The Sweetest Thing by Barbara Freethy

Description

#1 NYT Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy delivers an emotional and poignant story with touches of humor and a cast of quirky, lovable characters. A touch of mysticism adds an extra layer to this story of love and family.

Alone in the world, Faith Christopher had always yearned for love … and a man who'd make her heart pound. But her dreams of a place to call home were getting harder to hold on to …

Alex Carrigan liked fast cars, fast women and fast deals – then a tough-talking teenager arrived on his doorstep claiming she was his long-lost daughter, and his meddling grandfather decided to move in. Suddenly, Alex has to face the family he never expected.

Enter Faith. Little did the outspoken and beautiful baker know that deep inside Alex was a well of tenderness … and that she might have the recipe to bring him true love – the sweetest thing life has to offer.

Reviews…

“The Sweetest Thing is a heart-tugging tale of family and the healing power of love. Barbara Freethy has created a delightful cast of quirky yet lovable characters and brought them to full life. The Sweetest Thing is a story as enjoyable and richly satisfying as one of the heroine's chocolate eclairs!” Romance Fiction Forum – AOL

“Freethy has crafted an entertaining and moving contemporary romance. The paranormal elements are well handled and enrich the story. But ultimately, The Sweetest Thing is about the importance of love and family, for it is love that makes family sweet.” The Romance Reader

“Ms. Freethy has again done a wonderful job of crafting an intriguing plot line and peopling it with fully developed characters that have all of the flaws and foibles common to human beings.” Bookbug on the Web

Editorial Review

Setting: Contemporary San Francisco

Sensuality: 6

Successful entrepreneur Alex Carrigan's life is neatly organized and focused on building his company. But fate drops a series of bombshells when his eccentric grandfather appears on his doorstep to move in with him, the sudden death of his ex-wife leaves him with a precocious 12-year-old daughter he's convinced he didn't sire, and beautiful redhead Faith Christopher walks into his life.

Faith has her own set of problems. She's been in emotional limbo since the death of her fiancé several years before, and the ties to his family are growing increasingly troublesome. She's wondering if she should give in to family pressure and marry the second son when Alex wanders into her bakery looking for his grandfather. The physical connection she feels with Alex is instantaneous and mutual, making her question whether a marriage based on companionship is wise or even possible.

Meanwhile, Alex's grandfather has an agenda of his own. Fifty-six years earlier, he'd fallen in love, broken a piece of ancient Indian pottery, and brought a curse on himself and his heirs. He's convinced he must locate his lost love, return the pottery to its hiding place, and lift the curse, a plan Alex has heard many times before and doesn't want to get involved in. But Faith is intrigued by the elderly gentleman's tale and agrees to help him. Little does she know what life-changing forces have been set in motion by her decision.

Can a woman who wants commitment find happiness with a man who doesn't believe in love? Will Alex be able to accept that not only is Faith everything he wants but also everything he needs? If Alex and Faith don't help his grandfather solve the more than half-century-long mystery, will the curse doom the two lovers and all the people they love? And what about the child he doesn't believe is his but who needs him so desperately? It's a pleasure to read Freethy's answers to these questions and more, thanks to her charming writing style and expert plotting in The Sweetest Thing.–Lois Faye Dyer