A Review of Marina Adair's A Taste of Sugar - Our RBC (Romance) Author for May

You all know that I like a good romance - on occasion.  Well, having Marina Adair as our RBC author for May was a good reason to read A Taste of Sugar, book 3 in the Sugar, Georgia series.  If I'm going to lead any kind of discussion for book club (the RBC members might question my use of the word "lead!"), then it probably behooves me to read the book. So I did.  And since this is a romance, then you would expect me not to have too much to say, right?  I mean, it's just a romance.  If you thought that, then you would be WRONG.  I have a lot to say about A Taste of Sugar, starting with a synopsis.

Charlotte Holden, Sugar's favorite pediatrician, knows better than anyone that love only leads to heartbreak. Instead, she's focused on creating the Grow Clinic, an outpatient center for children. All she has to do now is to host the best Founder's Day Parade in the history of Sugar, Georgia, to win over a big-city donor. Easy as peach pie. Then sexy Jace McGraw blows back into town and utters those three words every woman dreads: we're still married.

Jace McGraw was making an offer on his dream business in Atlanta when he was told that his wife had some credit issues. Wait, his wife? The annulment went through years ago-or so he thought. He'd walked away only to keep his troublemaker reputation from ruining her dreams. But now that they have a second chance, Jace offers Charlotte a deal: he'll grant a discreet divorce in exchange for 30 days and nights of marriage. Because this time he isn't going to let her go without a fight.

Do you remember how much I liked all of the supporting characters in A Man Called Ove? Well, the same applies here.  Aside from the romance between Charlie (Charlotte) and Jace, which, of course, is the main focus of the book, there are a few townspeople that add a lot to the enjoyment of the book:

1.  Hattie McGraw, Jace's grandmother - she adds both humor and poignancy to the story
2.  Lavender Spencer, owner of Kiss My Glass Tow and Tire - very caustic and extremely funny
3.  Payton McGraw, Jace's niece - she comes into the picture later in the book but adds a lot of depth
4.  Darleen Vander, Charlie's foil - she is trying to unseat Charlie as the chairman of the Sugar Peaches AND get her hooks into Jace
5.  Woolamena - you'll just have to read the book to see who this character is (the 1st 4 letters could be a hint)

I've talked ad nauseum (and beyond) about connecting with characters - regardless of the genre. I will say that there were quite a few emotional moments in this book.  Interestingly enough, most of these moments came from Jace - with Hattie, with Payton, with his brothers Cal and Brett.  This is not to say that I didn't like Charlie or even Charlie with Jace. Because I did.  But if we're talking tears, big smiles, and a few chills, then it's Jace for me. (Uh, maybe I should reword that?)

Oh, did I already tell you that the book is very well-written?  No?  'Cause it is.  There were a bunch of chuckles, lots of tears, and plenty of smiles.  Other than girl gets guy/guy gets girl, I'm not sure what else you can ask for from a romance.  I liked this a lot.  If you're in the mood for something a bit lighter than War and Peace, give it a go - even if you're not reading it for a book club.