4.5/5, rounded up!

Event planner Kate Sweet has built her career on helping provide "aww" moments and happy ever afters.

Horror writer Drake Matthews thrives on giving people nightmares.

When these two team up for the launch of Drake's new book, Halloween Hacker, will they clash like oil and water, or could these two opposites end up with their own real-life love story?

This is such a cute, feel-good romcom! I loved both Kate and Drake, and the opposites attract trope with a dash of horror made this one really unique! Kate is determined, sharp, and adorable, and Drake got me right in the feels with his fear of rejection, writer's block, and gentle giant demeanor. Their slow-burn of a romance, combined with witty banter plus Newton's engaging, funny, and propulsive writing style made this book hard to put down, meaning I devoured it in less than 24 hours!

From an embarrassing and laugh-out-loud meet cute to shenanigans involving bats, a mausoleum, themed Halloween costumes and more, you'll be hard-pressed not to fall in love with these characters and root for their happily-ever-after.

Bonus: I LOVED Drake's family and really hope this is the beginning of a series because I'd love to see more of his mom and his two younger brothers!

This book came out July 13, so grab your copy ASAP!

Thank you so much to @readforeverpub and @dylannewtonauthor for my gifted e-copy of HOW SWEET IT IS! All opinions in this review are my own!

How Sweet It Is was the romantic treat I needed. I love Halloween since it was my Dad's favorite holiday. How Sweet It Is is a romance between horror writer Drake Matthews and event planner Kate Sweet. Drake's new novel is releasing on Halloween, and Kate is planning the book launch event. I loved the banter and chemistry between Drake and Kate. Drake's family is always fun and supportive. I would enjoy these books to find love for all three Matthews brothers.

I would recommend How Sweet It Is, and it will put you in the perfect mood for fall.

Thank you, Forever, for this complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 Stars
This had it all and surprising character development. Who'd a Thought a wedding planner/event person would be just the right person for a Horror writer...These two come together over our scary writer is having an event and the woman in charge is nothing that he used to.

A horror writer who is romantic and a woman who is the perfect fit for him. a delightful tale.

Kate Sweet, a very successful wedding planner, is the Queen of Happily Ever Afters. Famous horror author Drake Matthews is the Knight of Nightmares. A Halloween book launch party brings these two crashing in to each other’s lives…literally! This story is as cheesy as it is cute. The initial “meet cute” between Kate and Drake was memorable and fun. I loved the quaint small-town setting. Drake’s family is the best supporting cast and I would happily read any of their stories. His brother’s interactions with him really helped to enhance and deepen Drake’s character. Kate was really likable. The burgeoning friendship and romance between Drake and Kate was simple and sweet.

This weekend, I’m in Newport, Rhode Island celebrating my husband, Patrick’s birthday. And this book’s title was a great reminder of our lives together, How Sweet It Is.

I read this book along with @lovearctually and had a great discussion with the author, @authordylannewton. How Sweet It Is is about Kate Sweet, wedding planner extraordinaire. She’s hired by a friend of hers to help promote a horror writer, Drake’s newest book. This is clearly out of her element and it was so fun to see her fish out of water struggle.

Kate and Drake had great chemistry and I loved the Buffalo, NY location. It was a fun change of pace and it set the scene for an incredible Niagara Falls scene. I’ll be planning a trip for us to go there soon.

After speaking with Dylan, I learned this is the first of a three book series, with each book about Drake and his brothers. I’m can’t wait for the next book, All Fired Up!

Thanks to much @readforeverpub, @authordylannewton and @netgalley for my gifted copy of the book. How Sweet It Is is on sale now!

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a cute book, I didn't really know what to expect going in. Overall i liked the story line, but lots of it felt under developed to me. Imani - needed more character interaction there. Kate's parents - was very thin there even when they were at the event. Overall it was a good enough book, but i won't be recommending it.

What an adorable story! As a Halloween lover myself, I knew I had to pick this one up.

I really enjoyed Kate and Drake’s characters, and thought they made a good couple with great chemistry. I adored their meet-cute scene--too funny! Drake’s relationship with his brothers and his mother was a lot of fun, and I’m excited that the next two books in the series will be able Zander and then Ryker. They seem like a really loving family, and I look forward to getting to know more about them.

Overall this was a sweet, fun rom-com that you should definitely pick up around Halloween.

I liked Imani in this book and am excited for her love story with Zander, coming next summer.

There isn't really anything about this book to dislike, but there also wasn't really that much to care about either. Frankly, I was bored reading it. I didn't hate or love the characters, their story or the writing. I just wasn't invested in any of it.

Maybe this just wasn't the right time for me to read this book.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

I adored this one!
It was a fun, sweet rom-com that had me hooked from the instant the main characters met. What a meet that was too!
I loved their interactions, their fun mishaps and how their relationship grew from working together to lovers.
There were a number of laugh out loud moments and fantastic side characters. I hope we get stories about Drake's brothers.

