How Sweet It Is - Dylan Newton’s debut novel – is a charmingly sweet with a bit of heat, opposites attract rom-com.

Despite her parents’ constant encouragement to enter the medical field, Kate Sweet is an amazing event (NOT party, thankyouverymuch) planner. She’s always prepared, spreadsheets at the ready as she purposefully strides about in her fierce stilettos. This is why her bestie asks for some last-minute help planning the ultimate book launch for Drake Matthews’, the Knight of Nightmares, latest horror book.

Horror isn’t Kate’s usual vibe of happy and fun events like weddings or bat mitzvahs but she’s game to help out her friend. She’s positive she can win over Drake with her Halloween-themed extravaganza. She doesn’t realize that Drake is intensely private with little interest in having his home turned into a circus freakshow.

Their first meeting is disastrous on all fronts (hello, stitches from stilettos) but Drake feels an instant attraction to Kate. Even better, she’s unknowingly acting as his muse. How will romance change his usual horror and what will his devoted fans think?

Kate is so relatable with her drive and determination to do a great job, giving her clients that special moment they deserve. There’s definite humor when she brings that same drive for perfection to create an event around horror. I don’t think I’d have the moxy to let myself be locked up in a crypt and then get into a coffin.

I understood her need to have her parents stop dismissing her career because it’s not the path they would’ve chosen for her. When a job sounds fun, people don’t always understand that it’s still a lot of hard work.

Drake, with his quiet reserve and sense of privacy, is Kate’s opposite. Hurt in the past, he’s afraid to open up to Kate. Watching him allow himself to get closer to Kate was lovely. And I loved his warm and caring relationship with his family (please let there be books about the brothers!).

Dylan Newton created a lovely sense of place with Drake’s small hometown in autumn. It sounded so cozy and friendly that I’d love to visit. There’s even a ferocious (not really) Shih Tzu companion for extra comedy. Kate and Drake’s relationship was stormy at times, often hilarious, yet underneath it all, tender and caring. And had some serious steam.

Perfect for fans of Farah Heron and Christina Laurens.

A wedding and special events p[anner meets a horror writer as a love story? Yes, please. Thank you to Forever Publishing for the e-galley of How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton. Kate Sweet is an event planner who is trying her best to show her medical family how legitimate and important her job is - and she believes the way to do that is to win a special events award. She may get her chance when she is offered a job by a friend of hers to organize a special launch event for Drake Matthews, the author of popular horror books with its own cult following. Things are off to a rough and chaotic start from the very moment in which Kate and Drake meet.

It was a fun and enjoyable romance read. It felt like I was always waiting for what latest chaos or disaster Kate would find herself in. Which was a little surprising since she was supposed to be such a great special events planner but things seemed to always go the wrong way - though that may be because of the spark between her and Drake. And of course, being out of her element having to plan a horror book launch when she specialized in weddings and happy ever afters. Overall it was a quick and fun read.

This was so adorable!  Kate & Drake were fantastic characters, and I enjoyed seeing how they worked together for the book launch, and how their relationship grew.  It was cute, funny, and just a little steamy.  I thought it was very easy to read & it left me with a smile on my face - I can't wait to see the next in the series!

Kate Sweet is an event planner who loves to create happily-ever-after moments for her clients' weddings. Her best friend Imani needs help and convinces Kate to take on bestselling horror writer Drake Matthews' Halloween book launch event. Drake Matthews is tired of being known as the Knight of Nightmares, tired of the downsides of fame, and worse, he's suffering from writer's block. He's not prepared to meet Kate Sweet and her chaos.


I found myself flying through this lighthearted book. From the moment Kate and Drake met, hijinks of romantic comedy proportions ensued. I found it really funny that Kate is introduced as someone who plans events down to the minute that moments happen, but was just nothing but chaos once she was supposed to plan the Halloween book launch event. It was fun to see Kate wanting to go all out and Drake trying to reign her in.


