I was incredibly nervous about reading this book. I was introduced to this author from her book The Thing About Home. I loved that book so much that it was my number 1 read of 2023 out of 190 books. So this book had some big shoes to fill because TTAH set the bar extremely high. I procrastinated cracking this one open for fear of disappointment. Now that I have finally read it, WTH was I waiting for?

This book was so good and was extremely well-written. I am a huge fan of dual timeline stories especially those that are based in historical facts. I loved the drama of the two estranged sisters as they navigate their relationship. The forced proximity opens up the path for healing and is reminder of the importance of forgiveness. The author explores the role of Black women and the impact of society’s divisions caused by Jim Crow. This is a story of reckoning and redemption illustrated as a multi-generational saga. We learn about the Gullah Geeche culture and the impact on South Carolina history. This is. a beautiful lesson in history, faith, and relationships.

This book has solidified Rhonda McKnight as an auto-buy author for me.

"Bitter and Sweet" was a dual-timeline story following a young Black woman in the early 1900s and then her granddaughters many years later.

Normally, I really like Rhonda McKnight's stories, but I just found it hard to get into this one. I found the stress and strain of Great-Grandma Tabitha's timeline to be a bit too much and, at times, repetitive. And I found it hard to relate to Mariah and Sabrina in the present-day timeline.

Due to financial difficulties after the loss of her partner (husband?), Sabrina lives out of a van. And there are references to van life in the story. But it's equated to homelessness, which isn't how van life influencers depict it. So it felt like there was a disconnect there.

And Mariah was self-centered and mean throughout much of the story. And while we're helped to understand why as she undergoes therapy to help improve her relationships, the impression we're given is that she's not a very likeable person. She even lied to her husband about a crucial decision spouses should be on the same page about before they get married.

I did appreciate the positive messages about faith, seeking help, and getting therapy. But overall, this isn't a story I'd be interested in reading again. It took a lot to actually finish it, and I just about gave up a few times. I'm glad that I didn't, because I got to see the transformation as each of the characters grew, but it's definitely not a "feel good" story.

Thanks to Rhonda McKnight, Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This book was AMAZING....A Praying Grandmother is thee best thing to have.

Great-great Tabitha's perseverance made it possible for Sabrina and Mariah to fulfill their Grandmother's dreams.

I really appreciated how the author placed therapy in this novel. Letting readers know therapy is ok. Therapy was through cooking in this novel if you think about it.

This novel will definitely have you shedding some tears.

The story goes through three perspectives, two sisters and the great great grandmother from the past. The story of their great great grandmother is read from the perspective of her journals and how her tribulations and triumphs are connecting with the two sisters. Are the sisters able to bounce back from their situations? Will they be able to reconnect and rebuild their relationship?

Rhonda McKnight is such a masterful storyteller!!! This story is rich with history and culture - and my oh my, does she have a wonderful way with words! I highly recommend!

I love Southern fiction and when I saw Bitter and Sweet was a Lowcountry novel I knew I had to read it. This one does not disappoint, I was held captive from the first page. The story is told in a dual timeline between sisters, Mariah and Sabrina in the present time and their great-great-grandmother Tabitha in the early 1920s. The sisters have been summoned home to Georgetown, South Carolina to save the family restaurant. This inspirational story is about family and sisters working together to help save the restaurant and heal their grievances. This is the first book by this author I have read and I found it enjoyable. Thanks to author Rhonda McKnight, publisher Thomas Nelson, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a wonderful family drama. The multiple timelines made the story flow quite effortlessly. The characters were well drawn and relatable. Highly recommend

Rhonda McKnight’s Bitter and Sweet is another powerful inspirational historical fiction novel. The story is set in fictional Georgetown, South Carolina, during two different eras, the early 1900s and the present. Two estranged sisters are summoned by their grandmother to return home. Each is facing personal dilemmas and neither sister is eager to see the other. But the mysterious text from their grandmother does not stop the sisters from dropping everything to honor their grandma’s request.

