This was a short and sweet read. It follows Sari who runs a cafe with her two sisters in the Philippines. She is really annoyed when a bakery opens next door, run by Gabriel, a man she finds obnoxious, but who is apparently an amazing baker. What starts off as a not so friendly rivalry turns into something more, right before the holidays. However, Gabriel is so focused on meeting his fathers expectations that he loses sight of what's right in front of him.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed being introduced to Filipino desserts and customs. There were words and names of desserts in the native language which I didn't understand, but contextually, I could usually figure it out. I also enjoyed the love story, it was written well, without being cheesy.

I also loved the sisters relationship. I am also one of 3 sisters so could relate to the challenges and understanding they had with each other.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little romance, and that too around the holidays!

Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m not sure what or how it happened, but foodie romances have become a favorite of mine. I live for the scrumptious descriptions of whatever food it is that the book’s characters are selling. Also, I’m a huge fan of business rivals in romance. Foodie business rivals? I can’t get enough! Nothing too heavy though – I want to laugh, so I’m not really looking for angst when I read books like Sweet on You. Sweet on You opens with Sari, our heroine and owner of a café, taking note of the new bakery next door. Gabriel, our hero and the owner of said bakery, quickly pokes Sari’s buttons by offering cheap coffee with his baked goods, and coffee aficionado Sari takes it personally. She returns the favor, and next thing we know, a prank war ensues!

Wow, this was such a lovely read! From the get go, I love that Sari and Gabriel, our hero and heroine, despite being rivals, have no intentions of sabotaging each other’s businesses. Their prank war was just that – harmless, funny pranks. I was initially worried that someone would go too far, but thank goodness that didn’t happen here! I laughed nonstop at Sari’s and Gabriel’s ridiculous pranks and how elaborate they were! As the days passed by, it was so much fun to see Sari and Gabriel’s relationship grow behind closed doors, while their pranks entertain the people of Lanesway.

Gabriel was immediately attracted to Sari – in fact, the pranks were obviously partly a way for him to get Sari’s attention, but Sari is hesitant and more careful due to past and current experiences. Their relationship developed wonderfully with them peeling off each other’s layers, and supporting each other as they got to know each other better. Sari is terrified of being alone, and she hates changes, while Gabriel is desperate to show his father that baking can be a lucrative career. It was so satisfying to see Sari and Gabriel push and inspire each other – Sari is now more open to new adventures, while Gabriel learns that success is not synonymous to his father’s approval.

Another thing I liked about Sweet on You is how de Guzman incorporated Tagalog in the story, and how she didn’t directly translate what was said in the next paragraphs. I feel like the book flowed better this way since it showcased how a lot of Filipinos speak. Sweet on You also perfectly captured how important the holidays are for Filipinos, and how big the celebrations are. It also explored how important family is to Filipinos, with Sari’s relationship with her sisters and Gabriel’s relationship with his family a big part of the plot.

All in all, I enjoyed Sweet on You a lot. It’s my first Carla de Guzman book, but it certainly won’t be the last. As a matter of fact, I already bought two of her romance class titles, because I. Need. More! Also, while there are no announcements yet, there has to be more books set in this world, right? I mean, if there is a next book, I can already tell who the main characters are…

The story is set in Fillipiness during Christmas time. Sari runs part of the family business, the cafe. She is very good at making coffee taste amazing, but her pastries could use some work. :) I love her personality, she is passionate, driven, and kind of a grump. :)

Gabriel moves to the shop next door and opens a new bakery. His pastries are to dies for and he has something to prove. However Sari sees him as a treat to her shop, so they engage in a silly prank war. But the more time they are messing with each other, the more time they want to spend together.

I love the setting and the storyline. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I would have loved to drink one of her coffees. :) However, the writing wasn't my favorite and I'm not the biggest fan of the ending...

I wanted to like this book unfortunately I called it a DNF after a few chapters. I'm not sure if it was the translation but the writing felt very clunky making it hard for me to invest into the story.

I have been a fan of the #romanceclass books (romances in English by Filipino authors) for some time now and I was excited to read a Christmas story set in the Philippines. This was a true holiday treat for the soul and it also made me want to try all the Philippines sweets described in this book.

