Sweet

I’ve now read all four books in the Contours of the Heart series, and while I love all of them, Sweet is my favorite! Tamara Webber exceeds expectations with the way all of her characters are distinct and each hone their own voice and persona, and Boyce and Pearl take the prize as the most enjoyable characters. Sweet was such a breath of fresh air from more cliched YA romances that have readers bored to tears; Boyce with his troubled childhood yet caring heart; Pearl with her insane wits while still not letting the opinions of others sway her in what she desires. A beautiful story that I’m itching to reread, even though I just finished it a few days ago!

I absolutely loved Easy and Breakable and I was so excited to read Pearls and Boyce's story. It was worth the wait and I love how she incorporated Landon's story in the books as well. It was amazing and decently now one oft favorite books. It's a must read!

When I heard that Tammara Webber was writing another novel in the Contours of the Heart series, my heart leaped with joy. I really liked Easy and Breakable and couldn't wait to meet Boyce and Pearl. Sweet was just what the title suggests—sweet. I enjoyed reading this one.

The beginning of the novel alternates between when Pearl and Boyce were in high school and years later after Pearl has finished college. At seven years old, Boyce rescued her from a nearly drowning in the ocean when she was five-years old. Over time, they became good friends. Their friendship began to develop into something more in high school, but they kept their relationship secret. After graduating college, Pearl goes against her mother's wishes and declines admission into medical school. She moves back to her hometown to pursue a Ph.D in marine biology, and her mother forces her out of the house. With nowhere to go, she moves in with Boyce and their former sparks reignite.

Boyce's abusive father dies very early on in the book, leaving him with a trailer and the family mechanic business. His mother left him and his older brother when he was very young. He was forced to grow up really fast. Boyce was a resilient hero and I really liked how he didn't let the injustices of life bring him down. He was a fighter.

Similarly, Pearl was a very determined heroine. I thought she was really likeable. Like with Webber's other novels, Sweet delivers a cute love story without a lot of drama or crazy plot twists. Sweet is very much a second chance love/friends-to-lovers story. What I liked was the way the romantic tension between the characters was built in the past and present time. I thought their chemistry was really good, and I bought their love story.
I have to kiss you. I have to touch you in very publicly inappropriate ways.

I liked this book, but felt it was very predictable, which is fine. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that type of read. But I felt like there were several moments in this book where I was wanting more and I didn't get it. I would recommend this book to fans of second-chance romances. Whether you've read Webber's other novels or not, you should definitely give Sweet a try.

*I received an advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars