I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. Sigh....I am in love with this book. I read it in one day. I read other books from Emma Scott and liked them, but this book....💖. I don"t post spoilers because I don't want to ruin it for you. The heros of the book are Nik and Fiona. Nik has a power that he calls "Ken". Fiona is in hiding and Nik is running from himself. They meet by accident, but sparks fly. They are perfect for each other.....I can't say much more because...YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK,

5 'LOVE AND HOPE' STARS!

"Find the sunshine."

For you to truly understand what beauty this book holds I need to get messy. I need to be raw and real and exposed to my very core, because deep down that's what Sugar & Gold did to me. It made me cry and I'm not talking a few tears here or there. I'm talking full on crying. It opened my soul and poured the characters insecurities, emotions, thoughts, and their very beings into my own! And this was my first time reading Emma Scott!! Even so, I can assure you right now, without question or doubt that it will not be the last.

You see, Sugar & Gold is a special kind of story. The way Emma Scott delivers it you quickly realize this is what storytelling is all about. In all honesty, you realize this is what reading is about. I was taken aback and swallowed whole by this author's beautiful writing... I could tell you that I was enthralled and ensnared in every connection I found within the pages. I could even tell you that I was intrigued and captivated by the webs that Emma Scott weaved, but those words seem minisucle and they just won't cut it!!

Nikolai is a roamer. Traveling from city to city on a quest to understand what is happening to him. He has this ability of sorts, where he feels, sees, and tastes a person's thoughts and emotions. Big crowds are unbearable, an absolute no-no. To him his gift feels like a curse at times. It's a heavy burden for him to bear, one that is slowly taking its toll on him and Nik isn't sure how much longer he will last. Then he meets Fiona. The beautiful girl with pink cotton candy hair and she changes everything for him. She becomes the calm before every storm to him. Their relationship is like the sun rising. It's warmth. It's sunshine. It's tranquility. It's love and hope. It's what they both have always longed for. It's freeing and peaceful and allows them to forget about the pain and the loss life has thrown at them. But they both keep secrets. Secrets that could completely destroy and tear apart these two broken souls even more.

Sugar & Gold was unexpected. I never thought this book would touch me like it did. It made my heart soar and made me want to hug these characters tight, never ever letting them go. It's books like this that I'm a sucker for, a goner for. You should read this book. You need to! It is pure magic, simply put.

This book was like one of those paintings which at first seems to be just a huge random chaos of colors, but the longer you look at it, the more you start to notice how forms and images magically start to emerge from the vortex of colors.

Sometimes the chaos can turn into wonder, and this story is about this. This is a story about a girl and the boy, whose life is ruled by disorder, but the meeting of the two of them brings change into their lives, and the chaos turns into silence and arranges into order.

Nikolai is roaming the roads alone, leaving behind his past, without future or purpose. His life, his thoughts and his feelings are all dominated by the ken, a burden that he never asked for and he never wanted. Because Nikolai sees the feelings of people as colors, and sometimes he also can smell and taste their emotions or hears their thoughts and this is a weight that makes his days almost unbearable. Sometimes he is wondering if a life with full of suffering is worth at all, but somehow he always carries on. He doesn’t know why he got this gift, or what’s the purpose of the ken? The only thing he can use this strange ability for is to win money at illegal poker games, but it’s dangerous and he can’t stay too long near people because the chaos of colors, sounds, and flavors shortly become unbearable for him.

Fiona is also fleeing. She runs from another life, from her past, and there is also a kind of turmoil in her that she can’t break away from: the sounds of her past. Now she tries to start a new life in a small town and she tries to find new friends, but her biggest dream is to find her final home far-far away, in Costa Rica.

When Nikolai arrives in a small town during his never-ending journey and he gets a glimpse of the beautiful, pink-haired Fiona, something happens with him that never happened before. The disharmonious chaos of colors and sounds suddenly turn into harmonies and Nikolai finally finds peace. He doesn’t know who this girl is or what’s so special about her, all he knows that he needs her, and he can’t let the peace that the girl brought with her and that he yearned for years slip away from his hands.

It was such a unique and beautiful story! Emma Scott always amazes me with her outstanding talent and with her gripping writing style, and this time she spiced this amazing novel with some thrilling plot twists, too. I truly loved the characters, both the hero and the heroin had so many layers.

