Rowena’s review of Second Chance at the Sugar Shack by Candis Terry.
Hero: Matt Ryan
Heroine: Katie Silver
Kate Silver’s back in town, and her dead mother just won’t leave her alone.
Kate usually spends her days dressing Hollywood A-listers, but after her estranged mother dies she finds herself elbow-deep in flour in her parents’ bakery . . . in Deer Lick, Montana. She thought she’d left small-town life far, far behind, but it seems there are a few loose ends.
The boy she once loved, Deputy Matt Ryan, is single and sexy and still has a thing for her . . . and handcuffs. Her mother, who won’t follow the white light, is determined to give maternal advice from beyond the grave.
And somehow Kate’s three-day stay has, well . . . extended. She never planned to fill her mother’s pie-baking shoes—she prefers her Choos, thank you very much. But with the help of a certain man in uniform, Kate quickly learns that sometimes second chances are all the more sweet.
For some reasons, I overlooked this book the first time I came across it but then we got an email about it and I had to check it out again to see what it was about. I’m so glad that I went back and checked because I ended up liking the blurb and requested it, read it and adored it.
This book has that “one that got away” storyline going on and immediately, I was a happy camper. It’s got its own small town named Deer Lick and characters that I just fell right in love with. I thought Katie was a great heroine, one who was real and had regrets but didn’t shy away easily. She assumed things and she heard things differently than everyone but she was passionate and I could relate to her.
Katie gets accepted into a FIDM type college and she’s super stoked about it. She tells her parents and her Mom is not happy about it and they get into a huge argument that makes Kate run away to college, determined to make something of herself and prove her Mom wrong. Ten years later, she’s still estranged from her Mom but she’s got a kick ass career as a celebrity stylist and she’s wearing all of the newest and greatest clothes that would leave women jealous the world over but when she gets that phone call that her Mother died, she rushes back to the small town that she once called home.
And runs into the boy she left behind. Only now he’s a sexy man and he’s mouthwateringly hot and she wants to lick him but that’s not going to happen because he is not happy to see her.
Matt Ryan was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks with the dysfunctional family who didn’t care one lick about him. He grew up to be a really good man thanks to his childhood girlfriend’s parents and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for them. He longs for a family of his own but hasn’t found anyone in Deer Lick that gets him excited and for that, he blames Kate Silver because he’s never been able to forget her even though she took off running as far and as fast as she can away from him. Now she’s back for her mother’s funeral and she’s looking good and he can’t help himself.
Watching both of these guys fight their feelings (and the moonlight, haha) for each other made for a great romp of a story. I enjoyed watching Matt squirm whenever he was around Katie, wanting her but not wanting to want her and I enjoyed watching Kate be confused over Matt’s hot and cold attitude. The way that Kate just tackled everything around her and her go getter attitude made me like her and wish she was my friend so she can tackle some of the things that I got going around here.
I liked both of them a part and I liked them together so kudos to Candis Terry on writing a story that had me laughing and sighing all over the dang place. The secondary characters in the small town of Deer Lick added another layer of enjoyment to the entire reading experience. I’m looking forward to continuing this series and seeing what other antics Letty Silver will bring to her other children and I’m so looking forward to it all. I’m really anxious for Dean’s story, woo hoo I can’t wait for a sexy NFL player’s story. Bring it on!
Grade: 4.5 out of 5
This book is available from Avon Impulse. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
You had me interested, Rowena. I wasn’t sure about it, but now… I think I’m going to give this short story a try and if it works, her novel 🙂 Thanks!
This sounds really cute. I love the “The one who got away” plots 😀
And I hadn’t heard of this one, so thanks for the heads up.
Oh I am so glad that you enjoyed this one. I have it to read in the next few weeks but I was a little unsure about it.