Oh my gosh, this is just as sweet as the title (and that cute cover) implies! It’s a romance that sparks from a rivalry between a coffee shop owner and the new bakery owner during the Christmas season in the Philippines.

“It was competition, after all, and if Sari couldn’t be the best, what was the point?”


Sari doesn’t care for change, whether that’s something as small as a new bakery moving in next door to her coffee shop or as big as her little sister moving out. Maybe that explains why she doesn’t like Gabriel, the owner of that bakery, even though there’s every reason she should. He’s handsome, he has killer dimples when he smiles, and he dances when he bakes. Her initial enmity towards him leads to a prank war, which everyone around them seems to think is, well, flirting. Between in between all the karaoke and peppermint coffees, there’s definitely something there, but can either person step away from their businesses long enough for a little Christmas romance?

“So how are you and your neighbor ‘getting along’?”
“Fine.”
“Ah, so it’s going badly.”


The thing I loved most about both characters is that they’re both insanely good at what they do. Reading about Sari expertly making an americano or Gabriel making mango-and-cream cake was not only delicious but deeply fulfilling – I adore competent characters. As Sari’s sister Sam describes them, they’re “[t]wo lonely, petty masters of their craft that refuse to see how perfect they are for each other.” That’s a pretty funny thing to highlight especially since most of the first part of the book consists of rom-com level silly pranks, but it works out well with the general tone of the book.

“Sari didn’t open her café to peddle pastries, she was here to dispense legally allowable stimulants in proper dosages, sometimes with milk and sugar.”


The book’s light on conflict. There’s the inevitable family disagreements – Sari’s struggling with her little sister moving out while Gabriel’s trying to prove himself to his dad who doesn’t believe that baking is manly, nor that it’s something that can support a family. He wants to prove himself to his dad by having a store in a mall, or even better, a franchise. Sari’s happy with the family cafe and roasting beans for the family coffee company, and has no plans to go anywhere other than Lipa. The romance happens pretty quickly, but Gabriel was such an absolute cinnamon roll that it was easy for me to accept. He’s immediately drawn to Sari, and it was adorably sweet watching him figure out how to get her to agree to go on a date with him. Not that he expected their date to be to a traditional Filipino advent mass at dawn, but, well, it’s still a date! There’s also several instances of absolutely lovely consent, and Sari isn’t shy about showing Gabriel what she likes in bed.

As for cons, I didn’t like the way the conflict with Gabriel’s family wrapped up. I know it’s a Christmas book so of course there’s going to be lots about family and reconciliation and all that, but it felt like a letdown after the giant buildup of how the past few years of Gabriel’s life had been a response to those actions. And, something that I personally enjoyed but might be a con for some readers, if you’re not familiar with #romanceclass, the stellar group of writers from the Philippines, you’ll probably have to spend some time googling various phrases and all the different foods and Christmas decorations (capiz parols!), but it’s completely worth it. Trust me when I say that you’ll spend most of the book craving one of Gabriel’s delicious pastries or an expresso from Sari.

Overall, this is a sweet Christmas romance, full of delicious food and rom-com hijinks. Definitely recommended!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Title: Sweet On You
Author: Carla de Guzman
Publisher: Carina Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Sweet on You" by Carla de Guzman

My Speculation:

I like how this author presents 'Sweet on You' that features Sari, a coffee expert, and Gabriel [Gab] being a baker extraordinaire of main sweets. I loved the food descriptions. I like how the romance started for these two with prank wars but ended up quite different as the story continued as these two began to falls for each other. What was somewhat surprising was that 'they took only three days to fall for each other. The secondary characters, especially the siblings, really helped bring out the story to the reader. I enjoyed the country of the Philippines that was represented and the culture that was well presented. By the end of the read, the reader will be presented with a 'sweet romance, Christmas Cheer, along with some delicious food.'

