Sugar & Gold (Dreamcatcher #2) Emma Scott ~ 10 Stars isn’t enough!!!

“I want to walk in the sunshine with you.”

Just WOW! Every single time I pick up a book from Emma Scott I know I am in for an unexpected plot, extraordinary characters, flawless writing and everything in between. I always marvel at the author’s mind and how she continues to bless us with such unique and exceptional stories. Sugar & Gold is definitely a gem. Yes, it a lovely romance but so much more. With all the sadness in the world right now, the author intentionally or not, put her own unique spin on some tougher subjects - self-worth, belonging, being different, courage, forgiveness, and love. I especially love the profound parting message of “Love and Hope” for the future. Quite fitting I say.

It is hard to sum up what this book is about with no spoilers – I am not even going to try. The good news is Emma Scott has a very extensive and detailed synopsis so after reading that, you should have a very good idea what Sugar & Gold is about and whether it intrigues your curious mind. I will say this book’s GOT ALL THE FEELS and it’s a MUST READ. This is a very intense and emotional love story as expected in all of Emma’s previous books so get some tissues ready. I was really sobbing in the middle of the night and I could not stop reading. Don’t fret - there are also plenty of sweet, light-hearted banters, and sexy moments as well.

“For love. And when it’s for love, there ain’t no mountain high enough.”

I love the way Nikolai and Fiona met – Nikolai was nursing a lonely heart at a bar and in comes walking a vision in pink (that’s what he sees in Fiona). What is supposed to be a night of rolling in the hay turns into a very complicated, whirlwind romance. Fiona is easy to love – kind, caring and compassionate. She was dealt shitty cards and life isn’t easy but it hasn’t hardened her heart. She lives with the haunted thoughts daily but her spirit is still vibrant and that’s exactly what Nikolai sees in Fiona – beautiful inside and out. Nikolai - my heart breaks for him. Nikolai’s upbringing is sad and torturous. He is running from everyone including himself, hiding behind tattoos and piercings, never settling down or letting anyone get close (although said tats and pierces make him a pretty damn hot sex god ). The character’s development is quite remarkable. These two characters are both damaged seemingly beyond repair but they found each other and with trust and love they were able to find the real person within (and ultimately their own version of sunshine). On a lighter note, I think the author did an awesome job with the chemistry between Nikoli and Fiona. There is no denying the sparks and attraction between them. I like that Nikolai and Fiona are very honest with each others feelings. There is no game playing between them which is not surprising because they have been through so much heartache, they only want true happiness for one another. The part at the end where Nikolai came to the rescue practically melted my heart and my panties – totally swoony and showcased his bravery, a quality I admire about this hero. I also enjoyed all the side characters especially Nate and Griff – such sweet, fun, adorable couples, and even the mother hen Opal was absolutely lovely.

As you know Gold & Sugar is part of the Dreamcatcher series which has a touch of paranormal elements. If you have any reservations about reading this genre, I will say this: Does Nikolai’s ability to feel or see people in color and sounds seem far fetched? Absolutely, but personally I think we can all relate to this hidden talent in some ways. Why are we drawn to certain people but not others? I think Nikolai’s gift is no different than one’s ability to read, feel, and understand people we meet. It’s an intuition if you will - your way of knowing whether to trust people or to form relationships or not. That’s just my personal opinion!

Sugar & Gold is just simply GORGEOUS. Period! The story, the characters, the narrative, the dialogues – everything about it was delivered with such care through her elegant writing. Reading Emma’s book is a magical experience. I was in awe and once again speechless when I finished. The epilogue – “Ostavat’sya” – I can’t even! I was once again a sobbing mess. Truly, Sugar & Gold is a stunning – a gorgeous love story but also a poignant heartfelt story of a young couple who rose above all odds, found their sunshine, and are finally free.

“Love and hope.”
“She had given so much of both; my heart was full of love for her…and a gratitude greater than thank you.”

4.5 ★★★★ Stars

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone Book 2 of Dreamcatcher series
POV: First Person - Dual

"The bright halo of glimmering dust that surrounded her. Kindness, compassion, charity. Those were the feelings I associated with pink."

Fiona Starling was running away from her past. Her last relationship left her mentally traumatized and she had trouble trusting people. After two years of trying to put her life together and saving for a goal she meets Nik. One night she decides to act wild and free and it changed the life goals she had set up for herself. She found herself conflicted on what she wanted and what she thought was what she had to do.

Nikolai (Nik) Alexei Young was born with a gift. A gift that became a curse to him because by having the "Ken" like he called it an ability to feel or sense other emotions he lost his loved ones. All his life he just wanted to fit in instead he was treated like a curse and so he lived his life on the road constantly moving so he didn't have to feel so much. He inked his body with tattoos to numb the noises of everyone's thoughts.

"I needed to get back to zero. To dig under the noise and feel something that was truly mine. Even if that something was pain."



When Nik and Fiona met he instantly felt a peace he desperately was looking for his entire life. That one night changed Nik as well because he now felt like he had something to live for. However he still struggle an internal battle; he had a fear to lose Fiona as quickly as he found her if she knew what he was.

"The thrumming life around me grew quiet. For the first time, I felt close to peace, and I wanted more."

I really enjoyed this story; the beginning was super-hot and sexy in fact I think this book is the sexiest book written by this author that I have read so far. I found myself grinning and enjoying these two characters right away. However; I felt it was a bit slow after like twenty percent but I was so excited when it picked up. Fiona did made me angry few times but I am glad she redeemed herself in my eyes haha. I liked how characters from the first book made a big impact on the story. Overall; I fell in love with Nik and his abilities; he seemed so broken that all I wanted to do is helped him. Fiona was so broken too and Nik was able to help her; he was just the best taking her to places he wouldn't go unless it was for her benefit just sacrificing himself to make her happy. Both Fiona and Nik were perfect for each other though and each were able to heal each other broken parts. Readers looking for a second chance romance will find themselves in love with this story.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2019636728
Link to my review, also pasted down below

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my goodness!! This book was absolutely, positively amazing! I have found a new favorite book!

