Sweet Surprise

<b>Guardian angel.</b> <br /><br />Jenny Frame's books follow a certain formula - Fairytale romances in a homonormative universe with a gentleman-butch to sweep a femme off her feet. Some stories can get a bit cheesy but the rest are sweet and if this formula appeals to you, you'll love her books a lot. <br /><br />I have a soft spot for Frame's books and I love this one. It's kinda sweet and a really pleasant read. Mack comes from an infamous triad family. Flora is the owner of a sweet shop and is a bit of a social recluse with OCD, anxiety issues and PTSD. The characters are distinctively different from each other in personality and background but their lives collide when Mack saves Flora from danger one night. They reconnect about two years later when Mack opens a barber shop next door and they share a deep connection. I love Mack's rock-solid character underneath the gangster reputation. She's sensitive, thoughtful, gentle, loyal and fiercely protective of the people she cares about. I love that Mack takes on the role of Flora's 'guardian angel' and becomes what Flora needs most and I love how gentle and patient she is with her and how she cares enough to help Flora step out of her shell. <br /><br />This book put me in a good mood, as many of Frame's books do. But more than that, Flora reminded me, in more ways than one, of my girlfriend and she sees a bit of the resemblence too. Just the minor stuff.<br /><br />I'm not sure if this book is part of a series or if Frame intends to do a follow-up book but I really want a book about Mack's cousin, Nikki. <br /><br /><i>I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

3.75 stars. When I pick up a book by Frame I generally know what I can expect and this book fits right in with that expectation as it is a sweet (yes sweet) butch-femme romance. A bit different from previous books that I read by Frame is that one of the protagonists deals with mental health issues and I thought (with my limited knowledge) that this was handled well. <br /><br />Flora does not expect to ever find a partner as she has a social anxiety, OCD and PTSD, she is very introverted and prefers being alone, but deep down she hopes to find this one person who understands her and who she can share her life with. I don’t know much about mental health disorders, but through Flora I got a good feeling for what it is like to deal with this every minute of the day. Her compulsions, that tire her, and also the incomprehension of others who generally think she’s a weirdo. I also liked to see that this is not something that just disappears when you meet someone that you feel safe with (Mack in this case). There was only one moment near the end were the believability on the mental health problems was a bit shaky, but I enjoyed this storyline anyway.<br /><br />Mack is part of the infamous Sharkey family in Glasgow. They run a legitimate empire now, but sometimes they still have to operate on the edge of the law, which landed her in prison. Now she’s just released from prison and wants to run a quiet business as a barber and it turns out that her shop is located next to that of Flora. <br />I read ex-con in the blurb and was immediately interested, but this was not the ex-con story I expected. Mack has been in prison for 1.5 years, but it has no real impact on the story line. It hasn’t shaped her mentally (or at least this is not discussed) and it has also no effect on her future life as her connections and family wealth allow her to start her own barber shop without any problems. Also, I expected (maybe I misunderstood the blurb) that she would turn the other cheek to her previous life, and this too is not entirely the case. So, if you’re expecting a book really focusing on an ex-con redemption arc, this is not it. <br />That said I did very much enjoy the romance between Mack and Flora. They immediately share a connection. Under her tough appearance Mack is chivalrous, gentle and sensitive and puts in a lot of effort to understand Flora and make her feel safe (sometimes she’s a bit too good to be true, but who cares) and Flora is very slowly opening up to Mack. There were a couple of interesting side characters and then there was Dexter! I love a good doggie. <br /><br />All in all, this is a sweet romance and as with most of Frame’s books there is also a little bit of action in the book as well, which worked well with the storyline of Mack’s past. <br /><br /><i>I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Beautiful!<br /><br />I've got to admit, I am a fan of Frame's work, and I love Sweet Surprise.<br /><br />Mack Sharkey, (Always love them badarse characters that have a hint of softness to them! ) has just been released from jail and wants to start a new life by opening up a barbers shop right next door to Flora Buchanan's sweet shop. Flora has her own obstacles to overcome, such as anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. And thinks a relationship will never happen. We get to watch Mack and Flora become close to one another, watch their friendship grow, and earn trust. <br /><br />I also would like to point out, how fantastically, Mental Health issues were included in this storyline. It was written incredibly well and you can certainly see that research has been done. Not many authors include mental health in their plots and write about it well. <br /><br />There is a hint of violence in the story, not much and it doesn't go into great detail... but if you 'trigger' to violence please be aware. <br /><br />The sweet shop tho... remember when you were a child and walked into a sweet shop and your hit with that smell?? All the different smells just overpowering your senses? ... childhood memories. :)<br /><br />I really did enjoy the story, and would love to see a series. Any chance??? <br /><br />Oh...... and Dexter,,, love Dexter!<br /><br />4.5 stars.

I’m so glad I had the chance to read Sweet Surprise by Jenny Frame. This is a lovely slow-burn romance about a couple who really need each other and definitely belongs together. <br /><br />This is a story about two women: Mack Sharkey, who has just gotten out of prison, and Flora Buchanan, who has lived most of her life with severe OCD, social anxiety, and PTSD. When Mack opens up a barbershop next door to the sweetshop Flora owns, the two begin to see each other on a daily basis. Mack quickly realizes that there is definite chemistry between the two, but she will have to tread carefully if she wants a future with Flora. There are problems that could sink any chance of a relationship the two might have including Mack’s criminal past, her family ties, and of course Flora’s mental health issues. This budding romance has many hurdles to overcome.<br /><br />I love a good character driven romance, and these ladies really worked for me. These are well-developed characters that I connected with quickly. Flora’s health issues are treated realistically and only endeared me to her more. Mack is exactly the person she needs to help her thrive. Add in a terrifically described setting and lifelike secondary characters, and you have a tale you don’t want to miss. <br /><br />There is a scene in the novel where there is a physical attack against a woman. It is not the most graphic I’ve ever read, and I had no problem with reading it myself, but I want to mention it for those who might be sensitive to this kind of action. I truly enjoyed reading this book. It is a beautiful love story, and the way it ends makes me think there might be more to come, maybe with one of the secondary characters in the tale. I hope there is.<br /><br />I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.<br /><br />Rainbow Reflections: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/">https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/</a><br />