This is a funny, low-angst enemies-to-lovers romance, rather rivals of sorts, that get into some friendly competition with some pranks to the amusement to everyone in their neighbourhood.

There is a strong feel of a close-knit community of people caring for each other. I loved reading about the Filipino food and Christmas traditions and it never felt too much. Despite all the deserts Gabriel makes, the story never felt too sweet.

The family issues both Sari and Gabriel had to deal with made them real people to me. Neither of them was perfect, they both had fears and insecurities, moments of doubts and confusion. All this was happening while both of them were trying to build a successful career of doing the thing they loved the - baking for im, making the perfect coffee blends for her.

We get to see a lot of meddling family and well meaning friends, and despite the love and care, there was also some family tension and past hurts. I appreciate that her mum's fatphobia got called out and that is dad's patriarchal views were examined and ultimately over-turned.

The romance itself worked perfectly for me. It was both magical, based on strong chemistry between Sari and Gabriel and also real and tender. I liked how their intimacy developed slowly over time as they became more open with each other. His admiration for her, both her personality and her body, her learning to trust him, getting to see herself as worthy of his love and giving back that love ad support to him, it was a beautiful thing to read.

In short, this a perfect holiday romance for me to. I highly recommend it as bit sunshine in dark times.

CW: fatphobia, misogyny

I loved the descriptions of the food and the Christmas and Advent traditions, in this book, but unfortunately, I found the heroine and the hero both quite frustrating to read about. I'm not entirely sure why - I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me.

This was such a cute enemies to lovers romance. I love the fun pranks they played on each other! All the baked goods from Sunday Bakery sounded so delicious!! I wished the author had a glossy of terms to help with those that are unfamiliar with Filipino culture and language.

Knowing Carla de Guzman from #romanceclass and knowing the Carina Press promise, I had high hopes that Sweet On You will give me a satisfying time. I'm so thankful that I was right!

First of all, I'm so happy to see another POC author getting picked up by Carina Press, especially a Filipino one telling an unapologetically Filipino love story! Congratulations, Carla! I hope you can write more books with Carina Press!

This story began when local barista Sari meets the new baker next door, Gab. Her weakness in making pastries to match her delicious coffee is threatened by the handsome man next door. So, as mature adults, these business neighbors pulled pranks against each other. And, as much as they want to say they hate the other one, people around them see these pranks as a weird courtship process.

Aside from this, the book touched on the aspects of family, sibling relationships, following your dreams, and supporting small businesses and local brands.

Of course, a shining aspect of this book is all the Filipino culture representation. My mouth literally watered as each food item was discussed. In fact, I did find myself ordering Brazo de Mercedes as its the fave dessert of our dear Gab.

Perhaps the only thing that made me a little 'Hmmm...' on the book's journey is the fact that there's so many Filipino words and many of them were not translated nor made easily understandable for foreign audiences. For me, it's not a problem, of course. But, I just feel a little concerned how it will received by other readers.

Finally, let's talk romance. Sweet On You was able to hit everything that I want on a romance read. The couple is just so adorable and I love the way their story began. They each have their own flaws and I love how they complement and accept one another. One thing that took me by surprise were those steamy scenes! It was really steamy, so, they were able to give me the perfect romance my heart is yearning for.

Overall, Sweet On You is an awesome read, perfect for the holidays, and I definitely recommend it to all romance lovers!

"There's no such thing as too far in a prank war."
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Full disclosure, I've beta-read this September last year, but I've already forgotten most of it (it was a lifetime ago, LBH) so experiencing it again felt like the first time, more or less. And whole chunks of that version have been now edited so in a way, this really was the first time.

I love how Filipino it is. Like how deeply, unapologetically Paskong Pinoy it is! From the parols, to the videoke party, to the whole going-to-Simbang-Gabi-for-all-the-things-other-than-the-simba-itself! LOL. The initial prank war was fun and hilarious, the steam was on point, and ooh mama, the romantic parts were super nakakakilig! 😍

One thing I didn't notice last time but was so palpable to me this time was Gabriel's loneliness. I connected to Sari more bec, hello, I am most terrified of change as well, but huhu, Gabriel's isolation pulled its own weight in my heart. And it's worse bec it's self-imposed! I guess that's why his and Sari's quick-fire connection made so much sense to me despite the initial animosity between the two of them.

