Holy freaking CRAP, I loved this book SO DAMN MUCH!!!! Bittersweet is the type of book that went above and beyond anything I ever expected. This is that first straight romance I’ve read from Sarina Bowen and it will definitely not be my last. I honestly can’t handle the amount of love I have for this book. IT. IS. AMAZING!!! Charmingly hilarious, amazingly sexy, and utterly heartwarming, Bittersweet swept me away and made my heart so happy. It’s one of the best books I’ve read all year!

Audrey and Griffin hooked up once in college but haven’t seen each other for years since. Audrey went off to become a chef and Griffin went off to play ball, only to go back home to the ranch help out his family. Now, both are struggling with their careers, but a twist of fate brings them back together, and they find that they can help each other out job-wise. Except the crazy hot chemistry they used to have back in college is still going strong. Should they get involved with each other again when they’re living two completely different lives… Or do they have something worthwhile to pursue?

She and I were a dangerous combination. We needed cautionary signs like the ones hanging in the tractor shed over the cans of diesel fuel. WARNING: COMBUSTIBLE.

Audrey and Griffin are absolutely AMAZING together!!! They are wonderful as individuals, both so strong, independent, funny, and lovable, but together is when they truly shine. They might not have been meant for each other in college, but fate has brought them together again for a reason, and you can clearly see that they are absolutely meant to be together. Griff is all big, sexy, protective, and caring, while Audrey is charming, witty, gorgeous, and ambitious. Their growing romance (and the hot, hot, HOT sexy times) was phenomenally written. Sarina Bowen has written a beautiful love story I rooted for from start to finish.

Whether it was convenient or not, Audrey and I just fit. We’d always been good together. It’s just that I’d never allowed myself to imagine a future where we shared everything. A bed. A home.
A name.
Hell. That got me panting. I wanted everything. There was nobody else who got under my skin like she had. To think of her as mine seemed like an impossible luxury.
It’s the only luxury I’ve ever been greedy for.

What I also loved about Bittersweet besides the romance was the farming life! The author was able to integrate everything related to farming in a cohesive, understandable, and relatable way, and I applaud her for it. Really, there was no part of this book that I didn’t enjoy or love. I never wanted Griffin and Audrey’s story to end! No joke, I couldn’t stop smiling as I read this book, giggling at all the witty banter and grinning at the delicious tension between the main characters. It was a fantastic start to the True North series, and I’m already dying for more. I can’t wait to read the next two books!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Author Interview: Sarina Bowen

Bittersweet is one of my favorite reads of the year! What inspired you to write it?

Thank you! Farmers really are sexy. True story! I am surrounded by interesting growers where I live. They’re young activists who want to change the shape of our food supply, and they are really inspiring.

Did you have to do some research on the farming aspect of the story?

Yes, and I enjoyed every moment of it. The organic-or-die Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford, VT is one of my favorite stops, and we buy hard cider in growlers from Poverty Lane Orchard in Lebanon, NH.

I’m in LOVE with Griffin – do you have a model inspiration for him?

Not really! Finding that photo for the cover, though, was some excellent luck. I thought: there he is!

Who was your favorite character to write?

I love them all equally. 😉

What was your favorite scene to write?

The cider-tasting scene! I cracked myself right up when Audrey would think the cider tasted like sex.

I know Jude will be getting his story next in Steadfast, but will Zach be book #3? *cough* Male virgin alert! *cough*

Oh you better believe it! Zach is totally book #3.

Will we see more of Griff and Audrey in the upcoming True North books?

Absolutely. I promise!

What are you currently working on now?

I’m writing Brooklyn Bruisers #3 (even though #1 hasn’t come out yet) and putting final touches on STEADFAST.

Thank you so much, Sarina, for the interview!

Reading Order: True North series

#1 ~ Bittersweet: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Steadfast: Ebook • Goodreads (July 12, 2016)
#3 ~ Keepsake: Goodreads (Oct. 2016)

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