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!

A duo timeline story - told in current day by estranged sisters Mariah and Sabrina. When their grandmother sends them urgent text to come home -- and they do bringing secrets with them, and finding more secrets when they get there. With their grandfather in the hospital, they are tasked to finishing the remodel of the family restaurant.

Their grandmother gives them letters of their great-great-grandmother from the 1920s - Tabatha's letters show her struggles and the beginning of the family restaurant.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Rhonda McKnight has done it again! She has woven a beautiful story of secrets, repressed feelings, and eventual mended relationships. Two sisters have a tumultuous relationship, and each feel they are slighted by the other. Their grandmother calls them home to South Carolina to help rebuild and run the family restaurant. Neither sister knows they have been summoned home until they are there. Both sisters have unresolved problems in their lives and don't want to be involved with such a huge undertaking, especially alongside each other. The book vacillates between two time frames to explain the inception of the restaurant and why this means so much to their family. The reader watches the sisters' relationship change as they learn about the past and how this affects the present. Of course, intertwined in the main story line is a little bit of romance. This is the 2nd book I've read of Rhonda's and have loved! She has a way of endearing you to the characters and teaching you some history. Bravo, Rhonda!
Thank you to Thomas Nelson, a registered trademark of Harper Collins Christian Publishing, Inc. and NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

OMG I’ve been told to give this author a try and I’m oh so glad that I did! This story told in alternating timelines was so amazingly told! I was captivated and couldn’t put it down! I loved reading about how strong Tabitha had to be and how her love of cooking came through the bloodline to the “black women who dared”. What a powerful story and even though it was fictional, I’m sure there are aspects of this book that could have actually happened!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my first Rhonda McKnight book and what a pleasant surprise! I love a good family-centered story and if you do as well this is the one!

Mariah Clark finds herself in a deep despair following her divorce and the betrayal of her business by her ex-husband. Trust seems like an impossible feat after such manipulation and deception, leaving her feeling utterly alone. Meanwhile, Sabrina Holland clings to a fragile dream with little hope of it becoming reality. Grieving the loss of a loved one, she navigates each day in a state of mere existence, living out of her van and unsure of how to break free from her stagnant routine. Their grandmother, Gail, unexpectedly calls them back home under the guise of caring for their ailing grandfather. However, the true reason is revealed when Gail implores them to join forces in saving the family business, established 86 years ago. As they delve into the letters of their great-great-grandmother, Tabitha Cooper, they uncover a tale of resilience amidst adversity. Inspired by Tabitha's story, Mariah and Sabrina begin to realize that through mutual support and guidance, they can find the strength to overcome their own challenges and forge a path forward together.

This story includes a dual timeline, women-centered storylines, multi-generation trauma, and more! Highly recommend

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Rhonda McKnight has a way of writing solid family dynamics with plenty of complications...and eventual character growth and healing. Bitter and Sweet was another book following her past writing success with dual timelines and strong women characters. This time we have estranged sisters with a complicated history and both with tons of emotional baggage. I admit, Mariah was a hard character to like and root for...yes, her life had tragedy and painful life situations, but so did Sabrina. I'm glad there is an eventual awakening and Mariah takes steps to make amends, but still...

There is also a past timeline with the story centering on Tabitha (the great grandmother) and her life, loss, and eventual love. I enjoyed the full circle moments connecting the past and the present.

4 stars

This is a beautiful story about family, helping each other and healing. It is a story about learning from the past and becoming better people for it.

Life can be hard for all of us. But a good life is all about how we handle and grow out of these hard times. It helps to know that all people have hard times, this keeps us from feeling sorry for ourselves. This dual timeline story is about two sisters that are living right in the middle of crisis and how they plan to handle life going forward. Their grandmother is also in a crisis of her own and calls them both for help..

This dual timeline story between contemporary and 1920s takes place in different places in South Carolina. The story from the 1920's comes from letters of their great-great-grandmother Tabitha. These letters are inspiring and share her hardships and her response to them. This book made the duel timeline work the best of any book I have read so far. Switching between the times worked smoothly and wove the stories together. I loved how the contemporary women responded to what they were reading in the letters and how they were inspired to rise above their hardships in a positive manner. This was exactly why their grandmother brought them together and shared these letters with them.

What a perfectly appropriate, descriptive title for this great dual timeline historical fiction. I often prefer one timeline over another but both here are equally compelling. I knew nothing about the Gullah culture and really enjoyed learning about it along with all the mouthwatering food descriptions! It was compelling watching each of the main characters grow and change through their different but connected journeys of heartbreak, healing, forgiveness woven into a moving tale of faith and family relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read for my honest review.