I highly recommend this book for everyone who would like to read something really unique.

▪▫▪
What do we usually crave in life?
Love, Money, pleasure, Peace the list is endless and so is our thoughts..we have an insatiable Hunger that shambles our mind.
There's a need, a yearning attached to every human alive.
Some have a need for love, for freedom or pain, quenching our thirst for the pleasure or pain that we desire.

That's how Nikolai finds himself in a place where the need to feel something is stimulating deep within him. The need to search for the answer about the gift and powers that he has since childhood, that also destroyed evrything he loved.
Nik has a power that's still a mystery to him, but he calls it his KEN, it gives him access to a person's soul, thoughts feelings, emotions, but the blessing a walking nightmare for him.
Bound by his power he's living a life that's like a half-full glass of water..
Half empty that's his soul and half full that includes the emotions of people who's around him..
The ken gave him nothing but Pain which left him no choice but to choose isolation, living on the road with a new destination that gives him time to heal from the pressure of the ken.
Apart from his Love of Poker which fulfills his needs of living, he didn't have anything to fill the emptiness
⚫
"He was a dream or a mirage… He’s gold…"
⚪
Until the moment he laid his eyes on Fiona the only person in the crowd of strangers shining bright and pink with an aura
of Happiness & Peace surrounding her and sucking him up..
After so many years Nik was mesmerized, it was like heaven for him. She made him Feel & for Nik it was like finding the answers of all the problems..
▫
"She was an infatuation, not a miracle."
▫
Fiona had the kindest soul, she was like moon trying g to give light but had scars, she was living a lie & running from a past..
⚫
"Not all punches come from fists,” I said.
“Not all cuts break the skin but I bruised and bled on the inside."
⚪
Her life was a Tragedy, she was tortured & robbed of the freedom to Live..but never backing down she had decided to get past of all this by setting a goal for herself, she worked hard because all she wanted was to Fly, to spread her wings and glide swiftly through every barriers.
⚪🔸⚪
Nik and Fiona had passion and spark,together they were Like a kaleidoscope and apart they were monochromatic.
⚪
"Two broken people holding on to one another
I inhe dark and making our own happiness."
⚫
Emma Scott's Writing was flawless, she will make you fall headfirst and head over heels in love with Nik & Fiona.
She created something beautiful and I was Bewitched with her imagination.
Nik & Fiona's story stole my heart.
Their story started as Two strangers shouldering secrets and scars.. but a desire that's fuelling them towards getting their goal, becoming free..
But Will they get past every restraint? Or has fate have a different plan for them?

To get the answers Read this Enthralling and Captivating Story that will suck you in and won't let you come out until you find their HEA.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I really liked this book. It is very well wriiten.
Sugar and Gold is the second standalone in the Dreamcatcher serie by Emma Scott.
It is my first Emma Scott read, but I can really recommend it.

I don't know what I can say that could possibly do this wonderful book justice. I adored Nik and Fiona, I loved their connection, their attraction, both physical and spiritual. The story pulled me in and carried me along on a glorious ride of heartbreak, hope and love. Elements of this story were so poignant they brought me to tears. Described in such beautiful detail, it had me wishing I could see some of the things that Nik did, the rainbow of colours for example, with my own eyes. The storyline itself never stalled and was so intriguing, so unpredictable and different, it left me wondering where it was going to take me next. I feared at certain points that everything was going to go horribly wrong and that this couple would not get the happy ending they so deserved. The secondary characters were completely delightful and I loved their friendship, support and humour.

Ms Scott is an incredibly talented author and I didn't want to put this book down. I devoured it knowing that each time I turned a page the closer I was to finishing a book I didn't want to end. My first read by this author, this is a story I will be thinking about and recommending for years to come.

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.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2130790885

3.5 Stars.

Nikolai has the “ken” meaning he can feel what others around him are feeling. He travels the country from one city to another without attachment. Fiona is living a low key life but is also running away from her past. She’s working on saving enough money to run as far away from the past as she can. After a one night stand that turns into three nights, Nikolai find that Fiona is the only one who can give him relief from his ken. These two both have dark history just lurking in the shadows. Can they manage to build a future together despite their tortured past and secrets?


