“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.

4.5 very strong stars! Bitter and Sweet: a Lowcountry Novel was the second book that I had the pleasure of reading by author, Rhonda McKnight. Several years ago, I read The Thing About Home and really enjoyed it so when I saw that Rhonda McKnight had written a new book I was excited to read it. In my limited experience with this author’s books, I have noticed that she tends to write about strong women who were experiencing a problem in their lives. I am often drawn to books that feature strong, independent, intelligent and courageous women. In Bitter and Sweet, Rhonda McKnight featured three female protagonists, one that lived during the early 1900’s and two sisters who resided in present day. All three women belonged to the Cooper/Holland family but one was the great-great grandmother and the other two were her great-great granddaughters. Bitter and Sweet took place in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and in the Upstate cities of South Carolina. It was written in a duel time line that was easy to follow. The chapters alternated between Tabitha, Mariah and Sabrina. I would classify Bitter and Sweet as a multigenerational family saga that spanned and encompassed a family’s history over a hundred year period. It was a very compelling story with complex characters and lots of lessons to be learned.

Mariah Clark and Sabrina Holland were sisters by birth but one would never had suspected that when the two were together. They were estranged in every way possible. Both Mariah and Sabrina led totally separate lives and had little to no connection. Although both Mariah and Sabrina were going through rough times, neither one of them ever considered confiding or seeking advice from the other. At times, Sabrina wished her relationship with Mariah wasn’t as it was but Mariah had made it clear more than once that she wanted nothing to do with younger sister. Sabrina wan’t sure what she had done to warrant such dislike from her older sister but fixing it seemed impossible. Both sisters were going through some very difficult times and were forced to deal with the consequences alone. Within minutes of each other, Mariah and Sabrina, received text messages from their grandmother Gail. Her text implored both sisters to come home. Their grandmother needed them. Her text read, “I need you to come home.” Mariah’s and Sabrina’s first thought, after receiving their grandmother’s separate texts, was that something had happened to their grandfather. Grandpa Odell had recently suffered a massive stroke. Neither sister hesitated to do as their grandmother requested.

Sabrina’s whole life changed when her husband, Kendrick, tragically died in car accident. They had been married for almost five years and Sabrina was pregnant at the time. Sabrina was still having a hard time dealing with the grief she still felt for loosing her husband. When her daughter was born, Sabrina had difficulty caring for her. She often sought help from her mother-in-law, Ellen Guthrie. Sabrina was having financial difficulties as well. She lost her home and had been forced to live in her van. Her daughter, Kenni, now four years old, was practically living with her Nana Ellen. Sabrina was trying desperately to turn her life around but it was an uphill struggle. She was a very skilled baker and was in the midst of creating a business as a cake decorator but when Sabrina had gotten her grandmother’s text, she knew that she had to go and help her. Sabrina immediately went to Ellen’s house unannounced and picked up Kenni. The two drove to Grandma Gail’s home in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Mariah Clark lived in Duncan, South Carolina. When she married her husband, Mariah had taken on the role of turning their restaurant around. Mariah had committed all her business sense, time, effort and energy into making the Clark restaurant a success. She also took the responsibility almost single handedly of caring for her mother-in-law when she was dying. Mariah had created a very successful cooking podcast after the restaurant was renovated and thriving. All those achievements came crashing down on Mariah when her husband told her he wanted a divorce. Everything that she had worked so hard to make happen was taken from her in a blink of an eye. Mariah learned that her husband had replaced her with a much younger woman who was also a chef. She was angry and bitter. Mariah had received her grandmother’s text message at this precise point in her life. She packed her bags, locked up her apartment and also went to help her grandmother not knowing her sister had received the exact same message and was also on her way to Grandma Gail’s and Grandpa Odell’s home.

Tabitha Cooper had grown up in Georgetown, South Carolina in the early 1900’s. She would become Mariah’s and Sabrina’s great, great grandmother. Tabitha or Bitta as mother and father and siblings called her, grew to be five foot nine inches tall. Many nicknamed Tabitha “the Giant” because she was so tall. Tabitha was very dark skinned as well compared to her siblings. She was brought up in the Gullah culture with strong religious beliefs and practices. Tabitha worked at the Market store after school. She cooked stews and soups on Fridays and Saturdays. Tabitha was a good cook and many enjoyed her cooking. One day, a stranger came into the store where Tabitha was serving her food. His name was Joseph McCoy. He swept Tabitha off her feet. Tabitha was quite a lot younger than Joseph McCoy and very inexperienced when it came to men and relationships. Against her family’s better judgement, Tabitha decided to go with Joseph to Charleston. He had promised her that they would marry there. Tabitha grew to love Joseph and respect him until she finally saw him for who he was. During that time period, Tabitha wrote letters that revealed her lifestyle, feelings, struggles and challenges.

Grandma Gail had discovered the box that contained Great, Great Grandmother Tabitha’s letters when she had cleaned out her own mother’s home after she passed. When Mariah and Sabrina both arrived at Grandma Gail’s they were informed that their grandmother needed their help in restoring the family restaurant, Tabby’s Meats and Sweets, and opening it again to the public. Grandma Gail also gave Sabrina the box of Tabitha’s letters to read. Sabrina was told to share them with her sister after she finished reading them. Those letters brought Tabitha’s story to heart for both sisters. They were both able to learn valuable lessons from their great, great grandmother’s mistakes, courageous acts and the inspiring instincts she possessed.

