Sugar & Gold

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2019636728
Link to my review, also pasted down below

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Oh my goodness!! This book was absolutely, positively amazing! I have found a new favorite book!

At first, I wasn't entirely sure whether or not I was going to like this book. However, I continued on despite my hesitation, and was blown away.

All the characters in the book were just great. The hero, Nik, was my favorite though. He was so sweet and I loved everything he did for Fiona, who was also great.

The pacing was really well done as well. For some books there are times when you feel like what you're reading isn't important and it gets boring, so you decide to skim. That is NOT the case with this book, everything flows so well and I didn't find myself skimming even once.

This book is heart tugging, and there are also some funny moments. It was definitely a spectacular book and if you've been on the fence about reading it, I would definitely recommend it to you!!!

Wow!! Emma Scott never fails...never. She has become one of my go to authors, I will definitely buy any books written by her. Her writing is beautiful & her stories are unique! I love how she can take sorrow in a character and give them love & hope (sugar & gold)!!!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good love story, it's just a beautiful all around book.

This book was pretty intense, to say the least. It’s been a while since I’ve come across a good contemporary with a worthy plot-line. The characters were beautifully woven, and their pasts were wonderfully heartbreaking.
Nikolai’s ability was one I didn’t really find that peculiar. I’ve watched a documentary once, on Discovery Science, I think, about a European woman who has Chromesthesia; she sees certain colors when hearing certain sounds. It’s still very different from Nik’s ability, his ken. But it’s science, so I don’t think what Nikolai has is that creepy/weird.
But it didn’t fail to fascinate me. I found it very interesting, actually. His dark past and tormented childhood broke my heart and shattered it to pieces. I couldn’t imagine how a mother would bully her own son, telling him that he has the devil in him, taking him to a hospital and allowing the doctors to torture him and shock him. WHO DOES THAT?! If your own mother isn’t there to accept the flaws you have as a child, I can’t imagine how Nik was able to survive each day, when a mother was all he had.
His relationship with Fiona was wonderful. How he’d see the pink in her every time he’s near her, and the fact that he associated that particular color to kindness. But then when they talked about Gold, I couldn’t with all the feels :

Fi: “Gold is the color of love. Not the love between family members, or mothers and their children. I mean fairytale love, where the prince would do anything for the princess, even if it meant his own life. And the princess would sacrifice herself to the dragon if it would save the prince. The kind of love that transcends…”
[Nik] My thoughts drifted back to Fiona’s color poems. It doesn’t mean anything… It’s just a coincidence.
Except that pink was exactly as she’d described: how the ken translated kindness.
And gold?
I’d never seen gold.

I was at the verge of tears at that point…
It was all very devastatingly romantic.
But those were my thoughts only before this happened:

But the longing I felt to be with Fiona had nothing to do with what she gave me and everything to do with who she was.

That was when all hell broke loose.. because I literally fell in love with Nikolai Young *dreamy eyes*
I loved Fiona’s motto, I’m stronger than I look
Especially when she went out to meet Steve who, by the way, is the shittiest meathead ever. He’s definitely crazy in the head. I would’ve liked some closure, like Nik breaking his nose or something. Because he would’ve totally deserved it. I’m not usually this savage, but dammit.
This was probably my favorite quote:

Fiona: “Not all punches come from fists. Not all cuts break the skin but I bruised and bled on the inside for what you did to me.”

The plot twist in the book actually took me by surprise; something that hasn’t happened to me in ages. And I love that.
Griff and Nate were amazing. I loved the couple to pieces.
This book had me on a roller coaster of emotions. It was equal parts sweet and intense. A well woven plot-line, developed characters, a hot hot hot book boyfriend with a dark past and a weirdly romantic gift… I really enjoyed it.

Sugar & Gold (Dreamcatcher #2) Emma Scott ~ 10 Stars isn’t enough!!!

“I want to walk in the sunshine with you.”

Just WOW! Every single time I pick up a book from Emma Scott I know I am in for an unexpected plot, extraordinary characters, flawless writing and everything in between. I always marvel at the author’s mind and how she continues to bless us with such unique and exceptional stories. Sugar & Gold is definitely a gem. Yes, it a lovely romance but so much more. With all the sadness in the world right now, the author intentionally or not, put her own unique spin on some tougher subjects - self-worth, belonging, being different, courage, forgiveness, and love. I especially love the profound parting message of “Love and Hope” for the future. Quite fitting I say.

It is hard to sum up what this book is about with no spoilers – I am not even going to try. The good news is Emma Scott has a very extensive and detailed synopsis so after reading that, you should have a very good idea what Sugar & Gold is about and whether it intrigues your curious mind. I will say this book’s GOT ALL THE FEELS and it’s a MUST READ. This is a very intense and emotional love story as expected in all of Emma’s previous books so get some tissues ready. I was really sobbing in the middle of the night and I could not stop reading. Don’t fret - there are also plenty of sweet, light-hearted banters, and sexy moments as well.