It took me a while to read this book, but I did enjoy it. Nikolai and Fiona are great together. A great read if you’re a fan of dark and gritty New Adult romances.

Emma Scott is one amazing author. Every book I read by her is unique, unforgettable and simply blows me away. I don't typically read books that have a paranormal aspect to them, but I am so glad I picked this one up, because it was so, so good. The writing was stunning, the characters were easy to fall in love with, the romance was sweet and sexy, and the storyline was intense. This is without a doubt my favorite read this year... 5 stars all the way!

Sugar & Gold was a brilliant story of two broken people finding love and comfort where they least expect it. Fiona, ready to flee to the wild of Costa Rica, had no plans for love. Love was what broke her in the first place. Nikolai has a gift for seeing and feeling emotions from the people he comes in contact with. It's made him unwelcome by those he loves the most. He never thought a one night distraction could bring him the peace he craves.

I really loved this book. I'm a little surprised by that. You see, I'm not really one for paranormal stuff in books. I like my fiction to be realistic. But I really, really loved it in Sugar & Gold. Nik's gift was so well woven into the story. It gave him a connection with Fiona that went above and beyond what would have been in my realistic fiction. I adored their relationship and couldn't imagine it without Nik's colors.

Not only did Sugar & Gold have the whole paranormal thing going for it, but it also had some great twists. I couldn't have foreseen where this story was headed. I loved the turn it took and how everything worked out. I especially loved the epilogue.

If you want to feel all the feels, reach for an Emma Scott book. She won't let you down. She always crafts a sweet story filled with raw emotions. I was completely captivated by Sugar & Gold. It was just so beautiful. I highly recommend it.

A passionate, riveting page turner. The story is powerful and emotional! A hands down MUST READ!

As always the author writes another great story with amazing characters.

Emma Scott has a way of grabbing you from the first page. Prologues rarely grab my attention-but this one did.

I wasn't sure what I would think about "the ken" or the face the Nik pretty much hustles everybody playing poker-I'm not usually the gambling type. BUT Nik was so intriguing. From the tattoos to his quiet type personality. Nik and Fiona are absolutely perfect for each other. He helps her heal.

When he comes back into town, something he normally doesn't do, they are both questioning if it should happen. Fiona is scared to let another man in her life because of what happened with Steve. I'm the end love does conquer all. They were meant to be together and Emma Scott does a dang good job of making you know that! You can feel their chemistry within he pages of the book. You can tell the need that they have for each other.

Nik is also so protective over women because of his father hitting his mother. Who wouldn't want that in a book boyfriend? A guy you know will protect you. BUT at the same time Nik knows what's going on with Fiona because of the ken. Though he calls it their "tell"

“Just be,” I said. “That’s why we’re here. That’s what I want for you.” For some reason I absolutely love this! Just be. Stop worrying about everything else and that's what was happening in the moment.

I was so nervous when he finally told her the truth! And as expected she didn't take it well. He was able to know things that she never told
Anyone! And then she ends up in jail! This book has a lot of twists and turns and I just loved it! And him meeting Justin! Perfect

Anyway this book was amazing and I highly recommend it !

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 is the second book in the Dreamcatcher series which stars Fiona, a pink haired kind and sweet woman who is running from her past and Nik, a full body tattooed hottie who lives on the road and has a special ability to read people's feelings. Even though this book is part of a series, you can read it as a standalone. The heroes in the previous book do appear in this book briefly with an important role in the story but you do not have to read their book whatsoever to read Nik and Fiona's story.

Nik and Fiona share a one-night-stand that turns into a-couple-of-days-stand in which they share an undeniable deep connection that without them even noticing turns into the kind of feelings both of them have been running from for years. But life is complicated and with both of them hiding secrets from each other it becomes even more of mess and when both their secrets finally come out, everything that could go wrong does. This is where Justin from 'How to Save a Life' comes in to save their lives. This part for me was the best part of the book. I loved seeing everything come together.

The story although sweet, I couldn't really get into it. It felt like it took me forever to get into the book and I was really desperate to finish it. Comparing this book to the Full Tilt series, which I read and absolutely adored, this was a little disappointing but oh well, you can't love 'em all.

