Hot Farmer+Strong Heroine+Scenery=Perfection!

Sarina Bowen's writing is always amazing and HIM (written with Elle Kennedy) is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE audiobooks. I've also listened to quite a few from the Ivy Years series and they were great as well, but I really LOVED Bittersweet. It's the story of one hot farmer, Griff, struggling to keep his organic family farm in the black. Then Audrey literally drops back into his life (after a past hookup in college) and the struggle is on. They're both determined to stay on their paths and avoid romantic involvement so that they keep their careers on track but you can't fight fate.

The chemistry is super hot and you'll want to go buy organic veggies in hopes of find your own Griff to tame: big ,hot, bearded, grumpy, and a dedicated family man with strong ideals. Audrey is no shrinking violet (which I always love) and struggles with a complicated relationship with her mother and lousy self-esteem while trying to make her dreams of becoming a chef reality.

The other characters though, are what really makes this book incredible: The Shipley family and the state of Vermont. Sarina Bowen makes them integral characters in the book and I always adore a story that makes you fall in love with the setting. This one does that in spades. The Shipley family is one I'm definitely dying to hear more from in the future.

This is my first audio narrated by Tad Branson and he was great. I've listened to others by Saskia Maarleveld and she is always perfect. She also does a man's voice super well, which is tricky and takes skill. All that being said - BUY THIS AUDIO, and then go buy some organic apples and pay what they're worth LOL! <3

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35 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Sweet and Sexy

I enjoyed this story, it was sweet and I love a rugged hard working man! I think a lot of research went into farming when the author wrote this book which I appreciate so much because not only did I learn a thing or two about it but it helps to make the story believable and helps draw you in. The only thing I didn't love was that Audrey had no confidence at all throughout most of the book. I hate when a girl says things like "I must have screwed something up again, I never do anything right.." it comes across to me like she is doing the poor me things and I hate that. I understand that her mother always made her feel like a failure but I just don't like her way of dealing with it, it makes her seem weak. Other than that, I really liked the story line, the huge family, the love story and the hot sex scenes. I can't wait for book 2!

The narration was great too!

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32 persone l'hanno trovata utile

2.5 - 3 Stars

First things first, this cover is gorgeous but it is the wrong cover for this book. This book had been sitting in my kindle/audible unread for a very long time because every time I scrolled through to choose a book to read, I would see this cover and think that Bittersweet was a dark themed book, not the contemporary romance that it actually is, and I haven't been in the mood for dark for quite a while. The cover is dark and almost ominous and looks like it is some sort of backwoods or forest themed book. But nope, it is about a farmer who primarily has apple orchards. It had been on my kindle for so long that on a whim I looked it up to see what it was about and it wasn't what I expected so I decided to read it.

I enjoyed the overall love story of this book, though I still needed more, and I enjoyed the close knit family that Griff has. I loved the friends and family stuff and also the apple farming and the cider stuff.

I did NOT love the very descriptive scenes of them shooting their sweet and happy pig in the head, or them scalding, skinning, dismembering, and butchering him. Sure, I get it, this is supposed to be a family farm thing, farm to table, providing for themselves, yadda yadda, but it just isn't my cup of tea. (And for those of you now thinking or wondering, where it is I think my meat comes from, I don't consume any animal products.) So there is your warning for anyone who may be sensitive to reading about descriptive animal death scenes. Be cautious reading when you get around the 23% or 24% mark.

There was one huge inconsistency that drove me crazy throughout the whole book as it came up multiple times. There is a side character, named Jude, introduced in the beginning of the book. It was said that Jude went to prison for 3 years due to vehicular manslaughter as he was high on opiates when he crashed his car into a tree and his friend, who was the passenger, died as a result of the accident. After Jude was released from his 3 year jail term, he went into rehab for 1 month where he said he spent over half of the time vomiting and detoxing before being able to finally be okay for the last 10 days of rehab. Then from rehab he gets brought to the farm to be a seasonal worker. So here is my issue; that doesn't make sense! What kind of prison was he in that he could be opiate dependent and have to fully detox upon his release after 3 years of incarceration? It literally made no sense. And going through acute withdrawal (with vomiting) for 20 days? WTF? There is no way.

