Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

I have been looking forward to listening to this book since I first heard about it. A woman is lured back home due to the disappearance of her mother. She has a very tumultuous relationship with her parents and siblings due to her abusive upbringing as well as hitting her mother with a car when she was younger and paying the ultimate price. However, she must put aside her past to uncover what happened to her mother. The cover and the title really drew me in. I think the narrator did a fantastic job narrating this story. Her voice was the perfect fit for Providence. The story was heavily focused on family drama with a little bit of mystery. As the story goes on, you find out how brutal of a childhood the main character had and how she is still trying to cope with what happened to her. Overall, I had conflicting feelings about the way the story unfolded. The mystery behind what really happened to her mother and the choices Providence makes one she finds out also didn't sit well with me. The premise definitely caught my attention but I thought the follow through was okay. I will definitely read the author's next book.

Providence Byrd served time in prison for running her mom over with a car. Now out, and her mom missing, she ventures back into the town she once called home. With an abusive father and two estranged sisters, she’s not exactly warmly welcomed. While unraveling the mystery of her mother’s disappearance she finds things out that haunt her.

This was a thriller like I’ve never read before! Providence is very clearly flawed and struggling with so much post-prison. She has a unique view of the case as she wants to find her mother, even though she attempted murder years prior. There are a few moments within the story that dropped my star rating (no spoilers) but this was a very entertaining listen!

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Samantha Crewson for this ALC!

It is hard to believe this is their debut book! It was well written and a very intriguing story. I love a messed up family dynamic. The book is dark and bitter and deals with some trigger warning topics, but it is done in a sensitive way. Most of the characters were unlikable, but in a likable way, if that masks any sense.

The narration was just perfect for this audiobook.

This book was great. As someone that came from an abusive home it’s so interesting to read about stories involving abusive family members. Also we love a lesbian representation 👏 the storyline was entertaining and the narration was awesome. 🛞

This is a raw, gritty and emotionally charged story that explores the deep wounds of a broken family, scarred by abuse, addiction and abandonment. It is a heavy, dark and, at times, deeply unsettling read.

The story follows Providence, recently released from prison after almost running over her mother at the age of seventeen. She returns to her hometown to find her mother missing, her sisters, Harmony and Grace, want nothing to do with her, and the man she intended to kill – their abusive father – is still very much present. What unfolds is a haunting journey of reconciliation, survival and painful truths, as Providence attempts to rebuild her fractured life.

Providence is an incredible protagonist, and I really loved her character. She’s morally grey, messy, brave and real. She is also a lesbian, and her identity is seamlessly woven into the narrative – not treated as a plot device, but simply a natural part of who she is. Her efforts to make amends and confront her past are as heartbreaking as they are courageous.

The atmosphere is almost suffocating, in the best possible way, reflecting the weight of the generational trauma the characters endure. All of the characters, even those you might initially want to dislike, are deeply developed and achingly human. My heart broke for the sisters and everything they experienced growing up.

My only minor criticism is that the beginning felt a little slow, and the story was slightly drawn out in places. However, I remained fully invested and found the writing to be beautiful and immersive.

If you’re drawn to flawed characters, and emotionally rich and complex storytelling, this one is absolutely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Samantha Crewson for the early copy.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Providence Byrd hit her mom with a car and somehow that’s not even the wildest thing about her.

Let’s start there.

"Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter" is one of those books that quietly pulls a chair up to your trauma, offers it a drink, and then sets the entire house on fire. And you’ll thank it for the warm glow. Because this story is raw, gripping, and brutally gorgeous.

Providence, our favorite rage-fueled lesbian chaos gremlin, has spent the last thirteen years trying to outrun the defining moment of her teenage life: when she slammed the car into reverse during a nuclear family meltdown — aiming for her abusive father — and hit her mother instead. Don’t worry, mom survived… until she didn’t. Because now she’s missing. And guess who’s being pulled back to small-town Nebraska to investigate, dodge generational guilt like it’s dodgeball, and maybe (definitely) light another match?