This book follows the story of retired gang banger, Mack Sharkey, from the notorious Sharkey clan and Flora Buchanan, the owner of a sweetshop. After taking the fall for her Cousin (leader of Sharkey gang) Mack is looking forward to a simple life running her own small barbershop which happens to be right next to Flora's shop. Immediately infatuated with the shy Flora, Mack yearns to get closer to her except Flora may just be more than she bargained for. Dealing with her own problems of OCD, PTSD and anxiety Flora is instantly flustered by the charming Mack. <br /><br />I absolutely loved all the characters in this book. Flora is adorable and deserves the world and I liked how Mack was willing to give her that. They had amazing chemistry that I genuinely think Frame did a good job at writing. However, I do have a small problem with it but I'll get to that in a bit. Mack was a nice enough character but does seemingly have a bit of a saviour complex which did get a bit annoying but I still liked her character. That saviour complex definitely wasn't intentional, most likely an exaggerated attempt to make her a caring character. <br /><br />I think this genre definitely works with Frame's writing and I'd love to see more crime filled stories by her. But a big problem that I've always had with her books, is her pacing. Specifically with the relationship portion of her books. The characters get together and are immediately ready for everlasting commitment and they're exchanging "I love yous". This type of insta-love type story doesn't really work for her and it kind of ruined the tension between Mack and Flora. Also would've liked the conflict to have last a bit longer and see a bit more fallout from it. I will say this book does have significant improvement from the last book I read by her! It's amazing to see her continue growing. <br /><br />That being said, I do recommend this book. Likable characters, interesting storyline and good writing. <br /><br />Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review <br /><br />

<strong>Another fantastic read!</strong><br /><br />With Sweet Surprise, Jenny Frame weaves a moving and unforgettable love story between Flora, a sweetshop owner with mental health issues and Mack, the enforcer for the Sharkey family and owner of a barbershop. I loved everything about this book: the characters, Dexter; the cutest dog ever, the sweet moments, the family loyalty and of course the romance. The story is so well written. You can feel every emotion and it feels like I got to know both main characters really well. I hope there will be a sequel very soon. <br /><br /><br />

Whenever I read a Jenny Frame book I have mixed emotions. The author’s story are usually very sweet, but there is always this relationship dynamic that just doesn’t sit right with me. To me it borders on the ridiculous.<br /><br />Flora suffers from several rather severe mental health issues, when she meets Mack she feels instantly safe. Mack is a Sharkey, why should you care? They are former gangsters in Glasgow and their name still has some pull. All there dealings are now legit, but they do fight any and all sorts of bullies they don’t want on their streets and a fiercely protective of their own. Mack has an instant licking to her wee mouse and is overly protective of Flo. Flo has a sort of hero worship going on towards Mack, and this is where the author loses me. Flo is extremely dependent on Mack and I just don't like that. I get how Mack is supposed t be the tough butch and all that but this sort of dynamic just doesn't work for me. It's a standard for this author though so I shouldn't be surprised. I think I would actually really enjoy Frame’s books if this dynamic just wasn't so over the top and a tad more balanced. <br /><br />I enjoy the author's writing, it's easy and comfortable, just the story that is told doesn't suit me. I'm sure many others will enjoy this for the sweet romance that it is, I just can't get over the dynamic. I do want to say I appreciate how the author handled mental health issues, although it's a bit unbelievable when Flo starts therapy and how she is with Mack, I do feel like it's a good try with showing some neurodiversity.<br />Check out some other reviews if you are interested in this book, 3 stars from me.<br /><br />*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*

I don't think this book was really for me though I can see why others might enjoy it a lot. This is my first book by Frame, though I know she has several published. <br /><br />Sweet surprise follows Flora Buchanan and Mack Sharkey. They own shops right next door to each other but also have a bit of history as well. Flora suffers from several mental illnesses including OCD and PTSD, where Mack recently finished a prison sentence. And instantly when they come back in contact the vibes are on. <br /><br />There's a lot to enjoy about this book. It was very sweet and tender and watching Flora open up to Mack and learn to trust her was touching and warm. <br /><br />I liked the representation shown in Floras character for her mental health issues. It was handled pretty well overall and more visibility towards disabilities that she has and showing that they can be real people too is important. <br /><br />But some things about the book didn't stick as well with me. One was Flora's seemingly dependence on Mack for stability when they got closer together. For as much as I do appreciate Frame giving us a character with OCS, anxiety, and PTSD, I didn't always like the codependence she found in Mack. <br /><br />Also the whole thing with the Sharkey family being framed as the "good mobsters" who don't push drugs or are involved in criminal activity anymore even though they act like it, it just felt really weird to me. Like the good mobsters vs the bad mobsters. I just didn't really gravitate to that. <br /><br />This book was pretty sweet overall and did bring some warm feelings, but I also had some part I didn't like as much. 2.5/5<br /><br /><i> thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review </i>

A very cute, very sweet story. No more, no less.

The premise of the story was interesting with some bright spots here and there. <br /><br />The challenge I had were the characters read more like caricatures. There was an over the top feel to the story, dialogue and character set up that make it hard to get lost in. There is also good amount of repetition which can wear you down. <br /><br />I was neutral overall.