Rating 4.5

HOW SWEET IT IS is a perfect title for this hilarious, charming, and oh so sweet romantic comedy. I wanted to read this book as soon as I learned that the main characters were a writer and an event planner - both who undoubtedly have many stories to tell. And, I mean, how can you not want to read a story about the Queen of Happily Ever Afters and the Knight of Nightmares?

What I Loved:
Kate and Drake's unforgettable, awkward, but also sexy first meeting
Kate and Drakes tale from the crypt
Kate and her spreadsheets and specialty "Aww" moments
Drake's real life moments of inspiration

The thing I love most about this book is how happy I felt while reading it. And it's weird that I was actively aware of this happiness. I smiled constantly and laughed out loud as Drake and Kate stumbled their way through their working relationship and fell for each other.

Memorable Quote:
"Real women were so much harder to read than heroines in novels, and trying to act like a book hero, with all the right words spoken at just the right time, was impossible."

If you ask me, Drake did just fine figuring out how to be a book hero.

HOW SWEET IT IS is absolutely adorable and a must-read romantic comedy. I loved it!!

This book throws together event planner (specializing in Wedding Happy-Ever-After-Moments) Kate Sweet and King of Nightmares horror writer Drake Matthews. These opposites definitely attract and the comedic meet cute tees off an adorable series of events between these two. This book takes place mostly in Drake's small town in up-state New York. There was just enough tension between these two to keep things hot, and a whole lot of sweet to live up to the title.

I did see the crisis moment coming and was cringing, hoping I was going to be wrong, but it really was the perfect plot point on Newton's part. If this were a movie, it would be the scene I would strategically time a bathroom break for, but that's only because my empathetic heart struggles to see my beloved characters suffer sometimes. And that Jim and Pam-esque moment at the end? More than made up for my (totally individualistic) momentary discomfort.

I give this one ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a mild steam rating. It's going to be a perfect add to your TBR if you're longing for moments of fall and cooler weather.

This book is sweet and funny and just what you need if you're looking for a feel good read.

The queen of romance, wedding planner Kate, and the king of nightmares, horror novelist Drake, have to work together on Drake's latest book launch.

The story is pure FUN from the beginning, starting with their disastrous (but still really cute and funny) first encounter. Throw in a scene with a costume malfunction and a some brothers who weren't afraid to hold back on teasing Drake, and I was laughing throughout the story.

I loved the juxtaposition of Drake and Kate who, based on their professions, were complete opposites but worked really well together. They had great chemistry and the dual POV enhanced the story.

With great side characters, lots of laughs and a sweet romance, I would definitely recommend How Sweet It Is!

Ah www, every now and then I just need to indulge in something sweet. And How sweet It Is just fits the bill.

Kate Sweet (what's in a name?) is an event planner, who is asked by her best friend to help out to plan a book promotion event.

And of course Kate is more than happy to help her friend out. What her BFF 'forgot' to mention, however, that this event is not supposed to be sugary sweet, since the author is Drake Matthews, the 'King of Nightmares'.

No biggie for Kate, who is determined to create the best event they have ever seen.

Drake hates the spotlight. He knows that a publication tour is part of being an author, but he would prefer to skip it altogether. Ever since he got screwed over by his ex-girlfriend, he has a problem with trusting people. Especially the bubbly new event manager, who is trying to create a circus around his latest book. No thank you, Missy! Two opposites, thrown together and basically stuck together. They clash, they banter and they learn that there is more than meets the eye. Cute and funny. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you for Netgalley for providing the arc.

Oh my goodness I loved this book so much!! As Dylan's debut novel she knocked it our of the part and has instantly become an auto buy author for me. In How Sweet It Is I loved the contrasts of the personalities between Kate Sweet, the Queen of Happily Ever Afters, and Drake Mathews, the Knight of Nightmares. These two are the absolute cutest staryong with an insanely terribly first impression that develops into a fun and passionate...and tricky relationship. Kate and her best friend Imani are also both very strong and career driven women that aren't just damsels in distress which was a wonderful touch. I could totally be into some more story on Iamni as well. Also absolutely loved the plays on halloween and touches of the small town Drake lives in that had me totally craving fall! I will probably be trying to reread this again when the weather starts cooling down and leaves start changing around here 🍂

Definitely recommend checking this book out for such a sweet story!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

Thank you so much @readforeverpub and @netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

It’s no secret that my reading has been weird, terrible, inconsistent – you name it – this year. When I saw Forever post about the pub date arriving for HOW SWEET IT IS, I was immediately motivated to get reading. How could it already be mid-August?!

Honestly, I was taken with this book right away. I immediately loved the characters and read a lot of it in one sitting. Then… it sat around while I tried to finish up other reading obligations. But the minute I dove back in, I was ready to finish it up!

