Reviewing
The Sweetheart Deal
By

This sweet, clean, romance has a small town feel with a whole lot of heart! Not only does it fall under one of my favourite tropes of “fake dating” it can also be classified as a second chance romance or enemies to lovers book. Witty banter, imaginative writing, and the authors knack for story telling make this romance the perfect weekend read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 fanciful stars for this sweet family romance.

Tessa gave up her dreams to help in the family's bread shop and to help take care of her sisters. Leo moved away from the small town but is back and determined to help his family's restaurant. Both with parents who do not want change and refuse to listen to their ideas even though the businesses are failing.

Leo and Tessa come up with the plan to get married for at least 6 months to convince their parents together that their ideas will only help improve the bakery and restaurant. Like any fake marriage, feelings always develop.

I'm a complete sucker for storylines like this one. A fake marriage, fake relationship, horrible choices, I love it all. I can definitely envision this as a Hallmark movie. I can't wait to read more of this series.

I really enjoyed the narrator Virginia Rose. She portrayed the characters and emotions perfectly.

Thank you #Netgalley & #DreamscapeMedia for an audio copy of #TheSweetheartDeal for an honest review.

Love this story! For as long as they can remember Leo and Tessa have always been in competition with each other - for a high school scholarship, their businesses, etc. But when both of their businesses are in trouble, Leo devises a plan to save them both. Tessa and Leo each have ideas for expanding their shops and bringing in more customers, but their parents are old school and will not even listen to their ideas. Their families are sworn enemies and have been for generations. Could Leo's proposed marriage of convenience really end the feud and invigorate their businesses? Can they really walk away from each other in 6 months? I think this would make a fabulous Hallmark or Lifetime movie. Victor Webster would be perfect as Leo and Lacey Chabert as Tessa. Virginia Rose is excellent as the narrator.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, LLC. for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Tessa has given up her dreams to support her family and settled down in her small Indiana town to run the family bakery. When her long maternity boyfriend cheats on her, she becomes the center of town gossip. The neighboring Italian restaurant has had a long term feud with Tessa’s family, so when their son Leo proposes a marriage of convenience to save the family businesses, Tessa agrees.

First I love a good marriage of convenience trope, and I love Tessa and Leo together. However the reason behind their marriage wasn’t convincing. Like why are these parents controlling the lives of their adult children? Just strange. But, if you can get pst that initial hiccup, you get a story of found family, mutual support, good food and a lot of heart. (Though I totally needed more on the YouTube Channel situation!).

Overall: 3.5 stars.

This was a very cute, very cheesy small town romance. Easy read, great narration, and an overall nice listening experience. I thought the story felt a bit dramatic for the situation and the romance second fiddle to their business situation, but again - nice and easy read!

A wonderful start to a new series! I listened to the audiobook in one sitting and loved it from start to finish.

This sweet romance with a modern twist of Romeo and Juliet, will make you smile with it's lovable characters and shenanigans.

Tessa and Leo have always been competitive with one another, so when they agree to a marriage of convenience to try and save their families businesses, the sparks fly in every direction.

With old misunderstandings, family secrets, delightful family members, and second chances - this is a book I'll definitely be making time to read again. I can't wait for more in this series!

This one had me not from the beginning but pretty close. Tessa gave up her dreams to stay in her small town and work at her family bakery and help her mother and grandmother while her younger sisters are off living, one in France where Tessa dreamed of going. Leo has come back home to help his family's restaurant but his father is set in his ways and not listening to any of Leo's advice. When Leo approaches Tessa with a plan to help both of their families, at first she is not on board but finally sees there is no choice and fake marriage it is. Their two families have been feuding for more than a century but the hope is the marriage will stop the feud and bring stability to both the bakery and the help Leo's father listen to his plan since he is now a "family man and married." It was fun to watch these two trying to work their plan and stay apart but oh what happens when the heart gets entwined and feelings are involved. This one was great and I cannot wait for more in this series.

