This was a really great read… I will say although fiction there were a few parts that took away from the story because it just seemed as if it was too perfect as far as the ending. I get Mariah had a turnaround however it was as if she became too perfect too quick…

I loved everything about Great granny Tab and I wished we had more especially seeing how everything turned out for her.

Sabrina I loved her and I’m so happy how things worked out for her. She deserved everything that she got and I would love to see how the sisters work together in their place..

All in all this was a great read and I’m giving it a 4.75

Thank you NetGalley and HearOurVoices for the free ARC..

Thank you NetGalley and the Publishing Company for an advanced reader copy.
I really enjoyed this novel. The dual timeline was a treat and it was not difficult to follow. The "past" timeline or Tabitha's timeline was the most interesting to me. I actually wanted more of Tabitha's story. That said and without giving too much away, I appreciated the present timeline, the resolutions, and full-circle moments. Overall, solid read.

Some great themes of complicated family relationships, hardship and perseverance. I enjoyed reading about Mariah and Sabrina and how their relationship morphed and grew after a very harsh start. I think both their stories were well told and had you invested in them as people and as sisters. And I liked that their growth was a partnership of both practical and spiritual.

The progression with Tabitha was also a heartbreaking but inspiring one, and I thought her character development was authentic and easy to relate to. It was fun seeing parts of Charleston in there as well, since I love visiting there and recognized the streets and some locations.

There were, however, a surprising number of typos and mistakes in the book tho, even tho it was an ARC. Hopefully some more editing is done before release, as the book certainly deserves it, but it wasn’t real sufficient in this pre-release.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

First time reading from this author and I absolutely loved the story. Two sisters that do not get along at all, have to come together when their grandfather falls ill and their grandmother calls them to take care of their failing restaurant, that’s been in the family for almost 90 years. So many topics were covered in this story of family dysfunction & trying to piece their faith and family situation. Mariah and Sabrina literally be going through it in this story so their grandmother gives them old letters from their great great grandmother Tabitha that was trying to make it through the Jim Crow era. Tabitha was my favorite part of the entire story and I wish I got more of it. Absolutely amazing story a strong four star read for me. Thankful for this complimentary copy for an exchange of my honest review.

You want to talk about a multigenerational family story done right?! Bitter and Sweet is it. I was immediately pulled in with this story and couldn’t put it down. The story followed sisters Mariah and Sabrina as they saved the family’s restaurant at the request of their grandmother. However, the relationship between the sisters was extremely strained due to childhood traumas and issues they were struggling with presently. We also got to go back in time to read their great great grandmother’s story and see how the restaurant came to be. Bitter and Sweet was such a beautiful book that will have you tearing up as well. Each of these women were resilient in their own way and they worked very hard to become successful. Even though I wanted to yank Mariah through the book initially for being so mean and hurtful, I admired her growth and the fact that she went to therapy to be a better sister, granddaughter, and auntie. Not only that, she also did the work to break generational curses. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for you to read it when it comes out! You will be rooting for these ladies the entire time!There was also some romance that unfolded in this book. Add it to your list and thank me later!✨

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for this eARC

This book was a fantastic read. It is the first one I have read by Rhonda McKnight and will not be the last. I enjoyed how flawed the characters were and that they, through the help of others, admitted they needed help and sought help. I enjoyed the dual timeline piece as well. The growth and development of the characters was present. There is faith content, but nothing over the top. I also enjoyed the food content, and the environment where the story took place. I feel like the present timeline encompassed many topics and buzz words, making it very relatable to the world in which we presently live. The historical pieces were eye opening to me as well.

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I received a complimentary e-arc of the book. All opinions are my own.

I received a copy for review purposes; all opinions are honest and mine alone.

With dual timelines and strong women, BITTER AND SWEET is a southern fiction treat.

This was my first experience reading the work from author Rhonda McKnight and it was enjoyable. Her story features a family of four women, each facing their own life changing challenges. Two sisters and a grandmother appear in the contemporary timeline and a great, great aunt is featured in the early 20th century. All these formidable women are facing different battles but are united in the joy they find around the food business and a family restaurant.

Each chapter is voiced from a single character and clearly marked for person, place and time. McKnight makes good use of descriptive prose, bringing the lush landscapes of South Carolina to life. Character development is deep but the alternating chapters delays the process a bit too long for my liking. Using letters and cooking to link timelines and family members worked very well in this book.

Charleston and the area surrounding are the setting for much of the past timeline. This area is influenced by the Gullah people, their food and culture. McKnight weaves this element into her story, including some language that I assume is common knowledge in the area; colloquial. It would be good to provide a page of translations for readers that are not familiar with the language. I was able to intuit some, but not all, of the language and found it frustrating.

There are only about 200,000 Gullah people in the Low Country, (SE coastal NC, SC, GA, FL), so it’s important to preserve the culture. Kudos to McKnight for adding it to this story in an organic way. Altho’ there’s no mention of it at the end of this volume, I could easily see some of these characters coming back in another book(s) and expounding on the Gullah culture📚

Read and reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks

Okay this is the second book I read from Ms McKnight and let me tell you this is another one of my favorites I will definitely be reading more of her books .I loved everything about this story so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.I adore reading stories that make me feel emotional(in a good way).
Such a great story I adore all of the characters... like the diff pov between the sisters and Tabitha story was amazing and the plot twist at the end abt Tabitha step dad family Wow didn't see that coming

Very poorly written with an almost non-existent plot. I .do not recommend this book as there as so many better ones out there

This story gripped me, heartfelt laughter, and some tears dual timelines. All the motions was all over the place as the story unfolded in these lives the we are learning

Rhonda McKnight did such a beautiful thing with this book 😍

This is the first time reading this author but it won’t be the last. I loved “Bitter and Sweet” for the relatable characters and the deep messages that still led to the happily ever after and resolution we all want!

