What a powerful thought -evoking story? I also like the dual time between Tabitha, Mariah, and Sabrina were sharing their family history connect to present time .Thier stories were tale of relationships, love, forgiveness, and grief,and redemption. Tabitha, Mariah,and Sabrina stories stuck with me that brought me to tears,and joy. I truly loved this story. I thank you NetGalley give me opportunity to review the book.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Rhonda McKnight, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and NetGalley.

This is so good! I was unfamiliar with this author before this review but I am most definitely a new fan. This is a family drama about love, growth, and faith. The main characters are Mariah and her younger sister Sabrina. There is a third supporting character, Tabitha, the sisters great-great-grandmother who opened the family restaurant that the sisters are there to save.

This is set in the south with alternating timelines between Mariah & Sabrina in our current times and Tabitha starting about 1910. Mariah is reeling from a sudden unexpected separation and pending divorce which has turned nasty when she gets a call from her grandmother asking her to come immediately. Her grandfather is back in the hospital and they need help with the family restaurant. Sabrina is living an alternative lifestyle in her van and recovering from the loss of her partner and temporary separation from her daughter while trying to build a business when she gets the call from her grandmother to come help at the restaurant.

There is a deep wound between the sisters with its roots in childhood. This addresses parent loss, partner loss, and child abuse. It's handled delicately with respect for how these issues impact a lifetime. It felt very relatable. This presents a wonderful example of the transformative power of therapy. There's also cute kids and light romance.

I'm not a Christian and found the religious aspects of the story mostly sweet, nothing preachy or awkward at all. The importance of love, forgiveness and family are the main Christian themes.

The narrators are Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Angel Pean and Lynnette R. Freeman. All three ladies are amongst my top five narrators. I also love, love, love when audiobooks have individual narrators for each pov character.

Thank you to Rhonda McKnight, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this novel. I read it completely on audio. I think the narrator did a good job with the multiple POVs and keeping the accents to the Low Country Gullah Geechee in check. This is a great story about love and pain--the bitter and the sweet. I highly recommend the audiobook. Check out my 7 Lit Things Review:

🍽️ 🆂🅴🆅🅴🅽 🅻🅸🆃 🆃🅷🅸🅽🅶🆂 🍽️
|| 𝘽𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 by Rhonda McKnight||

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
-Yes, Rhonda McKnight serves love, care, and family like comfort food. I’ll take it, anytime.

𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆:
-Family is love. 𝘽𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 helps reader take full count of the ways humans can cause generational harm and affect the very fiber of who we are. While love is not supposed to hurt us, it very well does and bitters our heart and interactions with others. Love will always be an action verb because you cannot have love without action in your heart. Life is already hard for some of us, but family should be a solid center to wade in when you’re hurt. McKnight beautifully shows us it is possible.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲?
-Most definitely, Tabby. I just want the opportunity to throw the sweetest brew of tea into Joe’s mother’s face. #MeanOleHeffa

𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
-Why, of course, because McKnight shows us brilliantly how life is both bitter and sweet. We must keep going in spite of trials and tribulations and leave room for forgiveness because if we don’t we fatten the bitter and lose our sweet.

𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.
-“We have to take the good and bad and the bitter and sweet.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
-Shame. Hurt. Betrayal. The book unearthed my own inability to forgive and find comfort in family for support. It showed me the ways to change my heart.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹? [spoiler]
-In a sequel, I’d like to see how the sisters are doing in love and life (and baking). Also, I want a storyline about Tabby’s brothers and how “passing” affected them.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to @hearourvoicestours & @thomasnelson for this gifted book and audio access (through @netgalley)! Also, @authorrhondamcknight your stories brim with love and care, always.

🏷 #BitterAndSweet #RhondaMcKnight #Christianfiction #Multigenerational #HearOurVoices #HOV #blackgirlsread #wellreadblackgirl #blackbookstagram

A great read for the black community with so many generational issues addressed in impactful ways. The characters throughout this story are in many situations and experience many hardships that could make them victims, but they never succumb to that mentality. Resilience and strength abound in this feel good love story throughout the generations.

Thoughts:
There are times as a reader that you feel like you are at a reading shift. You want to experience some new feelings and thought patterns on a new reading journey. You set outside of your normal genre box in hopes of being captivated by a fresh voice. That is what Rhonda McKnight did for me with this story.

I have not read “The Thing Called Home” yet but I heard of how amazing it was. Bitter and Sweet has become one of my favorite reads this year. This amazing story will draw you in and I promise you will feel every emotion relayed. Every situation will garner a reaction from you. I cussed, I got a case of the water eyes, and I was frustrated all the same. But I completely felt whole after I completed it.

I am not going to spoil the story but I will say this. I loved how the dual timelines were written beautifully. You were able to learn from the past and also see how the present was shaped by things in the past. This is a lesson to us all. Our ancestors have fought for things and we have come from a resilient strong lineage. We have to learn to embrace our differences as well as the trials that come our way. As long as we have a strong support unit and faith, all things will work out. The therapy that was written into this story was felt. I just knew she was speaking to me on several things and I just adored this book.
Get this book. Read it. The audio was performed so well. All 3 narrators did an excellent job with bringing these characters alive.