After high school Tessa put her dreams of becoming a pastry chef on hold so that she could be there for her family and help out at their bakery. With the bakery struggling financially and her dreams even further out of reach she agrees to a marriage of convenience with Leo that is turning out to be anything but convenient.

Leo and Tessa’s family have been involved in a feud that goes back generations however with his family restaurant and her family bakery they decide to join forces. The one thing he hadn’t expected was to develop feelings for her and that is when the fun really begins.

Tessa and Leo have always had feelings for each other but because of their families didn’t think they could be together but desperate times call for desperate measures and it was wonderful to see their heartwarming romance unfold. The performance of the narrator brought out the humor and emotion of the story as well as the personalities of not only Leo and Tessa but their families as well.

💓💓💓💓 Feel Good Stars!
This is the first book in the Blossom Glen series.
Tessa Montgomery and Leo Castorini have been academic rivals all through high school and their families are business rivals.
Now many years after high school, Tessa is an unattached grad of Indiana University (local university) and known around town as the ‘Spinster Ice Queen ~ pastry chef’. Leo on the other hand is known as a hottie Ivy League Grad successful business man who is also a chef.
Leo’s family own Italian restaurant and Tessa’s mother is managing the Montgomery’s Boulangerie French bakery ~ the two are next door to one another and for years have hated each other ~ sort of like the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s but thankfully no one has gotten shot ~ well not yet?
Now both businesses are struggling. The ideal thing would be for them to blend their businesses. However both families are too stubborn.

Leo has the brilliant idea that he and Tess pretend they are married. Thus a scam ~ a fake marriage!
Their thinking is if their families see that these two can fall in love each other, the least the families can do is try.
Once their plan is a success, each will go on their way.
The sweetheart deal is that everyone getting what they want! So will this be the perfect recipe for success or cooked up disaster?

I am not a Rom/Com fan but these characters are so much fun. This was a quick fun read for me!
February 14 will be here soon; this is a fun Valentine’s Day read!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media ~ for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 25, 2022.

I adored the Sweetheart Deal by Miranda Liasson. I have never read anything by this author before, but the description sounded like an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers storyline. Tessa befriended me right away with her sweet nature, sense of loyalty to her family, and willingness to do whatever it takes to see her family bakery saved. Her no nonsense personality is exactly the balance needed for Leo, who is just as determined to save his family restaurant. The ongoing family feud provided some comical relief and gave a great backdrop for the crazy plan that brought Tessa and Leo together in a fake marriage. I enjoyed how they both jumped into the plan, wholeheartedly, and started building a life together. Both of them had lessons to learn along the way, particularly Tessa, and I loved that the ways they cheered other on. The lines began blurring early on which provided a sweet, slow burn, friendship to more. I liked that it was a clean romance with the door closed to high-charged chemistry between Tessa and Leo.
The narrator Virginia Rose did a good job of capturing personalities and emotions, both male and female, and brought the story to life. It made the story unfold all the more realistically in my mind’s eye.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

This was the start of what is sure to be a fun series to read or listen to. Light, small town romance that is filled with snark, humor, great characters, crazy family members and nonsense, and two very stubborn people who agree to a fake temporary marriage to save their respective family businesses. Of course there is the eventual HEA, but it’s a truly fun well narrated listen (and read I am sure) in getting there. I am awaiting the next in this series as I type!

This sweet romance alludes to Romeo and Juliet as it's literary predecessor, but really it's more a nod to the relationship of Anne of Green Gables and Gilbert. A schooldays competition that may turn into more as life leads them back to each other after years of making themselves into the adults they are meant to be. They are both loyal to their community and their families in a tight knit small town, there is history between the families that leads to drama but really it just shows that the families really mean something to each other. But this story has the added benefit of making your mouth water as the main characters bake and cook up a storm of Italian and French culinary perfection and find that even age old rivalries can become great alliances!

A sweet cute enemy to lover romance (also fake romance). I love the premise of the theme and setting of this story.

