Sugar and Spice is book one in the Pine Mountain Series.
And I can only hope for the others to come!
A little FYI this is an update version of a novella that was originally published as part of The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap anthology.

S&S by Kimberly Kincaid was just what I was looking for. A sweet, sexy, fun holiday romance.
My gosh did I love Lily and Pete? Yes! Yes I did! Their opposites attract, enemies to lovers really set the stage here for some awesome writing and some fun entertainment.
This is contemporary romance at its finest.
Filled with delightful, swoon-worthy settings and many laughs, this affectionate, competition holiday romance is perfect for cozying up with on a cold winter’s night and devouring this book.
I had so much fun reading this charming book!
And this cover just hits me in all the right spots!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Victory Editing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I'm sorry to say this holiday novella just didn't work out for me. I honestly didn't understand how these two characters knew each other initially and, in that first meet-up, she berates him for breaking up with her friend over the phone in a grocery store and the reader just has no idea what's going on.

Add a lack of chemistry and a very overdone storyline and I just couldn't engage.

DNF at 30%

**Trigger Warnings below

I found this story to be so sweet! I loved the setting of the Christmas cookie baking contest at the ski resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The title says it all: a sweet romance mixed with some spice. I loved the instant attraction between Lily and Pete, their connection and how they challenged each other. My only real disappointment was this length. I needed more! I will definitely be checking out the other books in this series because I adored this small town.

***TW:
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Alcoholic parents, verbal abuse, brief mention of physical abuse

4/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️

This one went from Sugar to Spice on a dime, I loved it. The whole premise was really cute, 2 bakers join a competition and sparks fly when their personalities clash. The added bonus that they knew each other (although not well) was really fun too. Their chemistry was great and when they finally decided that the competition be dámñed and got busy in the bedroom, the spice was fantastic. Suddenly sweet Lily was using dirty words and Pete was fulfilling her dreams.

I really loved the slightly dark backgrounds that both of them had, especially Pete. I loved watching Lily help him realize he deserved so much more than he gave himself credit for. I think my biggest complaints were not getting to see what happened with Lucas and then the epilogue not being about Lily and Pete at all and instead was about a character I truly had forgotten about. I did go back to his mention though and I am excited to continue with his story, I'm really hoping Lily, Pete and Lucas make appearances too.

This is a fun read that is the perfect escape from real life and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lily and Pete have both joined a baking competition for very different reasons She wants the 10K prize money so that she can open her own bakery He wants to win to give him an advantage over other bakers vying for a coveted head pastry chef position at a restaurant in Philly. What neither expected was the attraction between them and when they are thrown together continually by the film crew then nature takes it's course But with both wanting to win and both wanting different things in life can they have a future You will have to read to see

Sugar and Spice is a cute holiday novella about Lily and Pete who are competing in a reality show baking contest against each other. Their reasons for entering are both respectable and is what makes the competition emotional since I wanted both characters to win.

Lily and Pete are classic opposites attract with Lily being a rule follower and planner while Pete is a rule-breaking, fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy. They struggle in the beginning to find a groove but then find a way to realize both types have their advantages.

My favorite scene was the final cookie contest where they described why they chose to make those specific cookies. It was so heartfelt and warming!

This was a sweet, quick, fun holiday story and I flew through it! There was not anything that I hated about it, but there was not anything that I loved about it.

Lily is a by the book baker that never breaks any rules. She runs a small business out of her kitchen and it really wanting to open a store front to expand her business.

Pete is a guy who does not follow the rules and likes to take a lot of risks. He is really wanting to get hired at an upscale restaurant as their pastry chef.

There is a cookie baking competition that they both enter in order to try and achieve their goals. They then are thrown I tot he competition together and the story goes from there.

I really loved the romance between Pete and Lily and I thought they had great banter with each other. They definitely had thoughts about each other as soon as they first bumped into each other! 😅

Some of the inner dialogue was not for me and I thought it was a little cringe, but I was able to read past it.

I enjoyed the aspect of the cookie competition as well. I really liked all the details of the baking and the ins and outs of the competition.

I did however would have liked more background and character development. The story was pretty quick and I feel like there definitely was space and time to add in some more background and more scenes with character development. I did not really have a very strong connection to the characters. I liked them, but I didn’t feel attached to them.

This was still a very fun, holiday romance!

This is a typical cosy Hallmark Movie wrapped up in a beautiful Christmas bow.
A lovely story between Lily and Pete as they compete against, and then with, each other for a Christmas Cookie Competition.

Really lovely story to get you in the festive mood, some of the cookies sound delicious too!

This book is giving Hallmark crossed with some Food Network, and I am here for BOTH!!

While I feel like the relationship between Pete and Lily, in my opinion is instalove, they still had some very cute moments together. I also LOVE that Lily is using the competition to get her business the storefront, like GIRLPOWER!

Did enjoy that I was able to just sit down and get through this book in an afternoon, it was a quick and easy read, which for me is great for a Sunday afternoon.

Tropes:
- holiday romance
- small town
- rivals to lovers

Sugar and Spice is a sweet and fun holiday romance, that follows pastry chefs Lily and Pete as they compete against each other in a cookie bake off that could land them $10k.

Pete plans on using the competition win for notoriety, not the money, in hopes it will help edge out other chefs who might be heading up against him for the head pastry chef at a popular restaurant in Philly. Meanwhile, Lily plans on using the $10k towards a loan to finally get herself a storefront and expand her business outside of her home.

