Monday, November 12, 2012

Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor



Sugar Rush follows Dulcie Carter who runs Candy Land Confections, her family’s homemade candy store.  When her mother passed away, Dulcie was left to run the business on her own. Dulcie leads a very busy life and doesn't have time to date; nor does she want to date just a string of random guys. She wants to be with someone who is worth her time.
While she is out with her friend Lila, Dulcie becomes instantly drawn to one of the band members playing the bass guitar. He happens to spot Lila sitting at a table and can’t stop looking at her. The guitar player is Nick whose family owns the store How Sweet It Is, Candy Land Confections major competition. After the set, Nick approaches Dulcie and they share an awkward if not cute and nervous conversation. And then…

They sat for a few seconds, bathing in the tension, moving another inch closer, when he spotted something, his eyes flickering over her chair, then widening. The logo on her jacket. No. “Candy Land Confections? That’s your family business?” he asked, leaning back, his voice higher than he would have liked. “Uh, yeah, sort of,” she said, shifting in her seat. “Why?” No. It couldn’t be. The first time in forever he found someone he actually felt something for and her family was Candy Land? He cleared his throat. “You guys have great caramel-filled macaroons.” He leaned as far back in his chair as possible… as far away from her as possible. “Thanks,” she said, and smiled. Damn, she had a great smile. He had no idea what to do, so of course he did the exact wrong thing. “Not as good as ours, mind you,” he said.

Her eyebrows crinkled in a maddeningly cute way as she struggled to understand, and then… it hit her. Only one other place in town even made similar caramel-filled macaroons. Her mouth opened. “Oh my God,” she said, panic finding a home on her face, and she almost threw herself backward off her stool. Nick was already putting his coat on. “Seriously?” she said, sounding defensive. “You think your macaroons hold a candle to ours? You must be delusional.” He snorted. “Yeah, as delusional as the thousand customers who come in,” he said, leaning toward her again, “every day.” He regretted the words the moment they came out, but there was no taking them back.
-Rachel Astor, Sugar Rush

Now home after college Nick is working at How Sweet It Is. His father is set to retire soon and he is determined to make his father proud and show him that he is the perfect one to take over the company. He loves to put his creative energy to good use which is one of the reasons he plays in a band. He doesn’t get the opportunity to do anything creative at his work since all the sweets are made from an automatic machine. When he spots the invitation for the annual Assembly of Chocolatiers competition, thinking it is the perfect chance he has been waiting for, he convinces his father to let him enter.

Apart from Dulcie running her own business she is also finishing up her Master’s degree in Business Administration. But going to school and running a business takes up a huge chunk of her time and money. Money that she is running out of if she can’t bring in more business. Even though she is hesitant at first to enter the Chocolatier competition due to her embarrassment about failing the it previously, she decides to enter in hopes of winning the prize of $50,000. That would definitely help out with all of the bills that keep piling up.
They each have their own reasons for winning; Nick to prove himself to his father and Dulcie to save her shop and keep it afloat. But during the competition the more time they spend around each other the more sparks continue to fly. Soon they have to decide which is more important; a potential shot at love or winning first place?

Sugar Rush is a short and sweet read. The romance between Dulcie and Nick is adorable. They are a little awkward with each other which I thought was cute. It made them seem a little more real. I wasn't a huge fan of the instant draw between them, but it was fun seeing these two interact with each other. It’s a good choice if you are in the mood for a light romance with lots of talk about chocolate. Just be prepared to feel like indulging in your sweet tooth by the time you are done reading. 

Rating: 3 out of 5.

You can buy Sugar Rush here:

** I received this ARC from Entangled Publishing/Bliss in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you.** 


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