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.

Sugar and Gold was a good read. The story started off slow then the pace slowly picked up. This is not a fast action read, but don't let that deter you from reading this book because you will enjoy this story. I absolutely loved the main and the secondary characters and the story had a bit of paranormal feel to it. There was a lot of inner monologue but it honestly goes with the story; its a huge part of the story or shall I say the characters. The ending was so loving and sweet that it made the story worthwhile. The ending alone makes you want to recommend this story to all romance reads because there is no doubt that they will enjoy it. I know I did.

First of all, Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

A Short Blurb:

Fiona takes Nikolai under her roof for three sultry nights, waiting out the rain of a summer storm. She grows more and more fascinated by this brooding stranger with whom she shares an intense physical connection—a connection so strong, she wonders if there is something between them beyond lust and passion. Nikolai is shocked to discover that Fiona calms the raging turmoil in his heart. She alone silences the din of other people’s lives, and envelops him in the sweet beauty of her inner self. Every moment he’s with her—every touch of her skin—brings him closer to the peace that’s been eluding him his entire life.

Cover Review:

The cover is quite simple, yet attractive and metaphorical. Nikolai is pictured to be walking off to nowhere, while the cage at the top depicts the escape of Fiona from her marriage/cage. To be truly honest, had I judged the book solely on its cover, I wouldn't have thought of reading it, or given it much thought.

Review:

The novel has been written from two major point of views, Nikolai's and Fiona's. The author managed to maintain a different writing style for both the characters, making them realistic and believable.

The dialogues were well-written and witty, humorous and serious, and everything that a good novel should include.

Some parts of the book made me laugh, while others made me want to cry.

I stayed up late just so I could read this book till the end, so that I could see them off to their happy ending...because they had to have it, right?

Analyzing this book critically would spoil its beauty, because I really enjoyed reading it, and found it one of the sweetest books I've ever read.

Sugar And Gold gets a well deserved 5 star from me, for everything it was.

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.

Sweet with a spark. Broken people healing one another.