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.

Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight is a compelling exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of family dynamics. The narrative follows a young woman as she navigates her relationships while confronting painful truths about her past. McKnight’s authentic writing captures the nuances of emotional struggles and personal growth, making the characters relatable and deeply engaging. Themes of forgiveness and resilience resonate throughout the story, offering readers a thoughtful reflection on the power of healing. This heartfelt novel is a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction.

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.

An amazing novel of a broken family with individually broken lives and situations. A story of a wise grandmother, great grandmother, hope, and two granddaughters that must face the past and truths before healing can begin. The dual time line ties beautifully into present days. There were times I wanted to strangle the mean sister, but the author masterfully allowed me to feel sympathy for her while she had her angry spells. Brilliantly written and amazing narrating.

Earlier this year I read my first book by Rhonda McKnight and loved the way she brought in history, family and culture all within a specific setting. SO when I saw Bitter and Sweet available, I knew I would be reading it (or rather listening to the audio, which was phenomenally done). The audio read by 3 narrators for the 3 characters was brought to life by the performances. I couldn't have asked for more.

This story was about different generations of women in a family and what they had to go through in order to make it to the other side. It's a story of strength, of healing and most of all, forgiveness.

Bitter and Sweet is told for 3 POVs and 2 different timelines. One in the present day of Georgetown, South Carolina from 2 sisters, Sabrina and Mariah. The 3rd POV is from the 1920's, Tabitha, who is the sisters' great great grandmother.

We begin the story with 2 sisters that aren't exactly close. But neither of them knows what the other is going through. When their grandmother asks both of them to return to Georgetown, South Carolina to help with her restaurant while she tends to her husband, the sisters are forced to navigate the issues they have with one another. While there, they butt heads but also find themselves by working together and through letters they have of their great great grandmother Tabitha.

Tabitha's is the 3rd POV we get in Bitter and Sweet. Tabitha's story was from the early 1900's and can I say that her POV was a favorite? Everything she went through, from falling in love, to starting a family with a man that was hiding pieces of his life, to Tabitha making a life of her own with her strength and tenacity is proof that this woman was stronger because of her "flaws". She fought for what she had and lived through so much pain, but came out stronger because of it. Her faith and willingness to help others even when she needed help was truly remarkable to witness, especially in the times she lived.

Meanwhile the sisters present day story was a little hard to read. I was getting frustrated with Mariah and the way she acted toward Sabrina when she knew how hard life had been on her. But then again, when we hold grudges, it eats away at you and forces you into a person you may not be. Even though Sabrina frustrated me, once she looked within herself and sought help with what she was feeling, it allowed her to grieve a bit of her past while also growing and learning to understand what she needed in order to go forward. Breaking those chains that had bind her.

I love McKnight's story telling and the way she incorporated more than one generation into the story. One thing that held me back in giving this a higher star rating was the flow of the book. While I liked both timelines and going back and forth with the characters, as soon as there was growth or a twist, we immediately changed POVs, affecting my reading flow (Plus, I loved Tabitha's POV and could've had a whole story just from her POV). What I did appreciate was the strength of the women, the culture we got within the story that included the delicious food and the setting. WIth the previous book and this book, you will definitely want to go to South Carolina for the food itself.

Great characters and growth for all the women. Wonderful story of perseverance and breaking generational chains and forgiving not only your loved ones, but yourself. That was the message I got in this beautiful story from McKnight. There is romance in this story and there is some painful situations when it comes to love, but overall, this was a story about women and their power to change the future.

Such a great story that was multigenerational and dual timeline. I really enjoyed the writing and how the characters were so developed. So many aspects of this story made me stop and think about life and things I myself have experience. It was nice to read a book without bad langangue and clean. Thanks for the advanced copy.

“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.

McKnight gives us a generational saga following feuding sisters, Mariah and Sabrina and parallels their emotional struggles with the woman who paved the way to opportunity for them years ago, their great, great grandmother Tabitha.

The voice given to each woman is so distinct, relatable, and powerful. Tabitha is a loving woman but with trouble following her for far too long, McKnight shows us that overcoming obstacles also takes time and patience and can blossom into legacy. In present day, we again are presented with strong women we can see our best and worst selves in. Mariah’s been humiliated and betrayed by her ex. Sabrina’s had a lifetime of mishaps and the last thing Mariah wants is her sister’s support in any way. I appreciate how they are written. Imperfect, headstrong and both finding out their purpose.

Their is so much beauty in growth and this novel is a perfect embodiment of this and for these incredible women.

I read this book as an audiobook and was swept away with it like I was watching a movie. It is a multigenerational family story that keeps you interested from the first sentence to the last. I will now be reading more by this author. Loved her writing style and the way she can weave a story so beautifully.

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.

The narrator is pretty good.

A beautiful story about sisters who are summoned by their grandmother to come together and save the family restaurant. The sisters are each dealing with their own struggles, and their great grandmother's letters give them the strength and hope they needed. Beautifully written a story that is deeply felt.

Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY

I loved this book! It was a book about history, family, & how love unites us all. The narrators were great and really helped bring the story to life. Geographical history of Charleston made the book very interesting as well. The characters could be a tad “love to hate” at times, but united in the end showing us the power of family. My only regret was romantic relationships not having a larger role in the book. I would have loved to seen it explored further with both FMC’s, but nevertheless, this is still a solid 5 star read!

This book was told from multiple POVs and over dual timelines. I absolutely loved it! The sisters definitely have a lot of bitterness, both toward each other and the world. Throughout the book we learn why, and even have some sweet sprinkled in throughout. My favorite parts were of Tabitha, the girls great great grandmother. She was such a strong character, and I looked forward to her chapters and story so much!!

4.5 rounded up.

I had planned to buy Bitter and Sweet paperback regardless but thought I would give the audiobook a try. I love the dual timeline and how the family history intertwined with present day. I appreciated the realistic circumstances of these two estranged sisters and how they work through challenges alone and together. The Grandparents, particularly Grandma melted my heart as I feel like the true Grandmother does not exist anymore or at least not like they use too. The characters were relatable in their struggles and successes.

This is a story of reflection, circumstance and generational effects and healing. As a therapist, I appreciated the mental health components and the experiences navigating that for both sisters. I truly enjoyed this book. Annotated this book (which means I loved it!). The audio book was engaging and brought life to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Rhonda McKnight for an opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book. I received an audio review copy of this book for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

-The Present-



When summoned to Georgetown, South Carolina, sisters Mariah Clark and Sabrina Holland both assume their ailing grandfather's health has gotten worse. Neither expects their grandmother's undeniable request--save the family restaurant.



Mariah is at a crossroad in her life. After being dumped by her husband and forced to walk away from their diner that she helped rescue from bankruptcy, bitter feelings consume her. Even though the restaurant has been in the family for eighty-six years, giving her all to another struggling business isn't something she wants to do.



Living out of her van and striving for a fresh start, Sabrina yearns for stability for herself and her daughter and a chance to turn her baking hustle into a bona-fide business. The family restaurant may be just the blessing she needs--but as old tensions and angry disagreements resurface, Sabrina wonders if her sister will let her have a say.

Description

-The Past-

After falling victim to a love she thought would last a lifetime, Tabitha Cooper finds herself away from home and struggling to survive in Charleston in the early twentieth century. She is determined to turn corn into cornbread and to take care of her children the best way she knows how--by serving food that's good for the soul--and along the way forges a path that leaves a legacy of success for generations to come.

Through letters that reveal Tabitha's complicated past, the sisters discover truths that just might be the right recipe to mend their hearts--if they can find a way to savor the blessing of today and leave the bitter aftertaste of old memories behind them.

It's unfortunate that you couldn't finish the audiobook before it was archived. However, when I review an audiobook, I focus on how the story is presented, and less on the story. The use of three narrators to represent different perspectives was a fantastic way to bring the story to life. Their distinct nuances must have made the experience even more immersive. I will happily continue to enjoy the audio version once it becomes available to me.

This is a family saga about two sisters who return to their home in South Carolina in response to their grandmother's summons, ill-prepared to deal with what awaits them there.

Each at a crossroads in their own lives, Sabrina and Mariah must now decide how they will deal with the challenge of the failing family business and their faltering relationship with each other.

Upon unexpectedly discovering new details in the story behind the creation of the restaurant by their ancestor Tabitha, the two begin to better understand their family legacy, and why it may be worth considering second chances when it comes to each other, as well as the restaurant itself.

A sweeping story told in two separate but linked timelines, this is an engrossing tale that will be enjoyed by listeners. It gets 3.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for the gifted copy. This was a good read it kept my attention from beginning to end.

This book was beautifully written & narrated!
Bravo, Bravo!

Last year, I read Rhonda McKnight’s The Thing About Home and was truly blown away at the use of language & imagery. When I heard that Bitter & Sweet was due to be released this summer, I was skeptical as to whether or not she recapture that same magic. But there was no need for me to think that way. Bitter & Sweet is as equally beautifully written, if not better than her previous book. The dual timeline stories are wonderfully woven together while highlighting the Carolina low country. I am hoping that Ms McKnight will continue to take us into more journeys of the Carolina low country exploring familial stories reflecting on the ancestors & today.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

I really wanted to like this book but I couldn’t finish is. It’s a me thing not a book thing.

This was such a wonderful and endearing story to read. It was my first by this author but it certainly won't be the last. The story of these sisters was a polarizing experience for me as the sorry title is aptly suited to the characters we meet. These sisters' lives were shaped by very impactful past and present circumstances, and it was such a full circle moment by the time we got to the end of the story. The pacing was beautifully done. I was engrossed from beginning to end and throughly enjoyed the intertwining of the dual timeliness. The easy part of this book was the bitter, but I was surprised at the circumstances that causes the reader to question how much sweetness is too much.

If you're like historical fiction, dual timeliness, and great books about family finding their way back to each other. Then I highly recommend this master piece!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins Christian publishing for the gifted audio arc of this wonderful story.