A holiday rivals-to-lovers romance featuring a baker hero and a barista heroine? Sold! I'd been looking forward to picking up Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman since I first heard about it.

Sweet on You takes readers to the Philippines where Sari Tomas is living her dream of running a local café. But as the holidays start to roll around her usual plans are interrupted by the arrival of Gabriel Capras, who opens a bakery directly next door. When the bakery opening results in lost customers, a prank war kicks off between the two.

Prank wars can be hit or miss with me because sometimes they can feel malicious, de Guzman nicely avoids that by making it clear that Gabriel had heart eyes for Sari from the jump. Add in that the entire town sees the pranks as an elaborate courtship, and it made the one-upmanship a fun part of the story.

Taking place around Christmas means this book is packed with holiday fun and delicious seasonal treats. There's also a strong focus on family—from Sari's fears of the way everything might change when her sister expresses a desire to move to the fact that Gabriel is keeping his bakery a secret from his family, fearing they won't support him.

If you love a good prank war in a romance and are looking to pick up a seasonal read, definitely check out Sweet on You!

I love finding own voices filipino romance books! And a cooking romance at that! This was a solid sweet and fun read, I really enjoyed all the cooking aspects and the setting. I recommend if you're looking for a quick, cooking themed romance. 3-3.5 stars

I need more holiday romcoms where a rival baker and coffee shop owner start a prank war! Absolutely adorable and i'm smitten with these two. This book will also make you very hungry.

Sweet on You is indeed very sweet. Gab and Sari both have family "stuff", but they're good people who love their jobs and staff and, eventually, each other. Unfortunately, this made Sweet On You one of those books I can easily put down because there wasn't enough conflict to keep me invested. After about 100 pages, my brain said "okay, HEA!" and decided the plot was over? I loved Carla de Guzman's dialogue and appreciated that neither restaurant felt like the usual fiction kind where you can just disappear on a whim and nothing burns down, but it was --I can't believe I am writing this-- too gentle. Their prank war is short-lived and after that the conflict hinges upon Sari's insecurity, Gab's father issues and not much else. It just felt so obvious that they were meant to be together that I didn't feel compelled to keep reading. I think if this had been a novella, I would have zipped through and this would easily get 4 stars from me. As it is, I think it's a solid read but not the right kind for my current reading brain.

I received a digital copy of this ebook from the publisher for review, but ended up purchasing an audiobook copy after struggling with the ebook.

This book had everything I like in a romance novel, but I just couldn't get into it. I found myself reading other books instead of this one and eventually had to force myself to finish it so I could write this review.

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

After a few too many cutesy Christmas romances (totally my fault), I decided to take a break and spread the holiday cheer over the other 11 months. Sweet on You is my latest Christmastime story, and it is charming and fun. The romance happens pretty quickly, like the whole thing happens in about a month, so that's something to keep in mind if you don't like instalove. I'm not crazy about it, but instalove does make for a nice bit of escapism in a cute and entertaining RomCom, which is what we have here. Gabriel and Sari start out as rivals, and we have lots of banter and pranks. For me, some of that was a little too over the top and it felt like childish flirting, but it was still amusing to read, and it was great for lifting the spirits. There was maybe a bit too much time spent in the characters' heads, but overall the story is fast-paced and a low angst, easy read.

FULL INTERVIEW ON FRESH FICTION

1--What’s the name of your latest release?

Sweet on You

2--What is it about?

It’s about a rivalry between a barista and a baker, set during the peak of the Christmas season on the Philippines.

3--What word best describes your heroine?

Stubborn.

4--What makes your hero irresistible?

He’s charming, but not in the way that he thinks he is.

5--Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?

Sari would rather suffer alone than ask for help, but if she had to, she would turn to her friend Kira or her older sister, Sofie.

GIVE ME ALL THE PRANK WARS AND RIVAL EATERY ROMANCES! I absolutely adored the premise of this book and then when I read it? I loved it even more. This author is a one-click for me from here on out!

“Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.” – H.L. Mencken
Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman is the super sweet, with lots of heat, Holiday romance that you should immediately add to your TBR pile. While Sweet on You does not fall under your typical brand of marshmallow fluff Christmas-themed romance, the fact that it takes place in a town outside of Manilla brings an unexpected, yet wholly welcome change. Think of Sweet on You like Chocolat but with Filipino flair.