I'm thinking that this series will probably show progression with all of the characters as the books continue but for just reading this book, I would have liked to have seen more of an ending or even an epilogue. I need more. I want to see things working our for Griffin and Audrey.

I did enjoy Jude in this book and I liked all of the characters so I am considering continuing on to book 2 in this series which is Jude's story.

Audible: The narrators both did a great job. I enjoyed listening to them. I recommend this as an audiobook.

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25 persone l'hanno trovata utile

First Bowen book I've read...not the last

With all the cookie cutter romance novels out there right now, this book was such a pleasant surprise. The main male character was fantastic and what women want but real and flawed. The female lead character the same. I love all the knowledge of organic farming and the trials and tribulations that they go through to put food on our tables. It made the story far more realistic. No billionaire wonder boys here. Thank goodness.

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18 persone l'hanno trovata utile

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS

Any additional comments?

I was so surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. It is so sweet and made me long for a large family. This is one I will listen to over and over again. LOVED IT

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15 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Liked everything except...

Good, easy, romantic summer read. Liked everything about it except for the far too explicit explanation of how to take apart a hog for meat. No thank you!!

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12 persone l'hanno trovata utile

If Only Audrey was Older than 22

The rural Vermont setting was unique, the Shipley family was engaging, farmer Griff was a wonderfully caring hero but chef Audrey (22) was too young to be really interesting.

It would have been more believable if Audrey had been closer to 30 than 20; how many chefs expect to be given his/her own restaurant less than a year after graduating.

However, the overall story was well written, the characters had surprising depth, the explicit sex scenes were loving and sensual without any domination or violence.

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11 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Grumpy Griff!

Griff & Audrey

Oooo I didn’t know what I was getting into when I started this book but oh my god I am so glad I read it.
Griff is so freaking yum. I can’t describe him any other way. He is not mean but he isn’t nice either. He just gets things done and he might not smile while doing it. That’s not a crime at all.

I kinda loved that they had known each other before now, and it’s more a second chance love. Audrey broke my heart more than once. I even had tears, her life hasn’t been easy but she pulls through and she is stronger I think for it. I can’t help but feel for the girl. Her spirit was never broken just bruised and her attitude is everything you can't help but love her.

I hope she gets everything she wants and I think she will with Griff in her corner.
I loved his family so freaking hard. They make this book fun to read that’s for sure.

Ohhh lala the narration swoon more please! <3

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10 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Food, farming, family and love

After listening to this audiobook, I felt like having a glass of wine and just dancing. It had all the ingredients you need for an awesome book: humor, food, drink, family, great chemistry and captivating writing. I love Saskia Maarleveld and Ted Branson's voice as they brought these two people to life!

Audrey Kidder was hoping to get her an opportunity to show her culinary skills but the restaurant owner won’t give her a turn in the kitchen. He finally agreed to let her have more opportunities if she could get some farmers to sign a deal selling their organic crops at a price favorable to the restaurant. Audrey drove from Boston to Vermont and the first farmer she ran into was her ex-hookup from college, Griffin Shipley.

Griff is now the inadvertent patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, his three siblings, and a dotty grandfather. He doesn't have time for the flame, who has shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.
The struggle to make sure that trade isn’t comprised by their attraction to each other ensues. For Griff, it is paramount that the farm is financially secure because so many people are dependent on the farm’s success. Audrey has finally found the career where she feels confident and fulfilled, so it is imperative that she finds a way to do well and demonstrate to everyone she isn’t a screw up.

The push and pull of love versus occupation is a clash as old as time. I certainly think of produce (bruised or not) in a different way because I never really gave the farmers a second thought when I go to the supermarket.Now I will look at fruits differently.

Griff and Audrey’s second chance came at a better time for the both of them. Life has forced them to mature and it showed this time around. What makes this story superb is the storytelling! Sarina Bowen isn’t wordy, it is just fluid, clear and gripping. This is not an audiobook that you will want to stop until you finish it. The characters are fleshed out well, the plot is developed and the almost everyone is likable. The supporting cast really added flavor to this story. I look forward to learning more about their individual struggles.
I think the author is on to something really special with this series and I am already listening to book 2:

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8 persone l'hanno trovata utile

Likable- Not Lovable

This was Hallmark cute. I liked it, but not enough to get the next book in the series.

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6 persone l'hanno trovata utile