The Sweetness of Life by Kathryn Andrews - A Book Review
If you enjoy stories of food and wine, you will love The Sweetness of Life by Kathryn Andrews. Set in a winery in northern Georgia, this book oozes in southern charm.
Plot Summary
Shelby Leigh is a food critic, blogger and chef who is looking to land a job with the Food Network channel. She loves putting her southern flavour on old classics and has developed a reputation as a well respected chef. When she is provided with an opportunity by the channel to spend two weeks in a winery developing recipes that can be paired with their wines, she jumps at the chance. She is disappointed to learn that the winery owner is Zach Wolff, aka her worst blind date ever. This leaves her even more determined than ever to make this assignment spectacular.
Zach hates critics - ever since the bad review he didn’t deserve to receive. When he sees that Shelby is the critic/chef who has come to spend the next two weeks with him, he sets out to develop a plan. He can certainly look beyond Shelby’s obvious beauty and charm in order to win a favourable review. Or can he?
Book Review
I enjoyed this story, which is told from the dual perspectives of Shelby and Zach. Although the plot was predictable, I also found it to be both charming and entertaining. The characters were well developed and likeable. I appreciated the information on the wines, and the recipes that were shared at the end of each chapter (they all sound amazing). While I found that the book flowed a little too slow for me, it also represented a more laid back lifestyle I associate with the setting.
Audiobook Review
I listened to the audiobook format of the book which was narrated by Joshua Macrae and Natalie Duke. I enjoyed their performances and appreciated that their voices/accents reflected a book set in Georgia. I listened to the book at a slightly faster !.5x speed to make the performance more comfortable. If you appreciate listening to books with narration that represents the geographical area, I’d suggest choosing the audiobook format.
What I Liked About The Sweetness of Life:
- The winery setting
- The food and wine discussions
- The enemies to lovers trope (with a southern flair)!
Those readers that enjoy romance novels with food and wine as themes.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Netgalley and Orange Sky Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.
My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.
Add The Sweetness of Life by Kathryn Andrews to your Goodreads shelf
Similar Books I've Reviewed:
The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery
The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison
Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment. I hope you have a wonderful day.
Sounds like one for my listening list for sure, I love that there are two narrators. Great review, I enjoyed reading!
ReplyDeleteAnika | chaptersofmay.com
Thanks Anika!
DeleteIt's so cool that the audio book version has two narrators, that sounds great for character development. Love the fact that each chapter features a recipe at the end too x
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly!
DeleteThis books sounds like a fun and romantic read! Love the enemy to friends/couple trope.
ReplyDeleteI've tried to listen to audiobooks in the past and I didn't like it but maybe I'll give it another try at a faster speed.
Thanks for sharing, I'll definitely check the book out!
Loren | Plaid and Sugar
Thanks Loren!
DeleteA book all about food and wine that's set in a winery?! SIGN ME UP! Thanks for sharing :) x
ReplyDeletehttps://www.femaleoriginal.com
Thanks Faye!
DeleteOoh! Wine and romance. My fav things in a book/movie. Right up my alley! Thanks for sharing, Jodie x
ReplyDeletewww.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Thanks Lynn!
DeleteGood review, but this is probably a book I'll skip. It seems a little too slow and sugary for my taste, but I appreciate the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie!
DeleteThis sounds like a great summer read, whilst lounging around a pool or on the beach! Not my usual type of book, but something I would enjoy on holiday!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing :)
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
Thanks Aimsy!
DeleteWow speaks about blogger, sounds very interesting..
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
DeleteThis sounds like a great book. Thank you so much for the review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Daniela!
DeleteFood, wine, and romance in a book within the premises of Georgia sounds quite fascinating to me:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a lovely review.
Thanks Sara!
DeleteRomance x food? Sign me up, two things I very much love! This sounds like a sweet book. Hopefully the kindle edition comes out soon (cannot find it yet). Great review!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mehsi!
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