Ok so right off the bat… random Amazon freebie… story line interesting, characters endearing, romance (naturally)… slight smut warning. Ok – maybe not slight. More like, it catches you towards the end of the story. They are loving and sweet but… DESCRIPTIVE. I do believe you can skim and skip. BUT if this makes you uncomfortable or turns you off a story. I am warning you now. Sexual activities will ensue!

And with that… onto the rest of the review!

Bittersweet is a contemporary romance novel by Noelle Adams. There are a few underlying themes… grief, healing, finding a new love. Main character Zoe starts the story many years before her current situation where she is friends with Adam, a somewhat awkward but highly intelligent man. She is then introduced (by him) to his cousin Josh and falls in love. Fast forward years to the present where she has married and been widowed after Josh falls ill. Leaving her with a young son (Logan) and a rather distanced relationship with Adam.

Much of this story is dealing with Zoe’s grief process and her letting go of things… Josh’s possessions that do not harbor close emotional ties, their home that really is not suitable for her new situation. Learning to move on and to still be strong enough to be a mother and deal with Josh’s legacy.

Bittersweet is a gentle romantic and emotional ride. I wouldn’t say the feelings that progress are a surprise, rather a comfortable story with some ups and downs but a lot of love, some laughter and a few tears.

I personally enjoyed this book (well I did skip and skim the hot and heavy bits). BUT if sexual content makes you uncomfortable this may not be the book for you. On the other side it did feel like an honest telling of the story of a woman who has to figure out how to move on after being devastated by her spouse’s death (granted she DOES have a bit more… money and such than most). The characters are sweet and broken, the romance a nice pace and the ending quite satisfying. Definitely worth it if you enjoy these sorts of books.