Mariah Clark is still reeling from her divorce and the loss of her business to her husband. She’s wondering if she can ever trust again. Her sister Sabrina is facing financial and emotional issues following the loss of her daughter’s father. She is resigned to living out of her van while trying to find a way forward. The sisters separately believe that their grandfather is seriously ill and needs care. The restaurant that their grandmother and grandfather run has been in their family for generations and is closed. When the sisters arrive, they are told by their grandmother to save the family’s restaurant – together. The present meets the past when they read letters written by their great-great-grandmother Tabitha. Learning about the Cooper family legacy strengthens their resolve to get the restaurant back on its feet. The letters prove to the women that they come from a legacy of perseverance as they also discover hard truths about themselves and each other.

This book served as a history lesson for me. It reminded me how strong sisterhood is whether by blood or friendship. The themes of faith, forgiveness, and hope prove that we all need each other in good times and in bad times. The author writes stories giving her characters grace to grow while they endure the toughest of times. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to her next one.

Mariah and Sabrina are sisters by birth, but they've never been close. Now, they both face personal challenges, including homelessness and the loss of a marriage. When their grandmother asks the girls fo help, they rush to her aid. But can they solve their grandmother's problem, save the family's restaurant and heal their relationship before it's too late?
Told in dual-timeline, this novel addresses topics like women's empowerment, how women choose men, family dynamics, generational trauma patterns, racism, and grief. The author pulls on family stories to write this book. The topics are definitely important for modern-day readers to discuss and relatable to many readers.
The sisters do good work and reach out for help. That's positive. The author also includes dozens of one-line therapy insights like:
"When you know who you are, no way can you show up different.”
“Everybody is not Christian. Judging them for it won’t get them to be."
"We are strengthened when we are healed."
"Forgive my grief."
I found myself struggling to keep the sisters separate, though, and I preferred Tabitha's story. And just when I started to get involved in a chracters story, the author switched characters. That technique was jaring.
Also, some of the content didn't sit right with me. For example, there's some lust and sexual innuendo, a wealth and prosperity gospel, a message that Jesus and therapy can make someone rich, and women need a man to be whole. Plus, one of the boyfriends Quinton borders on predator behavior and is pushy.

“Everything we struggle through has a purpose. That’s what God’s Word says. We have to take the good and bad and the bitter and sweet.”

In Bitter and Sweet, Rhonda McKnight uses two timelines to allow readers to build relationships with a South Carolina family whose women forge bright futures for their children in the face of big challenges. As in her 2023 novel The Thing About Home, this story has family, food, faith, and forgiveness as its cornerstones.

I was quickly drawn into the contemporary storyline with sisters Mariah and Sabrina, and appreciated learning about their great-great-grandmother Tabitha through letters she left behind. The mouth-watering food descriptions, swoony heroes, memorable secondary characters, and mentions of Gullah Geeche culture added rich texture of this story.

I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Angel Pean and Lynnette R. Freeman

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the review copies of this moving novel.

Put this one down at 52%. There was not enough character development in either of the sisters in the first half of the book, and the timeline following their ancestor was not interesting enough to keep going.

I enjoyed the family dynamic and the strong generational roots that were present throughout this book. The restaurant setting drew me in as well. The main sister characters drew me in and their story arc felt like one I could live with my own family. My favorite part of the book was the historic timeline of the great grandmother telling her story in past years. I would have enjoyed the book without this timeline, but it added to the appeal for me. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story about the real difficulties faced when families struggle together.

AWEmazing read from beginning to end! Bitter and Sweet is a dual timeline narrative set in the Low country of South Carolina promises a rich and engaging story that delves into family dynamics, grief, secrets, and the power of redemption through the bonds of sisterhood. It intertwined the characters journey both past and present. A beautiful exploration of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight

This dual timeline family saga is dedicated to the lives of three strong black women who, over the course of the book, managed to find strength, purpose, and positive strategies for their lives.

