying, but this one was even better! Not short on cute, but it does turn the whole "thawing the ice queen" trope on it's head a bit, which added an element of ingenuity I really enjoyed. It's not about changing yourself, it's about finding someone who wants who you are. That was refreshing. The Ruby b-plot was well executed as well. In fact, I think it was necessary to the development of the story. I wouldn't have minded more of it, but it was everything it needed to be.
I didn't have any complaints here. I liked the first book a lot, and loved this one, now I'm eager to see what Bel Blackwood does next. Watching a writer evolve from good to great is one of my favorite things.
June 13, 2025
Most of the setup for this story felt a little forced, so I had to just roll with it early on. I thought I’d be more drawn to Kaia, but it was actually Tessa who stole the show for me. Kaia was fine, but when she pulled away from Tessa for a bit, it felt kind of dumb and unnecessary.
Ruby, the teenager, was a real standout. It was fun seeing the usual stoic-woman-plus-teen dynamic flipped a bit, with Tessa awkwardly trying to be kind while clearly overwhelmed. I honestly thought Ruby might which felt like a missed opportunity.
Tessa’s internal thoughts were great—dry, observant, reluctantly caring. I especially loved the bit where It was small, but it said so much. Overall, this was a sweet little story, though I was surprised we never actually saw Kaia and Tessa parts of their relationship growth felt glossed over.
Ruby, the teenager, was a real standout. It was fun seeing the usual stoic-woman-plus-teen dynamic flipped a bit, with Tessa awkwardly trying to be kind while clearly overwhelmed. I honestly thought Ruby might which felt like a missed opportunity.
Tessa’s internal thoughts were great—dry, observant, reluctantly caring. I especially loved the bit where It was small, but it said so much. Overall, this was a sweet little story, though I was surprised we never actually saw Kaia and Tessa parts of their relationship growth felt glossed over.
November 2, 2021
Amazing book!
Wow! What a great read. Really enjoyed this being about Kaia, who we saw a glimpse of in book 1. I also liked the little mentions of Amy and Morgan, as well as the Australian backpackers.
I read this in about two days and couldn't put it down. Will definitely read more of Bel's books.
Wow! What a great read. Really enjoyed this being about Kaia, who we saw a glimpse of in book 1. I also liked the little mentions of Amy and Morgan, as well as the Australian backpackers.
I read this in about two days and couldn't put it down. Will definitely read more of Bel's books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2021
Sweet as sugar
Growing up near a small town, country life meant mulberry, strawberry and homemade jam. But it also meant that 49 years ago my family didn't understand my need to be with girlfriend! But we've prevailed and I enjoy your work.
Growing up near a small town, country life meant mulberry, strawberry and homemade jam. But it also meant that 49 years ago my family didn't understand my need to be with girlfriend! But we've prevailed and I enjoy your work.
October 12, 2021
Simply perfect
The burnt out big-city lawyer moves out to the country for some R&R, falls in love with the girl next door, rescues an orphan, and they win the jam contest. If that isn't an instant 5/5, you're in the wrong genre.
The burnt out big-city lawyer moves out to the country for some R&R, falls in love with the girl next door, rescues an orphan, and they win the jam contest. If that isn't an instant 5/5, you're in the wrong genre.
December 13, 2021
A Jammy sweet romance enjoyed storyline overworked ice queen leaving behind a broken relationship meets a beautiful neighbour who makes jam whilst house sitting for a friend and the rest is history. My Only problem was I wanted more
October 9, 2021
A delightful story
I read this book in two sittings and recommend it highly for a light read. The writing is good too. You'll enjoy it.
I read this book in two sittings and recommend it highly for a light read. The writing is good too. You'll enjoy it.
March 16, 2022
Entertaining
Nice easy read with an HEA to look forward to. No great drama just a page turning story with good characters and a taste for more.
Recommend.
Nice easy read with an HEA to look forward to. No great drama just a page turning story with good characters and a taste for more.
Recommend.
June 3, 2022
Wow fantastic storyline
Wow fantastic storyline I loved the main characters chemistry and their journey through it all flowed seamlessly another amazing read congratulations
Wow fantastic storyline I loved the main characters chemistry and their journey through it all flowed seamlessly another amazing read congratulations
July 27, 2023
Very sweet and romantic, I just wish it was a bit longer so Ruby's circumstances and Tessa's perspective on love could have been developed more.
