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Sweet Trouble (Keyes Sisters #3)

by Susan Mallery (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 2,449 ratings · 112 reviews

Jesse Keyes has done some serious growing up. With a steady job and a vibrant four-year-old son, Gabe, she's in a far better place than when she left Seattle five years ago...pregnant and misunderstood by almost everyone in her life.Now it's time to go home and face her demons. But her sisters, Claire and Nicole, aren't exactly impressed with the new and improved Jesse. An...more

Mass Market Paperback, 379 pages

Published September 1st 2008 by HQN (first published 2008)

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Aug 17, 2011 ★¸. • * ° * Kathy,Ahmazing Book Faerie*°°*•.¸. ♥★ rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a frustrating story!! I loved it and hated it. I found the way it was written, flashing back five years, and then forward again to the present a bit confusing, and had to keep checking where I was.

I loved the story, and found myself shedding tears on a few occasions, giggling on others. It's a very emotional book, so haave tissues handy and read it alone( to save on embarrassment) By the end of Chapter 17 I hated Matt and wanted him to be run over by the next bus leaving the depot. But, He...more

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Nov 03, 2008 Shawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: susan-mallery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jesse has pushed the limits all her life. When she gets kicked out of her house for "sleeping" with her sister's husband, she finds herself pregnant. Her nerdy turned knockout boyfriend wants nothing to do with her nor entertain the idea the baby is his. So Jesse packs up and runs, only stopping when the money and gas run out. Four years goes by when she decides it's time to grow up, go home and face the music. With her son in tow, she's out to right all the wrong.

In the first 2 books you only g...more

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Jun 14, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: queuemyreview, 2008-reads

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08

It’s official. Susan Mallery hit a triple for me with “Sweet Trouble”, the final book in her ‘sweet’ trilogy coming out in September 2009. I was lucky enough to read and review “Sweet Talk” and “Sweet Spot”, the first two books of the trilogy which I loved. This author has the ability to play my emotions like a master. I laughed. I cried. I was mad, angry, hopeful, frustrated, excited, pleased…I think the only emotion missing was true fear for my...more Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Sep08

It’s official. Susan Mallery hit a triple for me with “Sweet Trouble”, the final book in her ‘sweet’ trilogy coming out in September 2009. I was lucky enough to read and review “Sweet Talk” and “Sweet Spot”, the first two books of the trilogy which I loved. This author has the ability to play my emotions like a master. I laughed. I cried. I was mad, angry, hopeful, frustrated, excited, pleased…I think the only emotion missing was true fear for my life! This book is about life and emotion and love. There is so much packed into only 374 pages that read smoothly with Mallery’s characteristic deft pacing.

I worried that I wouldn’t be able to warm to Jesse, the third sister. Jesse has a lot to atone for…she’s made a lot of mistakes and hurt the people who love her so much. I just couldn’t see how anyone could redeem such a character. But, it’s been five years since the events of “Sweet Spot” and Jesse has grown up. She returns home with her son determined to make amends and have a relationship with her sisters and her son’s father. Jesse’s story is told in split time. The book flashes back as we learn about her relationship with Matt from the beginning. These flashbacks are intertwined with her current efforts at reestablishing trust with her sisters and Matt. It doesn’t take long to start rooting for Jesse. Yes, she was bad. Yes, she made mistakes. Yes, she made some truly stinker decisions. But when it came time to step up for her baby, that’s exactly what she did. Single parenthood is a hard road and Jesse’s done the best she could. I think she’s my favorite of the sisters because of all those mistakes. Let’s face it, next to her my mistakes look miniscule!! And strong…I admire anyone with that much steel in their spine.

Matt. I admired the young Matt. The older Matt was truly despicable. We’ve all been hurt by love. The ones we love have the power to lift us the highest and bring us the lowest…if not, it’s not love. Watching his actions and reactions to the old and new Jesse and his son, Gabe, were wrenching. Watching him learning to open his heart and love again was heartening and reaffirming. What a pair these two are! And Matt’s initial nerdiness became oh so sexy as he matured. The passion between these two is intense, yet stays well within the bounds of romance vice erotica.

