The plot could have easily turned into something weird, but instead it was a great story of a socially awkward woman trying to find herself, and a man who is just the right guy to help her.

Cute concept and different from most romcoms I have read. The characters were full of personality which made the overall plot a delight.

Sweeten the Deal is a contemporary romance that flips the usual financial conventions around. In this book the heroine is a decade younger than the hero, but she’s also a millionaire who hires him to be her companion. Typically the person with the financial power in contemporary romances is the hero and the older character, not vice versa.


I picked up the book because I was intrigued by that premise, but what I found I liked the most was how gentle and kind this book is with regards to not having figured your life and career out–not in your twenties, nor in your thirties.

Caroline Sedlacek comes from a very controlling family. Her entire life up until now has been playing tennis at a collegiate level, being pressured to perform, and being isolated and unhappy. Her family justifies this by claiming she can’t manage on her own socially because she was bullied in school (it’s hinted at that she might be neurodivergent but not confirmed). When Caroline’s grandmother dies, she leaves Caroline two million dollars and tells her to take the money and enjoy her life. Caroline’s father immediately tries to get her to sign over the inheritance, but she flees (literally out a window) to Boston where she quits tennis and enrolls in a MBA program.

Caroline is smart and capable, but she’s been told her entire life that she’s not. Because she was kept isolated, she doesn’t have many friends or know how to navigate social situations that people her age are more adept at. Lonely, she logs onto a sugar baby website and hires Adrian Landry to be her paid companion. This is not a romantic or sexual relationship. Caroline needs a friend, and because Adrian is an artist, she wants his help learning to appreciate the arts on their dates.


Adrian was a much lauded up and coming painter, but he’s been struggling lately. His ex, who paid the bills, broke up with him after he caught her cheating. She also runs the gallery where his art is sold, so that hasn’t been great. He’s been rooming with a friend and he needs to make some quick money. He assumes that the sugar baby site will pair him with an older woman who wants him on her arm at social events, not a woman ten years his junior who wants to figure out how to fit in with her MBA crowd.

A lot of the conflict in this book is Adrian worrying he’s taking advantage of Caroline because she’s younger and she is paying him for his friendship. When he starts to have feelings for her, that fear increases. He also got burned by being in a relationship where his partner supported him financially (and held that over him) and he’s not sure he’s willing to leave the boundaries of their business relationship to shift into a romantic one.

Caroline has feelings for Adrian, but isn’t sure if they’re reciprocated or how to handle it. A lot of her social awkwardness is really just inexperience and the old tapes of her dad playing in her head, telling her she can’t handle things.

There’s also a lot of fun discussion of art (visual and performance) in this book, so if that’s your jam, check it out.

What really worked for me though, was how Sweeten the Deal normalizes not having your shit (professionally, socially, financially) figured out yet. It’s a book that says, “Hey, it’s okay to be a thirty-something who is going to couch surf for a bit because you suddenly realized you want to get into the arts. Do the thing you love. There is no timeline you have to hit.” Since a lot of contemporary romances I’ve read heavily feature the protagonists’ careers, this sort of “figuring it out” stage was really great to see highlighted.

I did like the fact that the financial power dynamic between the couple was flipped too. I have read eleventy million books where the hero is older, and a billionaire, and he helps the heroine out somehow financially or with regards to social position. I think I’ve read less than five that invert that dynamic.

Caroline and Adrian are both in an in-between place in their lives when they first meet. She’s out on her own for the first time after living with a controlling family for years. He’s striking out as an artist without his wealthy, gallery owning fiancée to manage his career. I think the best romances are the ones where the hero and heroine help each other grow and get stronger, and Sweeten the Deal does that.

Adrian doesn’t intervene with Caroline’s parents, but he gives her the confidence to set better boundaries with them and to feel like she is able to manage her own life. He also gives her confidence with regards to her social isolation, and I love this line:

“I’ve met thousands of people, all over the world, people who made incredible art, people who’ve lived amazing lives. I’ve never met anyone like you. You don’t need to change. Everyone else should.”

That, for me, is the definition of swoon right there.

Caroline, in turn, helps Adrian get some of his painting mojo back and encourages him to do what makes him happy versus what his ex thought would sell.

I love a book where the main couple is so obviously better together, not just because they’re in love, but because they support each other in the unique ways they each need it.

Sweeten the Deal is a really great romance that reminded me to be kind to myself, regardless of where I am in life and lets the heroine be the Sugar Mama for once. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year.

"Sweeten the Deal" by Katie Shepard left me torn. While the storyline held potential, I couldn't shake off the discomfort of the significant age gap between Adrian and Caroline. Despite his lack of preparedness for life, Adrian's condescending attitude towards Caroline frustrated me. Caroline's naivety seemed unrealistic, and I struggled to connect with the characters on a deeper level. Ultimately, I could only continue up to 30% of the book.