Sugar and Gold
Emma Scott

This story was adorable, there was true love, angst and even a bit of paranormal thrown into the mix. But this is Emma Scott so I wasn't the least bit suprised how with attached I got with Fiona and Nik and couldn't stop reading.

Fiona is a normal girl who has had a hard life came from a abusive husband and is running from life. But she's got a bucket list she created and decides it's time to have a bit of adult fun and meets Nik at the club she stopped at. Now Nik, poor Nik he's had life just ripped from him again and again, hes been basically just existing for years til he meets Fiona.
In epic fashion they fall into a instant connection but they decide this is only a fling til the undeniable connection is to hard to ignore. Now Nik has a secret though he's got something he calls "ken" which means he can see emotions in color form and senses things other people cannot. And Nik wants Fiona with all that he is but he's afraid she will be fearful and judge him like everyone else has in his past. And Fiona has her own insecurities and hang ups to deal with herself. Will Nik and Fiona come clean and will either except the things they are hiding? Are they soulmates?

5 stars for this book I absolutely adored Nik. I just wanted to wrap him up tight and never let him go and I fully rooted every step of the way for Fi and Nik to live happily ever after. This is one of these stories where your left with a stupid smile on your face and you feel maybe, maybe soulmates truly do exist.. For like 30 seconds.. Lol

4.5 stars

For a few years Fiona Starling lived a terrorized life. Two years after escaping that life, she still wasn't living other than working and surviving in order to achieve her end goal. But everything changed when she encountered a handsome tattooed stranger.

Nikolai (Nik) Alexei Young had a burden to carry since he was very young. With an innate ability to read people, he was often overwhelmed, forcing him to live an isolated life. He never knew calm until her presence soothed him. However, the secrets they both carried could end up pushing them apart.

I really like Nik right from the beginning. I could fee the strain of his life and how much he wanted it to go away. And I like how the bits and pieces of his past helped shed the light on his plight.

As someone who has been traumatized, Fiona was understandably cautious. She needed to protect herself from making the same mistake. She did show some spontaneity, but I'd like to see more of that especially towards the end.

What I like the most about the author's work is how each of her books centered around characters' life/situation that are not overly used in the over saturated market of romance genre. It made them stand out among (what I call) the "normal" books.

I like how both characters balanced each other's turmoil. They had good chemistry together and this book is the sexiest of the author's work I've read so far. However, the earlier part of the book was slower than I like. It took more than half the book for it to pick up, but once it did it certainly added more layers to the story.

Sugar & Gold revolves around a couple who have to learn to adapt to the life they were thrown into. It would appeal to readers looking for a contemporary romance with a little something extra.

Emma Scott amazes me every time. Always all the feels, always right from the start. Always loving every word, every sentence, every page.
Powerful writing and wonderful characters that feel like real friends make her stories so special and „Sugar and gold“ is no exception ♡
Nicolai and Fiona,these two broken souls stole my heart and I loved every second of their journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Emma Scott for providing me with a copy of this. It was my first Emma Scott book and now I know it will not be my last!

It took me a couple chapters to fully into this book. partly because I did not know what was going on, and partly because I was iffy about this book, despite as good as it sounded. Basically by the time the two characters finally met that's what hooked me in.

In other words, as great as the story and the characters are, it is really how the characters are together that really blew me away. Nik's "problem" is a really unique twist for the story and it's one of the things that pulls him to Fiona. Fiona is a classic case of a mentally and emotionally abused woman, who had it so bad she's in hiding from her husband. The two meet and find something in each other.

I went through so many waves of 'idk what's going to happen!' while reading this. First, they meet and agree to a one-night stand which turns into more. During which they are getting close and this is where I went,'how will they separate? how will they meet again' Because obviously they need to be together but she also seemed adamant about him leaving so.. Then they're finally together and both of their pasts need to be revealed. Again, how will that play out? Then once it did and what resulted from it had me going, 'Oh no, how will they fix this!'

All that to say this novel is the opposite of predictable. For that, I appreciate this novel beyond belief. Overall, I enjoyed this book a LOT more than I thought I would. It was a beautiful heartwarming tale that I suggest to everyone.