Summer is one of my favorite times of year for romance reads, and How Sweet It Is perfectly met that need. How Sweet It Is is a romantic comedy that had me from the first chapters.

We’re introduced to Kate Sweet, an event planner known for her work on weddings for happy couples. When she’s asked by her best friend to plan a book launch party for a horror writer, it’s out of her comfort zone. Drake Matthews, our male lead of the story, is the horror writer whose latest book is getting ready to launch, though he’s struggling with finding the inspiration to sit down and write his next story.

I’m not going to elaborate more on the plot to avoid spoilers, but the sparks fly from there! I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Kate is a heroine that I can relate to, with her love of planning and spreadsheets. Drake is a male lead with depth and a sensitive side hidden beneath the mask he wears to protect himself. Their bantering and the development of their relationship were highlights for me.

I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye out for more romances from Dylan Newton!

How Sweet It Is is perfect for fans of Well Met, Beach Read, and Spoiler Alert.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dylan Newton is a new to me author and so I was excited to read How Sweet It Is based on the blurb for the book and I wasn't disappointed.

Kate Sweet is an event planner and a very successful one at that. She loves to make it special for her clients and so she always incorporates "aww" moments that they don't know about ahead of time. This is her signature and is a very successful part of her business. She's approached by her best friend to help out with the book launch of a famous author and while it's not something in her wheelhouse, she's not about to turn it down.

Drake Matthews is a horror author and he's struggling to write his next novel. He knows that he has to get through the book launch and all of the events that go along with it and it is the last thing he wants to deal with. He hates being in the spotlight even though it comes with the territory.

The last thing Drake wants is an interruption, but when Kate shows up to work on the upcoming book launch, his muse begins to wake up. Not only that, but planning this party could be huge for Kate's event planning business. Will the Queen of Happily Ever After's and the Knight of Nightmares not only help one another work-wise, will they also strike a romantic chord together?

This book was very enjoyable and it definitely made me interested to see what Newton has planned for us next. I'd recommend giving this one a try for sure.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review**

How Sweet It Is was a cute and fun romcom, but it also addressed some emotional topics as well. I thought that balance was well done, getting the point across without being overly preachy or in your face. The book features one of the most hilarious (and painful) meet cutes that I've read in a while and I don't think I will look at stilettos the same way ever again.

Being a former event planner, I’ve really enjoyed reading this sweet romance between Kate, the Queen of Happily Ever Afters and Drake, a horror book author, also known as, Knight of Nightmares. This book has so much humor and ‘aww’ moments.

I’ve really enjoyed the small town feel of Drake’s town, the descriptions of his Victorian home, Drake’s family and Kate’s whole personality, especially her creativity. I connect with her, especially when it comes to her planner side with her spreadsheets and to do lists.

There are so many surprise moments that either made me laugh or warmed my heart.

The only thing I didn’t like is the cover, I just don’t think it matches the story very well.

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton
Contemporary romantic comedy.
Kate loves her spreadsheet details. It keeps her organized and on time for her Events business. Meeting her new client, Drake, has chaos reigning and unexpected results.
Drake has been struggling to write his next horror novel. Kate’s unexpected interruptions in his life wakes up his creativity in writing. Having her in his house wakes up other appetites too.

Captivating. Watching the romance grow was delicious. Heat level low.
I’m now on the hunt for more by this author.

Excerpt:
“Kate.
His mind still whirred with the electric zing of their first encounter. His fingers itched to be on the keyboard, capturing the details while they were still fresh and visceral. He remembered the smooth heat of her upper thighs, the floral scent of her hair, the way her eyes gazed up at him like he was some sort of superhero, when all he’d done was pick her up out of the mucky grass so she wouldn’t break an ankle. He recalled his sense of awe when he’d come around after passing out and found himself on top of her. The feel of her silky auburn hair in his hands, the sprinkle of freckles across her nose, the way she looked up at him, her green eyes wide—all of it had goosed his muse into overdrive. He wanted to start typing. He knew exactly what to do now with his hero when he first meets the woman he’s to marry. He’d write about how they literally ran into each other; the plot device allowing for forced intimacy, bringing his characters together faster…”
Excerpt from How Sweet it is by Dylan Newton

