Sweet Bliss by Jennifer Bardsley Book Review

 

Title: Sweet Bliss
Author: Jennifer Bardsley
Publish Date: July 13, 2021
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Source: Huge thank you to Rockstar Book Tours and the author for providing me with an ARC for review! 

Welcome to Harper Landing, a small town filled with people who believe in happy endings.

Left raising his newly orphaned nephew after a tragic accident, Aaron Baxter fears he’s not cut out to be a single dad. But to give baby Jack the life he deserves—and to find a peaceful refuge for himself—Aaron moves to the idyllic Pacific Northwest town of Harper Landing.

Julia Harper, descendant of the town’s founder and successful frozen yogurt shop owner, is mostly resigned to her role as the often-overlooked girl next door. But when the town newcomer, Aaron, reaches out for help with Jack, she finds herself yearning to take part in a sweet love story of her own.

To Aaron, the grace Julia extends is a balm for his aching heart and the guilt he feels over his sister’s death. To Julia, Aaron’s adoration is the key to finally realizing her own worth. With a baby in the middle, can these two hurting souls find completeness in each other?

Penelope's Review

Sweet Bliss is a cute, fun, and quick read for lovers of small towns and clean romance! The book follows Julia Harper, owner of Sweet Bliss and much of Harper Landing itself, and Aaron Baxter, newcomer to Harper's Landing with his baby nephew Jack. 

Julia was such a sweet character, full of light and happiness. She loved her town, and wanted to take care of it's residents in any way she could, even if it meant putting her own needs on the backburner. I liked watching her realize her own self-worth after being put down by her mother for so long. It was so refreshing to see a character overcome trauma with minimal drama. Her interactions with Jack were absolutely adorable and I loved how much she cared for the baby right from the start. 

Aaron himself was also dealing with his own issues between his grief from losing people he loved, to suddenly becoming a single father. I felt like I was struggling with him as he tried to do right by Jack, thanks to a really great writing style on behalf of the author. It just felt so genuine, I could definitely imagine a single father being stressed about the same things that Aaron was stressed about. But I liked that he kept a level head in situations, even when he seemed overwhelmed. Having Julia by his side during many of these instances helped him remain calm, and further added to my love of this little family. 

And of course, a shoutout to Toby, the loyal canine companion to Julia. What a little rascal he was lol! Overall, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this read. The writing flowed really well, the characters were unique, interesting, and genuine. And the plotline itself moved along at a nice pace, though a bit slow at the beginning. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a nice summer read with a clean romance and some great characters, all set in a cute small town. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Rating: 4/5 Devils!