Thank you to @berkleyromnace for a copy of this sweet small town romance. I am a big fan of friends to lovers trope and this was so well done. I adore the friendship between Mika and Jared and the slow burn between them. I love how much Jared supported Mila throughout the baking contest. I wanted to try these yummy pies created by Mila after reading this.

I am loving Lauren Accardo's writing! this story and these characters were so sweet. I definitely recommend this for contemporary romance fans!

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

This is the first book that I have read by Lauren Accardo and man it was a really good book. If you liked By A Thread by Lucy Score you will definitely enjoy this book. I enjoyed the angst between Mia and Jared from the beginning and loved the turbulence that came with them. The author did a great job of giving great backstory for each character. This is a contemporary best-friends-to-lovers romance. It has all the elements of story with a jaded man and a wishful love-struck girl. I loved Jared and Mila relationship. They are each others ride or die and both have feelings for the other they can’t and refuse to reveal. The angst between them is apparent. If you love a little hot steam in your books, you will love this. There isn’t a fade to black, the author goes all in. She also does an amazing job with characterization. The couple doesn’t totally obsess over each other, which is nice. They both have their own goals and lives but are always there for each other, and I loved that.

Mila is a self taught baker—her aunt pushed her—and is what she strives for in life with her new outlook of Mia 2.0. I love how she sticks to her guns and makes the most beautiful and carefully thought out pastries. I liked how she wouldn’t listen to anyone who tries to shoot her dreams down. Especially with her mother. I felt like her mom is a little dream destroyer. I wanted to reach in the book and scream, Don’t you dare listen to her. Mia really was a strong female character and enjoyed how she grows and comes into herself throughout the book.

Jared is stubborn man and totally jaded about love, and I loved every minute of his journey. He knows he wanted something with Mia but what, he isn’t sure. I thought his internal struggle was comical with each approach he took. I think the most hilarious moment is when he took advice from a friend who had no clue about wooing a girl himself. I enjoyed watching him grow through the book as he decides what’s best for him.

I would highly recommend this book. It is a great contemporary BFF to lovers book. I got engrossed in Mia and Jared’s story and didn’t want it to end. I will also be picking up Wild Love the next book in the series.

~ Brooke

SWEET LOVE is the second book in the FOREVER ADIRONDACKS series, and I can’t wait for more! (Note, there’s an excerpt in the back of the book for the next book, BOLD LOVE.) We return to the small town of Pine Ridge with familiar and dear characters, though this book can be read as a stand-alone romance.

Mila seems to be the opposite of Jared and has a hard time putting herself and her needs first. She has low self-esteem, and when she’s pushed to enter the town’s bake-off, she’s pleasantly surprised to see how it changes her feelings about herself. She works hard on her recipes and relies a lot on her best friend, Jared. His opinions mean a lot to her, and she comes to realize how much he means to her too. They definitely go back and forth in their relationship, since they have problems communicating.

The story has a nice flow with rich characters. Watching Jared and Mila grow emotionally and then as a couple is wonderful. The scenic descriptions of the mountains and the town add to the small-town feel of the story. Once or twice there are a few unexpectedly steamy moments that feel a little jarring, but overall, the book delivers a satisfying romance.

Ms. Accardo is now on my radar. I look forward to reading more of her books as she pens them.

I was happy to be back in Pine Ridge where the town is quaint and the romance is hot. This one features a best friends to lovers trope but throws in a damaged hero for good measure. These are fun, easy perfect for fall romance reads.

Mila Bailey's great-aunt leaves her the entry fee to the Pine Ridge Spring Bake-Off, and she is determined to prove she can compete with top-level bakers. She's also developing for her best friend, Jared Kirkland, who wants to eventually leave Pine Ridge. Though a spark exists between them, their future goals lie in very different directions.

This is book two in the Forever Adirondacks series, and I didn't read the first one. That in no way lessened my enjoyment of this book. Starting off with a feeling of dread at the thought of a "forever home" or a long-term relationship, we meet Jared and see his continual drive to do better and be more. A lot of that was instilled in him by a mother who demanded much and had never been happy with his efforts; many an overachiever reading this will identify with his feelings on the matter. Mila, on the other hand, loves seeing the stars at night and knowing people in town. It's an obvious contrast, setting up the inevitable choice they would have to make if acting on the physical attraction they have for each other.