“For love. And when it’s for love, there ain’t no mountain high enough.”

I love the way Nikolai and Fiona met – Nikolai was nursing a lonely heart at a bar and in comes walking a vision in pink (that’s what he sees in Fiona). What is supposed to be a night of rolling in the hay turns into a very complicated, whirlwind romance. Fiona is easy to love – kind, caring and compassionate. She was dealt shitty cards and life isn’t easy but it hasn’t hardened her heart. She lives with the haunted thoughts daily but her spirit is still vibrant and that’s exactly what Nikolai sees in Fiona – beautiful inside and out. Nikolai - my heart breaks for him. Nikolai’s upbringing is sad and torturous. He is running from everyone including himself, hiding behind tattoos and piercings, never settling down or letting anyone get close (although said tats and pierces make him a pretty damn hot sex god ). The character’s development is quite remarkable. These two characters are both damaged seemingly beyond repair but they found each other and with trust and love they were able to find the real person within (and ultimately their own version of sunshine). On a lighter note, I think the author did an awesome job with the chemistry between Nikoli and Fiona. There is no denying the sparks and attraction between them. I like that Nikolai and Fiona are very honest with each others feelings. There is no game playing between them which is not surprising because they have been through so much heartache, they only want true happiness for one another. The part at the end where Nikolai came to the rescue practically melted my heart and my panties – totally swoony and showcased his bravery, a quality I admire about this hero. I also enjoyed all the side characters especially Nate and Griff – such sweet, fun, adorable couples, and even the mother hen Opal was absolutely lovely.

As you know Gold & Sugar is part of the Dreamcatcher series which has a touch of paranormal elements. If you have any reservations about reading this genre, I will say this: Does Nikolai’s ability to feel or see people in color and sounds seem far fetched? Absolutely, but personally I think we can all relate to this hidden talent in some ways. Why are we drawn to certain people but not others? I think Nikolai’s gift is no different than one’s ability to read, feel, and understand people we meet. It’s an intuition if you will - your way of knowing whether to trust people or to form relationships or not. That’s just my personal opinion!

Sugar & Gold is just simply GORGEOUS. Period! The story, the characters, the narrative, the dialogues – everything about it was delivered with such care through her elegant writing. Reading Emma’s book is a magical experience. I was in awe and once again speechless when I finished. The epilogue – “Ostavat’sya” – I can’t even! I was once again a sobbing mess. Truly, Sugar & Gold is a stunning – a gorgeous love story but also a poignant heartfelt story of a young couple who rose above all odds, found their sunshine, and are finally free.

“Love and hope.”
“She had given so much of both; my heart was full of love for her…and a gratitude greater than thank you.”

Nikolai walks through life with the attitude that we are all pawns and that life is a hoax and maybe it is or maybe it isn’t it really depends where one looks and for sure Nik has been looking in the wrong places. It’s not to be found in a cellar or a shed. But at Club 91 where he finds pink kindness and compassion. He feels peace an unknown feeling. A want to keep it is so strong.
Fiona Starling is pure light, she has an innocence about her that no one can take away from her and she has fought so damn hard for it. No rules. Live out Loud. Find the sunshine. She finds a whole lot more but there are choices that need to be made, which road to take and if a detour is worth it in the end.
The characters emotions come off the pages, be it the hopelessness of wanting something but thinking that one is undeserving of adapting of making the choice for yourself.

Wistful at times you feel the loneliness of the our characters and that fate intervened and gave one another each other in the most heart breaking yet equally soul lifting way. If there is one thing that can be the most rewarding and yet the most destroying in the world it is love. There is one love that tops all and that is unconditional love.
This started with a prologue which already set a tone for the book where you knew that this was going to be unique yet you were going to walk away with scars no matter how much you don’t. With each part of the book we all somehow have the devil inside us, the Doe should be saved by the Black Prince cause if not then where is the magic?
When you start a book by Ms. Scott it’s like a box of chocolates cause you never know what you are going to get. Sugar and Gold is the same. It took a lot out of me but it also gave me a lot but that is something I will be telling the author. It doesn’t belong here.
We have a story so complex and intricate that there is not one thing that I can see that specifically stood out to me but here it is the overall package, the book. In no way will my review ever do the book justice. Gosh there is so much I would love to say but somehow the words just don’t seem to come. They are there in my heart but they won’t compute to my brain let alone trying to get them from my brain down to my hands to type it.
So many shades, so many emotions, so many colours but only two count the most here pink and gold. Throughout the book I was beaten black and blue metaphorically speaking of course. My soul took a beating and I was slayed by the beauty of the story. The unfairness of life, yet the true depth that is shown when it comes to love and to hope.
Without a shadow of a doubt but this is a book that one must read with a slight touch of the mystic it is worth the 5 stars but different strokes and all that but take a chance. As I said box of chocolates peeps.