My favorite romance trope —hands down—is enemies to lovers. Carla de Guzman completely delivers on all the angst and feelings going into this one. You know what they say about that fine line between love and hate? Sari and Gabriel flirt with that line like their lives, and business, depend on it.

Sari Tomas is a fierce business woman, whose talent is crafting coffee creations that bring visitors in from far and wide. Her only downfall is her distinct lack of equally delicious pastries to enjoy with her amazing coffee. Gabriel Capras unknowingly started a war when he crashed into Sari’s life, upending her peace and quiet, and hitting her right where it hurts…by opening a bakery right next door.

So what’s a coffee girl to do? Start a prank war and deny those warm fuzzy feelings for the handsome new bakery owner next door. Sari and Gabriel’s prank war is the perfect remedy to distract each other from their budding feelings, as well as the family drama that is so lovingly described throughout the story. When Sari and Gabriel finally give into their feelings, well that’s when the real drama begins.

Sweet on You reads like a small town romance set within a distinct neighborhood. The characters are vivid and lovable. The descriptions of the coffee and pastries don’t detract from the storyline at all, in fact, it enhances the romance and fun of the storyline. Sometimes the smattering of Filipino phrases could be distracting when they came without context, but other times I could easily pick out the phrasing easily and it often enhanced the reading.

Overall, this holiday-themed romance was highly enjoyable, and I highly recommend reading Sweet on You! The ebook is available now, and if you’re a paperback fan, mass market editions will be released in late December.

As a fan of all things baked goods and romance, how could I possibly have resisted the charm that is the idea of a bakery rivals-to-lovers romance in Sweet on You? I mean there's pranking involved. I stood no chance! Sweet on You was my first book from Carla de Guzman, but I was so charmed that I immediately went to add her previous titles to my wishlist. There's a lot to like about Sweet on You, but I particularly enjoyed the romance between a somewhat cranky heroine, Sari, and a sunshine hero, Gabriel. They worked well together even they were pranking each other's butts off. I loved the fluffy feels this book gave me, making it the perfect romance novel to read when you just want something positive and happy. Sweet on You also excels at exploring all the family relationships. Sari and her sisters have a lovely bond and their love for each other shines through. Gabriel's relationship with his family is a little more complicated as there are lies involved, but the nuances were tackled very well. Then, there's the setting. This isn't my first book set in the Philippines, but it still felt like such a fresh look into the part of the country. I love how the community was a living and breathing part of Sweet on You. I did feel like the book lost a bit of steam towards the end, but I wouldn't say it took away from my enjoyment. All in all, Sweet on You was fun, fluffy, and romantic - what more can I ask of a Christmas romance? I look forward to reading more from Carla de Guzman!

If you are a foodie, you will love this fun festive book. Sweet on You is the story of two adversaries, Sar and Gabriel. This book has a lot of You've Got Mail vibes, with the extra bonus of being set in Manila. I loved all the food references. It made me want to find a filipino bakery to try all the goodies mentioned.

There's nothing like Christmas in the Philippines and Carla de Guzman reminded me of this fact with Sweet on You. All the food, the language, the traditions (Christmas starts on September 1st, the simbang gabi, etc.), and culture incorporated in the story made me miss my birth country so much. I relate well with the family dynamics, close friendships, and tight community, with the chismosas meddling, and with the expectations for the eldest child that Gabriel experienced,

I like the low level of conflict in the romance and the rivals-to-lovers trope. I absolutely love the descriptions of Gabriel's baked goods and Sari's coffee concoctions. The matchmaking and teasing by the staff came out as charming.

I wasn't too keen on the pranks. Some of them were unprofessional and a tad juvenile. I preferred the characterization of Gabriel compared to Sari's. She was a bit of a downer with her insecurities and objections towards Gabriel. Many of the Filipino words could have been translated better. The search for contextual clues interrupted the flow too often for my preference.

Overall, a good read and a nice representation of the talent of Filipino romance authors.

Sweet on You by Carla de Guzman is a contemporary romance. For barista and café owner Sari Tomas, Christmas means parols, family, and no-holds-barred karaoke contests. This year, though, a new neighbor is throwing a wrench in all her best-laid plans. The baker next door—“some fancy boy from Manila”—might have cute buns, but when he tries to poach her customers with cheap coffee and cheaper tactics, the competition is officially on. And Baker Boy better be ready, because Sari never loses. Foodie extraordinaire Gabriel Capras want to prove to his dad that his career choice doesn’t make him any less a man. The Laneways might not be Manila, but the close-knit community is the perfect spot to grow his bakery into a thriving business. He wasn’t expecting a gorgeous adversary in the barista next door, but flirting with her makes his heart race, and it’s not just the caffeine. It’s winner takes all this Christmas. And more than one competitor might just lose their heart for the holidays.