Even before possible romance kicks in, I really enjoy the friendship that Mila and Jared have. They've known each other a long time but can still learn new things about each other, and encourage each other to follow their dreams. Mila tends to get anxious and withdraw in times of stress, and family and friends really push her out of her comfort zone in a good way, making her see that she's worth the effort and should believe in herself. When the romance starts, it's an added layer that eases and then complicates the relationship they already have. The only thing to fix it is honest communication and self-reflection. Once they know what they want, it's easier to decide that they can't settle for anything less. There's still going to be work to do once the two decide to be together, but they have a great foundation to build from.

There’s nothing I love more than a cozy, small town romance, and Sweet Love delivers on all fronts! The perfect book to pour out a hot bevy and burrow under a blanket with as the weather changes. I love this series!

This second book in Accardo's Forever Adirondacks series is a sweet and sexy, friends-to-lovers story with a feel-good, happy ending and a satisfying amount of emotional depth.

I've been curious about Jared since meeting him in book one, Wild Love (his brother's story). and enjoyed exploring his character in depth in Sweet Love. He's still commitment averse, still eager to put his small hometown in his rearview, and ready to make a name for himself in the big city. It was fun to watch him fall for his best friend but he sure does struggle with what that relationship could possibly mean for his future. The author gives him unexpected layers that are slowly unveiled over the course of the book, revealing the impact of his childhood on the adult man and the reasons behind his determination to leave. It made me like him more and refrain a bit from wanting to whack him during his clueless moments. I also liked that his brother was the one to open his eyes to a few facts when Jared has been the one to perform that service for Sam in book one.

Mina is someone I immediately wanted to be friends with...and not only for her delicious pies. I really connected with this character and was cheering her on from start to finish. I wanted her to chase her dream and do well at it. It hurt my heart when she didn't get the support and encouragement from her family that she deserved. She and Jared have great chemistry, a shared history, and the potential for a wonderful life together. I loved how he supported her dreams but wondered if they could find a way to be together when her roots were deeply planted in Pine Ridge and he couldn't wait to leave. I was so happy that Mina found her strength, her confidence, and finally fought for her dreams. I found myself almost as excited about the outcome of the cooking contest as the romance (almost) but to discover how both of them turned out, you'll need to read the book.

Lauren Accardo will be returning to Pine Ridge on January 25, 2022 for the third book in the series: Bold Love. This one features Denny Torres, an intriguing new character introduced in Sweet Love. I'm eager to catch up with everyone in Pine Ridge and find out what's in store for Denny. If you enjoy small-town romances with humor, sizzle, emotional depth, and feel-good, happy endings, give these books a try.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Both books so far in the Forever Adirondacks series give me total Hallmark romance vibes but spicier. I confess, WILD LOVE was kinda meh for me, but I liked it well enough to give SWEET LOVE a try and I’m so glad I did. I loved this friends-to-lovers romance, with lots of mutual pining and then plenty of heat! Some of the relationships hurdles (& namely the hero’s hang-ups) felt a little immature and forced, but I still really enjoyed the dynamic between these two and seeing the heroine settle into her own confidence.

Friends to lovers? CHECK. Small town quirk? CHECK. Apple Bacon Pie? Yes please! SWEET LOVE checks all the boxes of a beautiful, thoughtful romance (with sexy bits!).

Jared and Mila have been best friends forever. A few years prior to when the book starts, though, something changed. They both got hormones and sexy hot, and started to think about each other differently. But during their time as friends, they've both picked up some baggage along the way. He is a marriage-phobe (based on his experiences), she is a "yes" woman. But a baking contest that brings some new characters to the town helps them sort out their feelings, figure themselves out, and give love a chance.

