4.5 Stars

This book really surprised me in the best way. The unique premise caught my attention and I spent most of the book smiling and laughing.

Drake’s character had so many swoony moments and traits. Kate is a heroine after my own heart with her love of spreadsheets and having everything planned to perfection.

“There’s my favorite punctuation,” he said, kissing the spot to the left of her lips. “I think you’ll always give me pause, Kate Sweet.”

This debut romantic comedy definitely checked off a ton of boxes for me. I finished this beautiful book in one day. Cannot wait to see what else this author writes!

A rising star event planner and a horror novelist come together to create the most spook-tactual book launch. Horror novel writer, Drake, has been working on a side project that has little to do with horror or Halloween. But with Kate Sweet helping him plan a book launch, he just might use her to help him complete a little more research for his new book and possibly .

This is a cute novel about the people behind the novel. The characters are well developed and the supporting characters add some extra comic relief. At times I felt the book was well paced and the author gave good detail and attention to specific parts of the book. Then near the end, when the misunderstanding occurs, everything seemed like time didn’t fit – it was what 24 hours, but it felt like several days.

As I read this novel, it made me think of Emily Henry’s Beach Read or Bromance Book Club books by Lyssa Kay Adams. I kind of hope there are companion books dedicated to Drake’s brothers, Xander and Ryker. I’d like to know more about them.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever for this ARC. An enjoyable rom-com. Could be a possible read for books club.

Horror writer as the hero?

Event planner Kate Sweet is known for planning the perfect moment but agreeing to help her best friend to plan book launch for best-selling horror writer Drake Matthews just might be her downfall. Drake Matthews also known as the Knight of Nightmares has massive writers block trying to write his next book because he wants to write a romance based on his grandparents to get it out of his mind, but he is known for horror not romance.

I loved the interaction between Kate and Drake because it is opposites attract romance between a horror writer who is tired of people thinking everything around him is spooky and an event planner who has lists, lots of them planning everything down to the second.

Now I want the book between Imani and Zander!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a sweet romance. I love how Kate and Drake met. It was hilarious. It certainly had some laugh out loud moments. The banter between Kate and Drake is fun to read. This was a lovely read and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

This was an adorable romance novel! While I did have a couple qualms with it, it definitely gave me Beach Read vibes, as it was cute and not overly cheesy like some romance novels can be.
I feel like a couple of the lines/things that happened came directly from The Office. For example, there was a line where Kate says she’s not superstitious, but a little-stitious. I’m not sure how intentional this was, and I was wondering if Kate was a huge Office fan, but it’s never brought up.
Another thing that bothered me was a line where Ryker says “Someone should kick that cane out from under Everstone and make him stand on his own perfectly good feet for once in his life.” Even if Everstone doesn’t need a cane at all and just uses it as like an accessory or something, this is very ableist and problematic. I’m hoping this line doesn’t make it to the finished copy.
All in all, the romance was sweet and steamy from the get-go, and I could definitely see this one taking the Booksta world by storm.

I devoured this book! I absolutely loved Drake! I loved Kate’s sexy daydreams and I adored Drakes brothers!!! Haha, yes I am excited hence all the !! This was a very fun, very sweet and sexy romp.

I’m just starting to get my toes wet with this genre in book form and this is one of my favourites so far. I thought their embarrassing predicaments were believable and didn’t seem forced. I loved the premise of this story, the thriller novelist falls for the sweet event planner in the quaint small-town backdrop. While I was reading I kept wondering “okay when’s the conflict coming?” I wasn’t surprised as to what it was but was surprised with how quickly and maturely the main characters dealt with it. There weren’t pages upon pages where you wanted to scream at them to just stop and communicate better. There was a conflict both sides were hurt and both sides came to their resolve reasonably and believably.

I have discovered that I love Rom-Com’s with both character’s POV and find it makes for such a more compelling read. I did however enjoy Drake’s chapters more than Kates. I found his running commentary both fun and interesting. As a character he was far more compelling for me, I found Kate to be too perfect. Yes, she got into crazy situations but as far as character flaws she was a bit too polished for me. Plus I found Drake’s telling of his feelings and his short comings to be super duper hot and romantic. I’d love to give this 5 stars but I just couldn’t warm up to Kate completely and found a few of her decisions to be too quick with little explanation.

On a side note I ADORED Drake’s family especially his brothers and found any scene with his brothers to be absolutely amazing. I would love to see a novel for each brother as they find romance and their “happily ever after.”