Love And Hope & so much more!

Breathtaking! This book has me still "there" rereading chapters. I haven't moved on yet, I haven't started a new book and it's been over 24 hours since I've finished this one. The words that Emma Scott used to compose this novel had the most significant, soulful, and heartfelt beauty of only a very few books I have read. She is already an accomplished writer in my opinion with many of her other amazing books, though this one blew me away more than the others and that in itself left me in awe.

The detailed love story, the outlined backgrounds of their pasts, and all the wonderful surprises intertwined throughout created two very special characters that I hold dear to me. There is so much emotion that is involved in this book that it grabs you automatically by the heart and brings you deep into the pages to where you become completely committed to it more and more, page by page. By the end, your left feeling lost yet completely satisfied and so thankful you were given the opportunity to have read a piece of literature that great.

Nikolai, the gorgeous man with so much pain, so much loss - his heart is filled with this unselfish beauty but he can never find peace. He rides from state to state and plays underground poker because he can. He numbs himself with tattoos because it's his only time to feel.

“Pink is the excitement you get just before opening a birthday present. Pink is the happiness you feel when you are sitting alone at recess and another kid comes over and asks if you want to play. Pink is how you feel when you hug someone who is crying and make them feel better.”

Fiona is a beautiful, giving, and fun loving person who just wants happiness but knows she'll never get it because it was stolen from her. She is sick of always being haunted by her horrific past and also craves peace. How will Nik and Fiona find their peace? Each step, each chapter still makes my own heart flutter.

“Gold is the color of love.” She rested her cheek on my chest. “Not the love between family members, or mothers and their children. I mean the fairytale love, where the prince would do anything for the princess, even if it meant his own life. And the princess would sacrifice herself to the dragon if it would save the prince. The kind of love that…transcends, though I didn’t have that word at the time.”

This is by far one of those books you've been "searching" for! And if you've already read "How To Save A Life" you just made your experience THAT MUCH BETTER! I was ......no words!

*this review is affiliated with The Book Bistro

I honestly don't know if I can put into words how much I loved this book. Have you ever picked up a book and fallen so far in love with the characters, the world, the entire story that you forget what the real world is? That's what Sugar & Gold was for me. Fiona and Nik's story is one of absolute beauty. An emotional ride of highs and lows and learning what love truly is. I could not put this one down. I stayed up half the night, I went back every time I sat down while working I just could not bring myself to stop reading the beauty that is this book. This book will forever be one of my absolute favorites from now on.

5+ Pure Gold Stars!
Truth be told, I was a bit wary because of the 'shades of paranormal' aspect this book promised. I don't usually read PNR. I prefer the fiction I read to be grounded in reality...
Turns out, I had nothing to worry about, because Emma had a girl's back. Because this beautiful story was REAL. Real emotions; real fears and insecurities; the most real story of love and self-acceptance.
I was hooked from the prologue until the very last page.

Something about Nikolai immediately resonated with me. He had an ability he loathed; an ability he considered a burden. Something that was such a big part of his life; a big part of who he was, and he hated it. The characterization of him was written to perfection. Because, I got him; I understood him. I was seeing everything through his eyes, and it was devastatingly beautiful.

“It was like I was locked in a prison, except the door was unlocked the whole time and I was just too beat down and stripped raw to walk through it.”

And then there was our dear heroine, Fiona. She just radiated light and goodness off of every page. She has been desperately trying to escape the demons of her past; the voices that were still haunting her and belittling her. I loved her character development and how she overcame her self-doubt and insecurities. It was one of the most powerful points in this book.

“Love and hope,” she said. “That’s life to me. Love for all the good that happens to you and the people you care about, and hope that any pain will be bearable or lessen in time.”

Nik and Fiona together were MAGIC. He found peace in her and she found acceptance in him.
And though I believe another person should never "complete" you; they definitely brought out the best in each other.

"I was his shield, guarding his peace, and he was my foundation, unwavering beneath me. Always."

Emma is a glorious story-teller. Her writing style is one of my favorites, and I can't wait to read more from her. Sugar & Gold is one book you don't want to miss out on!

This was amazing! I was so excited, I nearly squealed when I got approved for this e-arc! This book is beautiful, as you might suggest given the title. I cried! This book was perfectly woven with detail that all comes together.

Wow. Just wow.

The complexity of this story and its characters is almost too much to put into words. I was lost in the first few chapters, but then Scott collected me in her literary grasp and never let go.

This is such a different storyline with a full spectrum of color and feelings. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to look at pink and gold the same way. To say this book is phenomenal is a severe understatement. Fall in love with Nik and Fiona as they discover and fall in love with each other and life itself.

Beautiful, ragged, pained and yet perfectly composed. 5+ stars!!!