Set in the small town of Pine Ridge, where wi-fi and cell service are sketchy at best, the mountains aren't that tall but still manage to make a majestic snowy backdrop, and city people can come to see the stars, SWEET LOVE's setting is a character all in itself.

Ms. Accardo excels at characterization and dialogue, which made me love Jared and Mila so much. Oh Jared! How your goofy, real-estate-selling heart stole mine! I especially loved his sweet words to Mila during their more intimate moments. I loved witnessing Mila gain confidence through her baking efforts, which caused her self-esteem to soar in her romantic feelings for her best friend, too.

SWEET LOVE is the second book in the Forever Adirondacks series by Lauren Accardo, but it can be read as a stand alone. Highly recommended for lovers of a quieter romance, where the angst is more internal than external, SWEET LOVE will have you up all night, swiping through your Kindle, because you just can't wait to get to Jared and Mila's happily ever after.

(Thank you, NetGalley and PRH, for the advanced reader copy. I can't wait to grab the paperback so this beautiful cover can decorate my bookshelf next to WILD LOVE.)

I honestly didn't love the main characters, which makes it hard to really enjoy a romance. Mila was okay, a bit of a pushover who comes into her own, but Jared just kind of seems like an asshole? And doesn't redeem himself. He's just kind of a self-centred jerk to everyone around him.

That being said, I will definitely pick up other books in this series because I did love the setting! I would happily live in this town in the Adirondacks. The characters from the previous book and the next book in the series also intrigued me, so I'm hoping I enjoy Accardo's other titles and this was just a character issue for me with this one.

Sweet Love absolutely lives up to its title. I adored Mila and Jared, even though I wanted to smack Jared around a few times for being so obtuse. This is an adorable and steamy friends to lovers story with a great cast of supporting characters and set (again) in the charming town of Pine Ridge. I'm looking for to Accardo's next installment!

I loved the first book in this series so much. I was really excited to take a return trip to…

However, the magic wasn’t there for me with this one. I really tried to be patient with it. I kept reading waiting for sparks or that delicious chemistry that grabs me by the heart and doesn’t let go. But ultimately I had a really hard time liking most of these characters. I didn’t even really get “best friend” chemistry between Jared and Mila – I know they liked each other because the author told me they liked each other. But the way they treated each other and behaved toward each other was – sometimes it was cringey and other times downright offensive. Again, I kept waiting for that awkwardness to bloom into something different, but instead I got some willful miscommunication and an over-the-top villain. Ultimately, I did not have the patience for these characters or their story and I’m really bummed out about that. I wanted to love this book as much as the first, but unfortunately it was a miss for me.

This second novel has solidified me as a Lauren Accardo fan. I adore this series! Like Sam and Sydney, I was completely vested in the relationship of Mila and Jared...stubborn and infuriating-at-times Jared! Accardo's writing style is so accessible and smooth and the sex scenes are...*wipes brow* steamy! As soon as Denny was introduced, I secretly hoped he'd be featured in the third book in the series and he is! I'm already excited to read it.

Sweet Love is a sweet, charming and sexy friends to lovers story. I adored getting to know Mila and Jared. Mila was a darling girl with a talent and love for baking pies. Jared is a local real estate agent who wants to help his friend achieve her dreams. They start to work together but realize their feelings for each other go deeper than just friends. These two have to navigate their feels for each other and the town they live in to find a way to be together. Sweet Love was heartfelt and well written. I loved the town and the characters. Mila and Jared had great chemistry and watching them find their way was pure joy!

SWEET LOVE hits the sweet spot.

Two best friends in a small, Adirondack town are at a crossroads. Mila has no confidence in herself, and is happy to settle for working at a diner although she dreams of being a pastry chef. Jared, a commitment-phobe, always wants bigger and better and can't wait to get out of their podunk town and make his fortune in the big city. Can the meek baker and the brash playboy take a risk on each other?

A best-friends-to-lovers romance with a HEA, SWEET LOVE is a winner. I was every bit as invested in the outcome of Mila's baking competition as I was the evolving relationship between her and Jared. There was nothing contrived about their obstacles and their personal growth is both realistic and uplifting. Plus, the steam factor is off the charts!