Tabitha’s summary of the meaning of life stayed with me long after I completed this book. She said, “Sometimes it’s funny, and sometimes it’s sad. 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.” That quote summed up so much about this book and the characters, both past and present. Bitter and Sweet focused on family, love, forgiveness, healing, secrets and shame. There is no greater bond than that of family and sisters in particular if forgiveness and letting go can occur. I enjoyed all the detailed descriptions of food, especially those dishes that stemmed from the Gullah culture. I had never heard of the Gullah culture prior to reading Bitter and Sweet. Sabrina’s determination to keep alive her mother’s passion of making sweet cakes in a jar was touching. I enjoyed the romances that took root as well. Although Mariah’s character annoyed and confused me in the beginning, I was so pleased with the transformation Marian made. It was not any easy road for Mariah but by the end of the book I had come to understand her better and even admire her. There were so many messages, lessons and stories in this book that spoke to me and roused my many emotions. I enjoy reading books with strong women and this book did not disappoint. I highly recommend Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight to anyone who enjoys a good multigenerational story that takes place in the South and featured three strong women.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The author used two timelines to tell this narrative, and I thought it worked well. One in the past where readers learn about Tabitha Cooper, a single mom living in Charleston in the twentieth century, and the other in Georgetown, North Carolina, in present time.

Sisters are forced to work together when they have been summoned to help their grandparents. They loved their grandparents; that wasn’t the issue. Working together was the challenge. They had been at odds for years.

Despite covering weighty subjects, the tone of this emotional and heartbreaking story is upbeat and positive. The authentic and painful ways in which each character grew demonstrates extraordinary character development.

Treat yourself to this book and The Thing About Home if you haven’t read anything by this author. These novels are ideal choices for book clubs. There are so many things to discuss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St Laurent
TBCN: Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog: https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Mariah is being divorced by her husband and is in the pits of despair when she receives an urgent text from her grandmother telling her to come home. Her sister, Sabrina is widowed, living out of a van, and has given her young daughter to her mother-in-law to care for until she can get on her feet when she receives the same urgent text from her grandmother.
Both Mariah and Sabrina do their grandmother's bidding. They know their grandfather has had a stroke and is not back home yet. The family restaurant has been closed to the time being. To say the two sisters do not get along well would be an understatement.
The restaurant has been in the family for eighty-six years and is in big financial trouble now. Can the two sisters save it? Mariah saved Clarks, the one she and her husband owns. Sabrina is a baker, with a dream of being able to support herself and her daughter using her talent. But, can these two work together?
This story has two time-lines. The previous is the current. The past is early 1900 of their great great grandmother, Tabitha, who has left her letters to her mother behind to be read. So much to be learned from her. So much in common. So many struggles.
Good story with happy endings for all!
I was given an advanced ecopy from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

I loved this story by Rhonda McKnight that effectively and beautifully weaved the past and present together. Ms McKnight is a genius at intertwining the lives of strong and resilient women. Mariah, Sabrina and Tabitha are unforgettable characters. I loved how Ms McKnight interwove the Gullah culture into the storyline.. the story is captivating and I highly recommend it for your reading pleasure

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

One thing Rhonda is going to do, is write a story worth telling. I loved the different point of views between the three women: sisters, Mariah and Sabrina, as well as their great-great-grandmother, Tabitha. I love Rhonda’s writing so much, I want to visit the low-country to experience it myself. Another thing, the low-country men written in these stories are dreams, so you know I loved Mr. Quinten. I still think about Mr. Nigel from The Thing About Home.

Mariah, the older sister, was quite annoying majority of the book but I finally understood her struggle by the end of the story.

Sabrina, the younger sister, struggled raising her daughter as a single mother but she was doing her best. She was really trying to find herself and bake cakes like her mother did.

Tabitha, their great-great-grandmother, story being told from letters written long ago. I loved her story. I could read a book about her alone. Her stories help guide the sisters toward a different life.

What a wonderful book! A dual time novel that plays in the 1910s-1930s and nowadays. This book was a total surprise for me. I was a little hesitant requesting it, wanting to read something uplifting and I wasn’t sure this book would have that. Well, it did! Two sisters who didn’t get along. At all. And never had. I was starting to get really fed up with the “mean” one but … not all was as it seemed and it showed the impact our upbringing can have on our adult life. Good character development for both women. Lots of wisdom, beautiful early 20th century story and a peek into Gullah culture. I loved it. Having grown up in Europe, this was totally new to me and super interesting. While reading, I found myself researching the Gullah culture, which helped in understanding the riches of the book better. One of my favorite passages was when one of the characters was scared of going to therapy because she feared losing control of her feelings. “Therapy is an opportunity to get strategies. It doesn’t mean you’re unwell, it just means you need a little help coping.” “You are not going to live your life not taking action because of fear. If you had a lump in your breast, you’d be scared but you’d go to the doctor. We don’t avoid help because the treatment might be hard.” This is such an enriching book, I’d highly recommend it.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own. I was not required to leave a positive review, but was very happy to do so!

Overall: 4

An amazing story that you are never too old go back home and everyone is going through something, even if they don't speak on it. The two FMC are sisters that have different views on how their relationship was broken over the years to come to find out the both remember the events differently. Once they finding start talking to each other instead of at each other, they start to fix their bond and team together to save and refresh their family restaurant.

I knew I would like this book before I read it, but I never expected to love it too. This is an inviting book from the very start and it captured me to the point of staying up to finish it. I enjoyed the traveling of the years between the past and the future times. The letters from the second grandmother were fun to read as well. All the characters of this charming book make the title of this story come alive. This author is new to me and I've been entertained by one of the best books to hit the shelves this year!


**Thank you to Netgalley & Thomas Nelson Publishing for an eBook copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion/review of this book!