Jesse’s sisters still play an important role in this book. Even if you don’t have a sister, you can still relate to their emotions as they gradually re-establish that special bond that sisters and family have. I was exhausted when I finished this book…in a good way. I came away with a smile on my face. Love wins in the end as in all romances. In “Sweet Trouble”, Susan Mallery closes the trilogy with a story that encompasses love in all its forms. Parental love, romantic love, familial love, and caring love…they’re all here. And they’re going to stay right here, on my keeper shelf, so don’t ask to borrow them…go get your own!
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Sep 19, 2012 Tam Herra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp-romance, family-series, down-on-their-luck, secret-baby

I think there is something wrong with me. I seem always to like books best when there is a hidden baby involved and then the story revolves around the "by the way I had you ___(blank) year old child"

As expected I liked this book best within the series. I genuinely like there heroine. I don't like her love interest (cold cold man) but what can you do. The book has everything that appeals to me: a cute kid who has been "popped" on his father - drama ensues!

A good mindless read. I's Susan Mallery y...more

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Mar 21, 2009 Kath rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a nice surprise this book was. I picked it up as a bargain from audible and couldn't put it down.

Jesse is a party girl. Raised by her sister, she pretty much sleeps around until she meets Matt. She notices the computer geek at a Starbucks asking a woman out. He's shy, lacks confidence but undeneath it all, he's a hottie. Jesse takes him as a project to do something nice. She shows him what to wear, how to talk to women and gives him dating advice. In the end, they ending up falling for each...more What a nice surprise this book was. I picked it up as a bargain from audible and couldn't put it down.

Jesse is a party girl. Raised by her sister, she pretty much sleeps around until she meets Matt. She notices the computer geek at a Starbucks asking a woman out. He's shy, lacks confidence but undeneath it all, he's a hottie. Jesse takes him as a project to do something nice. She shows him what to wear, how to talk to women and gives him dating advice. In the end, they ending up falling for eachother. In spite of all of Jesee's experience with men, Matt is the only one to have ever touched her heart.

Jesse finds herself in a compromising situation with her brother in law and is thrown out of her sisters' house. Matt is by his gloating mother that Jesse cheated on him and mom and the overprotective mom is pretty happy about what happens. Jesse ends up pregnant by Matt and is hearbroken that he doesn't believe her committment to him and doesn't care that she's pregnant.

She takes off and has the baby on her own and pulls her life together. She returns 5 years later to introduce her 4 year old son to his father Matt. When she returns, it is obvious by looking at the little boy that Matt is the father. Matt has also changed. He owns his own company, sleeps around a lot but doesn't do relationships. He's become pretty hardened because of the situation with Jesse. When Jesse returns, Matt becomes determined to make Jesse suffer for what she did to him by leaving him and by not contacting him when the baby was born.

In the end, it's a story with a meaning. We all make mistakes as we are only human, but it's how we fix them that counts....(though some things just can't be fixed)

Jesse returns to town to prove she's a changed person and wants to mend her family relationships and well as her relationship with Matt. She unexpectedly is welcomed with open arms by the least likely person, Matt's mother. Matt and his mother have not really talked since Jesse left because Matt was so upset by the fact that his mother was all to happy about hearing about Jesse's compromising situation. (for which ending up appearing only to be bad, but was not).

Matt is likable is lots of ways, but is a total jerk in other regards. I found it somewhat difficult to resolve him. Overall hes is charming and has a big heart, but sometimes its hard to see as he has lots of emotional baggage. He seems to want to buy love at times, but at other times, that's not the case.

Will the two make a connection after being apart for 5 years? Hard to say when you have someone as set on revenge and bitter as Matt is.(less)

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May 07, 2012 Ivonne Guevara rated it 5 of 5 stars

