Sweetheart by Sarah Mayberry [Review]

Sweeheart (The Busy Bean) by Sarah Mayberry
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 16, 2021

The Busy Bean
Sweetheart - Paperback | Kindle
Cowboy
Cakewalk
Friendzoned
Studfinder
Doubletalk
Sidetracked
Fireproof
Footnote
Afterglow

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
True North
1. Bittersweet

Sarah Mayberry
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I just wanted to get my hands on his beans

Four years ago, I had a ridiculous crush on my sister's boyfriend. But when they moved away together, I put Beck out of my mind and my heart. But now he's back, and roasting the best coffee in Vermont. I need to convince him to supply the Busy Bean. And I need more of those kisses we accidentally shared outside the coffee shop. He still makes my heart race faster than a triple shot of espresso.

She should be off limits, but instead she's pushing mine

Her sister burned my life to the ground, so Haley Elliot is the last woman I should bring into my bed. Although our business relationship is giving way to something more than a fine grind. Neither of us can help ourselves. And what’s worse, I think I’m falling for her.

But it’s a small town, and ours is a big secret. And when her sister blows back into town, suddenly the coffee isn’t the only thing brewing...

Thoughts on Sweetheart: Beck and Haley start out in a tough place. Frustratingly, from Haley's perspective, it isn't from a shared past or anything that she'd done previously, but because Haley's sister detonated Beck's life and he's finally started to pick the pieces back up and get back to the guy he was before. So while Haley herself didn't do anything to Beck, the mere specter of her sister's presence almost ruins what they could have had before it even started.

For the record, I don't blame Beck for trying to protect himself. Haley's sister was a force of nature when she got going and she was quick to destroy anything in her path. Which means Beck had every right to not want to put himself in a position to face that again. It was just tough to read knowing Haley is the exact opposite of that. She's quiet and doesn't like the spotlight. She would never deliberately harm someone else just because. It took a while before Beck saw that and began to understand how much Jess's issues affected every aspect of Haley's life. (And, yeah, sis had more than a few issues that she really needed to address, in case you were wondering. Her parents might have had good intentions in the way they dealt with her, but they really weren't doing Jess [or Haley] any favors.)

A charged family dynamic, a whole lot of coffee (and some really good beans), a sweet doggo, some steamy kisses, and a relationship that had to weather a few bumps before it could get to where it needed to be. *thumbs up*