Having the digital copy was a great experience to a well written story, but the narrators on the audio version offer realistic visions of the characters and setting.

Bitter and Sweet by Author Rhonda McKnight offers how the past and present collide offering visions of family gatherings and history.

As you turn each page, you'll be swept away by the beauty of tradition and the resilience of the human spirit. "Bitter and Sweet" is a testament to the enduring legacy of family where the echoes of the past resonate deeply in the present.

I invite you to add this one to your reading list and you can thank me later.

Absolutely fantastic! I really, really loved this tale of estranged sisters who have to heal their relationship with each other before they can save the family business. I absolutely wanted to FIGHT Mariah... until I understood her pain. Ugh, so good and so well performed in audio. Listened to it almost straight through.

This is a solid story that incorporates complex problems. The tension between the sisters resonated with me deeply. I didn’t realize there were 3 narrators- they all sound like one person (who does a good job).

Content Considerations: women dependent on men, mistresses, maternal death, “passing” as explained in the author’s note

I found this story to have a lot of depth and a lot of emotion. I have not read a book by Rhonda McKnight before, and I was drawn to the dual timeline, the premise of sisters, and the idea of a family restaurant. Tabitha’s story is authentic and full of rich details. I can hear her passion and desire as she describes her life, her desires, and how she sees herself. As she grows and matures, her fighter spirit and entrepreneurship in a time when it was uncommon for a woman to do so is inspiring. When her old letters are shared with her great-granddaughters, Mariah and Sabrina, by their grandmother, wisdom flows and demands attention. Mariah and Sabrina are both broken and hurting, and I love how their grandmother gently nudges them together and calls them both out when needed. As layers of hurt and pain are peeled back, true healing and growth begins. As each perspective was shared, I really felt like I was experiencing things from that character’s point of view. This was helpful as each of their stories unfolded. Things are not always pretty, or sugar coated, but when it comes to it, these women, this family, stick together and fight for their own. Independence, shame, redemption, restoration, forgiveness, family, and friendship are the key themes explored and handled with grace. I enjoyed the additional benefit of listening to the story narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Angel Pean, and Lynnette R. Freeman. Accents and dialects were captured beautifully and brought authenticity to the story.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I previously read the digital version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed the story. However, I was curious to see how the audio version would add to an already brilliant story.

I was not disappointed! The narrators Joniece Abbott-Pratt; Angel Pean; Lynnette R. Freeman did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life. I felt ever emotion as these narrators spoke. I could tell each narrator was very passionate about the story as it was shown in their delivery.

As before my favorite line of the book was “Forgive my grief”. That line resonates with me so much because it makes me realize so many actions people take myself included are done because of unhealed grief. Grief comes in many ways. The biggest misconception is that people only grieve death.

I couldn’t recommend this book more. If it were possible I’d give it 10 stars ⭐️! Do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook as well as the printed version.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this audiobook.

I normally don't enjoy books with a ton of characters that I have to keep up with in order for it to make sense, but Rhonda did such a good job of it that I didn't feel overwhelemed. There were multiple times in the book where I was wrecked (Mariahs husband ain't shit). Mariah and Sabrina s dynamic broke my heart something fierce. I loved the grandparents the most. The narrator did a great job with this novel. I devoured this book in 48 hours, highly recommended.

The dual timeline was executed well. In the past, it provides an interesting insight into the woman (Great grandmother) who struggled to build this business into what it became. However, each woman in this story has a compelling narrative, and I appreciate that there is no filler. It's heartbreaking but also uplifting to see how the sisters overcome their hardships while renovating their family restaurant and building their relationship.

I liked that this was a dual time line story. I was invested in both storylines, honestly It was a captivating read. I really enjoyed learning about the history of Tabitha’s cooking and eventually owning the restaurant, it was inspiring to witness her resilience. I also enjoyed that the sisters Mariah and Sabrina are able to work on both their individual issues and mend their relationship along the way. Overall, this story was very entertaining and ultimately a tale of faith, family, and forgiveness.

I enjoyed each narrator as they did a great job of bringing each character to life.

Women’s fiction, African-American women’s fiction, historical fiction, present-day fiction, and everything amazing about reading a book are in this book! I love historical fiction. I like the fact that this book has passed influences into the current future. I love the fact that this was family history as well and it showed light on a lot of topics that don’t like to discuss. History is not always beautiful and I’m glad that this book exists to share and shed light on all of that. It was so good. I’ll be looking for more from this author!

NetGalley thank you for the audio book and ebook!

Rhonda McKnight knows how to write a story and she made me auto buy author. If you enjoyed The Thing About Home you will like this one as well.

This story heartwarming with some sad moments at times. I love a good story that will make me feel. While there are a few characters (Mariah, Sabrina and Tabby) to keep up with it is easy to follow. In addition this book also has a dual timeline.

Bitter and Sweet was the best title for this book - such a heartfelt story.

I listened to the audio book. It was a beautiful experience from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend it.