What I liked:
* The seamless flow of the past and present events in the women’s lives
* Tabitha Cooper: strong, resilient, dedicated to her family, does what is necessary, eventually meets and marries and has a successful life – also wrote letters that are a bit like a diary for future generations to read
* Grandma Gail Cooper Holland: refurbishing their family restaurant of nearly a century when she calls her granddaughters for help after her husband has a medical emergency
* Mariah Clark: strong, business savvy, has issues that linger from childhood, acerbic, has secrets, not easy to warm to but she grew on me and became a nicer person by the end of the book
* Sabrina: never knew her mother, fell in love with and lost her husband before their daughter was born, creative, baker, hard worker, under-appreciated by her sister, loving mother, liked her and her story arc
* Bradley, Dante, and Quinton: fine men that showed up when most needed
* The way the letters played into the story told
* The plot, pacing, setting, writing and learning more about the region
* That all women were strong and resilient and worthy of being main characters
* The growth shown by more than one character
* That problems mentioned were worked through and solutions found
* That I had decided not to read this book and was in bed when I opted to pick it up and “skim to see what happened” and didn’t sleep till 4am after reading the last page.

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Joseph’s entitlement and lies that could have destroyed a less resilient woman
* Thinking about the lives and feelings of the women as they faced the various negative situations in their lives

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read another book by this author? If the synopsis appealed to me

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

This story was both bittersweet and captivating. I appreciated how the author seamlessly integrated historical and contemporary elements. I enjoyed the characters and their depth. Although Mariah frustrated me at times, I understood her struggles and enjoyed watching her growth. Overall, I enjoyed the story, though I wished there had been more focus on the romance between Mariah and Dante.

This was such a beautiful homecoming story between the two sisters. The story blends the past events with the present in such a beautiful way. I loved the dual POV's of the sister's and then also the chapters that took us back to the life of their great-great grandmother Tabitha. The things that she went through were so heartbreaking and empowering. The story had the elements of love and perseverance. The sisters were holding onto a lot of unresolved trauma which was stopping them for ever being close. Even though this book touched on so many heavy topics it never felt heavy. The whole time I was rooting for these girls for their miracle and futures. This was my first book by this author and I will definitely be reading more.

This is a wonderful story! So much heart, so much truth! I love family stories and this one was really well-done. The characters were so relatable, and their paths were so incredible to watch. I was invested in all of them from the very first sentence. I loved the flashbacks to Tabitha and was CAPTIVATED by her story. I think I have found a new favorite author! Highly highly recommend!

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

Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight is a great book. It is told in the past and present by the Great Great Grandmother Tabitha, and her two Great Great Granddaughters Mariah and her Sister Sabrina. Tabitha’s story is told in the 1900’s through letters she wrote about her life and left with her family. Mariah and Sabrina’s is told in the present day. All of them had/have struggles and discouragements that they faced and overcame. They all dealt with loss, pain, trust issues, betrayal, sadness, grief, forgiveness, and happiness in their lives too. They all trusted in God and kept their faith during their struggles too. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction Publishing Company for giving me the opportunity to read and review a ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I tried, ok? I really really tried and I read 50% of it, you cannot say I did not try. To be honest, I am still somewhat interested in the restaurant business and in the 1920s plot line, but I just cannot take it anymore. We are just not compatible.

My main issue is the writing - there is too much telling and telling and telling, plus the plot is way too predictable for my liking. And all the religious mentions and references are a bit too much for me - I usually do not mind it, but this one is trying too hard. Plus it is ironic how for such God-fearing women, the sisters can't seem to understand each other no matter what and for silly reasons or at least reasons that should've been solved ages ago.

A beautiful blend of family, drama, and heritage, that is told in two timelines. The writing is lyrical and atmospheric with vivid details of each era. The bonds of family is the essence of this novel and it is a remarkable story.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.