On the Sweet Side by Audrey Carlan is just what the name Suggests. This Novel is about story of sisters, self-discovery and a little something sweet on the journeys. It's an unforgettable read which every reader will enjoy.

I enjoyed this book, thank you!

Baking is Isabeau Collins’s life. Back from studying under the finest chefs in France and Italy, and with a newly minted culinary degree in hand, Izzy is ready to pursue her dream: whipping up creative confections in her own custom cake shop. But her perfect plans are waylaid when two women claiming to be her half sisters show up with a stack of letters addressed to Izzy from their late mother. Torn between launching her career and the need to learn more about her family history, Izzy makes the decision to go to Colorado to connect with the sisters she’s never known.

Then Izzy stumbles across a run-down storefront in Pueblo’s funky downtown and instantly knows that with a bit of work it’s the perfect location for her dream bakery…which means her detour to Colorado will be a permanent reroute. And with an unexpected relationship growing between Izzy and her contractor, Kyson, she has yet another reason to stick around—even if there are secrets in Kyson’s past Izzy can’t quite figure out. Fighting homesickness and self-doubt, Izzy worries that she’s making a mistake. But with her sisters close and her dreams within reach, she can’t help but wonder if her riskiest move could be the most rewarding decision she’s ever made.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Izzy and Kyson. She finds out she has two half sisters and decides to visit them. When she does she finds the perfect location for a bakery, so she hires a contractor, Kyson. They have some issues, but together they work through them and find love.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the third (and probably final, although I wish it weren't) book in the series, and it is pretty much essential to have read the earlier ones to understand the overall picture. There are plenty of reminders of the underlying plot if it has been a while since you read the last one, but no labouring of the points. What Carlan has done with this series is show us a flawed character, whose actions go against a lot of what is generally perceived as 'right' and unpick the outcomes and make us see there was hope, meaning, and above all, love in those actions. I don't think that makes it easier for the sisters, but it gives them peace in the end.

Isabeau and her best friend, Jasper, have just graduated when two women come to the family house and upturn all she has known about herself. As we watch her find herself again, we also see how resilient she is, and how open to new experiences, family, and especially, to love. Her immediate attraction to Kyson is very endearing, and her newly found sisters provide her with the confidence and support that she needs.

I have put this firmly in my reread when I need cheering up pile, as it definitely needs a tissue to hand, and yet is fun and life-affirming. Thank you, Audrey Carlan, for a truly lovely series.

ON THE SWEET SIDE – Audrey Carlan

The Wish, Book 3

HQN

ISBN: 978-1-335-91639-6

January 4, 2022

Contemporary Fiction


Pueblo, Colorado – Present Day

Isabeau “Izzy” Collins was raised by her gay fathers and has had a wonderful life. She recently earned her culinary degree alongside her best friend, Jasper, with plans to open a bakery in the future when she can afford to. One day, two women show up in Chicago where Izzy lives to notify her that they are her half-sisters and that their father has gifted her over a million dollars in his will. Turns out the three women all share the same mother, who died several years ago. Overwhelmed and shocked, Izzy prepares to better her life—and go to Pueblo, Colorado, where her sisters live, to learn more about her mother and her Native American heritage. Jasper comes along as moral support.

Once in Colorado, Izzy is quickly embraced by her sisters, and they decide to help her realize her dream of opening a bakery. They introduce her to a local contractor, Kyson, who is not only helpful, but attractive. Her sisters encourage her to pursue a relationship with Kyson, though his past remains murky as he always leaves by a certain time each night to head home. She knows about his parents and his siblings, but what else is he hiding? Meanwhile, the remodeling of her bakery gets going and Izzy learns more about her mother and why she made the decision to birth her and give her to Izzy’s two fathers. But on the horizon is a trip that has Izzy nervous: meeting her mother’s father on the nearby reservation. How will her grandfather react to meeting her?

It’s an emotional journey for Izzy in ON THE SWEET SIDE. The title of the book comes from the name she selects for her bakery. She is embraced by her new family, and despite being well loved by her fathers, feels at home in Colorado. Her sisters throw her and Kyson together, yet no one explains to her about his past. It takes until well into the book that we learn more about him. For much of the first half of ON THE SWEET SIDE, we embrace the relationship between the three sisters, who are each different in many ways. The first two tales in The Wish series revolved around them, but I haven’t read them. Reading and enjoying ON THE SWEET SIDE doesn’t detract from that.

Like I said, it’s an emotional tale for Izzy. It isn’t easy to give up everything you had in one state and move to another, even if your best friend is along for support. But Izzy embraces and fully enjoys her new experiences and, along the way, finds love. Once she learns about Kyson’s past, she is all in on her new man. Will this mean a happily-ever-after for them? Will Izzy’s bakery be successful? What will happen with all three women in ON THE SWEET SIDE? Find out the answers by picking up a copy of this sweet and sensual tale today.

Patti Fischer

Romance Reviews Today

This is the third book in a series, but you don’t have to read the first two to understand this one. Three sisters are united. Their history was an intriguing and creative story. This book focuses on Izzy and her realizing her dream in Pueblo, Colorado. Life throws many curves at her in a short amount of time so the pages are packed with events and emotions.

This story is, indeed on the sweet side, and provided me some respite from 2021. Izzy Collins has finished her training, learning at the side of some the best Europe’s best chefs. Now she plans to open her own bakery, but she’s sidetracked by the arrival of two women who claim to be her half sisters. They provide Izzy with letters written by her late mother and, feeling that family comes before all else, Izzy journeys to Colorado to get to know the sisters she never knew she had. Once in Colorado, Izzy finds the perfect location for her cake shop and begins to thing this whole thing was meant to be. Of course, things don’t run as smoothly as planned and there are bumps in the road, but Izzy manages to navigate them with the help of her sisters and her charming building contractor. This is just a lovely story about family, food and starting over