Neither expect the instantaneous chemistry that crackles between them, nor do they expect an accidental moment caught on camera to make the competition go viral. As the resort running the show throws them together again and again for PR purposes, Lily and Pete find it harder and harder to resist their feelings. The pair decide that no matter how the cookie crumbles *hehe*, it's worth giving a relationship a shot.

I absolutely loved Sugar and Spice! I'm a huge fan on the Food Network competitions, so I loved that Lily & Pete's romance centered around something like that.

Lily is determined to open up her own bakery storefront, however, for the time being, she is stuck working from the small gallery kitchen in her apartment. Her friend gets on her back about working too hard but also brings news of a cookie competition at the local ski resort this Christmas. A PR stunt designed to help them draw in a new chef, whilst offering the winner a $10k prize!

Pete is always looking for a way to showcase his party skills and wants to work at the best restaurants. Hoping that the cookie competition will be a way to get himself noticed he is ready to do his best and win this thing. Although bumping into Lily puts him a little off his game but they work in completely different ways - she is methodical, whilst he is a little slapdash.

Feeling the chemistry between the pair who discover that they have more in common than they thought. A cute Hallmark movie feel to this Christmas sugar and spice novella.

Sugar and Spice is the first novella length story in Kimberly Kinkaid’s Pine Mountain series and a wonderful, heartfelt, and feel-good story of chasing your dreams and discovering what’s really important along the way. Pete is a “fly by the seat of your pants” risk taker, while Lily is focused, and plan orientated to a fault. This exceptional couple who shouldn’t work, but where matters of the heart are concerned, nothing ever goes to plan. I liked the flow of the storyline with its mix of banter, seriousness, and the deep emotional aspect, and the characters were real, engaging and endearing. A great short story and a fabulous start to a new series too!

A sweet fun read. Perfect for the holidays.
Overall story was very hallmark holiday movie like....with a good amount of added heat.
I liked the bit of back story. This was a quick easy one. A bit of instalove.

3,5 ⭐

If you're looking for a cozy and fun Christmas read, then this book is perfect for you!

First of all, the main characters (Pete and Lily) have such a cute relationship. Their interactions kind of resembled those in my relationship, which made me enjoy the book even more. Pete is a very chill, "let's be spontaneous" type of guy, and Lily is a super organized girl who has to plan everything and then note it down😍 Exactly like me and my boyfriend! I even told him about it, and we ended up fangirling over the characters together 😂

Disclaimer the relationship between Pete and Lily is (almost) an instant love. I usually don't enjoy this type of romantic development, but in this case, I totally didn't mind it. I don't even know why 😂 it may be because I liked the characters so much.

The book itself was kind of predictable, and again, in this case, I didn't mind it as well. I just wanted to read a romantic winter story that didn't involve any drama, only love ❤️

Also, I loved the writing style! The book was such a quick read. It only took me around 3-4 hours to finish it. If I had a bit more time, then I would probably read it in one sitting. So again, it proves that "Sugar and Spice" is a perfect book for cozy winter evenings.

When it comes to disadvantages, I've only noticed two, which honestly didn't affect my rating. Firstly, I felt like the time jump between Pete and Lily finding out about the contest, and the competition itself was a bit too quick. And also, I kind of missed some side characters like the other contestants or Lily's best friend.

To sum up, just read it! I'm sure you won't be disappointed 😁

Competition never can be any sweeter than when Lily and Pete need to compete in a Christmas Cookie contest. While neither of them want to win for the exact same reasons, in the end the two become more than just cookie experts. Wonderfully written and a joy from beginning to end - the truest form of a Christmas Story at its best.

This was very cute. A quick to read insta-love romance with two likable leads that gelled together genuinely. Not an overly complex plot, but a fun time. The Christmas vibes aren't that strong, because it mostly focuses on the baking. The baking stuff was great and made me very hungry.
I think my only criticism is that I would have liked it to be a bit longer. Because it wasn't very long, there ended up not being any conflict in the relationship, which is fine if you want to read something light. It does, however, mean you don't get a lot of depth to the relationship.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Sugar and Spice' by Kimberly Kincaid.

'Sugar and Spice' by Kimberly Kincaid is a perfect christmassy romance - short and sweet. The two protagonists take part in a baking competition and it's such a warm and cozy book, you can't help but fall in love with it. Although this is my first time reading any books in this series of Kincaid's, I was so immersed by Lily and Pete that I will definitely be hunting down the rest of the books.

There is content of a sexual nature halfway through but if you are okay with that and you want a baking cosy Christmas romance, you need 'Sugar and Spice'

This book is a totally satisfying combination of sweetness and romance that kept me up until the very end. I look forward to more in the series and recommend it to all readers looking to forget everyday troubles.

Sugar and Spice is a super cute quick opposites attract romance read. Pete and Lily were super cute together and I loved the setting of a Christmas cookie competition. It was the perfect book to read to kick off the Christmas season and feel the Christmas spirit. Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and Kimberly Kincaid for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I enjoyed this quick read to get me in the holiday spirit - especially for Christmas cookies! This book book combines two of my favorite things - romantic story with a cooking show. Pete Mancuso wants to win the pibe Mountain Cookie Contest to get more publicity and Lily Callahan is in it for the prize money, but neither of them expected to fall in love!

Enjoy this short novella to get you in the holiday spirit!