me gusto la forma en como narro esta historia la autora, ya que pudimos conocer como se conocieron ellos y como empezo todo, como se fueron enamorando y estando juntos, pudimos ver a una Jesse mucho mas madura que en los anteriores libros, se hizo cargo de su hijo sola pero por suerte tuvo ayuda de amigos que encontro donde fue.
Como todo niño a cualquier edad y ver a su alrededor como los demas niños tiene un papa y el no empieza la pregunta sobre ¿donde esta mi papa? ¿quien es mi papa? con eso...more me gusto la forma en como narro esta historia la autora, ya que pudimos conocer como se conocieron ellos y como empezo todo, como se fueron enamorando y estando juntos, pudimos ver a una Jesse mucho mas madura que en los anteriores libros, se hizo cargo de su hijo sola pero por suerte tuvo ayuda de amigos que encontro donde fue.
Como todo niño a cualquier edad y ver a su alrededor como los demas niños tiene un papa y el no empieza la pregunta sobre ¿donde esta mi papa? ¿quien es mi papa? con eso Jesse decide regresar y tratar de arreglar el pasado y poder ser perdonada por sus errores.
Al principio tanto Nicole como Matt no querian saber nada de ella ni escucharla pero lo importante era que Matt conociera a su hijo a pesar de que fue dificil la relacion de ellos ya que si uno no tiene experiencia con niños se le sera muy complicado saber ocmo interactuar con ellos, lo que me molesto fue que Matt la culpaba de todo a Jesse, si se fue y si estaba embarazada pero el lo nego, le dio la espalda aunque no la dejara explicarse por lo menos debio interesarle su hijo pero no fue asi tambien Jesse fallo en ello ya que ella salio huyendo pero en verdad fue lo mejor para que creciera aunque 5 años fue demasiado.
Poco a poco las cosas empiezan a cambiar tanto en la relacion de Matt y Jesse como la de Matt y Gabe y la de Matt y su mama (pues al parecer alguien tiene problemas en las relaciones y sobrellevarlas, jajajaja, bueno fueron cosas que pasaron y uno aprende de esos errores) pero cuando todo empieza a mejorar Matt se ciega con la venganza y hace la trastada de querer pedir la custodia de su hijo y plantarle pelea a Jesse, ahi todo se viene abajo, todas las ilusiones de Jesse de poder ser una familia y seguir adelante, lo planeo tan bien y las cosas le salieron como él queria para despues darse cuenta del GRAN ERROR que estaba cometiendo pero era muy tarde para arrepentirse ya lo habia hecho y ahora tendria que vivir y tratar de solucionarlo, las cosas se le salieron de la mano y Jesse ahora tenia que pensar muy bien si volvia a confiar en el despues de haberle hecho lo mismo dos veces, poco a poco las cosas se fueron dando de nuevo mas por Gabe para que siguiera conociendo a su padre con la ayuda de sus hermanas Jesse se dio cuenta que era hora de volver a arriesgarse y ser feliz finalmente perdonando finalmente a Matt.
Fue una saga muy buena que vimos crecer desde el primer libro, suspirando a cada momento y soñando con esas escenas que te paraban el corazon, te hacian sufrir y te enamoraban, cada una de las hermanas nos transmitio algo diferente, entre la confianza, el perdon, el amor, la amistad, el apoyo y demas situaciones que pasan en la vida diaria haciendote pensar lo verdaderamente importante.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I have listened to this series on audiobook at work and was hesitant to listen to this one as the blurb didn't quite grab me, but in the end I have really enjoyed it.

My only issue with this story is Matt. He is so set on revenge and I know that he will be forgiven in the end, but I think it is petty what he is doing, so although I enjoy it all I do start wandering off in my head thinking that he is stupid if he can't see the bigger picture of what would happen if he took his son. I do love that...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Latte rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hate reading the 3rd book first but that's just how it happened. Maybe I'll feel differently after I've read the other two books but this is actually a 3.5 for me - better than just ok but not quite a really like. I actually liked the flashbacks to the events of 5 years previously to explain the present day events. I didn't find any of the characters particularly endearing, which was disappointing. I love Susan Mallery characters but these weren't my favorites.

----

Having now read the first 2 b...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Tia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jesse and Matt were together when they were younger but something horrible happened. Her sisters now ex husband tried to make a move on Jesse and then told her sister Nicole that she had been the one to try and lead him astray. After that shit hit the fan as they say. Matt found out and when she told her sister and Matt that it wasn't the truth, no one believed her. When she tried one last time with Matt and told him she was pregnant. He said the baby wasn't his and he didn't care. So Jesse did...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Mareli rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok this one was the last of this series and maybe the most serious! The story is on the 3rd sister, who got pregnant and went away because nobody believed her when she told everyone she was pregnant of her boyfriend and not her sister's husband.

When she got back she had really a hard time. The thing I didn't understand is that when her (ex-)boyfriend saw the pictures of the baby, he recognize him as his onw and immediatly he began the search revenge. ? hey boy, aren't you the one sending her awa...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Erin Kern rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Sweet Trouble" is the conclusion to the Bakery Sisters trilogy, which follows Nicole, Claire and Jesse Keyes. This book is just as complex and ripe with emotion as the other two, actually probably more so than that first two.