Anyway, I don't want to be a Grinch and spoil it, so I'll stop here, but I highly recommend this for those looking for a flavorful Holiday Romance. The food references are plenty so have at least a cookie with you when you're reading this. That's a pro-tip from me who had a box (or two) of baked goods from @munchquinn.bg when I started. 😘
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"You made me want you., when I've never wanted anything else for myself."
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*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC they provided for free in exchange for an honest review. I started with the ARC but I took too long so I finished the book with the published copy.

Normally, I love a snarky novel. LOVE IT. But in this case, the heroine was snarky in a rather unlikeable way. This stopped me from really engaging in the book and I didn't manage to get very far with it. The premise itself offers sweetness (both literal and figurative) but there was a bitter after taste for me.

This was such a cute rivals to lovers romance! I loved the prank war between Gab and Sari. They both try their hardest to not lose at the prank war. They were so cute and I loved the way their story started. I also loved all the descriptions on food and coffee in this book. It made me so hungry and want everything they talked about! If you’re looking for a sweet romance, I recommend this one!

This was the perfect start to my holiday reading. De Guzman puts a distinctly Filipino twist on the familiar small business rivalry plot, complete with pranks, mouthwatering food and coffee descriptions, and some serious family issues for both leads. It’s delightful AND a bit dark; my favourite combo.

And my goodness—Filipino Christmas sounds SO FUN! I want to join the celebration (minus the 4am Masses. I’ll attend the 9pm ones).

Plus, as I said before, SWEET ON YOU is a great pick for #ReadingAsia2021, and for anyone curious about #romanceclass (the group of Filipino romance writers who work in English). De Guzman doesn’t Americanize her work, so you get proper cultural immersion.

Low-angst rivals-to-lovers, set in the Philippines at Christmas. I have to say it's refreshing to get a non-Western holiday story and learn about new-to-me Christmas traditions. Family plays a big role for both Sari and Gabriel. The story could have moved a little faster (just personal preference). This was a my first book by a #romanceclass author. Liked it a lot. Looking forward to more.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin/Carina for access to this arc.

The conflict and resolution are told within the first chapter. It's a "rom com with enemies to lovers + pranks" so we know there will be silly behavior galore. 

The heroine is a 29 year old businesswoman who has been running the coffee shop cafe for three years but who knows she isn't living up to her own ideal coffee shop which has been stated to be great coffee + wonderful sweets/food. She knows this. Has known it for three years. Even her own sister thinks the prepackaged baked goods they sell are crap. 

She meets the hero and immediately hates him. Has the hero dissed her in any way? Tried her (prepackaged) baked goods and sneered at them? Disparaged her coffee or shop? Nope to all. Instead he's kind, goofy, and immediately tells her she's gorgeous. 

We're shown she has a temper and told that it's just because her mother did. Sari goes off at the least provocation including towards a customer in her own shop. Seriously when a customer slowly backs away from you it's time to dial it down a notch. Sari however, doesn't do this. It's up to her younger sister to try and salvage that customer relationship. Sari then snaps at Gabriel and follows up their meeting by banning any customers from her shop who have bought baked goods at his store. I mean, WTH?

Then we finally see Gab's POV with lots and lots of repetition. Lots. Sorry - I wanted to like this but just don't.  It has great Filipino culture and food but not much else for me. DNF

Aside from the fact that I'm not the right reader for holiday romances, I really don't like the writing style of the author and the main character. I just got bored reading the main character's thoughts, it's so cringe-y and painful to get through. I can still see this being enjoyed by other romance readers, though.

Hello Fellow Readers,

Sweet on your was such a delightful quick read! I've typically grown tired of all the enemies to lovers romances out there but Oh My! this was just so fun! I love the fact that we don't meet Gabriel right away and get to see Sari and her POV so we can understand her frustration and build up to their prank war. So, speaking of Sari, while I understood her and why she is how she is, Sari did come across as very temperamental and emotional, but that's why we had such amazing side characters such as Sam and Kira to call the Main characters on their BS.