I liked how Kate and Drake's personality traits were shown to be double-edged swords - showing both the positives and negatives of qualities like Kate's stubbornness and Drake's perceptive nature. I also enjoyed seeing how Kate and Drake's perceptions of people around them combined with their own history would affect the way they'd behave - the way that they'd form assumptions about each other but had a pretty healthy communication rather than sit with the assumptions was refreshing to read. I appreciated that the final culminating conflict was not due to a misunderstanding (the issue was correctly communicated to the character in question), but the character actually needed some of the supporting characters they trust to speak some sense into them. That seems to be much more realistic in terms of conflicts of this nature and how they'd get resolved in the real world. It was interesting that the reveal at the end from Kate's parents came off as a reveal to Kate, as I interpreted their request correctly from the very beginning, but I can understand how sometimes it might be easier to avoid the topic of subjects that you don't want to broach with your parents rather than push back. I also loved all the supporting characters, who were vibrant and didn't hesitate to tell the main characters their opinions.


I love the grumpy x sunshine trope, and it was especially fun to see how Kate's sunshine personality becomes Drake's muse as the story progresses. When I write, I imagine the scenes playing out (sometimes while doing other important things in real life), so it was fun to see that in common with Drake. The romance build-up, from just casual details they would notice of each other up until the "awww" moments, was fun to watch.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.

Cute describes this book. Both characters are really sweet and have interesting backstories which help keep the book interesting. I found their chemistry lacking at times and it didn't give me the excitement of the relationship buildup that I look for in romance. I really loved the idea of the happy party planner and the horror writer. I think it might have helped to have a little more disagreement between the two initially. I would definitely be excited to read another book from this author in the future.

This is a gem of a romcom ! I absolutely loved it so much I basically finished it in one day. The story is perfection with humor, endearing side characters and the main characters are likeable and relatable. I honestly can not believe this is a debut book for the author. I can not wait to read her next work. Sign me up for summer 2022.

Also I have to say the steam between Kate and Matthew …. Yes very nice !

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man oh man was this cute! Kate Sweet is an EVENT planner who is out to win an award to finally validate to her surgeon family, that her career matters. Drake Matthews is an award winning horror author who needs an event planner for his new book launch. From the second these two meet, chaos ensues in the most adorable and hilarious way. I loved this story, it was cute and adorable and sweet and I couldn’t get enough. I loved the willingness of both characters to put in the effort to help the other with their dreams. The one negative I have with this book was Drakes constant self deprecating thoughts. He was always so down on himself thinking he wasn’t good enough and our heroine was always having to reassure him. I wish we had seen some growth with that in the end. But I truly loved this story, and I loved his grand gesture in the end, it was so thoughtful and creative. Ugh I hope we get more books following the Matthews brothers because Zander and Imani would be fire.

ARC FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW this book was…. idk i expected something different. for once i couldn’t care less about kate and drake’s job so i would have preferred if the book was more romance centred at some points. the end was sweet but it didn’t slap me like i need na books to do. for last WHY THAT THIRD PERSON NARRATION that bug me off trough all the book. first person is right here use that grammar.

Coming from a family of doctors, Kate Sweet has a different niche. She is an extremely poised wedding planner, and she loves her job. With eyes on a prestigious award, Kate jumps on an opportunity to plan a book launch event for the Knight of Nightmares, Drake Matthews. With a goal of his own (to write a romance inspired by his grandparents’ own love story), he sees Kate as his muse, including scenes from real-life interactions with her. Work together for mutual gain? Sure, why not?

What an adorable rom-com debut! Newton narrated a fun read, packed with humor, swoon, and chemistry. A bit of slow build, but the entertaining scenes she sprinkled throughout Drake and Kate’s story added character and contributed to their romantic development. The supporting characters, especially Drake’s mom and bothers, we’re great, too. I also couldn’t help but play Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding in my head during one scene.

DNF p. 34

It's not the book, it's me. I'm not in the right frame of mind for romcom hijinks. This already feels over the top and that in combination with a heroine who can't tell her parents to get off her back for her career choices (boundaries are your friend, Kate!) means this isn't likely to be a good fit for me.