Years ago Jesse was caught in bed with Nicole's husband. Jesse swore up and down there was no actual affair, though Nicole didn't believe her and basically shunned Jesse from the family. Feeling betrayed and alone, Jesse flees town but not before becoming pregnant by a man...more "Sweet Trouble" is the conclusion to the Bakery Sisters trilogy, which follows Nicole, Claire and Jesse Keyes. This book is just as complex and ripe with emotion as the other two, actually probably more so than that first two.

Years ago Jesse was caught in bed with Nicole's husband. Jesse swore up and down there was no actual affair, though Nicole didn't believe her and basically shunned Jesse from the family. Feeling betrayed and alone, Jesse flees town but not before becoming pregnant by a man who also turned his back on her after hearing about the so-called affair with Nicole's husband. The book opens years later after Jesse has become a single mother and is working a full-time job to support herself and her young son.

She seeks out Matt, her son's father and ex-boyfriend, to tell him about their son. Matt still harbors a lot of anger and hatred toward Jesse for her supposed affair and actually doesn't even believe the boy is his. Then when he realized the boy is his (after a DNA test) he grows even more angry with Jesse for leaving town knowing she was carrying his baby. Jesse tries to remind Matt she did try to tell him about the baby but he refused to believe the baby was his. This point doesn't seem to matter to Matt as he continues to hate Jesse. He spends much of the book plotting against Jesse and finding a way to destroy her by taking her son away from her. Needless to say, because of his he comes off as an insensitive bastard.

Then there's all the tension between Jesse and Nicole, who still refuses to believe Jesse didn't actually sleep with Nicole's husband. Jesse spends much of the book isolated from her own family. In fact the only person who ever has a kind word for her is Claire. I kept waiting for Jesse to tell everyone to go to hell, because they all treat her so horribly. Although Nicole did redeem herself in her own story, she drops back down to the same immaturity level as the first book by playing the "poor me, I had to shoulder all the responsibility" game.

Jesse and Matt eventually fall back in love, which felt forced and unnatural considering that 90% of the book he wanted nothing to do with them. At the end of the book, the family does resolve their issues. I just wished there hadn't been so much animosity between everyone.

Erin Kern
Author of Looking For Trouble(less)

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Nov 25, 2010 Gemma rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'll admit that I haven't read the other books in the series, so I might have been missing out on some of this story. But maybe not, because the reason I didn't like this story is that I found the characters so unlikeable.

The heroine wasn't too bad, but really, who ends up in bed with their sister's man? Even if, like she claims, "nothing happened", why would you be in that situation if things are totally innocent? And yes, kissing is cheating--you don't have to actually have sex with someone f...more I'll admit that I haven't read the other books in the series, so I might have been missing out on some of this story. But maybe not, because the reason I didn't like this story is that I found the characters so unlikeable.

The heroine wasn't too bad, but really, who ends up in bed with their sister's man? Even if, like she claims, "nothing happened", why would you be in that situation if things are totally innocent? And yes, kissing is cheating--you don't have to actually have sex with someone for it to "count".

And the hero! I hardly know where to start with him. He is unjustifiably angry at the heroine, and his reasons didn't hold water. He claimed that she should have let him know she was having his kid. Umm...hello? She did! She told him she was pregnant, she told him it was his, she even offered to submit to a DNA test to prove it, but he would have none of it. He refused to even consider the posibility that it was his child. What was she supposed to do, hold a gun to his head and force him to be a part of his son's life?

The hero decides he's been done wrong (although how he gets there I'll never understand), and decides to get revenge on the hero by destroying her life and suing for custody. When his lawyer tells him that such action means he might end up having to take care of the kid, he replies that "that's what nannies and boarding schools are for." What a heartless pig! Children are not meant to be used as pawns in adult power struggles. Ripping an innocent child away from a loving mother (and the only parent he's ever known) and them abandoning him to be raised by strangers just to satisfy a petty need for revenge is just plain wrong!

I couldn't stand the hero's "poor pity me" attitude. He's the one who refused to take responsibility for his child. He made his own mess. This is not the way a hero is supposed to act. I spent the whole book wanting to punch him in the nose.

I've enjoyed books by Susan Mallery before, but I recommend skipping this one. (less)

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Jan 26, 2012 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, audio-book, listened-to-at-work, romance

I had a couple of issues with this book. My first was that I wasn't sure that I would be able to like Jessie. In the first book I hated her, the second I saw where things weren't entirely her fault, but there were things that were. Sure, Jessie did change and it seemed like it was for the better. I did think she had very unreasonable expectations when she finally went home. I can't believe that she expected it all to be rainbows and puppy dogs.