If you're thinking “hmm, is this gonna be a cozy little murder mystery with a side of healing?” — stop. This is not that book. This is succulent literary trauma. This is secrets and lies and thorny sister dynamics and a lesbian protagonist with a self-destructive streak so sharp it could slice through steel. Providence isn’t here to be likable. She’s here to be honest. She is grief and anger and love all tangled into one big “oh no she didn’t—but yes she did” moment after another.

Her relationship with her sisters? Deliciously strained. Harmony, initially running from herself so hard she’s practically in orbit, eventually rallies for vengeance. Grace wants peace so badly it aches. And Providence? Providence just wants the truth, which comes at a cost no one warned her about. Honestly, this family is one confessional scene away from being cast on a prestige HBO drama. And the writing? It slaps. Samantha Crewson writes with the kind of quiet fury that turns every sentence into a gut punch wrapped in poetry.

Also, can we talk about how beautifully queer this is without being sanitized for the straights? Providence’s identity isn’t a subplot — it is the plot. Her queerness is defiant, full-bodied, and unapologetic. Her friendship with Sara, an Oglala Lakota woman who brings both warmth and sharp truth to the table, is the kind of soul-deep connection that made me want to call my best friend and cry. This is what chosen family looks like. It’s messy and fierce and loyal, and I adored every second of it.

This story doesn’t offer redemption wrapped in a bow — it offers reckoning. That one scene where Providence and Grace sit in a diner, just sitting in the grief together like it’s the only language they have left? That cracked me wide open. If you're looking for an uplifting girlboss arc where trauma is healed in 300 pages and everyone hugs it out in the end...sorry, no. But if you want a gorgeously written, emotionally brutal, morally complex narrative with a deeply human, queer protagonist who claws her way toward her own version of peace? This is it. This is the one.

4.5 stars. Would die for Providence Byrd. Would also 100% sit in uncomfortable silence with her at a highway diner and call it therapy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audiobook.

Mixed feelings. I loved the setting on this book… I am a Midwesterner, and I enjoyed reading about places and landscapes I know well. I thought some of the metaphors and language were poignant and lovely.

However, it was quite dark. It also felt a little melodramatic to me. Conversations in particular seemed overwrought. For instance, the last conversation between Connor and Providence just did not ring authentic.

I also didn’t really get the relationship between Providence and her high school girlfriend. I get how their high school affair moves the plot forward, but I didn’t really get why Grace would rely on this friend, especially when Providence had been out of everyone’s lives for so long.

I found the mystery elements pretty engaging. Some twists and turns which were revealed slowly.

I sometimes wonder if I’m growing weary of books where fathers and husbands are just horrible. I know what happens in real life, but I feel it happens way too often in novels.

The audio narrator was good!

This drama centers around the Byrd family: an abusive father, a passive mother, Providence (oldest daughter), Harmony (middle daughter), and Grace (youngest daughter). Providence is returning to her small hometown for the first time since her time in prison after running her mom over with a car. All 3 siblings are traumatized by their upbringing and struggle in their own way.

This was well written and captured the complexity and ugly realities of marital and childhood abuse and the lifelong effects. The women in this book are broken and surviving the only way they know how. This will be triggering for some.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Apr 22 2025

𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 4/5⭐️
𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮 2/5 🌶️

Every Sweet This Is Bitter by Samantha Crewson is a new mystery that follows Providence a felon who went to prison at age 17 for aggravated assault who comes back home when her mother goes missing.

Trying to rebuild her life and move on from the horrors she faced as a child she attempts to find her mother and get to know her sisters while confronting her abusive father.

I listened to this and read along with the physical copy. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ALC!

I loved how character-driven this book was. It was really well-written and emotionally charged. It took on a lot of hard hitting topics in a way that showcased them but also showed how they can be overcome.

I really enjoyed the narration! They did such a good job! Definitely a good listen.