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗜𝘀 by Dylan Newton was our first #unitedbyromcomsfeature this month and it definitely lived up to its name! Hard to believe it was her debut novel!⁣
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At first, Kate, the queen of HEAs (event planner), and Drake, the Knight of Nightmares (horror author) seem to make an odd pairing but as they continue to work together on his launch event, they seem to fit together perfectly. ⁣
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This book has:⁣
💻 Awkward and hilarious situations⁣
🥂 Swoon-worthy moments ⁣
💻 A sexy, spectacled author⁣
🥂 A slow burn⁣
💻 Excellent side characters⁣
🥂 Amazing chemistry ⁣
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Overall, a sweet and funny romantic comedy that had me smiling throughout! Had some surprise steam at the end and I was here for it! 😉⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣
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Thank you to @readforeverpub for the #gifted eARC! All opinions are my own.

How Sweet It Is begins with Kate Sweet—a wedding event planner known as the “Queen of happily ever afters”— agreeing to plan a book launch for her publicist best friend as the movie adaptation for the book is being produced by Evan Everstone, whom is the main judge for the highly coveted EVPLEX event planning award. The only problem? The book launch is for Drake Matthews; a horror writer known as the “knight of nightmares”. Things get off to a rocky start when Kate accidently maims her new client and Drake vetoes every one of Kate’s “Spooktacular” book launch ideas. Meanwhile, the handsome Drake Matthews has a secret: he has writer’s block and the only thing he can seem to write is historical romance. When Drake realises that Kate may just be the inspiration he needs for his historical romance love interest, the pair form an unexpected truce—Drake will agree to all of Kate’s book launch plans with no argument and Kate will help Drake do “research” for his book. But, between a visit to a crypt, a pumpkin carving contest in Wizard of Oz costumes, and a trip to Niagara Falls, Kate and Drake’s professional relationship quickly starts to turn into something more.

How Sweet It Is is a slow burn “enemies to lovers” contemporary romance novel with sprinkles of humour. It deals with themes like appearance versus reality, expectations versus reality, love and heartbreak, work/life balance, and family. Fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, and Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur will adore How Sweet It Is! The main takeaways were that you must be true to yourself and follow your heart; Kate becomes an event planner instead of going into her family’s medical practice and Drake starts writing historical romance even though it’s not what his horror fans have come to expect. Another inspiring message from the book that I really liked is: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice”.

One thing that I loved about this book were the funny moments that had me laughing out loud. For example, Kate’s terrified reaction to Drake’s pint-sized “attack dog” and Drake’s sketchy-looking tin man costume. The romantic scenes were great, such as Kate and Drake’s helicopter trip over top of Niagara Falls. I also loved the fact that Drake, dubbed the knight of nightmares, turns out to be a big softy. Lastly, without giving anything away, the end of this book was super romantic and very fitting!

To be honest, there wasn’t much that wasn’t enjoyable! Some minor cons were that I didn’t feel that the cover art really matched the plot or feeling of the book, Drake and Kate had a few misunderstandings that really could have been avoided, and we never got to find out if anything romantic happened between Kate’s publicist friend and Drake’s brother…maybe this could be a potential sequel!?

This was my first time reading Dylan Newton’s work and How Sweet It Is exceeded my expectations. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other romance readers!

This was such a sweet (pun intended) story.

I loved the relationship between Kate and Drake. How it evolved from friends to more. I really enjoyed seeing them both realized that a person can actually support their dreams.

There were some really funny moments that had me giggling out loud.

Definitely recommend.

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton is a "laugh-out-loud" romantic comedy. Event planner Kate Sweet is the queen of romance and she gets roped her into planning a bestselling horror writer’s book launch extravaganza for the king of horror. This book is full of ridiculous situations and sweet romance.