My other issue was with Matt. It annoyed me that he...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Sari rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fisdha

Shelves: harlequin

Bab" awal nih buku lebih bagus dr buku 1 & 2, eh lama" kok jd nyebelin n ngebosenin kya buku 1 n 2 ya, jd kesannya kya anti klimaks, pdhl pengen bgt klo endingnya lebih oke seperti bab" seblmnya.
Over all baca series ini, gw bener" ga suka ma nih 3 cw bersaudara, di buku 1 semua merasa yg jd korban, di buku 2 pas nicole d lumayan sikapnya eh jessie, hawk n anaknya yg nyebelin. Giliran buku 3, knp nicole jd nyebelin lagi, bukannya hrsnya dia d bahagia krn nemu pasangan hidupnya, tp kenapa dia...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, pdf-kindle

3.5 Stars

This is the last in the Bakery Sisters trilogy, and is about Jesse the youngest sister who comes back after 5 years with her young son Gabe. I didn't really like Jesse in the other books, I thought she was a bit selfish, but this book has changed my mind about her. And by the end I did really like her, and her son Gabe was really cute. What I didn't really like was Matt, her love interest and father of Gabe, even when he had stopped being a cold hearted dick, I still couldn't like him....more

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May 06, 2012 CaroB rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, contemporary, drama-angst, romance, series-r-us

Such a disappointing end to the series. I liked what Jesse made of herself, I thought she definitely needed the growth, she needed to know she could stand on her own two feet and find other people who could help her. My disappointment comes again at the complete about-face of her sister Nicole and her ex-fiancée Matt. These were the two most important people in her life, and they treat her like crap, and they never really get held accountable for that. At least not to my satisfaction. I felt lik...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Patti rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.75 stars. I liked this a little more than book #2 but not as much as book #1. I think the series, overall, gets a 2.75 as well. When practical, I usually review a book as soon as I'm done. But I thought it might be just as easy to review this series as a whole because it was published a while ago and therefore, most people would intended to read all three at the same time, as I did. I'll review the books essentially in order, but I'll compare a little, too. I'm assuming you've read all three b...more 2.75 stars. I liked this a little more than book #2 but not as much as book #1. I think the series, overall, gets a 2.75 as well. When practical, I usually review a book as soon as I'm done. But I thought it might be just as easy to review this series as a whole because it was published a while ago and therefore, most people would intended to read all three at the same time, as I did. I'll review the books essentially in order, but I'll compare a little, too. I'm assuming you've read all three books, so if you haven't, you might want to skip the rest of this. I'll cover the main characters in each story, then some general comments that are about the stories individually, but more about Mallery's writing/storytelling. Be warned; it's a long review and contains some spoilers.

Sweet Talk was probably my favorite because Claire was the sister I liked the most. She was naive, but that was the intent; having led the strange combination of both a sheltered and worldly existence you'd imagine happening to a child prodigy, it made sense that she'd have been a little clueless about a lot of things. I loved her heart and I loved her determination, both to conquer her panic and to better balance her life. As for Wyatt, I was a little peeved at him initially because he was so judgmental of Claire. But knowing his views were colored by his ignorance and Nicole's anger, it was understandable. I was glad when he started interacting with her based on his own observations. And I always loved his dedication to Amy, though I didn't like his resistance to relationships because of his past. It wasn't like he'd had multiple failed relationships for crikey sake. At least he got it right in the end, but what an ass, running out when Claire said she was pregnant (not to mention freaking because she had been a virgin!) or being all 'it shouldn't bother me that she's rich but it does'.

Sweet Spot was another story. First, I thought Nicole was a jealous, vindictive, unreasonable b*tch in pretty much every story. Sure, I had a little sympathy for her situation, but I've always said that your life isn't about what happens to you, it's about how you handle the circumstances. And she was SO awesome with Raoul, so it sort of annoyed me that she was so unforgiving of Jesse and Claire. Especially in this book, where she admits marrying Drew had been a mistake from the beginning, that she was settling. Not that she *should* have thanked Jesse for ending her marriage, but you'd think she would at least have been willing to hear the whole story, to believe her sister or at least listen to her when the result of the situation was that it did her a favor. I wanted to like Hawk and did when he was being super awesome, but that guy was arrogant and it constantly grated on my nerves. Perhaps it is good that these two ended up together - she keeps his ego in check and he gives her crap when she's a total b*tch. Brittany irritated me - what a spoiled BRAT. I think the time I liked Hawk best was when he put her in her place, finally. Raoul was, I think, a genuinely good kid that worked hard to make up for his past mistakes and tried to move beyond his life circumstances. He was probably the best thing about this particular story.