This book was wonderful. Deep, made me think, moving. I loved learning more about the Gullah traditions, culture and accent. I loved the complicated relationships between the family members and the grandmother was by far my favorite person. I loved how I could sympathize and empathize with both sisters. This was a great book, first one I've read by this author and will not be my last. Highly recommend.

Bitter and Sweet is a story chock-full of southern culture, coastal nuances, and the rigor of relationships. This dual-time novel brings a lot to the table to be sorted out and laid to rest. It embraces the wisdom of the matriarch, sisters in conflict, loss of love and trust and the resilience we have when we hold to faith and family. It is Christian women’s fiction, with southern flair, at its best.

I have to say that this story in audiobook is stellar. So, if you enjoy this format, this is a book that you will want to listen to. The use of multiple narrators created distinguishable characters and lent clarity to the dual-time frames and multiple POVs.

This book is suitable for teens and older with no inappropriate intimate scenes and no bad language. I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

It’s a “Ten”!

Women’s Fiction…
Southern Fiction…
Dual Timeline…
with all the feels!

Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary read that captures your attention from the beginning to the end.

The engaging dual timeline makes for an edge-of-your-seat read that you won’t want to put down! It’s a perfect blend of the past meets the present, exploring the implications of family secrets, grief, forgiveness, and redemption.

Rhonda McKnight gives you an emotionally engaging story with all the feels, including therapy on the page. Not to mention, the real, raw emotions of the characters that keep you turning the pages wanting more.

Bitter and Sweet is a tell a friend to tell a friend page-turner that is totally book hangover-worthy.

It’s historical fiction at its finest.

4.5 stars

“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.”

The first book I read by Rhonda McKnight – The Thing About Home – made me a forever fan of her work, so I was eager to return to Georgetown, South Carolina, on the pages of Bitter and Sweet. And what a meaningful journey it was!

Sisters Mariah and Sabrina have a strained adult relationship, at best, thanks to their complicated family dynamics as they were growing up. Both women are also struggling to manage personal crises of their own – and on their own – when their grandmother calls them home to Georgetown to manage the family restaurant in the face of their grandfather’s declining health. And of course one of the reasons we love a forced proximity romance trope so much is that it forces those repressed feelings out into the open… well, the same is true for forced proximity in a family drama as well. At some point, these two strong-but-hurting women are going to need to deal with their stuff if they’re going to survive what’s needed to save not only the restaurant but their family’s legacy as well.

At separate points in Bitter and Sweet, I gravitated more toward one sister than the other. But by the end I felt like both had become dear friends to me. There are such deep layers here, and deep healing – and I loved that healing looked different for each sister, but the end result was the same: Wholeness, after many years of missing pieces. I also appreciated that the author shows (so perfectly) that Divine healing can come about with medical intervention, therapy, AND Jesus. I really identified with this aspect of their journey toward wholeness and I’m grateful to see therapy getting more page time in Christian fiction.

And I can’t forget to mention all the other characters that make Bitter and Sweet so delightful to read. Swoony Dante the chef and swoony Quinton the ‘one that got away’ (one for each sister), adorable Kenni and adorable Jordy, Mariah & Sabrina’s endearing grandparents, and – of course – the star of this story’s past timeline, great-great grandmother Tabitha. Her letters open Mariah & Sabrina’s eyes to the fact that they aren’t the only Cooper women to face shame over past decisions or present failures. That Mariah isn’t the only Cooper woman to be treated dirty by a man who said he loved her. That Sabrina isn’t the only Cooper woman to make tough decisions for the good of her child. And that neither are the only Cooper women to use their own determination and talents to start over with a restaurant. Life comes full circle sometimes, doesn’t it? And Bitter and Sweet shows all the good and bad – and bitter and sweet – of that process.

Bottom Line: From the rich cadence of the Gullah dialect (and its food) to the beautifully meaningful multi-generational elements and everything in between, Rhonda McKnight has once again crafted a layered novel that speaks right to the heart with characters who will linger there for a long while. Bitter and Sweet tackles a variety of complex issues like postpartum depression, divorce, grief, unwed pregnancy, passing (as White), and even the struggle of Black people (especially women) under the Jim Crow era in the early 20th century. (I learned even more by reading the author’s note at the end and want to continue learning about this.) But at the same time, the rhythm of this story settles around you like a warm hug, points you to Jesus (and therapy), leaves you smarter and hopefully more empathetic, and keeps you deeply invested with each new chapter. Add in some swoony romance, a lowcountry vibe, and strong women with whom you can be proud to claim a sisterhood… and Bitter and Sweet will join the ranks of The Thing About Home as a novel I will savor for some time to come.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)