The one thing that I had a hard time with was the pacing. At times it felt really slow and then it would feel super fast. It kind of gave me whiplash!

I would recommend this to those who like emotionally charged thrillers with a strong female character.

I loved this one and was surprised to find out it’s the author’s debut. Everything here is well done. The writing is terrific and the characters well developed. I enjoyed the mystery and how it played out. Lindsey Dorcus @lindseydorcus is outstanding as the narrator. Every Sweet Thing is Bitter is an April Book of the Month selection.

This book was not what I expected in the best way. It’s complex in the emotional narrative and history of the family and the dynamics between sisters and the parental relationship with each child. And yet this book still manages to pack in reflections on what it can mean to not be able to trust yourself and also some fantastic representation of both native characters and queer women.

And the town itself also acts as a character in a way? Overall, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter manages to be a great thriller. And one that has possibly the most thoughtful messaging.

Well, I loved it!
I love a story *(drama or thriller or mystery) heavy on family drama with characters who are broken people but trying to do their best.
I loved all the characters and how dark, violent and dangerous the plot turned out to be.
I was invested in the story through the entire book and got actually heartbroken for the conclusion.
The pacing was very decent, in my opinion. The characters sometimes did, sometimes did not read so realistic, but personally I didn't care.
I actually listened to this audiobook in one single day because I couldn't stop. That's how much invested I was in it.
Of course, the great narration done by Lindsey Dorcus was a huge win for me, personally. I loved her narration and it made the listening very easy to go through, including the heavy moments.
I'd highly recommend this book to any mystery/thrillers readers who enjoy dense and heavy dramatic stories about revenge.
The audiobook is a must!

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for allowing me to listen to an audio advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sorry to say this was a total miss for me.

Although the story was solid, I REALLY didn’t like any of the characters… or the plot!

Revolves mainly around Providence, who just got out of jail, and pretty much immediately gets called to go pick up her little sister… from jail… 😫
Providence also has a huge chip on her shoulder, so at times it’s hard to see through all the fog in her head!

Thought about putting this one down multiple times (DNF)…but managed to get through it all. Again, did NOT care for any of the players…

#EverySweetThingIsBitter by #SamanthaCrewman and narrated nicely by #LindseyDorcus.


3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

***** THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED!! Look 👀 for it on 4/22/25!! *****

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and & #DreamscapeMedia for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

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It's 2025. There is no reason we should still be calling Native Americans "Indians," especially without any foreword or content warning from the author.

I had high hopes because of the premise, but I found what should have been shocking but believable to be unfathomable. What made matters worse was how flat the characters felt. They all sounded/seemed exactly the same. It was even more frustrating that Providence, who should have a sharp edge to her, seemed like a very basic character with no edge at all, even though through telling (rather than showing), it seemed like the author wanted me to believe otherwise.

Full disclosure: I chose not to finish this book due to its formulaic and (again, despite the premise) all too familiar feel.

I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd made a split-second decision that would change her life forever—she reversed the family car and ran over her mother. Though her mother survived, Providence became a convicted felon, and the event fractured her family beyond repair. Now, with her mother missing under suspicious circumstances, Providence returns home hoping for closure and answers. But confronting her abusive father and navigating the shattered relationships with her sisters, Harmony and Grace, forces her to choose between revenge and redemption. As old wounds resurface and loyalties are tested, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter unpacks the long shadows of trauma, the complexity of familial love, and the desperate desire to make peace with the past.

This was a phenomenal debut! All the dark tension and layered family issues made it an incredibly fast and gripping read. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next as Providence returned home to confront her father and help search for her missing mother. The emotional depth in this story, combined with the mystery and complicated sister dynamics, made it both heartbreaking and powerful. This book is ultimately about transformation, reconnection, doing the best we can, and finishing what was started—and I couldn’t look away. Samantha Crewson absolutely nailed it with this raw and unforgettable story.

