Book Review: Bittersweet Surrender by Diann Hunt

I read the ebook Bittersweet Surrender by Diann Hunt several months ago, but I haven't had time to post a review until now. I was attracted to the book initially because of the title. Carly Westlake is the main character in the book. She owns her own business, a chocolate spa no less, and seems to have a great life with her best friend Ivy right there with her. What could she have to surrender to that was so bad?

Further into the book, I discovered she was a cancer survivor. I could relate to this because of all of my surgeries. I thought the conflicts in this book were realistic: a father having trouble with his teenage daughter, couples with marriage problems and grief.

The book started to get a little cheesy for me when Carly tried to change herself when her old high school boyfriend Jake came into town. With his good looks and charm, Carly fell for him hook line and sinker. She thought this was finally going to be her happily ever after. I was a little disappointed when I got to this part because it seems like lots of books have a former flame pop up, and I was expecting a little more substance to this book.

I finally got wowed by the end. I won't say if it was a good or bad wow because my emotions were all over the place with this book. There were some very unexpected twists and turns, hidden secrets, and betrayals that kept me turning the page to see how the book would end! I had never read any of Diann Hunt's books, but I was pleasantly surprised at the issues she managed to weave into this book almost seamlessly. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes love stories mixed with self-reflection and things that average people deal with. However, if you prefer to read books that draw you into the plot immediately; this book is probably not for you because Hunt takes her time to develop the characters in the beginning.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.