Sweet Surprise

I have really been into the Sweet Series with the Wilder boys, but this is finally the book I have been waiting for!
So this is a story about Fiona. So if you don’t remember Fiona, she is Jackson ex-wife and the mother to Izzy. You would think she would be bitter, but NO! Jackson, Abby (his fiancée) and Fiona are great friends, which is a marvelous change and as a reader it’s wonderful not to have a snarky and hateful ex-wife in the background.
Anyway, back to the story. Fiona is has moved to Sweet to open a cupcake store and so Izzy could be near her father. But Fiona has also made resolutions for herself, they are to make her cupcake store a success and to put naughty Fiona away and find a man that truly loves HER and not just show more loves her like a friend. But before Fiona even manages to get her cupcake store open, Fiona is caught in a nasty car crash, but luckily Mr. Tall, Dark and Delicious aka Mike Halsey (firefighter and best friend of her ex) comes to the rescue.
Mike is drawn to Fiona like a bee to a flower, but boy! Does the man have some serious baggage! He also is living by the man code; Thou must not covert thy friends Wife/Girl/Ex/Sister, but that doesn’t stop the desire, every time they are in the same room.
After a shaky start, things go smoothly for these love birds, until the past rears its ugly head and family responsibilities threaten to destroy all they have.
Wow, what a book! I cannot even describe too you how sweet and divine this book is! It is honestly my dream sweet romance should be. The writing is flawless, plot hole free and so, so smooth it just flows of the page. So after all that gushing I am delighted to give Sweet Surprise 10 out of 10. show less

Good story about two people who are trying to put past mistakes behind them and move on with their lives. Fiona is a single mom who is determined to get it right this time. She's left her party girl ways behind her and has opened a cupcake shop. She's divorced from Jackson, but they are still friends and good parents to their daughter, Izzy. She's got a lot going on and a new relationship is way down on her list of things she wants.

Mike is Jackson's best friend and has been attracted to Fiona for awhile. But getting involved with her would be against the "man code" so he tries to keep his distance. Thanks to some meddling by Jackson's mom, Mike finds himself committed to helping Fiona get her shop ready for business, something that puts show more quite a strain on his self control.

I loved seeing this relationship develop. Fiona starts out resisting her attraction to Mike. She's looking for a man who wants the same thing she does - commitment, family, someone who will love her for herself, and she doesn't think that Mike is that man. Mike starts out thinking the same way. He's attracted to Fiona, but he doesn't do relationships. His family life has made him reluctant to risk his heart, but he can't stay away from Fiona. The fire between them gets hotter as Mike helps her prepare her store for opening, but Fiona doesn't want to repeat past mistakes. Though it was hard for her to do, I loved seeing how she explained her needs to Mike and stood strong for them. It gave Mike a lot to think about, and I really liked seeing him really think about his past and what he wants for his future.

It was sweet to see them get to know each other. The heat was there, but they kept it under control as the focused on other things. There were some great scenes of them doing ordinary things like cooking dinner and taking Izzy to the zoo, all things that show Fiona that Mike is everything she wants. There are also some serious discussions, including Mike opening up about his family and what they have been through. Things are moving along well when those same family issues crop up again and Mike has to go off and deal with them. Mike realizes that he has to decide what will have priority in his life, and if he can really be everything that Fiona needs. I loved the ending, and Mike's surprise for Fiona and Izzy was really romantic and adorable.

The secondary characters of the Wilder family and Fiona's friend Sabrina were all wonderful. I loved the closeness of the family and how, even though they were divorced, Fiona was still considered part of them. Jana Wilder, the boys' mother, was pretty awesome with her successful matchmaking ways. I really enjoyed the way that she got Mike to help Fiona. You could definitely tell she had ulterior motives. The others were all there to support Fiona with her business and help her when she needed it. I also loved how Fiona's friend Sabrina helped her see that she was pushing away something that could end up being very good for her. I liked the friendship she had with Fiona and would love to see her get her own story. show less

Read for Review (Avon Addicts)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 3.50

First Thought when Finished: Sweet Surprise by Candis Terry was a sweet little contemporary romance with just a bit of heat. I liked the characters and the story. The leads were a little "too much hung up on their issues" for me (aka I didn't quite by their personal push/pull issues) but otherwise totally enjoyable read! One that I would recommend. Also one I think most people would have total fun with. In other words, read it!

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, Done reviews

Loved this one! So glad Fiona got her HEA and with Mike Halsey...yum! Truly a great read that grabs you from the first page. I definitely recommend this one and all the ones in this series.