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

CW: fat-shaming (heroine's mother mostly, and it has made Sari stop eating sugar and carbs bc she feels bad), toxic masculinity (hero's dad)

Sweet on You is really adorable and full of descriptions of delicious-sounding baked goods and fancy coffees, and I'm not at all mad at it.

My favorite thing about this book, aside from the general happiness of it, is the setting. It takes place in the city of Lipa in the Philippines. There's very little romance written in English that takes place in a country that's not in North America or Europe, and most of the ones that do feature white people traveling to that country. It's so refreshing to read a book about locals living their lives. Not that I dislike the travel romances, because I don't, but I would love to see more books like this one.

Sari and Gabriel start out as rivals, though I wouldn't bill this as hate to love, because it's far too over-the-top silly to really sell the hate aspect. It's not really believable the way they launch into an absurd prank battle, started because Sari's so mad to have a competing business next door. They absolutely act like children and some of the pranks are ridiculous. That said, I really didn't mind. It was tropey and ridiculous and did feel like something I could see in a rom-com. I thought it worked in this context.

I like the dynamics of Sari and Gabriel a lot. She's bitter and tense and controlling, and he's a cinnamon roll who could probably bake a mean cinnamon roll. There's a lot of stuff about toxic masculinity and the way its affected Gabriel, who defies a lot of the things the traditional male gender role expects of him. More heroes like this! The chemistry wasn't entirely believable for me, so it wasn't really a strong ship, but I do like them. I like how into her Gabriel is immediately, even when she's grumpy but also how he's not mature about dealing with his feelings in any respect.

The last quarter of the book is a beat weak imo. [Gabriel reveals that he's going to be moving his business into a mall, and Sari panics that he's leaving her and betraying the local shops, so she dumps him after they were together for three days. Listen, I know her triggers, but wow it's not like he was moving far away? And they could have then partnered their businesses so she got her coffee into the mall and he had his baked goods in her cafe, which needed new baked goods anyway? Honestly, this solution makes so much more sense than what they devised in the epilogue. The amount that she got mad was so over the top and illogical. I was willing to set it aside for the opening shenanigans, but not in this section.

I also though Gabriel's dad's change of heart was completely undeveloped. He's basically like "I know I said terrible things about how real men don't bake and you can never support a family this way, but jk all I wanted all along was your happiness. I CALL BULLSHIT. He didn't own quite how terrible he was, and I also don't believe he would have learned anything. Another pet peeve was the way his sisters kept telling him to accept that his dad would always judge him (though that conveniently changes) and get over it. You don't have to keep toxic people in your life! (hide spoiler)]

If you're looking for an indulgent read as fluffy as meringue, this might be a perfect match. It's a great readalike for Jackie Lau's Baldwin Village series, both in foodieness and fluffness.


I received this eARC for free from NetGalley/Carina in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A pleasant tale of a coffee shop owner and the owner of a bakery next door. Unfortunately, I do not know Portuguese and am unfamiliar with the foods that are mentioned in the book. A big drawback for me.

A really sweet, fun and cozy book to read in the holidays.

Both two characters were compelling and charming, with excellent development. As for the plot, this was good focusing not only on the romance between the two main characters, but on their family dynamics, which is appreciated. I just wish this had a little more substance.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Harlequin – Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (October 19th, 2020)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Loss of a loved one (in the past), sexism, mentions of divorce (in the past), abandonment, mentions of body shaming (in the past), sex


Oh, I loved this! I loved this so much, with my whole heart and soul. I’m a big softy for books that involve coffee shops, cafes, and bakeries. There’s something that reminds me of home when these elements are thrown in. Throw in the sibling bonds and the importance of family, *chef’s kiss* perfection! Truly, this is sure to make it onto so many reading lists as we approach closer to the holidays. It truly is an adorable read!

Set in the Philippines, Sweet On You follows two shop owners forming a rivalry between each other. When the empty store next to Sari’s cafe sells, Sari doesn’t like the thought of competition or change one bit. Then she meets the owner, Gab, the baker extraordinaire, and in that moment their rivalry is set in stone. Soon, the prank wars begin! But while these two are lost in the tide of pranks, everyone around them begins to question on whether or not this is actually a courtship. And that might be true! Even though they’re knees deep in pranks, they just can’t help themselves from flirting with one another.

🧁 Sari Tomas – The cafe owner of Tomas Coffee Co., who doesn’t like change and tries to avoid it at all cost. But over the next ten days leading up to Christmas, big changes throw her into a whirlwind. It started with Sunday Bakery opening next door, then her younger sister, Sam announced she’s moving out. With all these changes, Sari can’t help feeling everything is moving on with life, everyone except her.

“But the Laneaways had wriggled its way into his heart, and the person standing across from him was one of the biggest reasons why.”

🧁 Gabriel Capras – The owner of Sunday Bakery, who’s been trying to prove to his father that he can be professional and financially successful baker. With big dreams and goals keeping him motivated, Sunday Bakery is his first step to making those dreams come true. There’s just one problem, he never expected someone like Sari Tomas to wiggle their way into his heart.

Amidst all the pranks, these two rivals will start to find it impossible to spend their days without thinking of one another. Every thought with flash to some moment of the time these two have spent together, spicing up each others days. Even the hard days will be a little less hard. After all, baked goods and coffee speaks volumes to the soul!

I really loved our two main characters! Their personalities were absolutely fantastic and you could instantly tell the chemistry these two characters had. Both of these characters are like wizards in their own kitchens and the scenes we get of them making coffee or food were fantastic. Also, I really enjoyed the way these two characters talked about their siblings, how much love radiates from them throughout this book, and I loved seeing our main characters reconnecting with their siblings and family. It really warms my heart and I couldn’t help feeling soft, and a bit sappy about it.

“But most of all, I can’t imagine being here without you. You’re home to me now.”

And the way these characters fall in love with one another is hilarious yet so wholesome. They try so hard not to fall for each other and seeing them come together was so sweet. There’s something about a slow fall and then fast that really lures me in. The way the author wrote it, gave me everything I wanted from their romance. They had some hilarious moments, but they had some really endearing moments. The really steamy moments were perfect and there were some moments in those steamy scenes that got me a little choke up. I will say, if you’re not a fan of sexy times in books then this might not be the book for you. There are at least two major sexy moments in this book and if that impacts your reading, just know that those are in this book.

Of course, there’s the food featured in this book. A book has never made me look up so many foods that quickly. If someone were to open my browser right now, they’d just find countless pages of all the Filipino food. The way food is talked about in this book is so heavenly, so deliciously, that I recommend you read this on a full stomach. Otherwise, you’re going to be sitting there wanting to take a bit out of your book. I also loved the way Gab named some of his baked goods after his siblings. I thought that was the sweetest thing and I’m not going to lie, a little swoon worthy.

Overall, I had such a great time reading this snuggly, cozy, holiday romance! I loved so much about this book and I think many readers are going to enjoy curling up with this book. I think this book will really make the reader want to travel and I know this makes me eager to pick more books up by this author. I really loved the culture throughout this book and I’m excited to see what her other books have in store especially if its romance! I definitely recommend picking this book up during this holiday season especially if you’re looking for a book to brighten you day up!


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

This book caught my eye because of the rival neighbors plot line. I’ve also read and enjoyed a lot of #romanceclass novels, so I was excited to read this on! Set in the Philippines, Sweet on You was a sweet holiday read.

Sari runs a coffee shop and helps run a coffee company with her two sisters. When Gabriel and his bakery move in next door, they instantly form a lighthearted rivalry that evolves into a prank war. However, pranks soon give way to genuine flirting.

I really liked the characters! Sari and Gabriel have their own worries and plot lines outside of their pending romance. They both have such great character arcs. I particularly liked how they both have somewhat complex yet close family relationships, particularly with their siblings. There were a couple of other side characters who egg Sari and Gabriel on, which added a lot of humor.

The romance was also so cute. I liked following Sari and Gabriel’s prank war and seeing how compatible they are. Their dynamic was really great!

This book is ownvoices for Filipino rep, and it’s set in the Philippines during Christmastime. I enjoyed reading about the different traditions that take place around this time. It added a warmth to the story on top of the already sweet romance.

Sweet on You was an adorable read with an amazing cast of characters. The romance was sweet, and you’ll be left with your mouth watering after reading the descriptions of all the coffee and baked goods. If you enjoy holiday and/or rivals-to-lovers romances, you should definitely check out Sweet on You!

First of all, if you are going to pick this book up, go out and make sure you're stocked up on everything you need to make your favorite dessert or buy something ready made. Maybe a box of somethings ready made. Secondly, make sure you're capable of making a decent cup of coffee at home since, you know, we're in a pandemic and can't read at a cozy coffee shop anymore. Now that you know the two things I should have assumed and prepared for before diving into this book, let me tell you some other things about it.

This book follows Sari Thomas, owner of a really cute sounding coffee shop with bad pastries, whose sister Sam just told her she's moving out. Sari, a woman after my own heart, despises change. And that change coupled with the fact that there's a bakery moving in next door to the coffee shop has her furious. The fact that the baker is a cute man who dances around the kitchen as he bakes? Not important. Which is why they get into a bit of a prank war.

Gabriel is a complete cinnamon roll who is high key determined to prove himself to his dad, even if that means lying to his family that he's still in Australia instead of letting on that he's back in the Philippines. But he's all in on this fun prank war with Sari, whom he finds super attractive.

The two of them have pretty different goals in life, with Sari really loving having roots and keeping her life sort of small. Not in a bad way. It's just, what she wants are comforts of home and family. And Gabriel is ambitious in that in order to prove his dad wrong about the whole boys shouldn't be bakers because they have to be able to provide for their families, he thinks he needs a chain of bakeries. This conflict is interesting because it's largely internal and I think is really remarkably dealt with. At times they both had me aggravated because I was just like, compromise or communicate?? But you know, I'm an avoider too, so that's unfair.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one and I would definitely recommend if you enjoy community, family drama, and prank wars in your romances. Just really, learn from my mistakes and have your supplies ready to go! Thanks to Netgalley and Carina for the review copy!

Rating 3.5

I have been a fan of romance class books for a while now so I'm so glad this sweet, fluffy Christmas book got picked up by Carina! I've read and enjoyed Carla's self pubbed books. So if you're looking for some low angst, foodie goodness, I'd say this one if for you.

I'm not a coffee drinker but I do love me some baked goods so this book made me pretty hungry. Everything Gabriel baked sounded so delicious and I can't even fault Sari for falling for him and his dimples hehe.

I loved the prank aspect of it. From the moment Sari realizes Sunday Bakery is a thing that's happening next door she's not pleased and it makes for some truly fun scenes as the prank war ensues! The condom scene! LOL.

It was also fun to see mentions of characters from previous romance class books. I have read enough of the books that I can recognize cameos/book crossovers now :) I love when the authors do this in each others works and I guess it's a fun little game for me now to see if I spot them.

I loved seeing how the Laneways community prepares for Christmas, all the various aspects leading up to the day seemed so fun and I felt like I wanted to be there for it all. And the food of course.

Also, I am intrigued by Kira and Santi and I really hope they get a book?? I want books for Sari's sisters too. Mooore in this series please.

I think this story was a great atmospheric read. The story takes place in Lipa, Philippines during Christmas time. I loved the descriptions of how the stores decorate (some even over the top decorations) for Christmas. The descriptions of food and how everyone gets together for Simbang Gabi. I could picture it and even wished I could experience it.

I found one of the main characters, Sari, to be a bit boring in the beginning. She’s the middle sister and owner/barista of Cafe Cecilia and she had a problem right away with the new business next door, Sunday Bakery, and the owner, Gabriel. I think the way she hated Gab in the beginning was unnecessary. She was angry that a new bakery was opening next door, which meant she had to find new pastries to sell with her coffee. Then she was upset that her younger sister, Sam, decided to move out. So when Sari initially interacted with Gab, those two things were on her mind while yelling at him that he was being loud. On the other hand, I found when the chapter moved to Gab’s POV, it started to feel more fun and enjoyable.

Once they declared they were going to have a prank war, I expected it to be full-on pranks. The mean, hurt your feelings kind of pranks. But these were harmless and even sweet type of pranks.

I enjoyed the side characters, like Gab’s manager, Ransom. In the beginning he was caught in between Gab and Sari’s pranks. I loved when he said “Please leave me out of this. I literally did not sign up for this.”

There is major kilig with Sari and Gab. They are both the same in that they’re stubborn and workaholics, but when they’re together, it just makes you swoon over them. There are also some good steamy scenes in here.

This was a fun story to read. I admit that I was bored in some parts, but the way Sari and Gab’s friendship and love grow between each other makes up for it. The atmospheric descriptions were wonderfully written. I am so happy I read this book and am so in the mood to decorate for Christmas now. Lol. I gave this 4 ⭐️

Sari Thomas does not like change and in the 10 days leading up to Christmas, a lot of big changes come at her. First of all, her sister announces she’s moving out. Secondly, a bakery is opening up next to her café and the baker is a good looking man who plays his music too loud and produces amazing goods. He irritates Sari immediately.

Gabriel Campos is trying to prove to his father that he can be a professional and financial success as a baker. He has big dreams and the bakery in the Laneways is just a baby step. When the pretty coffee roaster next door bans his pastries from her shop he starts offering a free cup of instant coffee with purchase. Sari and Gab distract themselves from their bigger problems with a prank war. Everyone else sees it for what it is – courtship.

I loved reading Sweet on You. I spent a lot of time looking up Filipino food. I know now that when I can travel again I’m going to want to be in the Philippines just before Christmas (or at least to the Filipino restaurant on the other side of town). There was a lot I wasn’t familiar with, and I was happy to either figure it out from context or look it up (bastos means rude). I do worry that some readers will be impatient with the Filipino centric romance, but I remind them of two things: 1) the vast majority of romances have been Western centered and non western readers have had to deal with it.

“What are you looking at?”

“Just trying to picture this scene I’m reading. The viscount is playing some sort of competitive sport on a huge field, and I don’t know enough about white people sports to understand it,”

And 2) those readers will be missing out on a soft, snuggly, lovely romance. Once Gab and Sari really start talking to each other, they discover they have a lot in common and that their differences are complimentary. The consent is consistent from their very first “joke” kiss. They both love historical romances. One of the things that made me particularly happy was when Gab correctly used the KonMari method to get Sari into his life. I also loved that the conflict they have is less with each other and more about their own fears and expectations.

I hope that this is the start of a series. Sari and Gab have sisters and friends who could have some lovely romances. I received Sweet on You as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Filipino Christmas romance. Honestly does it get any better than this. As a fellow Filipina I was beyond thrilled to review this book. There’s nothing I love more than Christmas and having spent some time in the Philippines, it was exciting to see how excited people would get around that time of year.

To be honest, it was hard getting into the story and figuring out the characters in the beginning. I tended to drift off and get lost mid paragraph as Iwas reading. wanted so bad you to like this one. It held so much promise within the premise, but the story could hold my attention. I think where this fell a little flat for me is how it seems to present itself as a book with Filipino characters, but some of the authenticity was lost. It felt like the book was translated from Tagalog to English but some of it got lost in translation. The writing also felt stiff and doesn't have an easy flow to the story.

What it did lack was made up with the culture in the book. I felt like I was in the Philippines. I could easily see and smell the wonderful food, I was engrossed with the decor and Christmas spirit, and all of the wonderful family and traditions. I love how true the story was about the Filipino culture.

