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Bittersweet
Love is the last thing on Zoe’s mind. Widowed at only twenty-six, she’s just trying to get through one lonely day at a time as she grieves her late husband, and finds the energy to take care of her infant son.
As Zoe bravely tries to hold herself together, her husband’s cousin and business partner, Adam, offers his support and friendship. Shattered by her loss, Zoe is distant and resentful at first, but Adam gently persists, and Zoe’s reserve soon begins to crumble . . .
Adam knows that Zoe needs time to heal but finds himself more and more attracted to her. He knows he must not act on these forbidden feelings, but they just won’t go away . . .
Noelle Adams’s Bittersweet is a poignant, fearless exploration of friendship, loss, new beginnings, and the healing power of love.
As Zoe bravely tries to hold herself together, her husband’s cousin and business partner, Adam, offers his support and friendship. Shattered by her loss, Zoe is distant and resentful at first, but Adam gently persists, and Zoe’s reserve soon begins to crumble . . .
Adam knows that Zoe needs time to heal but finds himself more and more attracted to her. He knows he must not act on these forbidden feelings, but they just won’t go away . . .
Noelle Adams’s Bittersweet is a poignant, fearless exploration of friendship, loss, new beginnings, and the healing power of love.
221 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2013
498 people are currently reading
2825 people want to read
About the author
Noelle Adams
140 books2,671 followersNoelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn't stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
June 17, 2013
Zoe is friends with nerdy (and wealthy, natch) Adam. She’s attracted to him, and she thinks that maybe he’s attracted to her, but he won’t ask her out. So she’s stuck in the friend zone. Then she meets his hawt cousin Josh and…well, you know what happens next. He makes a move. Four years later, she’s a widow with a young son. And there’s Adam, not so nerdy anymore and still pretty rich.
I saw ALL of the set ups coming from miles away. Like here, where Zoe is getting dressed to go out with “friends” (I put the word in quotes because we never actually see these friends of hers, we never see much of anyone besides the two main characters and Zoe’s son Logan):
As soon as I read that I thought: Right, so her cardigan is going to bust open so that Adam can get a look at her breasts.
And hey, what do you know:
Guess who comes home drunk and wanting to dance? Guessssss. Was NOT expecting that. At all. NOPE.
So first off: I instantly wrote off Adam after reading the words of an 80 year old grandmother come out of his mouth. Does not exist, I scribbled in the margins of my book (neither does Logan, actually). And let’s not even get into the “inexplicable intensity” in his eyes. Why so intense Adam? You’re staring at her breasts and you sound like you’ve been eating peanut butter, so weird that I can’t figure out what emotion is driving your actions right now! Especially considering that I’ve been told REPEATEDLY how restrained you are!
Adam's got this whole stony facade thing going on. Check it: “For the first time, Adam’s calm broke.” and “…emotion twisting on his features for the first time."
So many first times!
Here is Adam NOT FEELING THINGS:
“His voice inexplicably thick.”
“The thick texture of his voice…”
“His voice thick with an unusual texture.”
“Distracted, disconnected with that thick resonance in his voice.”
Mmmm, phlegm. HOMG HE’S SO HARD TO FIGURE OUT! DOES HE LIKE HER, MAYBE?
Also, what is this?
“His voice broke, an obvious sign that whatever he was trying to express was incredibly hard for him to say.”
O RLY! I already knew after reading the words “his voice broke” that he was filled with emotion. Don’t spell it out for me. Oh, and Zoe gasps. A LOT.
Oy. I cringed a good amount while reading this book, the sex scenes were SO bad: He was big, and she was tight from going so long without sex. And let's not forget the whole swollen lips from his kisses thing! I’m really glad this one was free.
I saw ALL of the set ups coming from miles away. Like here, where Zoe is getting dressed to go out with “friends” (I put the word in quotes because we never actually see these friends of hers, we never see much of anyone besides the two main characters and Zoe’s son Logan):
As soon as Zoe pulled on the sleeveless, wine-colored top, she started to pull it off again. The low v-neck and slinky fabric was very flattering, highlighting her figure and her fair skin. But it was much sexier than anything she’d worn in a really long time. She wouldn’t have given it a second thought a couple of years ago, but now the overt sexiness made her feel uncomfortable…It was a warm evening, but she put on a thin silk cardigan sweater so she wouldn’t feel so self-conscious about her revealing top. She buttoned the cardigan in a way that covered most of her cleavage, deciding she’d unbutton it later in the evening when it felt more appropriate.
As soon as I read that I thought: Right, so her cardigan is going to bust open so that Adam can get a look at her breasts.
And hey, what do you know:
She leaned down to pick up a green bean Logan had dropped and tossed it into the trash can. The move caused the remaining button on her cardigan to come undone and the silk sweater fell open. She hardly registered the fact until she turned back around toward Adam. She saw his black eyes widen as they took in her appearance, lingering on her generous cleavage. His whole body tensed palpably.
“You’re wearing that?” he asked, his voice thicker than normal.
Zoe’s spine stiffened. “What do you mean? Of course, I’m wearing this. What’s wrong with it?”