I was so excited for this book, but it ended up falling a bit flat for me. Adrian just didn't really do it for me as a MMC, which in turn made it hard for me to get behind the relationship. While the book had its moments, I feel like it as a whole wasn't for me. Despite this, I think I'll be giving Shepard's other books a chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

A naive and sheltered MBA student with a large inheritance hires an escort in this tale about art, wealth, loneliness, and falling in love. Tennis champion Caroline is looking to broaden her cultural horizons, rather than find companionship or sexual favors. Artistic prodigy Adrian signs up an escort service at his roommate’s urging to pick up some cash between projects.

The power dynamics in the story (Caroline has the money, Adrian has the culture) flip both the traditional May/December age gap and sugar daddy/baby tropes upside down. Caroline’s neuro-divergence is mentioned once, and then the author shows her struggles through depictions, language, and situations to highlight this aspect of her personality; it’s subtle and effective. Adrian is grumpy and a little jaded and the perfect foil. They have strong chemistry but it takes some forming and norming to figure out their relationship, which has a lovely slow burn. The Boston setting (my backyard!) was familiar and true, with nods to local institutions. Katie Shepard gives good banter, and writes compelling and complex characters in interesting situations.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #SweetenTheDeal via #NetGalley courtesy of #BerkleyPublishingHouse

I love the premise of this book SO MUCH! The book does have some Pretty Woman vibes with some funny moments but overall I was disappointed.

One of my biggest gripes was Adrian. I don’t mind a prickly character and I don’t mind teasing but damn he was such a dick and so whiny. He was so condescending to Caroline I didn’t get if he actually liked her or not. This also goes into my second issue which was the relationship I just didn’t buy into it. It was out of no where love. I also didn’t understand the glossing over of Caroline possibly being neurodivergent? She was neurodivergent coded the entire book and we get some throw away line from a side character questioning if she was? It was so weird.

Overall this book had some scenes that made me laugh out loud but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped.

I really liked this book!!
The story was so refreshingly funny with the twist of the woman being the financial supporter..
There are a couple of things in the book that I did find annoying, like her parents, his stubbornness and just situations and misunderstandings that didn’t help with the plot and could’ve actually been resolved easier.
I loved the different representation the author shows with neurodivergents and I appreciate the nuances in the characters. I wish the ending would’ve been a little longer, especially the epilogue but overall I give the book a 3.5/5.

Note: thanks publishers and netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I don't think that this authors books are for me. This the second book I've read by them, and I find myself really struggling to like the main characters. I think some people would really enjoy this book, it just personally wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of Sweeten the Deal by Katie Shepard.

I usually find age gap romance a little cringe but this one worked well. Only the literal references to their age gap by the characters and the fact that she's in a college program and he is not really reminded me that there's a 10 year age gap. I loved that in this scenario the younger woman is the sugar daddy and the older guy is struggling to land on his feet after a bad breakup. While most age gap romances I've read have a younger woman and older man the man is the one with the power 99% of the time. While Caroline has the financial power here, it still felt more balanced since he's the one helping her make friends and experience things she feels she's missed out on. I honestly felt bad for both characters throughout the book for the situations they were in but I liked that it showed even when people have money they can be incredibly lonely/unhappy without making it feel like "woe was me I'm a sad little rich kid." I think the author did a great job with that and also just making the characters realistic. The author never outright says it but she hints that Caroline might be neurodivergent and it makes sense with how she views the world and people. It was just a very well done, cute romance that I am glad I read.

I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.

More age gap romances, please! (Like this, of course, where both adults are of sound mind...)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book going in, but I really enjoyed it. It flips money/power dynamics on its head, and I really enjoyed seeing that play out. This book is just a really refreshing twist on why people are attracted to one another.

I also liked the idea of Caroline being an athlete and having accolades of her own, and that Adrian appreciates her accomplishments.

Overall, a really fun and original story that does a lot of good work.

This book gave me the ick. He was to old for her. She seemed to live in a bubble. The connection and chemistry was never there. This was very far fetched.

This was a lovely romcom. I loved the "fake dating" and age-gap tropes. I was so hooked on the romance and it was a book I couldn't put down.

I enjoyed the slow-burn elements of this one, but something about this one just felt odd to me? I am not sure if it's the veil of patron of the arts/sugar mommy or what.

The cover and the unique blurb really got me right away and the inside content did not disappoint. The characters were really great and I was so rooting for Caroline by the end. Maybe it would have been more realistic and helpful if she had a friend back home.

This was the sweetest story featuring a struggling artist and a neuro divergent character. This is a clean romance featuring the age gap trope. I liked that Caroline slowly gains confidence in herself during the story - that she learns to trust in herself and start to believe there are people in the world who like her, and what she can do.

I loved Katie’s debut novel Bear with Me Now and went into Sweeten the Deal with high expectations that were absolutely met. With a gender-swapped sugar baby plot and vibrant, likeable characters, the story completely sucked me in with its themes and romantic tension. The characters of Caroline and Adrian were relatable and charming, the dialogue was very natural, and their relationship unfolded and grew in a very believable way. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

I also had the opportunity to interview Katie Shepard for my podcast The Nerds Awaken. We had a great conversation with Katie about how she crafted these characters and where the inspiration for the story came from. Find it at www.thenerdsawaken.com