Do you ever have those moments when you begin writing your review and it feels impossible to describe what it was that didn’t work for you? That’s where I am with this one. It was good writing and powerful storytelling but there was something missing. Maybe the dark grittiness affected my feelings. There were many times it made my skin crawl and I had a desire to slam the book shut. I appreciate that the content and meat of the story is not something I can connect with or understand and respect the effort of the author to showcase such topics. Maybe I needed to be in a different headspace for this one. 🤷‍♀️

If you’re looking for a haunting story with very emotional moments and a lot of thought-provoking content then this one’s for you!

𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Physical & 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3.5

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was very good and kept me hanging on to the end. The ending was exactly what it needed to be. I really enjoyed the story, although a little predictable great story none the less.

Providence Bird is as stubborn as they come but also a badass sister and fighter. Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a very heavy read about generations of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of a father and husband. Providence's alcoholic mom has gone missing. Providence returns to her estranged town and city after she was ex-communicated for attempted murder on her mother when she was a teen. Her crime was always misunderstood, but she never felt sorry for it. I enjoyed this character driven story and thought that Lindsey Dorcus did a great job narrating. I especially loved her voice for Harmony's character. I would definitely check out trigger warnings, but would recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC.

Thank you to @dreamscape for the gifted audiobook!

An instantly enveloping story - I was shocked to discover that this is the author’s debut! A novel wrought this emotion and trauma, I found myself invested in the characters, particularly Providence, right off the bat. This book is gritty and serious and has an intriguing mystery element that absolutely broke my heart. This is fast-paced and has a lot going on but never feels like too much or not enough. The audio experience was phenomenal and I could not stop listening. Well worth the read, this novel gutted me and still gave me hope. An excellent book!

It’s been a minute since a book has captured my full attention. I think maybe I just read too much and sometimes that can be a hinderance.

But I loved this book. This family has ISSUES. Their lives are haunted and dark by past and present. Our MC was locked up for running her mom over and returns home years later because her mom is missing… sounds wild right??

There’s lots of triggering content in here. Some not outright discussed per se but things are made known.

I think these characters were hella flawed but the author makes them likable and you root for them. Except for the dad. 🖕🏻That dude.

I had many guesses on what happened to the mom but I didn’t figure it out. I do kind of wish things ended differently there. But the rest of the ending was pretty good.

I enjoyed spending time with these characters. This story is full of trauma, grief, resentment, redemption, and even hope.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I definitely recommend this one. It got me feeling feelings.

The narrator was great and she definitely made me feel inside the story. She really captured the MC and I felt her emotions throughout.

I went into this ALC expecting something else but was pleasantly surprised. The narration was spot on, and the storyline kept me listening. 3.75 stars rounded up.

I was not expecting to finish this book in one sitting, but here we are!

Having read the description, I was expecting something a little different, but was pleasantly surprised that it is a true thriller.

The family dynamic was certainly interesting and full of twists as you discover more is happening that what it appears from the surface.

While these siblings have a contentious relationship based on their upbringing, in their own distorted way, they would do anything to save each other from that pain.

I listened to the audiobook, and found the narrator to be great at bringing the story to life. It’s not often that I listen to a book in one sitting, but Lindsey Dorcus held my attention the whole time. It was a very easy book to follow and listen to, despite the sometimes complicated details unfolding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for providing me with an ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.25 stars.

There was a lot going on in this book... abuse, family secrets and much more! However, I just found this one a little underwhelming for me. It never really pulled me in enough and I just could not find any of the characters likable.

The pacing felt slow and I found myself just not really excited to pick the book back up. With that being said, I did not hate this book. It does have promise and it could be more of a me thing than the book.

A raw and gritty debut that will hook you from the first page. Full of family trauma, redemption, and revenge, with a narrator that brings the characters to life, I couldn’t stop listening.

*3.5 Stars*

At seventeen, Providence threw the family car into reverse and ran over her mother. Thirteen years later and now an ex-con, Providence receives a call that her mother is missing. She must face her past traumas and go back to the town she promised she would never return to. Providence is determined to find closure and evidence that her father is responsible for her missing mother.

This was a strong debut, filled with flawed characters, generational trauma and the mystery of Providence's missing mother. Providence was such a great main character that you both love and hate. It was heartbreaking to read on how this small town failed to protect these girls and how Providence's life changed trying to protect her family. The mystery into Providence's missing mother was filled with twists and turns, that left me completely shocked at the end.