The story had a unique premise based heavily around the jobs of the two main characters. Kate is an event planner who specializes in romance and weddings. Drake is a horror writer, who happens to be the client of Kate’s best friend, and her services are needed for his book launch. Could this finally be the event that wins the coveted EVPLEX award? She signs on, hoping it’ll work in her favor, and spends time in Drake’s cute town planning the event.

The two had a lot of chemistry right from the start but don’t really act on much of anything until 50-60% through the book. I appreciated that they had to keep it PG and appropriate while working together; it made it all the more sweet and exciting when they finally moved forward. I loved Drake’s family and how prevalent they were in the novel. His mom was so sweet. It was like everyone knew they should be together before they wanted to admit it, and kept pushing for it whenever possible.

The black moment wasn’t terrible and they did a good job of keeping everything realistic/not super frustrating. I was rooting hard for them and was very happy with how the book ended. All in all, this was a sweet romance featuring some of my favorite tropes (okay fine, just the job I always wanted as a kid – event planner). If you want some easy reading with great characters, fun jobs for the MCs, interesting families, and some meta book/writing references, give this one a read!

I just loved this book. The characters were lovely. I really enjoyed that the romance was there. I really felt the connection between them, and I loved the hilarious situations they ended up in! This is a fun romance to read during the fall because the male love interest is a horror writer, but really, this is perfect for any time of year!

I really want to see what else this author has written now. I found this book to just be a joy to read. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Kate Sweet is known as the Queen of Happily Ever Afters to all those who come to her to plan their weddings. She has obtained quite the recognition in the industry, but she's always looking for more. That's why when her friend who works in publishing hires Kate to plan a party for an upcoming book release, Kate jumps at the opportunity to step outside of her normal comfort zone. The author? Renowned horror writer Drake Matthews.

Drake, known as the Knight of Nightmares, has gained quite the following for his horror novels. They are what pay the bills. But with writers block keeping him from finishing his work in progress, he has to focus on the upcoming release of his other book.

When Kate and Drake first cross paths nothing can seem to go right. They clash over the theme for the release party, along with making wrong assumptions about one another. Regardless, there's an undeniable attraction between them.

But can their attraction survive the insecurities they both carry around as they step out of their comfort zones?

How Sweet It Is has been one of my most anticipated Summer releases. And it completely met all my expectations. It was funny and sweet and filled with plenty of heart.

I loved the initial idea of the opposites attract story, but I really loved how it unfolded and we see these two people pretty set and comfortable in their careers, successful and similar in more ways than initially thought, but really that masks underlining feelings of potential inadequacy.

I liked seeing both Kate and Drake taking leaps to step out of their comfort zones. Kate in stepping outside of her typical wedding event and Drake with his current work in progress which he's been keeping under wraps even from his family.

But seeing their own insecurities and vulnerability make the characters feel so real. Seeing them work through them and work toward one another is so satisfying.

I loved the small town setting of the story and the major Halloween / Fall vibes. I almost wish we got to read this actually closer to the Fall season. The secondary characters are setup pretty nicely especially Drake's two younger brothers. I do wish that we had gotten a little more from Kate's best friend Imani, but she is to be featured in the next book, so maybe we'll get more friend time between the pair then.

Overall, this was a completely satisfying debut. Sweet, charming, funny and full of heart. I cannot wait to see what Dylan Newton has next for us.

This book was so sweet! When a horror writer is inspired by his book launch event planner to write a historical romance, there can only be love ahead. I really enjoyed reading this fun one book that included a "haunted" house, a cute dog, pumpkin muffins, and fall vibes!

What happens when the queen of romance falls for the king of horror--you get "a hilarious rom-com comp," perfect for fans of Beach Read. (Kirkus, starred review)

Ladies and gentleman, I have a new favorite series 🤗. In honor of Kate Sweet, our delightful lead character….let’s check some boxes for our new Romance series.

Sweet small town ✅
Fun careers ✅
Swoon worthy meet cute ✅
Set up for the next book…mmm, yes ma’am ✅
Brooding but super sweet leading man ✅
Awwwww moments ✅
Fall festival ✅
Happily ever after ✅

To say I adored it is a mild understatement. I loved every single second of How Sweet It Is. I had this stupid grin on my face to the point my husband was like….Amy, what are you smiling at? These characters burrowed right into my heart where they will firmly stay. Thank you Dylan Newton for introducing me to these amazing characters. For real y’all. They were Ahhh May Zing. Pick it up. Go on. I’ll wait 😉.

A wonderful laugh out loud rom-com, perfect to curl up with under a blanket with a cup of tea or stretched out on the beach. Event planner Kate Sweet is famous for making the perfect happy ever after's for her clients. Somehow Kate is roped into organizing a bestselling horror writers new book launch party and from the moment she meets Drake Matthews her life is plunged into chaos. Highly recommend for some wonderful, pure escapism.