At the heart of this story is the complexity of family and the restoration of even the most dismal circumstances and relationships. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself rooting for Tabitha, arguing for Sabrina and wanting to shake some sense into Maria. And then it will be someone else you want to hug the next minute.

Highlights
⭐️I loved the spotlight on therapy
⭐️ The dual timelines added a layer of depth and intrigue to the story that kept me hooked
⭐️The sister dynamics felt so real to me

This is a Christian fiction that doesn’t feel corny or unrealistic and is such a unique story that I was drawn in almost immediately. So good!

Ultimately, this story is about family and forgiveness. It is told from three narrators across two time periods. All of the women experience difficult, life-altering situations and come to learn to rely on God and family.

Bitter and Sweet is a treasure. Oh, how masterfully Rhonda McKnight is in writing family drama. This is the second book I’ve read from her and I loved it. I laughed, I cried. My heart went out to the suffering of the generations of this family. These strong women helped support one another through those heartbreaks in this split-time novel. It was full of Southern traditions, faith and love. Oh, and the food. Let’s not forget the food. It will make you hungry ;)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

Grandma Cooper has called her granddaughters, Mariah and Sabrina home to Georgetown SC to get the family restaurant, Tabitha’s, remodeled and up and running again.
Sisters, Mariah and Sabrina have never liked each other and the thought of working together is unthinkable.
Tying the dual time lines of the multigenerational women together are letters written by their great-great grandmother, Tabitha, the original owner of Tabitha’s Restaurant. As the sisters begin to finally work together, even with their own problems and not unlike their great-great grandmother, bitter were their struggles but sweet was their success, resilience and respect for each other and themselves.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an early copy of this empowering family drama with struggles, successes and finally forgiveness. This review is my honest opinion.

*****3.5*****
I really enjoyed this book. It's about two sisters and their great-great-grandmother and how the stories connect and reflect each other. Mariah and Sabrina have their own alternating first-person perspectives, and Tabitha, the great-great-grandmother has a perspective, too, but it's third-person. The book takes place in South Carolina in modern day for the sisters and in the early 1900s for Tabitha. Each story builds slowly, giving context and details, before getting into the hearts of the individual conflicts and the connected conflicts (when it comes to the sisters).
The setting is rich with the detail, and the plot and characters are well-developed. For me, though, the beginning of each plot line is much stronger than the ending. I really appreciated the resolutions of conflict and felt emotional about certain moments, especially one in particular, but I also felt that many threads wrapped up very quickly for the extent of the conflict that had built up and that some resolutions weren't realistic, likely because they did wrap up so quickly. I also didn't care for one of the characters much even though I was supposed to like him, and this took away a bit from my appreciation of some of the resolutions. I do like that McKnight doesn't shy away from talking about the need for God and for therapy and portrays mental health in a very detailed way.
I recommend this book to people who like stories about sisters and family, to people interested in the resolve and strength of Black women, especially during Jim Crow, to readers who enjoy Southern literature, and to people who like light romance with the focus more on character development and personal conflict than on romantic tropes.
Overall, I liked this book and am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-copy for review!

This was my first experience with this author and I enjoyed her work very much. I was engaged from the beginning, liked the characters, and the plot. The transitions between characters and eras was smooth and intriguing. I liked them all (except the bad guy).

Thank you #Netgalley for providing a copy of this lovely story. I really enjoyed the dual storyline and found it to be a page-turning tale I hated to put down. I recommend this book and will not divulge too much as I hate reviews that spoil the story for others, just grab a copy and dive in. #Bitterandsweet excellent read!

If you enjoy dual timeline fiction that revolves around family drama and strained relationships but highlights healing from emotional pain, you'll love this one. The author does a great job leading the reader through each characters' struggles and bringing a satisfying conclusion.

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

Bitter and Sweet
by Rhonda McKnight
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Thanks to the author, publi isher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
From the beloved author of The Thing About Home comes a dual timeline tale of family, grief, secrets, and the sweet redemption that lies within the bonds of sisterhood.
With the lessons in their family's past guiding them, both sisters have a chance at a different life--if they can find a way to bridge the gap that tragedy and unhealed trauma forced between them. Told in a dual timeline that alternates between the 1920s and present-day Charleston, SC, Bitter and Sweet is an emotional story about love, one family's perseverance, and the bonds of family and heritage.
What a great read! This is a story of family. A story of Gullah culture. A story of forgiveness. A story of love. I recommend this story if you love a family drama/saga or a multigenerational story.

When I saw this as read now I had to download right away because I loved this author book The Thing about Home. This book was well written. This book includes - sibling conflict, broken marriages, and family crisis. The emotions I felt while reading made this book an easy five star read. I truly didn’t want this book to end.