Aaliyah's Book Corner

Let’s be honest: everyone loves dessert. Whether it’s a delicious cookie, scrumptious pie, or mouthwatering brownie, everyone has that one sweet that they can’t resist. C.K. Darling satisfied readers’ sweet tooths with Buttercream and Sweet Beginnings, a 91-page second chance novella set in the charming town of Peachwood Grove, Georgia. 

Plot

Callie Jones is a successful business owner, running the popular bakery/bookstore Sweetheart Scones and Stories. She has a bustling life filled with her friends and whipping up new recipes but she makes no attempts to date, still remembering her ex-boyfriend and high school sweetheart Macon Everette.

Macon Everette is a single father to a precocious 7-year-old daughter and has his own career. He finds himself back in Peachwood Grove, helping his father and sister with the town’s general store. He seeks out the woman he could never get over, Callie Jones, and hopes to reconcile.

Can the high school sweethearts put the past behind them and embrace the bright and delectable future?

Tropes

– Second Chance: Callie and Macon still clearly love each other. Even when Callie has doubts about reconciling and truly getting over the past, her friends rally around her with wisdom and encouragement. Macon’s sister urges him to make up for his mistake and make a go of it with Callie. This story was a cute example of how second chance stories can be emotionally gripping without the drama we’ve come to expect as readers.

– Small Town Romance: Peachwood Grove is described as a small, idyllic southern town in Georgia. There’s a general store run by the Everettes, Callie and Brittany’s bakery/bookstore, and a buoyant sense of community. This is the kind of town I would never want to leave.

– Single Parent: Macon is a single father to his daughter Poppy. It’s known that dating as a single parent is hard since people assume that you need them to play the “parental” role but Macon makes it clear that Poppy is his main priority and if Poppy is not a fan of any women/relationships in his life, he takes it seriously.

Overall Rating: 4.25 / 5

Such a light and fun read. The nice part about Buttercream and Sweet Beginnings is that you can finish reading the novella within two hours and it keeps your attention. I grew a bit tired of Callie’s bemoaning her heartbreak, especially when it was so trivial. Her constant doubts annoyed me but when Macon made his move, I clutched my pearls.

This was the first book of the Sweetheart Scones and Stories series; book 2 arrives on February 11th. Make sure you check the book out on Kindle Unlimited and follow C.K. Darling on Instagram.

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