Rom-Com Check List:
Super hot leading roles: Check
Outlandish & adorable meet-cute: Check
Interesting Love Trope: Check “Queen of Happily Ever After” meet “Knight of Nightmares”
Quick-witted fun banter: Check
Hilarity: Yes, yes and YES! Lots of laugh out loud moments
Cheesy & endearing love confessions: Check
Fun montage-able moments: Check
Sexy love scenes: Check!
Funny quirky sidekicks: Check
Heartbreak &/OR betrayal: Check
Happily Ever After: Sorry No Spoilers
Movie Adaption?: Yes, this would be an amazing movie but is fantastic in written word form as well

Special thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Flirty, fun, and kinda yummy like a fresh cupcake are how I would describe How Sweet It Is and Newton's writing style. I didn't know what to expect, as this was my first Newton novel, but the book starts with an "Ahh" moment and ends much the same! (wink) The characters are truly well-developed, three-dimensional people who work their way into your heart and make it all gooey with their genuine personalities. Their quirks and slight brokenness give them a relatable quality that a lot of authors can't seem to capture. I was also highly impressed with Newton's world-building and how vibrant and full of life her environment became as I continued reading. This is a sweet summer read or a great mug of tea with a blanket on a rainy day read. It won't answer the world's major questions but it will sure put a smile on your face and a warm snuggly in your heart!!

Kate is an event planner who lives for happy-ever-afters and is known for her "aww" moment at weddings. Her best friend also a favor and Kate ends up planning a launch party for a bestselling horror writer. Drake is low-key and doesn't like being in the spotlight, so when Kate enters his life, he doesn't know what to think.

I could not put this down. Kate was an amazing strong and independent character. Drake was BEYOND swoon worthy. This was the perfect mix of comedy and romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: July 13

This was such a fun book to read! Drake is a horror writer, but is secretly writing a book for another genre. Kate is an event planner and is hired to plan his book launch. Drake and Kate got off to a rocky start, but with the forced proximity of working together, they began to admire one another. I couldn't wait to see how these two were going to work through their differences. I also loved being able to read about Drake's writing. At times it was like getting a book within a book. Definitely pick this one up when you are in the mood for a sweet rom com with some funny moments thrown in!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I breezed through this book in one sitting and I absolutely adored all of the elements of the story! The characters' meet cute was hilarious and full of tension and chemistry from the get go. The author was able to describe their senses with so much detail, and it made the whole reading experience 10x better.

The development of the characters feelings throughout the book was really well written and honest. I feel like some romances unrealistically depict falling for someone, but in this book, that was not the case! Kate's personality is so lovable and it's really easy to identify with her emotions because she's so relatable! I also found myself admiring her throughout the book; she's a super hard worker and good at what she does, and she's a strong, independent woman and we love to see it!

Drake, the love interest, is just an absolute cutie. He definitely falls under my never-ending list of perfect book boyfriends. He's sweet and kind, understanding and respectful, (ladies I know the bar I'm setting is very, very low just work with me here) and overall I loved how great his chemistry with Kate was and how he worked through his feelings for her.

The whole plot of the book was very interesting and I loved the forced proximity in the sense that they had to see each other every day for working on their projects. Overall, this was a great read and I highly recommend it to romance lovers!

Debut novels are always a fun read. I like to discover a new writer and see what the future of their writing can be like. Dylan Newton did not disappoint with this one. Kate Sweet is an event planner, who generally plans wedding. She has agreed to help out her best friend, by planning a big book launch for a horror author. Drake Matthews is a horror author, who is tired of people thinking that he is odd, because of the genre he writes. He is also trying his hand at writing a romance novel. Their two worlds collide and they work together to get their own "aww" moment that Kate spends time creating for other brides.

This was an adorable and sweet rom-com. Kate and Drake are great, well developed characters, and I felt that Newton did a great job letting me get to know them. I also loved getting to know Drake's siblings and mom. I hope the siblings get their own romance stories in the future!

The romance in this book is not rushed, and very slow burn. I loved how Kate and Drake got to know each other and develop an awesome rapport. I loved the banter between Kate and Drake and found myself laughing out loud more than once.

The only part I struggled with was the quick wrap up with the "villain" of the novel, which knocked it down a star for me. I still would recommend this awesome book to those who love light, fun reads.

I look forward to picking up Dylan Newton's future novels! I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

This rom com lives up to its name with a sweet, fun, and funny story that reminded me of my favorite movies.

Drake is a horror author known as the Knight of Nightmares and Kate is an event planner with the nickname the Queen of Happily Ever Afters. When she is brought on to plan his Halloween book launch there is an unexpected connection between them. The build up of their relationship is a bit of a slow burn, but the story doesn't drag at all.

I was hooked from their awkward and funny meet cute all the way through to the HEA. Drake and Kate were interesting, realistic characters and their family and friends added a lot of humor and entertaining moments. I am hoping there will be books for Drake's brothers, too!