This is perhaps the sweetest book I've read all summer, and I love that it was a debut novel! Dylan Newton I will be grabbing your next book because this one was so well done! I loved the storyline, character development and humor. I literally couldn't put this book down from start to finish, and was sad when it over!
Kate and Drake will have you swooning, laughing, and at times cringing! It's the perfect summer read and will be available July 13...do yourself a favor and grab this one, I promise you'll love it, too!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

P.S. I think the secondary characters could set up a 2nd book in this series for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the chance to read an early copy of this book!

This was a cute rom com with plenty of romance and comedy elements--lots of wacky hijinks, but also some cute moments with a bit of steam (one major scene). We got POVs from both protagonists, which was a pleasant surprise as our hero is a sweetheart and I liked getting to know him a bit better that way.

The cover copy gives you a good sense of what to expect, which plays out a lot like you'd expect because that's how rom coms work. And I think BEACH READ is an apt comparison because of similar elements--opposites attract, writing and research, trying new genres--though I had a similar quibble that the book's idea of a romance novel seems more to me like a novel with romantic elements and not really part of the genre.

I didn't find the characters particularly deep, and I especially didn't like how paper thin the antagonists were, but it was a cute way to pass an afternoon, and it's a fun mix of classic rom com setup with some good Halloween vibes.

Rating: 3/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction
Warnings: Cheating (past relationship), family tensions
Read if you liked: To Sir With Love or the Secret Bridesmaid
Steam: 2

Thank you to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the concept of this book; it was really sweet but also fell flat for me in the romance department. Ultimately, this book was just “okay” for me but I know a lot of people enjoyed it so definitely read it if the description interests you!

Things I loved: The meet cute was hysterical. Love all the party planning/organization talk. Drake’s brothers and mom were hysterical. I loved the VIP date Drake planned. The Harvest festival costumes!

Things I didn’t care for: The romance didn’t feel fully fleshed out…I wasn’t super invested because the slow burn didn’t feel very burn like. The conflict was super fast and I wish we could have dove into it a bit more. I didn’t see the light blub moment of what happened and we need to fix it. I didn’t like the continued dialogue of his “nightmare” writing. There was no resolution with Kate’s parents and the issues there.

Anyone can plan a party. That's why Kate Sweet specializes in events. She carefully crafts extravagant weddings, meant to wow and make dreams come true. When her best friend, who works for a book publisher, is in desperate need of someone to plan the book launch for famous horror novelist, Drake Matthews, Kate is initially hesitant. After all, she's a happily-ever-after kind of planner, and a scaredy cat when it comes to horror books and films. But she accepts the job--especially as it could lead to her winning a prestigious award. That is, she was well onto the path to that award until there is an... incident.

Drake Matthews has a secret: the Knight of Nightmares is writing a romance novel. Not even his brothers and mom know, even though he's based the story off of family history. What's not a secret? That he's not thrilled about the idea of a big fancy book launch. He's not exactly a people person, and hates that the world sees him as some sort of vampire, a living embodiment of his horror novels. But that also leads to another secret: he can't stand the sight of his own blood. How are these secrets connected, you might ask? In the form of an event planner with a lethal pair of stilettoes.

When these two very different personalities collide, they're both in for a major plot twist in their lives.

A brilliant, hilarious, and heart-felt romantic comedy debut from Newton, "How Sweet It Is" is an absolute delight for a cozy fall read. You'll fall in love with Drake's hometown of Wellsville, Drake's Victorian house, Kate and Drake's banter and the shenanigans they get up to, and a whole lot of cupcake flavors you wish were real. Just an incredibly gorgeous and fun storytelling masterpiece!

Not to sound redundant, but this laugh out loud romcom is just so SWEET! When wedding planner Kate gets the opportunity to plan the Knight of Nightmare’s newest horror book launch, you know it’s going to be fun!

Some highlights:
•Drake is a perfect cinnamon roll hero!
•A fun and hilarious meet cute!
•Slow burn romance
•Wonderful focus and respect for the Marines and Veterans
•Drake’s family was incredible! I’m really hoping there will be books for his brothers coming up!!