Gabriel is pretty much the (im)perfect man. He is just so lovable, funny, and he can bake! He is my new book boyfriend, all other need not apply. Don't get me wrong, he does have issues and some baggage he's working on, but the fact that he's still such a joy to be around really does make him special.

Guzman writing is great and while I don't speak Filipino I love the inclusion of it especially considering where Sweet on you takes place. Also, the bit of body positivity were such a great surprise that I came out feeling great about myself and that is such a magical quality for Guzman to have.

Overall, oce again food and romance a winning combination and a romance readers must read

**Received as an arc from netgalley and all opinions are honest and my own**

This is a sweet rivals-to-lovers holiday romance that not only made my heart swoon, but also made my mouth water! This story follows Sari, the owner of a Cafe and is known for her delicious coffee and a new-to-town Baker who moves into the building next door. Gabriel is sweet and warm and instantly is taken to Sari when he first lays his eyes on her. Even though Gabriel is inviting and has the type of face that is hard to ever be mad at, he finds that Sari is quite his opposite: she is strong and tough and has a wall up that he's determined to break down with his own charm and baking. Eventually the two of them end up in competition mode and they embark on a series of pranks that eventually land them in one another's arms.

It is definitely a slow burn romance but it reads rather quickly. Aside from the two main characters being extremely well written with very distinct personalities that are attracting to each other even with rather large differences, we also get a peak into their families. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the dynamic between Sari and her two sisters, and Gab and his family of 8 siblings and his two parents. Christmastime always makes me think of family, and it was lovely to see family be such a large part of their life in the book. They had so many interactions that made me, as the reader, feel connected to the story from multiple perspectives.

The culture in this book was EVERYTHING! This is a Filipino Christmas romance and there were so many things to love about this part alone. I believe some of the language used in the story was written in Tagalog (I looked this up so if I'm mistaken I apologize) but I found myself having to look up what certain words meant and what they were describing. Why did I love that so much? Because for one, the banter was hilarious! I loved it and I wanted to know everything everyone was saying. Secondly, the food that was presented in this book deserved to be seen! Throughout the entire story I would look up what the food looked like (even though it was described to us) I just had to see it and WOW did I stay hungry throughout this entire story!

Overall, this book is definitely a holiday favorite. I honestly was so thrilled to read it and it did not disappoint at all. For those who may be wondering, the conflict in this book is very small and so if that is something you dislike in stories fear not, this book won't let you down. It also has a small steam factor, so although there a few sexy moments, the book is mostly sweet and heart-warming!

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Sweet on You is my first Carla de Guzman book and won't be the last. It's a combination of sweet, swoony, and steamy, with the classic rivals-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers trope. It is set on Christmas season here in the Philippines and you have a stubborn, somewhat uptight (?) barista girl, Sari, who runs a cafe, and Gabriel, a handsome baker who opens a bakery next door. Sparks fly and hijinks ensue when they compete for customers. I was rooting for both characters, but more with Gabriel. And the food descriptions are just mouth-watering.

I am looking and hoping for more Carla de Guzman books under Carina Press.

I generally really enjoy #RomanceClass books and Carla de Guzman is one of my favorite authors out of that group. I am so excited that she got the opportunity to publish with Carina. One of the things I loved about Sweet on You is that the foreign (to me) language is just part of the story. It’s generally not explained and honestly I really love that in #RomanceClass books because they’re not pandering to the white US-centric focus at all and it shows. I can tell by context clues what something is and if I really want to know there is the magic of Kindle where I can select that word and find out what it means *or* the magic of Google to find out even more.

However, while I found the setup of this book really cute with the dueling bakery/coffee shop owners, the execution of it was a bit lacking for me. I think the prank war that ensued made the main characters read a bit too young for my taste and it felt much more...high school or college than adult? It felt like that part went on too long for me. I really enjoyed the writing and with bakeries and coffee shops of course we got delicious food as well. I just wish the whole book read a bit older.

Sweet on You
by Carla de Guzman
HARLEQUIN - Carina Press
Carina Press
Romance
Pub Date 19 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 18 Nov 2020

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC of this book. A quick read for the romance lover.
It was published yesterday so get a copy!