At first, I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I was going to like this book. However, I continued on despite my hesitation, and was blown away.

All the characters in the book were just great. The hero, Nik, was my favorite though. He was so sweet and I loved everything he did for Fiona, who was also great.

The pacing was really well done as well. For some books there are times when you feel like what you're reading isn't important and it gets boring, so you decide to skim. That is NOT the case with this book, everything flows so well and I didn't find myself skimming even once.

This book is heart tugging, and there are also some funny moments. It was definitely a spectacular book and if you've been on the fence about reading it, I would definitely recommend it to you!!!

Wow!! Emma Scott never fails...never. She has become one of my go to authors, I will definitely buy any books written by her. Her writing is beautiful & her stories are unique! I love how she can take sorrow in a character and give them love & hope (sugar & gold)!!!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story, it's just a beautiful all around book.

Sugar and Gold was a good read. The story started off slow then the pace slowly picked up. This is not a fast action read, but don't let that deter you from reading this book because you will enjoy this story. I absolutely loved the main and the secondary characters and the story had a bit of paranormal feel to it. There was a lot of inner monologue but it honestly goes with the story; its a huge part of the story or shall I say the characters. The ending was so loving and sweet that it made the story worthwhile. The ending alone makes you want to recommend this story to all romance reads because there is no doubt that they will enjoy it. I know I did.

First of all, Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

A Short Blurb:

Fiona takes Nikolai under her roof for three sultry nights, waiting out the rain of a summer storm. She grows more and more fascinated by this brooding stranger with whom she shares an intense physical connection—a connection so strong, she wonders if there is something between them beyond lust and passion. Nikolai is shocked to discover that Fiona calms the raging turmoil in his heart. She alone silences the din of other people’s lives, and envelops him in the sweet beauty of her inner self. Every moment he’s with her—every touch of her skin—brings him closer to the peace that’s been eluding him his entire life.

Cover Review:

The cover is quite simple, yet attractive and metaphorical. Nikolai is pictured to be walking off to nowhere, while the cage at the top depicts the escape of Fiona from her marriage/cage. To be truly honest, had I judged the book solely on its cover, I wouldn't have thought of reading it, or given it much thought.

Review:

The novel has been written from two major point of views, Nikolai's and Fiona's. The author managed to maintain a different writing style for both the characters, making them realistic and believable.

The dialogues were well-written and witty, humorous and serious, and everything that a good novel should include.

Some parts of the book made me laugh, while others made me want to cry.

I stayed up late just so I could read this book till the end, so that I could see them off to their happy ending...because they had to have it, right?

Analyzing this book critically would spoil its beauty, because I really enjoyed reading it, and found it one of the sweetest books I've ever read.

Sugar And Gold gets a well deserved 5 star from me, for everything it was.

This book was pretty intense, to say the least. It’s been a while since I’ve come across a good contemporary with a worthy plot-line. The characters were beautifully woven, and their pasts were wonderfully heartbreaking.
Nikolai’s ability was one I didn’t really find that peculiar. I’ve watched a documentary once, on Discovery Science, I think, about a European woman who has Chromesthesia; she sees certain colors when hearing certain sounds. It’s still very different from Nik’s ability, his ken. But it’s science, so I don’t think what Nikolai has is that creepy/weird.
But it didn’t fail to fascinate me. I found it very interesting, actually. His dark past and tormented childhood broke my heart and shattered it to pieces. I couldn’t imagine how a mother would bully her own son, telling him that he has the devil in him, taking him to a hospital and allowing the doctors to torture him and shock him. WHO DOES THAT?! If your own mother isn’t there to accept the flaws you have as a child, I can’t imagine how Nik was able to survive each day, when a mother was all he had.
His relationship with Fiona was wonderful. How he’d see the pink in her every time he’s near her, and the fact that he associated that particular color to kindness. But then when they talked about Gold, I couldn’t with all the feels :

Fi: “Gold is the color of love. Not the love between family members, or mothers and their children. I mean fairytale love, where the prince would do anything for the princess, even if it meant his own life. And the princess would sacrifice herself to the dragon if it would save the prince. The kind of love that transcends…”
[Nik] My thoughts drifted back to Fiona’s color poems. It doesn’t mean anything… It’s just a coincidence.
Except that pink was exactly as she’d described: how the ken translated kindness.
And gold?
I’d never seen gold.

I was at the verge of tears at that point…
It was all very devastatingly romantic.
But those were my thoughts only before this happened:

But the longing I felt to be with Fiona had nothing to do with what she gave me and everything to do with who she was.

That was when all hell broke loose.. because I literally fell in love with Nikolai Young *dreamy eyes*
I loved Fiona’s motto, I’m stronger than I look
Especially when she went out to meet Steve who, by the way, is the shittiest meathead ever. He’s definitely crazy in the head. I would’ve liked some closure, like Nik breaking his nose or something. Because he would’ve totally deserved it. I’m not usually this savage, but dammit.
This was probably my favorite quote:

Fiona: “Not all punches come from fists. Not all cuts break the skin but I bruised and bled on the inside for what you did to me.”

The plot twist in the book actually took me by surprise; something that hasn’t happened to me in ages. And I love that.
Griff and Nate were amazing. I loved the couple to pieces.
This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions. It was equal parts sweet and intense. A well woven plot-line, developed characters, a hot hot hot book boyfriend with a dark past and a weirdly romantic gift… I really enjoyed it.

Sweet with a spark. Broken people healing one another.