Sweet on You is an enemy to lover romance that that had me craving coffee and food through most of the read. I liked Sari, and could relate to her need to act like everything is fine and project that kind of stability even when she felt like the world was falling down around her. I could also understand Gabriel's family connections and his desire to prove ho9mself even when it should not be necessary. I enjoyed their bickering and pranks with each other even more than I liked each character individually. I always enjoy a good slow burn of fighting attraction and finding a happy ending in spite of fear and emotional baggage after doing a bit of soul searching. I also liked that consent and the emotional wellbeing of other characters was paramount in the minds of Gabriel and Sari even when they were fighting. I was entertained by the read, and while I did not immediately understand some of the phrases used and know the food mentioned by name alone- a little effort on my part gave me a better understanding and appreciation for a culture other than my own. It also left me with a list of foods that I want to try, and some that I want to try and bake over the holidays.

Sweet on You is a romance that is sweet with a a good amount of humor and a dash of heat.

2020 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Meta

2020 Jingle Books Bingo (#JingleBooks🎄): A Christmas Abroad

3.5 stars

Rival bakeries/coffee shops in Lipa, Philippines + prank war + celebration of Christmas and Simbang Gabi. I’m so behind on my tbr that I one-clicked a kindle sale before I read my arc. 🙈

Definitely worth a read even if I didn’t love this as much as the author’s other work. I like a good prank war, but I prefer it outside a work environment (so that storyline didn’t totally work for me here). I loved the sisterly dynamics and both MC’s feelings of desolation/pressure to live up to family expectations. I hope we get a book for Kira/Santi!

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sari and Gabriel each had their own family issues to work on, and spent a great deal of time antagonizing themselves and thus each other with said issues. Once they started working together instead of against each other, this novel, and their businesses, became much sweeter.

Rivals, family, food, and Filipino holiday traditions all blended deliciously well in this sparkling contemporary romance. Cover cuteness and curiosity about another culture's holiday celebrations had me reaching for this bit of mischief that turned out to be my favorite holiday read of the season.

Sari owns a cafe and world is well-ordered, but when the baker moves in next door, she doesn't plan on losing the competition that springs up between them. Gabriel has bigger goals than a successful bakery, but the chance to prove to his father that he can be a man and a baker of delicious treats. If only the fiery and cute barista didn't tempt him to flirt along with his ploys to one up her.

Sweet on You delivers on the sweet romance. There is a rivalry at the beginning and it sizzles with attraction that the romance pair are the last to figure out as they pull not-to-serious pranks on each other that they are obviously trying to get the other's attention. They quickly tumble into love so this was an easy-going, adorable story with moderate conflict as Sari must get past her issues with change and Gabriel has something to prove and they learn that they are good together as a couple and furthering their chosen careers.

I have enjoyed Filipino food in the past, but I was seriously drooling and especially over Gabriel's baked goods and the meals mentioned. I had close Filipino American friends and Filipino neighbors, but as a kid I didn't pay attention much so getting the cultural background felt all new and exciting to me in Sweet on You. It was fun to get the scenes with friends and family. I would love stories about them all as their characters were just as engaging as Sari and Gabriel.

This was uncomplicated and fun through and through. It read so fast for me and I was feeling a good sort of holiday hangover. This is standalone and I can recommend it to those who want a cute and easy holiday romance possibly from a culture not your own.

I DNF couldn't get through this book.
********************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley*************************

This started off a little slow for me, but I’m glad that I stuck with it. The story where two rivals who engage in prank wars but then get together is probably a story that has been told many times before. But I enjoyed reading how it played out in this book. I liked the dynamics between the two leads and although Sari sometimes came across as too harsh, it made sense for her character. I really loved the fact that it was set in a bakery and cafe, that added a sweet touch!

I tend to gravitate towards bakery romances because I love that as a setting, and this one sounded particularly cute. Sadly, it didn't end up working for me though. The main reason for that is that I didn't like either of the main characters, and liking them is pretty important in a romance. Because of that, I didn't feel invested in the romance. I also had mixed feelings about the writing style. I loved the use of Filippino words and phrases without explaining them. But the writing style as a whole didn't work for me.