I would strongly look at the trigger warnings for this book. This book discusses self-harm, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse, as well as references to physical and sexual abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review Every Sweet This Is Bitter. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advance audiobook copy of Every Sweet Thing is Bitter by Samantha Crewson from netgalley.

The narration was so well done!

5 stars! I went into this book not knowing what to expect.

The story is about a family full of secrets and trauma. Family, love, and loss.

I think this is my favorite book so far this year.

This is a very heavy story. It’s about a family trying to come back together after great tragedy. Providence is our FMC and 13 years ago. She reversed the car that ran over her mother her mother survived, but it started a spiral that changed the family forever. They also experienced an abusive father and this is all of what is leading up to prior to how to starts. Now that she has come home, her mother has also disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Providence is convinced her father had something to do with it.. She’s also trying to rebuild relationships with her two sisters. The story just pulls you in so many different directions like the way it’s just so well written like you just know you’re hooked.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook!

This one really took me by surprise in the best way! I had no idea what to expect going in!

I was hooked so quickly and never wanted to stop listening! I blew through the whole audiobook in a 24 hour period!

My favorite part about this one was the characters! I was rooting so hard for them all!

Overall, definitely one I'll be recommending to others!

Listen I really am sorry but this was so boring. I barely finished only by sheer force. It was so underwhelming from start to finish.

Thank you Netgally for this arc copy!!!
This was a fantastic read, especially for a debut novel. The writing was absolutely beautiful, and even though the story was heavy at times, it was told in such a thoughtful and graceful way. Providence and her sister went through so much trauma and heartbreak, but I loved how the book showed their strength and the way they found a path forward despite all they endured.

One thing I really appreciated was how the author handled the trauma. The story didn’t go into graphic detail, which I feel was the right choice. Sometimes, too many specifics can be overwhelming or even triggering, so I respected how the author gave enough context to understand what the characters had been through without focusing on the painful moments themselves.

This book was emotional, raw, and moving, and it will stay with me. I’m looking forward to seeing what this author writes next.

I think the mystery aspect of this book is secondary to the much more compelling story about relationships and trauma. The core of the novel lies in the emotional wreckage of a deeply fractured family, and I thought it was beautifully written—especially in how it handled heavy topics like abuse, guilt, and reconciliation. The writing is lyrical and raw, and the author navigates the complexity of sisterhood, regret, and healing with care and emotional depth. While the suspense around the mother’s disappearance adds momentum, it’s the exploration of Providence’s past and her relationships with her sisters that makes this story resonate.

Thank you NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn’t the target audience. There wasn’t anything thriller about it. It was more women’s fiction. The writing was great. Someone will love this book.

4.5 rounded up. This did not read like a debut novel at all and I loved it. The characters were each flawed in their own way and I found myself really rooting for them- especially our MC Providence. This book is about more than the mystery surrounding their missing mother. It’s about complex family dynamics, grief, trauma, the power of forgiveness, and so much more. The audiobook was also very well done and I highly recommend going that route if you can. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.

I wasn't sure what to expect out of Every Sweet Thing is Bitter by Samantha Crewson but I really found it very enjoyable. I read a lot of mystery / thrillers and while I can usually predict the direction one of these is going in, I was surprised by the outcome of the book.

Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is about Providence Byrd, an ex-con taking a trip back to her hometown after her mother goes missing to help in the search. The catch? Providence was in prison for almost killing her mother in the first place. This is a story about trauma and familial dysfunction and at it's heart one woman's search for acceptance and community.

Providence herself was a compelling character and not at all what I typically expect from the heroine of a story. She's all sharp edges and deep emotional problems that felt believable and like they wouldn't be fixed by the end of the book. Even her coping method is something I've never seen done in a book before and it made all of this feel fresh and interesting and kept me turning pages. This book was gritty and felt uncomfortably real in some moments but that was what I liked best about it.

Though the love story is a minor element to this novel, it was also nice to see queer representation in the form of Providence's ex-girlfriend.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job.

Thanks to Samantha Hewson for writing this, Crooked Lane Books for publishing it, Dreamscape Media for the audio, and NetGalley for getting it into my hands.

This book was a whirlwind in family issues, connections, and trauma. Providence goes back home after having been in jail for attempting to murder her mother, getting out of prison, and trying to maneuver the world as a felon. Her mother is missing. She has not spoken to her father and two sisters since the day she ran over her mother. This book is very insightful into how sisters deal with their childhood (and ongoing) trauma. It was well paced. While I figured out one of the twists pretty early on, it is only one piece of the puzzle. I was absolutely satisfied with how this book ended. It also had representation of indigenous people and some of the issues they face.