Content notes: toxic parents, secondary character's mother died in a house fire (past), reference to mentor dying of cancer

I can't even put into words how much I adore How Sweet It Is. I was rooting so hard for both Kate and Drake through this entire book, even when (especially when?) Kate manages to flub up over and over again. For someone who lives life by a series of spreadsheets and checklists, Kate sure gets herself into a lot of scrapes once Drake enters the picture!

There are so many things I want to gush about in this book (the vicious attack dog! the costume! the heels! the aww (or ahh!) moments!) but I don't want to take a single moment of the magic away. So just trust me - this book is great, go read it right now.

How Sweet It Is was such a delightful read! It features a really fun meet-cute, and I think I'm especially partial to books where the MMC is an author. So, yeah, I get why this would be recommended for fans of Beach Read! I just had a really good time with this book and would definitely re-read it in the future!

“How Sweet It Is”, by Dylan Newton, is a saccharine-sweet romance novel that is very much like a Hallmark movie. Set in a small town just outside of New York City, it’s your typical opposites attract type of tale.

Kate Sweet works as an event planner, and her primary focus is on planning unforgettable weddings for her clients that include that “aww” moment. She is so great at throwing these breathtaking events, she has become known as the Queen of Happily Ever Afters. Drake Matthews writes popular books of horror. Given the nickname the Knight of Nightmares, people think his life, including his Victorian home, is as creepy as his books.

When a publicist for a book publisher, reaches out to Kate to help with an infamous horror author’s book launch party, Kate agrees to manage this event, even though it is not her typical type of party. Let the awkward moments and insta-love begin!

Regardless of the consequences that you would think to happen between the Queen of Happily Ever Afters and the Knight of Nightmares, there’s little controversy in this book. The pacing became a little bit patchy for me and at times felt too long and excessively descriptive. Throughout those sections I found myself skimming the pages, losing any connection to the characters.

The plot is unique and encouraging, which is the only thing that kept me reading. I kept hoping things would improve and turnaround, though it never did.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, and Dylan Newton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️️

This is such a cute read. Kate is an event planner who primarily focuses on weddings. She's known as the Queen of Happily Ever Afters. When her best friend calls in for a favor, Kate finds herself planning the next big book launch for horror writer, Drake Matthews...the Knight of Nightmares. While horror and scary settings are not normally Kate's focus in event planning, she feels up to the challenge until a hilariously disastrous first meeting with her new client.

From the second that Drake and Kate meet chaos ensues. Even still, he can't but help find his new event planner endearing despite all the mishaps she seems to bring along with her. These two made me laugh so much. Their "meet-cute" is perfection. Kate is a type A planner girl who thrives on organization and I love her for it. Drake is handsome and sweet and a true introvert which I totally related to. The setting in upstate New York in the fall brings warm and cozy feelings. I love how the book launch ties in with Halloween. I cold totally see re-reading this in October each year.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a romantic comedy. It is a quick read and so much fun. I love finding debut authors that I can add to my must-read list and Dylan Newton is just that. I'm looking forward to the next book from her!

A cute rom com! The characters are easy to love, the story is funny and interesting, this is great for a nice, breezy summer read!

Oh, How Sweet It Is!
As far as I'm concerned this book is perfect!
Bookish (but totally hot) character - check
Takes place in the fall (My favorite season!) - check
Can absolutely be enjoyed as a beach read regardless of taking place in the fall - Check
Adorable dog - check
Small town feels with a cafe - check
Sweet, funny, and perfect amount of spice - check, check, check

I could absolutely go on and on about everything I adored about How Sweet It Is, but I'll let you read it to find even more to love than what I've listed. I'm reallllly hoping we'll get another Matthews brother story!

This book was a great rom com! I will definitely be recommending this for fans of Lauren Layne and maybe Tessa Bailey too.

My luck with cutesy covers and blurbs that have the words “romantic comedy” in them hasn’t been the best lately. So I was keeping my fingers crossed that this book would be the one that held true to its claims. AND IT DID. This is an opposites-attract romance, pairing a successful event planner who is known for her big happily-ever-after send-offs at weddings and the Knight of Nightmares, a horror writer with a big upcoming release.

