Book Reviews

Book Review: The Sweetest Match by Abby Tyler

March 7, 2019 /



Title: The Sweetest Match
Author: Abby Tyler 
Publisher: Self
Pages: 202, paperback
Publication date: March 7th 2019
Source: Author/Xpresso Book Tours

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Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

HDB Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who enjoy sickly sweet romance.

She hid secret messages in frosting, thinking no one would notice.
Abby Tyler welcomes you to the witty, well-meaning busybodies of Applebottom, Missouri, where the community takes its pies — and its matchmaking — very seriously.
Sandy Miller became an outcast at fifteen years old. Pregnant, confused, and blackmailed into silence, she spent eighteen years raising her son away from the disapproving stares of her hometown.
But Caden has left for college, and Sandy needs a job. When Applebottom’s tea shop owner sees Sandy’s decorating sketches, she hires her instantly in hopes of putting her little bakery on the map.
And then the town starts spotting secret words of love and longing on her cakes.
Andrew McCallister is the first to admit that he never got over Sandy Miller. In high school, another boy swooped in and snatched her right up. Everything that happened afterward filled him with regret. The town’s censure. His failure to check on her. Her struggle.
But now she’s back.
When the town summons the pair to a meeting to plan the school’s centennial bash, Andrew and Sandy discover they are the only two members of the committee. As they attempt to rekindle the long-lost flame, they realize the community must come together for more than an anniversary party. For their new relationship to flourish, the old guard must learn to support their most vulnerable members even when times get hard.
Abby Tyler is the new small-town romance pen name of USA Today bestselling author Deanna Roy / JJ Knight.

You know those stories that remind you of home? There’s nothing earth shattering or huge plot twists but they are just a pleasant happy book. That’s The Sweetest Match. 
Set in a small town in the Midwest, we meet cake decorator Sandy. Recently emerged from hiding in the outskirts of town since her teenage pregnancy, Sandy is cautious but optimistic about running into all of the people who shunned her years ago. Enter the match making old bitties. 
Andrew has had a crush on Sandy since high school and is excited to spend time with her again. With the help of the town busy bodies, the two of them are paired up to work on the school centennial. As with most new relationships, first impressions and baggage are hurtles to overcome. Luckily for Sandy, Andrew doesn’t shy away easily. 
I wish the book included a little more history from Sandy’s perspective. They touch on it occasionally but I think it would round out her character and make the story just a little more interesting if we heard more about her mother and what it was like staying out of town all those years. The story could use just a little more character depth, otherwise, I really enjoyed it. 
This is a feel good story with small town humor. If you’ve ever lived in a small town you know that there’s a lot of gossip and not a lot of secrets kept. Luckily for Andrew and Sandy, they get their happily ever after. I’d recommend this story if you’re in the mood for a sweet romance. 



Abby Tyler loves puppy dogs, pie, and small towns (she grew up in one!) Her Applebottom Matchmaker Society books combine the sweet and wholesome style of romance she loves with the funny, sometimes a-little-too-truthful characters she remembers from growing up in a place where everyone knew everybody’s business.


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FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.

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