As for Sweet Trouble, my feelings on the main couple are mixed. On the one hand, I was happy to see Jesse had grown up, finally, and gotten her life together. She earned things the hard way, but she had a life and a great kid she could be proud to call her own. I was disappointed to find that Nicole hadn't kept up with the PI, at least it was never stated she did. And for all Claire's efforts with Nicole, you'd have thought she would tell her twin she had been keeping in touch with Jesse. As for Matt, I didn't like him. He was a jerk. I wanted to have sympathy for him, because it's true that when you don't get to participate in all those firsts, there is absolutely no real tangible way to get them back. However, he made his damn bed and I thought he should have to lie in it, the stupid ass. Jesse had every right to assume he wouldn't want to have anything to do with her or their child when he didn't even believe Gabe was his. And it wasn't just that he thought she slept with Drew, he assumed she had been playing him all along and that, even if she hadn't slept with Drew, she probably had been cheating on him with other guys. I know he was supposed to be a little socially inept in the beginning of their relationship, but that doesn't excuse such horrible behavior or the fact that he flat out lied to Jesse when he said her past didn't matter. He behaved like a petulant child, not like a grown up, successful man in love with someone. His worldliness and success in the subsequent 5 years did nothing to make him a more decent person or to improve his childish behavior. She was right not to believe he'd forgiven her and to be wary and the fact that he waited until she said she still loved him to call his lawyer to deliver the papers...yeah, I'm sorry, I couldn't have forgiven that and I was very, very disappointed that they ended up with a HEA. If you're going to give them the HEA, then at least have him be smart enough to have called off the custody suit before his lawyer was ever going to file papers. Sorry, I know Jesse forgives Matt, but I don't. As for the subplot of the bakery fire, eh, it was all too convenient.

And that brings me to the general feelings I have about this series...I've now read 5 of the Fool's Gold stories and all three of Bakery Sisters, and I can say, definitively, that I think Mallery's work lacks believable plots. While that's ok some of the time, I can't read too much stuff where the plot AND the characters AND the setting are hard to believe. Often, the character traits of the hero and heroine are reasonable and while most of them at least started out in harsher circumstances in life, it bugs the CRAP out of me that every.single.one of her couples consists of at least ONE person who is insanely rich or not hurting for money in any way. Look at all of the Fool's Gold couples - I already complained about that before. But even here, we've got a child prodigy concert pianist, a Pro Football player who retired at the top of his game and a computer tycoon who was rich at the age of 15. One of those people in ANY family would be a LOT. But then we add the bakery owner and the contractor, and the only person who is remotely normal is Jesse! Jesse struggled, she liked Matt before she knew he was rich and his money never really mattered to her, what she wanted from him was the love he gave because she had very little of that in her life. I've got an issue with crowding a family or a town with too many rich people who were in no way connected before but are suddenly part of the same circle. As I said, it stretches believability a little too far for me.

As for the particulars of this series, I think the abandonment issues with the parents were realistic, as were the aspects of the stories that were a direct result of that. I'd have liked a little more in the plot that dealt directly with those issues, but instead, as if family estrangement and parental abandonment weren't already enough, there had to be major drama with the love stories that was outside of the family relationship part of the plot. There was more than enough material to cover regarding the sister's own personal issues that would have made the plot deeper and more meaningful. Instead, Mallery adds into the mix raising a deaf child, homeless teens and foster care, and teen pregnancy. There is so much reach that there isn't enough depth.

Lastly, after reading 8 books in reasonably rapid succession, I can say for certain that if you're reading Mallery's books for the sex, you only need to read one of them. If I read you a sex scene from any one book, you'd be hard pressed to say which book it was. All the woman orgasm easily. All the men are breast men. I can only guess that the author's own experiences are very limited, and I don't mean that she hasn't slept with as many men as Jesse; monogamy, as many a long-married or coupled pair will tell you, can make for a lot more enjoyable and creative experience because of trust. Also, I'm sorry, but it drives me crazy that EVERY single time someone has unprotected sex in her books, it means they will get pregnant. And every time, by the end of the story (even if it's 5 years later), that pregnancy eventually results with couples getting married. First of all, pregnancy isn't the only danger with unprotected sex. Secondly, unplanned pregnancies take place within a marriage, too (where normally reasonable people are more likely to be a little reckless). Thirdly, this is the 21st century, not all unprotected sex that results in pregnancy (but no other adverse circumstances) means marriage. Heck, it doesn't always mean staying together.

I think I've just realized that, while I don't dislike the author's stories, I can't read them one after another. The plots are too thin, the characters not always realistic and the sex is just ok. Even the setting isn't always fleshed out adequately for me to feel like I am really there; I should be able to do that in a real place like Seattle. But most of all, there is just too much repetition, too much formula. It's been ok filler for me while I wait for Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner, but I think, once I finish Pia's Fool's Gold story, I'll probably take a good, long break from Mallery.(less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Nonieღserenity2bliss rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a little tricky to review because I genuinely have mix feelings about this one.

For starters, this is Susan Mallery's baby and it's crazy for me to NOT like her stuff. Liking it is never a problem, but loving it...that poses a bit of a challenge.

One, the hero is an ass. Well, maybe not an ass but charming he is certainly not. I'm not a big fan of stories where I don't like the main guy because I have plenty of that in real life.

Two, I find some of the lines bordering on being cheesy, wh...more

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Apr 13, 2012 BkGurl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

A great end to the series! Again the emotions ran high between the sisters and the H/H. Claire remains my fave of the 3 Keyes sisters..."she leads with her heart" regardless of what her sisters say and do. In this one, Jesse comes back home after almost 5 years away wanting to reconcile for the sake of her son but Nicole and Matt are still holding grudges for her past actions. I had grown to really love Nicole from Book 2, Sweet Spot, but her mean-spiritedness toward Jesse irked me considerably...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Brittney Musick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, read-2011, 1-adult, ebook

After reading Sweet Talk and Sweet Spot, I was really looking forward to reading Sweet Trouble. I felt like there was more to Jesse than what was being seen through the eyes of her sisters in the previous books, and I was happy that turned out to be the case.

I think the way this book was set up to show pieces of the past and what led Jesse to become the woman she is in the present was a really good way to help understand some of the familial issues, and while Jesse is by no means perfect, I beli...more After reading Sweet Talk and Sweet Spot, I was really looking forward to reading Sweet Trouble. I felt like there was more to Jesse than what was being seen through the eyes of her sisters in the previous books, and I was happy that turned out to be the case.

I think the way this book was set up to show pieces of the past and what led Jesse to become the woman she is in the present was a really good way to help understand some of the familial issues, and while Jesse is by no means perfect, I believe she's come a long way in this book.

Even though she was fighting and uphill battle, she wasn't willing to back down or simply bow to everyone's assumption that she was the same woman they once knew.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about how things would play out between Jesse and Nicole. I was not a fan of Nicole in Sweet Talk, and I was afraid that same terrible harshness would rear it's ugly head. However, I think reading Sweet Spot helped to curb some of the dislike I might have felt for her in this book.

While I still think Nicole is sometimes too hard on people and maybe even somewhat selfish, there was a lot of history for Nicole and Jesse to work through. I was just happy that, while Jesse was willing to accept her responsibility in things, she also refused to simply be a doormat about it, so I was pleased with how that situation was resolved.

The situation with Matt was sad for a variety of reasons. I really enjoyed his characters in the flashback chapters. I could see why Jesse fell in love with him, so it was somewhat heartbreaking to see the man he had become during the five years that had passed.

He seemed like a very empty man despite having so much going for him, and his bitterness toward Jesse was very sad since their separation was based upon misinformation. However, I did enjoy his interactions with Gabe, who was simply adorable. Susan Mallery has a way of writing the most terrific children.

While I really enjoyed the story overall, I felt like it missed the mark just a little bit for me. I think maybe I wanted to like it more than I did, but it felt like it missed some of the real tension and/or action I was waiting for. Despite that, it was still a quite enjoyable read. (less)

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Feb 10, 2009 Anica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This is the 3rd and last book in Susan Mallery's Bakery Sisters series. And all I can say is that it is way better than the second!!

I have to say that I always liked Jesse. I can't say why, maybe because she is around my age and all, but I always found her character/her story the most interesting. Same goes for her love story. Which was really cute and realistic. Although frustrating at times but I totally could understand Jesse's and Matt's point. And I am glad how everything worked out. Even t...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

REVIEW POSTED

This book was a bit harder to follow compared to the first 2. However, I found myself really involved in this book and actually yelling at Matt and having to take a "time out" from dealing with him!

