I received an eARC of this book via the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I adored this one! The Sweetheart Deal by Miranda Liasson is the first book in her new series Blossom Glen that follows two rivals as they find themselves working together to save their respective family-owned businesses. I don’t know what it is about Liasson’s writing, but she pulls you in to the story and makes you feel everything about the characters and town and businesses featured. Tessa and Leo’s story hits on some of my favorite tropes: nemesis (not really enemies here) to lovers, fake marriage, and business deals. With a Romeo and Juliet set up, The Sweetheart Deal captured my heart and had me grinning through the entire book.

Tessa Montgomery is stuck. She’s never left her home town, her ex-fiancé cheated on her a year ago, and her family’s bakery is barely making ends meet. She has her own dreams but can’t live them out until she knows her mother and sisters will be okay. I hurt for Tessa. She is so misunderstood by her family and the people in her small town. She dreams of being a pastry chef, but her family’s bakery bakes “only bread” and her mother will not budge on that. So she bakes desserts in her free time and gives them to people just so she can at least practice her skills. Tessa is closed off emotionally, has dated most of the single guys in town, and has to face her ex every time he enters the bakery asking for advice on his new lover (seriously, the guy is….just no words). Then enters Leo Castorini with a deal of his own.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Leo at first. I was already super invested in Tessa and wanted to protect her at all costs when he entered the bakery. Leo has lived the life that Tessa wanted. He left Blossom Glen for New York after winning a scholarship they were both up for in high school and never came back. But now he’s back to stay. His father’s restaurant is going under unless Leo does something drastic to save it. The only problem is his dad won’t listen to his ideas, says it’s a “family” restaurant and no one will respect Leo until he is a married, family man. So Leo proposes a trade with Tessa: they get married and save their families’ businesses in the process. Nothing at all could go wrong, right