September 4, 2022
This review of Smoke and Sugar has mild spoilers and references events in the story.
I really liked this one. It was a low angst, low conflict and feel good story that worked well for me. The MCs are Tessa and Kaia and while there wasn't too much chemistry between them, there was enough of it for me to enjoy. Add in the side plot of the homeless and discarded teenager Ruby, and her growing parental/guardian relationship with Tessa, and that makes for a very satisfying and overall fun story.
The story is the typical lesfic story of an Ice Queen like stern, stoic and closed off character in Tessa and the bubbly and cheerful character in Kaia. Tessa is taking a break from work and is housesitting for an eccentric friend of hers. The house is sort of like a farm and there's a bunch of Llamas living there. The Llama's add a nice and lighthearted levity to Tessa's life which otherwise is very drab and boring. Tessa's ex-girlfriend called her heartless and she has wholeheartedly accepted that moniker. She's cold and standoffish and not cut out for relationships.
However, Tessa cannot deny that the jam making neighbor Kaia, is intriguing. They hang out , have dinner and make jam together. There's mutual attraction and they both acknowledge and pursue the relationship. Kaia is preparing for a jam making competition and Tessa is helping her win. Throughout the story, Kaia's jam rival (whose name I forget) keeps popping up bragging about her own extravagant jam recipes and making Kaia question herself regarding her own simpler recipes. The rival isn't really a villain or a bad person and by the end I did feel bad for her and hoped that eventually she and Kaia could actually become friends.
Of course, this story isn't without conflicts. The rival keeps one-upping Kaia throughout the story and Kaia keeps being distracted with extra activities with Tessa instead of focusing on her jam making. Therefore, both Tessa and Kaia come to an understanding that maybe they shouldn't hangout any more because Tessa is a distraction to Kaia. While this is a breakup of sorts, it isn't really dramatic or uncomfortable. Tessa steps up for Kaia in the competition by massively helping her in winning the first prize and they get back together.
As you can see, the romance side of this story isn't really anything exciting. It's fine. It's fun. It's fluffy and would be great for someone who enjoys low angst and low conflict stories, like me.
So what's actually special about this book? It's actually the side plot of the teenage girl Ruby who has run away from home and is living in the backyard shed of the house that Tessa is staying at. Ruby is also rude and closed off like Tessa and doesn't want to be bothered. Over the course of the story, Tessa and Ruby form such a heartwarming bond that at times I wanted to read more about Ruby and less about the romance or the jam competition. There are moments where Tessa steps up for Ruby and protects and defends her. The author really takes their time having Ruby open up to Tessa and vice versa and watching this relationship grow is what I found to be the most satisfying part of this story.
I really liked that this story subverts the thawing the ice queen trope. Tessa doesn't really thaw and stays basically the same throughout. Her cold attitude is consistent towards both Kaia and Ruby. She accepts that she cannot be the warm and full of sunshine woman that her ex had wanted to be. What the story portrays is that she doesn't need to change but the way she shows affection is just different from other people in general and that is perfectly fine.
One thing to note is that this is the second book in the series but I did not read the first book. I believe the characters from the first book come up in this book once and overall aren't really important. So, this book can be read as a standalone.
Story tags: low-angst, low-conflict
Angst: 1/5 (How much angst is in the book?)
Chemistry: 3/5 (Chemistry between MCs)
Steamy: 4/5 (How steamy are the intimate scenes?)
Main Plot: 3/5 (How interesting is the main plot i.e. the Romance?)
Side Plot: 5/5 (How interesting are the side plots?)
Highlight Character: Ruby
Overall: 5/5
I really liked this one. It was a low angst, low conflict and feel good story that worked well for me. The MCs are Tessa and Kaia and while there wasn't too much chemistry between them, there was enough of it for me to enjoy. Add in the side plot of the homeless and discarded teenager Ruby, and her growing parental/guardian relationship with Tessa, and that makes for a very satisfying and overall fun story.
The story is the typical lesfic story of an Ice Queen like stern, stoic and closed off character in Tessa and the bubbly and cheerful character in Kaia. Tessa is taking a break from work and is housesitting for an eccentric friend of hers. The house is sort of like a farm and there's a bunch of Llamas living there. The Llama's add a nice and lighthearted levity to Tessa's life which otherwise is very drab and boring. Tessa's ex-girlfriend called her heartless and she has wholeheartedly accepted that moniker. She's cold and standoffish and not cut out for relationships.
However, Tessa cannot deny that the jam making neighbor Kaia, is intriguing. They hang out , have dinner and make jam together. There's mutual attraction and they both acknowledge and pursue the relationship. Kaia is preparing for a jam making competition and Tessa is helping her win. Throughout the story, Kaia's jam rival (whose name I forget) keeps popping up bragging about her own extravagant jam recipes and making Kaia question herself regarding her own simpler recipes. The rival isn't really a villain or a bad person and by the end I did feel bad for her and hoped that eventually she and Kaia could actually become friends.
Of course, this story isn't without conflicts. The rival keeps one-upping Kaia throughout the story and Kaia keeps being distracted with extra activities with Tessa instead of focusing on her jam making. Therefore, both Tessa and Kaia come to an understanding that maybe they shouldn't hangout any more because Tessa is a distraction to Kaia. While this is a breakup of sorts, it isn't really dramatic or uncomfortable. Tessa steps up for Kaia in the competition by massively helping her in winning the first prize and they get back together.
As you can see, the romance side of this story isn't really anything exciting. It's fine. It's fun. It's fluffy and would be great for someone who enjoys low angst and low conflict stories, like me.
So what's actually special about this book? It's actually the side plot of the teenage girl Ruby who has run away from home and is living in the backyard shed of the house that Tessa is staying at. Ruby is also rude and closed off like Tessa and doesn't want to be bothered. Over the course of the story, Tessa and Ruby form such a heartwarming bond that at times I wanted to read more about Ruby and less about the romance or the jam competition. There are moments where Tessa steps up for Ruby and protects and defends her. The author really takes their time having Ruby open up to Tessa and vice versa and watching this relationship grow is what I found to be the most satisfying part of this story.
I really liked that this story subverts the thawing the ice queen trope. Tessa doesn't really thaw and stays basically the same throughout. Her cold attitude is consistent towards both Kaia and Ruby. She accepts that she cannot be the warm and full of sunshine woman that her ex had wanted to be. What the story portrays is that she doesn't need to change but the way she shows affection is just different from other people in general and that is perfectly fine.
One thing to note is that this is the second book in the series but I did not read the first book. I believe the characters from the first book come up in this book once and overall aren't really important. So, this book can be read as a standalone.
Story tags: low-angst, low-conflict
Angst: 1/5 (How much angst is in the book?)
Chemistry: 3/5 (Chemistry between MCs)
Steamy: 4/5 (How steamy are the intimate scenes?)
Main Plot: 3/5 (How interesting is the main plot i.e. the Romance?)
Side Plot: 5/5 (How interesting are the side plots?)
Highlight Character: Ruby
Overall: 5/5
June 16, 2022
Tessa is heartless. At least according to her ex. When Tessa is forced to take a long vacation, six months house sitting in the beautiful countryside of New Zealand, she doesn't plan on wrangling Llamas. Or falling in love.
Kaia loves living in rural New Zealand. She loves her down-to-earth business of making and selling jams, though that comes with its own problems. Like keeping the business afloat to begin with and keeping the farm so she can stay in business. It doesn't help when she keeps finding a Llama eating her strawberry plants. At least the Llama has good taste.
This is a super sweet queer read, with lots of laughs, romance, and some steamy moments. The relationship between Kaia and Tessa is natural and swoon-worthy. I love how Ruby was worked in, she was such a great addition to developing Tessa's character and brought lots of life and fun to the story. I fell for this series with the first book, it had all of my favorite things, a sweet romance, dogs, and New Zealand. This book won me over with the same, though in this case Llamas. And really, what more can you ask for?
Kaia loves living in rural New Zealand. She loves her down-to-earth business of making and selling jams, though that comes with its own problems. Like keeping the business afloat to begin with and keeping the farm so she can stay in business. It doesn't help when she keeps finding a Llama eating her strawberry plants. At least the Llama has good taste.
This is a super sweet queer read, with lots of laughs, romance, and some steamy moments. The relationship between Kaia and Tessa is natural and swoon-worthy. I love how Ruby was worked in, she was such a great addition to developing Tessa's character and brought lots of life and fun to the story. I fell for this series with the first book, it had all of my favorite things, a sweet romance, dogs, and New Zealand. This book won me over with the same, though in this case Llamas. And really, what more can you ask for?
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews