What a WONDERFUL surprise this book was. Seriously, the most adorable rom com I have read in a while. Not only did it make me laugh hysterically at some points, but the characters went through realistic struggles. There was a real depth and emotion! The whole premise for this book was just too good for me to pass up. I mean, the Happily-Ever-After Wedding Planner and the Knight of Nightmares horror author?! I am here for it. And then when you find out Drake's current goals, it gets even better. I also love the awkwardness between these two after that meet-disaster. On top of all of that, all the Halloween vibes were amazing! Honestly, just go pick this one up and dive into the goodness!

My first impression - fun, charming, and swoony. The description clinched it for me, and in the reading, I wasn’t disappointed.

Kate Sweet is a highly professional event planner, with some family issues.
Drake Matthews is a horror writer who has new aspirations.

Kate’s best friend asks for her third favor from Kate in their decade-long friendship and Kate agrees to help, signing up to plan a book launch event to celebrate Drake’s new title.

Add in Drake’s adorable dog, some stiletto heels and you’ve got a meet-cute that is original and really enjoyable.

In the case of this book, my first thoughts on it turned out to be correct, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This story was truly sweet and a joy to read.


Special thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this novel. All opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my own reading experience.

3.5*

How Sweet It Is was an entertaining, relatively light and easy read.
I enjoyed the premise of the author and the event planner, I don't think I've come across those two careers together in a book. And as a self-proclaimed bookworm, and a wannabe event planner (one of those jobs you dream about as a kid), I loved the whole idea of going all-out for a book launch.

The "meet-cute" between Kate and Drake is probably the most memorable part of the book- it was awkward, funny, and just this side of being too over-the-top. Talk about starting out with a bang! Once they were able to move past that unfortunate incident, I liked how things progressed from there, with Kate and Drake (I just realized their names rhyme), working together for both their benefits. They had some good chemistry and I enjoyed their banter, and the build up as they each realized there were growing feelings between them. I was happy that there wasn't a lot of back and forth, although I do wish there had been a little more to the resolution after the misunderstanding. But I was very glad that part wasn't long and drawn out. And the epilogue was really sweet!

I have to wonder if there might be stories coming for Drake's brothers. I wouldn't mind spending more time in this world.

Overview: This follows a event planner (Kate) who's focus is weddings and happily ever afters. She gets thrown into planning a book launch for a horror author (Drake) and madness ensues from there. I was laughing out loud at the story, couldn't put it down, and new this would be a 5 star book from 50 pages in.

Plot: Every plot point and scene is there for a reason, everything was well though out. There were no boring parts, or scenes that didn't make sense. Everything flowed together and made it really easy to keep reading. The story takes place over a long enough timeline that I can truly believe that the characters fall in love.

Characters: Kate and Drake are my new favorite couple. The chemistry is there from the first time they are together and even with just one bedroom scene the sexual tension is some of the best I have read. The back stories helped each character come alive and their internal/external struggles made them relatable. I feel like these are real people that I could meet.

Writing: The writing is phenomenal. Each sentence and scene flowed into the next, there was no awkward sentences. Everything was easy to read. With two perspectives I can sometimes take a page or two when the perspective switches to get back into the story. Not here. I was kept in the story from chapter to chapter and each perspective change.

I loved this book and keep reaching for it to read more even though I'm finished. I would recommend this to anyone who likes romance books, chick lit, rom com movies, or anyone who just wants a good book. This is easily on of the best romance books I have read and I don't think I will ever stop recommending it. We get a hint at the end that there will be another book coming out in 2022 following different characters from the story and I will reading that as soon as I can get my hands on it.

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a quick read because I was so invested! I loved both Drake and Kate. I thought they were both super relatable and their interactions were hilarious. The banter was great and they complimented each other nicely. I really enjoyed the dual perspectives from both of them and I thought the speed was perfect.

Newton's writing made me want to move to that small town and be a part of that community. I loved every single secondary character, especially the brothers! I would totally be interested in more books about their stories! Drake's mom was another favorite. Her love for her family is obvious and she was also quite funny!

I cant wait to see more from the author!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy. I really enjoyed this book so much - How Sweet It Is is a sweet (!) romance between an event planner and a horror writer. I absolutely loved the elevator scene - the best setting for a :insert fire emoji: scene!

This book is an adorable, easy read!

The story centers on Kate Sweet, event planner who loves Happily Ever Afters and Drake Matthews, a horror writer experiencing some serious writers block. When Kate is tapped to plan Drake's Halloween-themed book launch, chaos (and romance) ensues!

This book had THE best main character first meeting that I've had the pleasure of reading! Author Dylan Newton crafts the plot in a way that you get easily lost in the antics of these two and I didn't want to stop reading.

I also loved the small town setting and Drake's brothers--hoping we get to revisit them, this was giving me serious series vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy of this and the opportunity to share my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton

Thank you @netgalley and Forever @grandcentralpub for the e-copy of this book.

———

Synopsis: Kate Sweet’s job is making event HEA’s. Her career goal is to win a prestigious award that will recognize her work. There is a last minute event cancellation and she agrees to help her best friend with a Halloween book-to-movie launch for a horror writer, Drake Matthews, that will be the perfect event to showcase her versatile talent. Drake agrees to the event (that he is sure will be a circus show) when he realizes Kate is the perfect muse for his novel of a different genre that he has been writing in secret. Will they both get what they want and more?

———

🎃 🍁 This was a cute and fast read with fall/Halloween vibes. 👩‍❤️‍👨There were multiple funny interactions that bring our hero and heroine up close and personal. 👠The meet cute - holy heck, everything went wrong for our, usually put together, heroine! ✍️ You get snippets of another plot line as Drake is writing his book and using Kate as inspiration, which was fun to read how scenes develop. 👩‍💼I love that Kate was a strong female character, driven in her career and saved the day multiple times! 🤵Drake was a very sweet man, not what our heroine or I expected for a horror author!

Pub date is tomorrow, July 13th

#howsweetitis #dylannewton #fallvibes🍁 #romancenovel #ilovebooks📚 #arcreview #bookstagrammer #bookphoto #creativeoutlet #falldecorations #fallreads

This one was really cute, but I felt the story fell a little flat. I was expecting a lot more from this one.

Event planner extraordinaire, Kate Sweet is known as the "Queen of Happily Ever Afters". Her weddings are the things that dreams are made of... but her newest client is going to require a slightly different playbook when it comes to his event...

Bestselling horror author Drake Matthews is lovingly called the "Knight of Nightmares" by his hordes of loyal fans. But there is more to Drake than the scary books he writes... and when he meets Kate, he realizes just how much sweet has been missing from his life...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How Sweet It Is was an adorable and charming, opposites attract romance! Kate and Drake's story was a sexy, fun-filled read that will warm your heart and have you laughing out loud, all at the same time! 

Kate was a sugary sweet event planner who prided herself on her organizational skills and her ability to complete any task efficiently and effortlessly. That is, until she meets Drake and disaster after disaster starts to plague her customarily, perfectly ordered life...

Drake is a well-known horror writer who secretly longs to write... a romance?! When he meets the woman in charge of his latest book launch, Drake realizes he has found a muse for his super secret writing project... only he and Kate have no idea just how hard it is going to be for them to keep their interactions professional in the face of the simmering attraction they share...

I really enjoyed this fun and sexy read! Kate and Drake were both fantastically written characters who each had obstacles to overcome in their personal lives. And while they embark on a burgeoning relationship that definitely doesn't work on paper, these two will find the missing pieces that they never knew they were searching for...

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

This was a *sweet* story about an event planner who helps a reluctant horror author with a book launch. Kate is the queen of details and happy ever afters but keeps finding herself in one catastrophic situation after another.

The chaotic moments were funny and I enjoyed watching the relationship build up between Kate and Drake as they figured out their feelings. This is a low-steam romance and I loved the side family characters and meddling small town.

My only beef with this book is the summer release date — it would make a great fall read heading into spooky season with Drake’s horror stories and Halloween book launch event.

Thank you Forever Publishing for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. If you want a book that will keep you smiling, pick this one up when it hits shelves 7/13!

Harlequin Junkie Top Pick!

Both Kate and Drake were such amazing characters with insanely hot chemistry. Kate was such a hoot to read, I loved that she was so committed to creating the prefect event for her clients and that she went above and beyond to bring them to life. I loved all her spreadsheets and planning but it was her awkward quirky moments that made her one of my favorite female characters. Be it their hilarious first meeting or jumping into an empty crypt Kate was just a bundle of laughs.

However it was Drake that truly stole my romance loving heart, if you’re a fan of a grouchy hero who is actually a big ole softie then Drake is the guy for you! I absolutely loved watching this big scary horror author writing such a beautiful historical romance, while having such a cute little puppy Sasha. Drake was genuinely a great guy, that wanted to do his bit to help out retired veterans. I absolutely loved all the detail that went into describing Drakes family home, I was so ready for some creepy moment to happen each time Kate was at the house, that is how good Newton was with depicting the house! Another thing I loved about Drake was that he was not afraid of a successful woman, he supported Kate and her dreams completely.

I have to give all the secondary characters a huge shout out, they each made this novel all the more loveable. I absolutely loved both of Drakes brothers and the quirky cute relationship they shared. Also how cute was their mum; Patty! I loved that she gave Kate the little push that she needed and once again pushing Drake and Kate together at the Harvest Festival. I loved Imani and the little bits that we got to see of her. I have to say that I also loved the way Drake brought Kate and her family back together.

How Sweet It Is, is definitely a must read, this super cute laugh out loud romcom will have you hooked right from Drake and Kates hilarious first meeting. I do hope that the rest of the Matthews brothers get their own books soon!

Witty, engaging, and sweetly romantic!

How Sweet It Is is an enchanting, whimsical tale featuring the kindhearted, affable, event planner, Kate and the private, thoughtful, horror writer, Drake as they discover that even though they got off to a rocky start, in the end, they might just be perfect for each other.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are endearing, supportive, and dependable. And the plot is an irresistible, charming blend of tension, humour, chemistry, familial drama, friendship, awkward mishaps, tender moments, self-reflection, tricky situations, taking chances, and unconditional love.

Overall, How Sweet It Is is a delightfully amusing tale by Newton that had everything I look for in a lighthearted rom-com and more. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the happy-ever-after ending. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite contemporary romance reads of the year, with my only complaint being that I now have to wait a whole year, until the summer of 2022, to read the next novel in the series.

I just loved this book and especially since it was debut book! The plot was just so funny and original. Also enjoyed having the best friend and his brothers, and mom in it which added a bit to it all and made a great away into hopefully a series!! The chemistry is at first leap with this one, and loved loved how it ended. Super cute Aww moment he created for her.
I just loved the writing, flow of plot, side characters, the whole first meeting of each other, and epilogue! I can't wait for more of Dylan's writing!

4.5 stars
2.5 stars (closed door)

Thanks to forever for this book

This was such a fun, laugh-out-loud romance. Drake and Kate's meet cute had me chuckling and I enjoyed their banter for the rest of the story as well.

Would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a story to make them smile.

4.5 Rounded Up

A book where the main character has a Shih Tzu? What's not to love?! But in all seriousness, this was such a cute story. Kate Sweet is an event planner, whose best friend is a publicist for a horror writer. She enlists Kate to launch his latest book and she's hoping to gain the attention of a prestigious award committee with this party.

This book was such a cute rom-com. I loved the meet cute and all the crazy antics that happened throughout the book. The main characters were very likable, especially Drake, The Knight of Nightmares. This also had just a touch of steam to balance out the really sweet. I don't read a lot of forced proximity tropes so it was a nice switch up from my usual tropes and I really enjoyed it!

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Kate Sweet (now you know how this book got it’s title) is a planner who has been stuck in orchestrating the perfect wedding for far too long. While she loves planning weddings, she longs to be seen less as a wedding planner and more as an all encompassing event planner. She also wishes to be taken seriously by her medically minded family and the industry she’s in in general.

So when her best friend offers her the opportunity to spread her wings- Kate dives right in, even when it means cultivating a book launch around horror writer Drake Matthews latest release. Kate has never met Drake before, but if social media is any indication he’s very hot, but also very scary.

When Kate meets Drake, their first few encounters are awkward to say the least. Drake is also confused as to why they’d be paired up. Kate really wants the gig, but can she get past her fear of working with the fear master himself? And, more importantly, will Drake even give her the chance to prove herself?

After a bit of a slow start, this book takes some surprising-and refreshing turns for a rom com. Kate and Drake’s romance is imminent, but the way they grow on each other doesn’t feel forced or strained. Due to Drake’s occupation, I see this book as more of a Halloween, fall time rom com then a summer release. I also predict more books will come after getting introduced to Drake’s brothers, and even Kate’s best friend, the way readers do. And who doesn’t love a good romantic series?

Dylan Newton’s debut, How Sweet It Is, was so much fun. It had a great concept - Kate Sweet, event planner and ‘Queen of Happily Ever Afters’ is tasked with planning a book launch for horror author Drake Matthews, the ‘Knight of Nightmares’. Full of classic romcom tropes and plenty of mishaps and misunderstandings, this book was laugh-out-loud funny and highly entertaining. Kate and Drake had great chemistry, and I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom from their hilariously awkward and cringe-inducing meet cute to their very own happily ever after. As a fall and Halloween lover, I loved that the book was set at that time of year since it's not all that common. The small-town setting and meddling, (mostly) well-meaning side characters were a fun touch, too.

I’m hoping Drake’s brothers Zander and Ryker will get their own stories and we’ll get to catch up with Kate and Drake and the rest of the kookie inhabitants of Wellsville.

I really enjoyed this slow burn romance between an event planner and a horror writer. Kate Sweet and Drake Matthews are both struggling with the labels they've gotten stuck with. Kate wants to branch out from being just a wedding planner, while Drake has writer's block with his next horror book and wants to write a historical romance based on his grandfather's life during WWII instead. When Kate gets hired to plan Drake's book launch party, the two are forced to spend a lot of time together and sparks start to fly. Their "meet cute" moment is hilarious and ridiculously funny and the book has lots of Kate's trademark "aww" moments, including an impromptu trip to Niagara Falls.

I loved the cast of secondary characters in this book. Drake is one of three Matthews brothers (all of whom served in the military) and I'm excited that there's going to be a book for each of them. His mother is a bakery owner with a big heart who raises money for domestic abuse survivors. So while the book is generally a light-hearted read perfect for the summer (I enjoyed my copy at the beach) - there is also some great moments of vulnerability and depth.

This debut was a win for me and Dylan Newton is now an author I can't wait to read more from. Recommended for fans of Beach read, Talk Bookish to me, Isn't it bromantic or The wedding planner movie. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-arc and gifted finished copies!

Yeah, this was just not it for me.

It started off great - I had a great time in the first five chapters. It was fun and funny, and although a bit cliche at times, I thought...this could go somewhere. This could be a good, quick, summer read. But I was wrong. The more I read, the less interested I was.

The writing felt so bland and mechanical at times. The conversations they had, the way they talked to each other, it felt so robotic. At times I felt like phrases and sentences were just added into the mix for the sake of adding something funny, but it was just too cringe.

The conflict literally lasted 10 pages. It all happened so fast, I didn't even get to feel anything. Neither did the characters apparently...I felt there was no chemistry in their relationship at all. I wasn't invested in any of it.

I feel like the premise was good, but the writing needs some work. It's too cliche and too cringy. Even if it's supposed to be a nice, light, romantic read, I don't want this.

Sadly, I didn't really enjoy it, and halfway into the book I just wanted it to end.