Violet Covington pens Dear Sweetie, the most popular advice column in the state of North Carolina. She has an answer for how to politely handle any difficult situation…until she discovers her husband, Sam, has been cheating on her. Furious and out of sensible solutions, Violet leaves her filter at the door and turns to her column to air her own frustrations. The new, brutally honest Dear Sweetie goes viral, sending more shock waves through Violet’s life. When she burns Sam’s belongings in a front-yard, late-night bonfire, a smoking-hot firefighter named Dez shows up to douse the flames, and an unexpected fling quickly shows potential to become something longer lasting.
A lot of people want to see the old polished Violet return—including her boss, who finds her unpredictability hard to manage, and Sam, who’s begging for another chance. But Dez appreciates Violet just the way she is—in fact, he can’t get enough of her. The right answers don’t come easily when Violet finds herself at her own personal crossroads. But maybe, by getting real, Violet can write her own happy ending.
Release Date: Mar 8 2022
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley
Price: $9.99
“You hate these people who hurt you, and you hate yourself. You don’t want to look at yourself in the mirror. Do it anyway. Look hard. You were never perfect. Or always right. You made mistakes. You hurt people and yourself. You were vengeful. You drank too much. You moved too fast. You were thoughtless. And that’s okay. You can forgive yourself and you can ask for forgiveness. The ugly parts don’t make you any less beautiful. You are flawed, but you’re still worthy of love.”
Violet Covington has it all: a wonderful husband, a nice house in the suburbs, and a job she loves. Everything seems perfect until it isn’t anymore, and Violet’s life is crumbling around her. After she catches her husband cheating on her, Violet spirals out of control. She begins drinking more than she should, acting out in her column, Dear Sweetie, and even lashing out at the people around her. Violet’s life is a mess, and she shouldn’t be looking to jump into a relationship, but when she meets a local firefighter she can’t resist how safe and happy he makes her feel. Will Violet be able to trust another person again after having her heart ripped open by the one person who promised to stand by her forever?
This book was extremely heavy, and there were a lot of hard topics discussed such as cheating, alcoholism, and infertility. It was hard not to feel for what Violet was going through when her jerk of a husband decided their vows didn’t mean anything to him. So, while she may have acted terribly when lashing out I could understand and feel her emotional pain. She was experiencing a traumatic event. Dez was a strong and loving supporter to Violet, and I think the fact that she never thought she deserved him because of how broken she feels was heartbreaking. I watched as Dez helped Violet pick up the pieces of her life, made her smile, and allowed her to see her worth.
I guess my issue with this right now is that there should have been a touch more humor or something to balance out the heaviness in this book. Violet was very funny in a self-deprecating way, but it felt more like she was masking her pain. Yes, there were funny lines, but I feel like I felt wrecked after reading it. It was extremely emotional, and if you are dealing with issues like cheating and infidelity then be warned that this book will pull at your heartstrings a little bit.
If you enjoy stories like those of Kate Clayborn and Emily Henry then give this book a try but be forewarned that you will be on an emotional rollercoaster.
~ Michelle
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