Author: Rachel Hollis
Publisher: Lake Union Press
Publication Date: May 2015
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Max Jennings is in a bad mood. It’s not anything you did; it’s just that secrets from her past make it her natural state of being. But she’s not going to talk about it or share her feelings, so don’t bother asking.
Max’s bad mood means that very few people actually truly understand her or know that her secret dream is to be a pastry chef. When a rare opportunity to work for world-famous Avis Phillips presents itself, Max jumps at the chance. Avis and her staff aren’t stingy with the tough love, so Max spends every spare minute practicing her craft. As she bakes brownies and custards, cookies and galettes, she builds an unlikely friendship with a man she once loathed and finds herself falling into something she’s spent the last six years avoiding. Will she let her painful past stand in the way, or will she muster the strength to forgive herself and realize her full potential?
My Thoughts: I first met Max Jennings in Party Girls, the first book in this series. Her bad mood and snarky attitude in this book came as no surprise to me as she was very snarky and cranky in the first book. However, instead of disliking her, I found her intriguing, independent and sassy. I was very curious why she kept most people at arm’s length with her biting sarcastic commentary or icy stare. She only allows a very small group of people into her inner circle, but if they piss her off, she would probably give them the boot to the curb too.
Max is still working in the same bar she worked at in the first book and life seems to be going pretty much as it always has. She plays her cards close to her chest so she doesn’t share her dream of being a pastry chef with anyone. When the opportunity unexpectedly presents herself, Max confides in the one person she never thought she would ever have a conversation with much less a friendship. Bennett Taylor is an extremely likable character and never lets Max’s bad mood or insults throw him off. Their banter is fun and illuminates the attraction they feel for one another but are trying so hard to hide not only from everyone around them, but from themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed watching their adversarial (on Max’s part) relationship shift into friendship and then something much more meaningful.
As with the first book, this author does another excellent job of bringing these characters to life. I felt great empathy for Max when it’s revealed what happened to her to make her wrap her heart in chains. I found her behavior and reactions logical and I loved how she changes when she realizes the people she loves aren’t going to abandon her. There is a scene where Max is wallowing in self-pity and her best friends show up with snacks and decide it’s time for a Sandra Bullock marathon. Max isn’t very welcoming or receptive to them, but she has a hard time staying in a shell and allows herself to enjoy the moment, which allows the ice to begin to crack.
My Final Verdict: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was tickled to get to know Max and Taylor better. This story played on my emotions a little bit, so keep a box of tissues at the ready.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Sweet Girl from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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