Thank you to the publisher for an arc, but unfortunately I didn’t like this one at all.
Did not finish at 20%. I kept trying to get through it but it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like the characters or the pace of the story.

This book was so sweet and so much fun. I was totally hooked after the first few chapters and Drake and Kate’s meet cute was so hilarious.

This book is told in dual POV which was great because both Drake and Kate are such fantastic characters.

The descriptions in this book were so good. I want to go to this cute little town and I want to tour a spooky Victorian house and I want to fly over Niagara Falls in a helicopter and I want a freaking pumpkin cupcake.

This story takes place during October so if you are wanting some spooky fall vibes this book definitely delivers.

It is definitely a slow burn but it was worth the wait because these two were so soft for each other. And I love that Drake always feels the need to protect Kate and those he cares about from his crazy fans.

I liked that this book surprised me. I thought it was going in a certain direction but it didn’t.

I really enjoyed Drakes brothers Zander and Ryker and I really hope there are books planned for them too.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Forever in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5

How Sweet It Is is a fun rom-com by a debut author, Dylan Newton. It has one of my favorite tropes, grumpy/sunshine opposites attract. It also has one of the funniest meet-cutes. Kate Sweet, an event planner with the title of the Queen of Happy Ever Afters, is hired to plan a book launch for one of the most reclusive horror writers, Drake Matthews, aka the Knight of Nightmares. Despite their very different personalities, they will have to work together to make the book launch successful. Also, Drake struggles with writer's block. Instead of horror, he wants to write a romance based on his grandparents' love story, but he can't find inspiration. After meeting Kate, he discovers that his interactions with her give him the inspiration he was lacking.

Overall, I enjoyed How Sweet It Is. I loved the premise of the book. I liked both Kate and Drake, and their romance was very sweet. I found the middle of the book a little slow, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Pun intended- such a SWEETbook!

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc of How Sweet it is! Dylan Newton mastered a delightful & charming read! I’ll definitely read her next book!

Kate Sweet is a type-A, organized wedding planner. Her best friend recruits her in a pinch to plan a book launch for horror author Drake Matthews. This is the opposite of her normal love-fest events as she’s known as the Queen of Happily Ever Afters. Drake hates the spotlight and the stereotypes. He’s been given the title Knight of Nightmares. Kate has the challenge to win him over, after a chaotic first meeting, and plan a tactful event that could win her a coveted award. Meanwhile Drake is secretly using Kate as inspiration for a romance novel, while trying to be a good sport about the dreaded book launch.

It was almost hard to believe Drake was in his early thirties because he had such charm and poise. I related to Kate tremendously. I love to plan an event, love to be organized and am overcome with worry over mistakes. She also made me want to be an event planner! I loved how different these two were but fate found a way to bring them together. Their story was quirky yet magical. It was honest and authentic. I routed so hard for them that I couldn’t put the book down. It filled my heart with such joy. Absolutely adorable story!

This is such a sweet book (I couldn’t resist). It’s about an event planner who is put in charge of a horror authors book launch. The author thinks the event planner is silly and the event planner is wondering how she will go from planning weddings to a horror book launch, on Halloween none the less.

I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters. You can instantly tell they are attracted to each other so it’s a will they or won’t they get together book. It follows a standard comedy romance storyline but it well worth the read. It’s a light book that will pull you in. I found myself imagining the scenes because the writing is so descriptive.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely adored this book! If you're looking for a quick read that will give you all the feels, but is also laugh out loud hilarious, then look no further! How Sweet It Is is the perfect opposites-attract romance, that reminds me of a (slightly) steamier Hallmark movie.

How Sweet It Is follows event planner Kate Sweet who has been convinced by her best friend to plan a release party for a popular horror novelist. Things go a bit awry during her first meeting with Drake Matthews, but after some smoothing over he decides to hire her. Completely unprepared for the spitfire that is Kate, Drake finds her to be an unexpected muse and starts writing a romance novel. As the pair spend more time together, their working relationship turns to friendship, and the chemistry between them grows!

Overall I really enjoyed how cute & sweet this was, no pun intended!