I really wanted to like this book but it was just too over the top for my tastes. The escalating series of calamities befalling Kate, and the heightened, almost surrealistic feel to it all took me out of the story too often. I have definitely read and enjoyed other stories that had those same characteristics, so this is more of a case of reading the wrong book at the wrong time. I would definitely give this author another try in the future, but this one was a pass for me.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

I wanted to like this romance more than I did. I guess it all seemed a bit too insta-lovey and predictable. I liked the idea of the cutesy event planner (whose name is even Sweet) meeting the horror fiction writer, but things just seemed too contrived at times and then easily resolved.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

As the title quite literally states, this was a really sweet rom-com and a fun summer read! Kate, a wedding and event planner and "Queen of Happily Ever Afters" is tasked with planning a book launch for horror writer Drake, otherwise known as the "Knight of Nightmares". We get the feels of a small New York hometown, quirky family members and lots of laughs as Kate branches out of her comfort zone to deliver an event unlike anything she's ever managed. I enjoyed that the book delved into potential relationship hurdles like dedication to respective, time-consuming careers and hesitations about new romance because of past hurts. Overall, this was a light and easy read and I really enjoyed both main characters.

This is a super *sweet* and easy to read romance. There's something about the idea that a man who writes horror novels is a hopelessly romantic family man. I love the opposites attract scenario between the event planner, Kate Sweet, and the author, Drake Matthews.

I think the highlights of this story involved some funny meet-cute type moments and the lead up to the main characters getting to know each other. The pacing became a little bit uneven for me towards the middle and some sections felt long and overly descriptive. Throughout those sections I became a little bit less connected to the characters and less invested in their relationship. It was still a lovely summery read.

Highly recommend to people who love chick-lit type romance! And how can you not adore the cover?

Thank you so much Netgalley and Forever for the e-ARC! All opinions expressed are my own!

I really liked this book. I thought the "meet cute" was very original as were the characters' occupations. Both of the main characters were mature and not clingy or cloying. The relationship progressed naturally. I do think Kate could have made Drake grovel just a wee bit more and I think Kate could have communicated better with her family but overall I enjoyed this reading experience. I hope there are books coming for Drake's brothers and/or Imani as I would like to read more about this group.
After finishing this book, I did recommend it to my sister who is an Assistant Library Director and I told her she should purchase it for the library collection.

How Sweet It Is is s great debut book by Dylan Newton about two very opposite people, event and wedding planner Kate Sweet and horror writer Drake Matthews having to work together on Drake’s book launch. Kate is the queen of happily ever after and Drake, who is misjudge by his profession, is very guarded having been burned in the past by those who get close to him.

I loved Drake and his evolution throughout the book. For someone who was afraid to be vulnerable for fear of rejection, I liked how as him and Kate grew closer he was slowly letting his walls down for her. I also liked that Kate was a character who wouldn’t back down from what she wanted even when so many curveballs were thrown her way. The side characters you meet along the way are great, and I can definitely see spin off potential with Drake’s brothers. I did feel at times the story got a little slow and I felt the ending was a little too rushed, I greedily wanted it drawn out a drop more.

Kate Sweet is known for planning the most elaborate happily-ever-after moments for her client's weddings. She prides herself on coming up with the best ideas to make someone's special day as perfect and romantic as can be, so when her best friend calls begging for her to step in and plan a book launch, Kate expects it to be a cakewalk. When she realizes it's for the release of the Knight of Nightmares, Drake Matthew's latest horror novel, Kate quickly finds herself out of her element. Despite Drake's macabre reputation, he's really a nice guy and prefers to fly under the radar, but agrees to Kate's elaborate plans on one condition: she has to help him research his next book, which unbeknownst to anyone is opposite from the slasher books he typically writes. The more time the pair spend together, the more they can't deny the spark of attraction igniting, but Kate and Drake have to face the fact that sometimes real life isn't a fairy tale and they both have to put in the work if they want a happy ending.

This was pretty cute. The premise was fun and Kate and Drake were nice together. I liked how bubbly and determined Kate was and how Drake was the opposite of what everyone thinks a horror writer should be. He was a bit stoic at times, but he was just this shy, vulnerable guy. I loved how he lived in this Gothic Victorian mansion which was so Stephen King-ish on the outside but very Downton Abbey on the inside, and he had the tiniest cutest dog. I loved getting to see into his writing process and how he was developing a story based on his grandparent's romance. I thought that was so sweet, especially how he was finding inspiration from his interactions with Kate. The two of them were adorable, but I was hoping for a little more. Their relationship was so slow-burn that at times I found myself just waiting for something to happen. I also think that because it kept saying how Kate was known for these big "Aw" over-the-top romantic moments, I was expecting the story to have one as well and it just didn't. I still enjoyed this, I just think it was average.

I read Beach Read right before this one, so it was a bit "deja vu-y" for me! Really cute book set primarily in southwestern New York featuring a horror writer who is way sweeter than you'd think he'd be and an event planner whose primarily known as the Queen of Happily Ever Afters. When they're thrown together to plan a book launch for spotlight-phobic Drake's new release it's a battle of misperceptions. It was a joy to watch Drake and Kate get to know each other, watch each other work and plan an event that will be successful yet not make Drake feel exploited. Kate, who's on the go all the time and can be based almost anywhere, learns the appeal of this community and the home that Drake's family has had there for several generations. Recommend for fans of slow burn romance, small town settings, and characters who support each other in their ambitions.