Though for me this wasn’t a hit, there were aspects I did enjoy. I enjoyed reliving my Christmas experiences through this book and the memories of all my trips I have visited. Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rivals to lovers in a non-western and christmas setting, with a coffee expert/baker pairing, lots of prank wars and cutesy moments? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. The romance and all the foodie descriptions were everything! May we have a Santi/Kira book next? 😭 I also need more of Sari and Gab's families since I absolutely love reading about big families. 🥺

Sari is looking for the perfect life. I like the name Sari. I didn't care for some of the descriptions. Gabriel loves to bake for Christmas .I liked the characters

When she and her sisters took over their late grandmother's business, Sari Tomas immediately knew she wanted to run a cafe, serving coffee to the good people of Lipa. The atmosphere is cozy, the coffee is divine, and her staff is friendly and well-trained. So maybe the food they serve is horrible, no one is there for that, right? Then, just weeks before Christmas, a new challenger approaches. And moves in right next door...

Gabriel Capras loves baking. Opening his own bakery has been his dream, and if he can be successful, he can prove to his father that being a baker is a worth profession. A profession where he can still be the "man" and provide for his family. He also loves loud music, and the grumpy cafe owner next door. Too bad she hates his guts (and his audacity to not only drink but sell, *shudder*, 3-in-1 coffee), prompting a prank war between their two businesses.

It'd take a Christmas miracle to get these two together, right?

This adorably delightful holiday romance will make your heart grow three sizes--and crave the decadent coffee and mouth-watering desserts that you read about! Not to mention the fun and fantastic relationships that Sari and Gabriel have with their respective siblings (Sari being the middle child, while Gabriel is the kuya--oldest brother--of his family, and he's got a big, chaotic one!). I also greatly enjoyed celebrating the holiday in another country, with another culture, in addition to the story itself. A "sweet" romance, Christmas cheer, and delicious food--what more could you possibly want on your Holiday Wish List?

Carla de Guzman’s books have such a comfy feeling to them and Sweet on you was no different. Also this romance has prank wars! Sari and Gabriel are wonderful characters and seeing them fall for each other was so much fun I almost couldn’t stand it. The story takes place around Christmas in the Philippines, Gabriel is a baker and Sari owns a coffee shop, so in other words two of my favorite places. I love books with massive amounts of baked goods and food so this one definitely ticked off those boxes. I totally recommend this wonderfully written romance, maybe not on an empty stomach though. ;)

Thank you Carla de Guzman for writing one of the best romances I've read! I took my time reading this as you might see because I was on a slump, I was reading and finishing another book, but truthfully every time I picked this up and read a few chapters, I was captivated, laughing my a** off and enjoying it SO VERY MUCH.

Sweet on You is a rivals to lovers romances set on Christmas in the Philippines. We have one baker, Gab, and a coffee shop owner/barista, Sari. When Sari sees the empty space next door has a new owner, she doesn't like it one bit. And then she mets Gab, baker extraordinarie, and their rivalry is set in stone since then. There is a hilarious prank war that everyone around them thinks is only an excuse for courtship. Because they are totally flirting while they do the pranks and trying their hardest to not eat or drink anything they make.

Soon enough, these two can't stop thinking about each other. It is wonderful!!! They let down their walls and make a small space in their lives for each other until it becomes so much bigger and their hearts can't help but want more. It's an insta love romance so if you do not like those, don't pick it up because everything happens in a month and I don't want to see everyone saying "they took three days to fall in love" like IT HAPPENS PEOPLE!!! Don't go into this expecting a three year courtship, thanks.

There is so much food and baked goods in this novel, you'll get hungry for sure. I wanted every single thing Gab baked and I wanted to drink Sari's delicious coffees. Everything sounded wonderful and I wished their businesses were real and close to me.

I hope Carina Press hires Carla for more books because there are a lot of characters I want to see getting their happy endings. HELLO!!! We need a full series of this and hopefully we get it. I also fully want Netflix to adapt this book into a romcom holiday movie because it's what they do and this is the perfect material. We love rival neighbor baker/barista falling in love while all the business owners around them gossip about them and try to make them be a couple.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.