Jessie has changed a lot over the last 5 years and has a wonderful son, Gabe to prove how much she has changed. She has moved away and started a life for herself. She has worked, been a single mother and made new friends. But Gabes questions about who his daddy is can't be ignored forever...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Meggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite, read-in-2012

after 5 years Jesse ran away from the problem she faced, she came back with her son Gabe (Gabriel) to meet Matt
Matt is a nerd man when Jesse first time meet him, Jesse try to make over him and it works! He is super HOT with attractive eyes. it takes a short time to make herself fall in love with Matt.
because of misunderstanding, Matt is totally mad with Jesse and leave her when she is pregnant. He even didn't believe that the baby is his.
Gabe grown up and asking for his dad, luckily Gabe's eyes...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Connie N. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, food-related

I love Susan Mallery and her Bakery Sisters' series, but this one only got 4 stars instead of 5 for me. The main female character was great, as always, with fun humor, a humble self-assessment, and a good sense of reaching out to others. But the main male character, although she tried to soften him, came across as bossy and demanding, I thought, with a strong need for revenge. He was driven by his anger throughout the whole book, then within a few pages, we were supposed to believe that he had t...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Ian rated it 4 of 5 stars

After Matt said some pretty awful things to her, Jesse left Seattle pregnant, friendless, homeless and with nowhere to go. Now after five years she has returned in the hope that her son can have a relationship with his father and that she can reconcile with her sister.

Those who have read Sweet Spot will know Jesse's back story. Those who haven't will pick it up through annoying flashbacks infrequently inserted into the story. I think Susan Mallery has tried to be a little too tricky with the fla...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Leya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

Throughout the series, Jesse was made to be the “bad” sister, and everything lead on to that thoughts. But she never had her chance to explain, in my opinion she had plenty of chances she was just hurt. It was all a misunderstanding, one that took almost five years to resolve. In the process the people that were involved moved on, some better than others. Matt didn’t deal very well with “Jesse’s infidelity”, and he’s been taking his anger to the next level.

Of the Bakery Sisters’ series this one...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Anita rated it 4 of 5 stars

hmm... baca seri yg terakhir ini kasian sama Nicolenya bela2in pulang ke kota asalnya buat memperbaiki hubungan sama kakak kandungnya Nicole dan memperkenalkan anaknya Gabe dengan Matt, tapi ga diterima dengan baik, mereka masih ga percaya kalau Jesse udah berubah.. Si Mattnya bahkan tega2nya mainin Jesse buat balas dendam gara2 dia ngerasa Jesse telah ngambil kesempatan buat dia mengenal anaknya *padahal pas hamil Jesse udah ngomong kalau itu anak Matt, tpi Matt ga percaya*
Nicolenya galak dan m...more

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Sep 05, 2009 Sandy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sweet Trouble really isn't worth the trouble, haha. It was semi-addicting but I don't exactly entertain any urges to go pick up another one of Mallery's books, at least not in the near future. I was disappointed with the plot because I thought it was going to be exciting but it's not. It's basically a book about people making big mistakes with a mixture of anger, irritation, and a little boredom. This book has some merit but near the ending the story became too poor and average. A happy, predict...more

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Feb 25, 2009 Evelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, women-s-fiction

It's been five years since sisters Nicole and Jesse Keyes have spoken to each other after Nicole caught Jesse "in bed" with her husband Drew. Jesse left town pregnant and alone, while Nicole married her hunky football coach and has a young son and twin babies.

Jesse's son Gabe has been asking about his father, so Jesse returns home to face her sister and her true love, Matt, who abandoned her when he learned about her and Drew from his mother. Jesse has grown up, but can she make the others beli...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Definitely the best of the 3 Bakery Sisters books. This book focused on Jesse, the youngest of the three sisters. I think I liked this book the best because there was no unplanned pregnancy! Seriously, this book had great themes about owning up to mistakes, forgiving the past, and taking leaps of faith for a great future. I liked the interchange between the three sisters and the love story was very hot. I also liked that this book took place 5 years in the future from the last story, so you got...more

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About Susan Mallery

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them. Publisher’s Weekly calls Susan’s prose “luscious and provocative,” and Booklist says, “Novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling.” While Susan appreciates the crit...more

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“You’re only responsible for yourself, Jess. And that’s the only person you can control. Other people will either get it or they won’t but you can’t define yourself by their opinions.” — 17 people liked it

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Sweet Trouble (Keyes Sisters #3)

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