A modern-day Romeo and Juliet with a twist and a happy ending to give you all the feels! In an attempt to save their very stubborn families from losing their family businesses, Leo and Tessa join forces by getting married and the antics take off from there. Actually, the antics in this rom com start from the beginning and the author has you smirking, if not outright giggling from the start. A fun plot wrapped in wit to keep you delightfully entertained for ours. The narration does an outstanding job of bringing the characters, setting and story to life! I'd definitely recommend adding this to your listen to list if you like a sweet romance story.

Such a sweet story! Never read anything by Miranda Liasson and definitely will read more. A old feud between neighboring business, one a old family Italian restaurant and the other a French Boulangerie.
Leo has returned to Blossom Glen to help his father struggling restaurant and Tessa never left her mom’s Bakery. She has ideas of including French pastries to the bread they bake to help increase their business. Her mother refuses, insisting that it is not what a Boulangerie is. Tessa has put her dreams on hold for years to be a Pastry Chef, helping her family after the sudden death of her father.
Leo has hundreds of ideas to increase the clientele of the restaurant, but his stubborn father will not change a thing. Tessa and Leo when to school together and always been very competitive, plus there did seem to be a spark between them, but that all never lead anywhere but animosity. Now years later and both very family oriented Leo comes up with a plan that would benefit both their families and businesses. But will it be the only benefit?
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fantastic. A first in the series and a great beginning.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheSweetheartDeal #Brightstar

This book was a cute, enjoyable read. I liked the characters and the plan to help out both their struggling family businesses by creating a "fake" marriage. I thought it was an easy listen and it made me smile at points throughout. If you are looking for a cute romance with a small town feel, this book is it. Both of the characters come from families who own businesses next door to each other. Both businesses are struggling and the two main characters join forces, which is complicated since their families hate each other.

Enemies from feuding families agree to get married in order to save their families businesses! The Sweetheart Deal is a modern take on a marriage of convenience story. Tessa works in her family's French bakery and dreams of going away to pastry school, but has always shouldered a lot of responsibility for her sisters and the financial woes of the bakery. Leo is back in town to help his family with their struggling Italian restaurant. The businesses are next door, but the families hate each other and refuse to work together. Could a marriage change that?

This is a cute small-town romance that is very low-steam. There were some standout moments where Leo does very thoughtful things for Tessa, and I liked how it managed their past with each other. That said, you always get a third act breakup and I didn't like how far they each went in saying and doing hurtful things when a conversation could have solved a lot. I know this is a common trope, but I would love to see a book do it with a bit less drama and more mature conversation. But overall, a cute romance! The audio narration is great. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This novel is full of small town charm. If your a fan of Hallmark movies, this is the book for you. I can see this as a movie.
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Imagine two feuding families. The Castorini’s and the Montogomery’s. Leo Castorini’s family has an Italian restaurant that has been in his family for years and Tessa Montogery’s family owns a Boulangerie and makes bread.
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Tessa and Leo have been competing since high school and have always bantered. Their families have had an ongoing feud. They have each made decisions which tore them apart. Years later they reconnect. Can the Italian and French families come together if Leo and Tessa marry?
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I thoroughly enjoyed this charming novel. This novel is available January 25, 2022.

I've only read one other by Miranda, and, in all honesty, it wasn't a favorite. I did want to give her another try and I'm so glad I did. I think this was a much needed light and breezy romance fit for my current mood.
Tessa and Leo strike a bargain in order to further their own heart's desires, all work related, of course. What's a fake relationship between frenemies? I think it may be edging up to be a favorite trope.
I quite enjoyed the overall relationship arc and the full cast of characters. It was easy to binge this book in a handful of hours between my Kindle and audio. I think the narration by Virginia Rose perfectly suited the story. The audiobook was great!
Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the advanced copy and Dreamscape Media for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This book is definitely a sweet romance!

With a typical feuding families type plot and a romance budding between two members, this book remained lighthearted. Tessa and Leo entering into a sham marriage to save their family businesses really helped them learn about themselves and eachother.

Even though this book started a bit slow, the heartwarming portions kept my interest including some of the family love. Love can come from even the strangest circumstances.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator kept my interest and had a calm voice that matched the story well.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this Audiobook for my honest review.