Providence Byrd ran over her own mother with a car. Her mother, Elissa, recovered, Providence spent some time in prison but her relationship with her family has been estranged ever since and becoming a felon has altered her life forever. Thirteen years later, Elissa goes missing and Providence returns to her small hometown of Annesville, Nebraska. She’s hoping to heal her relationship with her two younger sisters and help find her mother. But she is also hoping to confront her abusive after who she strongly suspects has something to do with her mother’s disappearance.

This book was a heavier read full of trauma. We had the mystery of what happened to Elissa Byrd. But we also had the story of a family who suffered relentless abuse. Providence was a character you rooted for because of what she had been through but at the same time, had some unlikeable qualities so it gave me mixed feelings about her throughout the story. Providence had a traumatic childhood and was failed by so many people in so many ways, including her own family. She felt unloved and unloveable while holding so much guilt for leaving her sisters behind in that environment when she went to prison. This is an intense story of addiction, abuse, self harm, family secrets, betrayal, redemption and healing. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator did a fantastic job!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an opportunity to listen to an ALC of Everything Sweet is Bitter in exchange for my honest review.

This is a review of the audiobook version, narrated by Lindsey Dorcus.

Samantha Crewson’s debut novel “Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter” is an explosive story of a fractured family, a tale that’s gritty, raw, and continually traumatic. It’s headed by Tom Byrd, an alcoholic bully and liquor store owner who regularly beats and abuses his wife and three daughters. Elissa, his equally alcoholic and codependent wife is a distant and cruel mother to Providence, Harmony, and Grace.

This is totally Providence’s story — who at 17 years old put the family car in reverse and aimed for her father, but instead ran over her mother. Her mother survived to endure and drown out even more spousal abuse. After thirteen years, thirty year old Providence, now a self-harming ex-convict but steadily employed tattoo artist, returns when her mother goes suddenly missing to discover if the obvious suspect, her father, was responsible.

The story is filled with trigger warnings and is told in Providence’s first person POV. Narrator Dorcus, an audiobook veteran of multiple genres, brilliantly brings Providence to life. She’s not a totally likable character and her thoughts are dark and depressing, but Dorcus imbues Providence with a strength and determination that I came to admire. This already incredible debut gets enhanced by a terrific audio narration. 4.5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Zoe has one green eye and one blue eye.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The author does know a lot of correct information about chokecherries, about when they’re considered ripe and that their pits contain cyanide.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced audiobook.

When Providence Byrd returns to her hometown, it's under the cloud of the crime she committed--running her mother over with a car 13 years earlier--that sent her to prison for 5 years. But now her mother is missing and she feels the need to come back to town, to be there for her sisters, even if they don't exactly want her there. As Providence tries to figure out what happened to her mother, her old scars (literal and metaphorical) need to be addressed before she can move on with her life.

EVERY SWEET THING IS BITTER was an interesting novel. Set in Nebraska, it was a setting I don't often read about and therefore, introduced some new elements to how the characters related to one another, and their outlooks on the world around them. While this is technically a mystery (it takes the whole book to find out what happened to Providence's mother), this isn't for the reader looking for a fast-paced, thriller/mystery. This novel is more of a slow-burn, literary meets genre kind of book that has you wondering as much about the relationships between the characters as you do about solving the mother's disappearance.

Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is out April 22, 2025

3.5/5⭐️ 0.5/5🌶️ 1/5😢

Overall an interesting book, and not something I would normally pick up if it wasn’t a Book of the Month pick. I went into it blind, only knowing it was touted as being a “Mystery” with messy characters and toxic families. The book was pretty slow paced, focusing more on character development than a solid plotline, and the mystery seemed obvious to me (and I usually only read with one brain cell bouncing around).

There are a huge of amount of trigger warnings surrounding child abuse, addiction. and graphic violence, so read with caution if you are sensitive.

I received a physical copy as an early release through Book of the Month, but I also listened to the audio which was fantastic.

Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing an ALC in exchange for an honest review.