Absolutely ridiculous. I hate everyone in this town, F*** them all! Those girls deserved so much better.

Description
A woman with a violent past gets a chance at redemption in this upmarket suspense debut, perfect for fans of Lisa Taddeo and Tiffany McDaniel.
Thirteen years ago, Providence Byrd threw the family car in reverse and ran over her mother. Even though her mother survived, that single instant of teenage madness made Providence a felon and irrevocably altered her life. When her mother disappears years later under suspicious circumstances, Providence tells herself that returning home is her chance to find closure after a prolonged estrangement from her family. Never mind that this is only half of the truth: she’s also returning to finally confront her abusive father, Tom Byrd. Nothing can stamp out Providence’s certainty that he is guilty of whatever terrible thing has happened to her mother.
As the search unfolds, Providence is haunted by the wounds of her past, none of which cut as deep as the distance between her and her younger sisters. Harmony and Grace are both uniquely scarred by her attempted matricide, and both have their own idea of what reconciliations might look like – if reconciling is even possible. Harmony urges Providence to make their father pay for his sins; Grace begs her to end the cycle of violence that has haunted their family for generations. As her thirst for vengeance collides with her desire to heal her relationships with her sisters, Providence must decide which she values more: revenge or redemption.
Sharp and poignant, Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter is a stunning novel that eschews picture-perfect endings and dares to tell a story about a resilient queer woman and her relentless determination to persevere.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this book!

Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter
by Samantha Crewson
Narrated by Lindsey Dorcus
Publisher Dreamscape Media
Pub Date Apr 22 2025

So, I just finished Every Sweet Thing is Bitter, and… I’ve got to say, I have mixed feelings. It’s marketed as a thriller, but to me, it felt more like a deep dive into family dysfunction than anything suspenseful. The story follows Providence Byrd, who, at 17, ran over her mother with a car. Fast forward thirteen years—her mother disappears, and Providence returns to her Nebraska hometown to unravel the mystery. Along the way, she reconnects with her estranged sisters and confronts her abusive, ultra-religious father. There’s definitely a thread of mystery, but the journey to get there is… a lot.

The characters are messy, toxic, and, honestly, kind of hard to root for. Most of the book is steeped in substance abuse, trauma, and questionable choices—and while that can make for a gritty read, I just didn’t feel invested in anyone. On top of that, there were a lot of religious references woven into the story, which started to feel heavy-handed and off-putting after a while.

That said, there was just enough mystery to keep me curious. I wanted to know how it would all play out, so I stuck with it. I can see how this book might hit the mark for readers who enjoy darker, emotionally intense character studies, but it wasn’t really my thing. Not a bad book—just not the thriller I was expecting, and not a vibe that totally worked for me.

I was able to listen to this audiobook as an ALC thanks to Netgally. Seeing this on social media, I was intrigued by a new thriller. The story was told from the POV of the main character, coming back to her hometown to face reality. There were so many depths to this story with a few good twists. It was a fun listen!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for my gifted ALC!

I wanted to LOVE Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter because everyone I know has been raving about it. It was an easy no brainer to make this my Book of the Month pick, but I could not get into this book to save my life, and I gave it until 50% until I accepted that this was just not for me. The writing and narration were good, but it’s a story I’ve heard before a la Stacy Willingham, though I will say I enjoyed that the FMC was unconventional. Maybe this one will be for me at another time.

Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter … The title of this book is perfect and says it all! Solid story from beginning to end! A family whose resentment, animosity and bitterness has become the foundation to their relationships. So chock full of dysfunction and trauma that anyone could be guilty.
A book you will not want to put down.

Memorable quote:
“… that is what ghouls do. It feeds your misery to share it with others.”

This was a DEBUT?! I love debut books because they feel like a fresh start and you don’t know what to expect. This book was written so well! Props to the author 👏🏻

Providence must return home after 13 years. When she was 17, she accidentally ran over her mother with a car, and spent five years in prison. Now - she must return home because her mother is missing - but she must face her demons. Her father is abusive and she is estranged from her sisters.

This story is heavy and dark and gripping. Providence is trying to reconnect with her sisters, and the tension felt in those interactions feel so real. A bold, emotional book for anyone looking to get in their feels.

Narrated by Lindsey Dorcus who did a fabulous job detailing the emotion of all the characters.
Length: 9h 42 min

4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my ALC. Book is out now • audio pub date 04.22.25

I read the e-book in January and thought it was amazing. Thus, when I saw also an audiobook available I jumped at that.

This was a very impactful read that I will remember for a long time and thus if you want a read that is profound this is the book for you.

The life Providence and her sisters lived so unbearable to read about. I have read a lot of books with kids suffering in the foster system but this even worse, their biological dad a monster and they get no real support from anyone since everyone so afraid of him. The life detailed in the book so horrific and the way Providence is self-harming herself to cope is next level gruesome.

Despite all this once I started reading I was so invested in the story and just prayed for things to get better. Thus, I highly recommend this book!

Wow what a debut. Raw, gritty and complicated characters. A story about a family having dealt with a difficult past and how the sisters struggle to move forward. The narrators were perfect! I look forward to the authors next book.