When Kate Sweet gets a last-minute request from her BFF to fill in as a planner for the Knight of Nightmare’s upcoming book launch, she agrees simply because she has a last-minute opening and this just might be her chance to plan a big enough event to be in the running for her industry’s top award, the EVPLEX. But when the two finally meet, she doesn’t make the best impression and in fact, might end up fired on her first day on the job.

Drake Matthews is just a small-town guy who happens to love to scare the crap out of people with his writing while being able to financially support his family and his favorite veteran charities. He doesn’t care about a book launch, especially while in the middle of writer’s block. Then a woman practically launches herself into his arms and chaos ensues. Turns out this woman is his new event planner and may just be the inspiration he needs for his secret writing project.

This really was a fun read. I grinned, I laughed, and I shook my head at the shenanigans. Low-angst with just a bit of external conflict, I was happy to finally get a romance that I would consider a romantic comedy. Their relationship builds nicely from the moment they meet, even after their disastrous introduction. He’s not the scary King of horror that she expects and she’s a professional, detail-oriented, clever businesswoman that surprises him at every turn. They are sweet together and I even liked him using her for his inspiration for his book. The HEA was lovely.

The small-town setting was a nice backdrop and I enjoyed getting to know all the residents who have known Drake most of his life. There were some moments where I had the sense that this author was setting up Drake’s brothers for upcoming books. I would be interested to see if this is the case.

All in all, an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with my Kindle. If you are looking for an easy read that will make you both laugh and sigh, you might want to check it out.

Kate Sweet is THE event planner who plans all of the best weddings, major bat mitzvahz and other celebratory events through her company. She is also the daughter of two doctors and the sister of a future doctor. She is reminded regularly of how close she is to getting into med school, just 12 credits. And she has always coveted the EVPLEX an event award given out yearly.

Kate agrees to help her BFF Imani by hosting her clients book launch. The caveat is that the book launch is for super famous horror author Drake Matthews. After an amusing introduction and a series of unfortunate incidents Kate and Drake manage to find a proper direction for the book launch event which Kate hopes will win her the EVPLEX and Drake secretly hopes will jumpstart his writers block.

How Sweet It Is takes us on the sweetest and most horrifying (not really but there are some minor scary moments) story of Kate and Drake and the adventure of their time together, the wild book launch and all things sweet and romantic. A novel you'll both want to read again and one you'll cherish all the same.

Have you ever felt a book was written for you? That's how I feel about How Sweet It Is, the debut novel from Dylan Newton. Thank you to Forever for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Sweet is an event planner known as the Queen of Happily Ever After creating "aww" moments for all of her clients. An "aww" moment is a secret moment created for either the couple or one of people in the party to help make the moment a little more special and make you say "aww". When her friend Imani reaches out to her for help with the upcoming book launch for Drake Matthews, a.k.a. the Knight of Nightmares, Kate accepts the offer since Imani is her best friend and it may help her win a prestigious award. Kate is not a horror fan but that doesn't deter her from trying to figure out the perfect "aww" moment for a horror book launch. Drake Matthews can't wait for his book launch to be complete. He hates being in the public eye and just wants to hide away in his house writing. It would be great though if the writer's block for his upcoming horror novel would go away. When he meets Kate he discovers the muse he has been missing. Kate may be the key to getting his writing back on track and Drake may be the key to Kate's event planning future but with all romances there is more in store for both of them than they could have imagined.

There is just so much to love about How Sweet It Is. First it's a romance set around Halloween. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I love dressing up and the scares that come with it. Both things are represented in this novel but the scares are more talked about from Drake's novels than actually shown on the page. Drake Matthews is loosely based on Stephen King so it was fun to find Easter eggs hidden throughout the book for King readers. Although there aren't a lot of steamy moments between Kate and Drake, their chemistry is undeniable from their first meet-cute. I could just go on and on about this book for days. The last bit I will say it's fun to see the bond between the three Matthews brothers which will have their own books in the future. Dylan's next novel is set for Summer 2022 and will focus on another Matthews brother. If you read How Sweet It Is you can easily guess which brother it will be and who is potential love interest will be as well.