“It might be appropriate for the bedroom,” he said, an inexplicable intensity smoldering in his gaze and disapproval in his expression, “but hardly for an appearance in public.”
Zoe gasped indignantly at both his presumption and his censure…
Guess who comes home drunk and wanting to dance? Guessssss. Was NOT expecting that. At all. NOPE.
So first off: I instantly wrote off Adam after reading the words of an 80 year old grandmother come out of his mouth. Does not exist, I scribbled in the margins of my book (neither does Logan, actually). And let’s not even get into the “inexplicable intensity” in his eyes. Why so intense Adam? You’re staring at her breasts and you sound like you’ve been eating peanut butter, so weird that I can’t figure out what emotion is driving your actions right now! Especially considering that I’ve been told REPEATEDLY how restrained you are!
Adam's got this whole stony facade thing going on. Check it: “For the first time, Adam’s calm broke.” and “…emotion twisting on his features for the first time."
So many first times!
Here is Adam NOT FEELING THINGS:
“His voice inexplicably thick.”
“The thick texture of his voice…”
“His voice thick with an unusual texture.”
“Distracted, disconnected with that thick resonance in his voice.”
Mmmm, phlegm. HOMG HE’S SO HARD TO FIGURE OUT! DOES HE LIKE HER, MAYBE?
Also, what is this?
“His voice broke, an obvious sign that whatever he was trying to express was incredibly hard for him to say.”
O RLY! I already knew after reading the words “his voice broke” that he was filled with emotion. Don’t spell it out for me. Oh, and Zoe gasps. A LOT.
Oy. I cringed a good amount while reading this book, the sex scenes were SO bad: He was big, and she was tight from going so long without sex. And let's not forget the whole swollen lips from his kisses thing! I’m really glad this one was free.
May 17, 2021
I have to confess, I was never going to read this book. After losing my son and husband, the death of a loved one is a trigger for me. With a current challenge that had this book on the list, I decided to carefully try it. I was prepared to close it immediately if anything felt like it was moving into triggering territory. The fact that the death actually takes place far removed off page was my saving grace. After that, it was all about how this heroine worked through her grief and I was so glad I took a chance because this is an absolutely beautiful story.
My heart hurt for Zoe but she was resilient and worked through her loss in a believable manner. I respected the challenges she faced and the maturity she exhibited in dealing with them. The timeline of the story was a concern for me going in, but this author had Zoe moving through it in a way that I appreciated, again, totally believable.
I absolutely loved Adam! While we never have his point of view, this author works her magic and I am more than aware of his struggles despite them never being shared with me. His tender care for Zoe and her son, Logan, was heartwarming. The fact that he never pressured her and did not expect her to love him more than her deceased husband was evidence of just how amazing of a hero he was.
Overall, this was a wonderful read with characters that were realistic. I was so pleased to see Logan written into the story with consistency as many authors tend to create a child and then stick them far to the side so they are never a real part of the equation. Not so here which rounded out my enjoyment of a book I had shied away from for so long.
So glad I read this one! ♥♥♥
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers
My heart hurt for Zoe but she was resilient and worked through her loss in a believable manner. I respected the challenges she faced and the maturity she exhibited in dealing with them. The timeline of the story was a concern for me going in, but this author had Zoe moving through it in a way that I appreciated, again, totally believable.
I absolutely loved Adam! While we never have his point of view, this author works her magic and I am more than aware of his struggles despite them never being shared with me. His tender care for Zoe and her son, Logan, was heartwarming. The fact that he never pressured her and did not expect her to love him more than her deceased husband was evidence of just how amazing of a hero he was.
Overall, this was a wonderful read with characters that were realistic. I was so pleased to see Logan written into the story with consistency as many authors tend to create a child and then stick them far to the side so they are never a real part of the equation. Not so here which rounded out my enjoyment of a book I had shied away from for so long.
So glad I read this one! ♥♥♥
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers
nope
February 21, 2019Zoe is attracted to Adam and he is attracted to her but he doesn't ask her out. Then the hot cousin Josh comes and sweeps the girl away. They were married for 4 years when he died. Now, Zoe is a widow and Adam comes to support Zoe with her new-born baby. And now their romance begins!
Pffft... so stupid. I would read it if they hadn't been attracted to each other before but they were and he didn't make a move and she went and married his cousin. Nope... not my cuppa!
Pffft... so stupid. I would read it if they hadn't been attracted to each other before but they were and he didn't make a move and she went and married his cousin. Nope... not my cuppa!
May 24, 2017
This is a slow burn friends-to-lovers romance about a widow who falls in love with her late husband's cousin who has always secretly been in love with her (not a spoiler to me because it's so obvious to the reader). Uh...y'all, this book was basically written for me.
This book was recommended to me by willaful after I asked for recommendations on Twitter for books where a protagonist falls in love with their sibling's or best friend's ex or widow/er (along the lines of Within Reach, a personal favorite of mine). It's a pretty niche trope, so it's not one that I encounter very much, when it's done well (like the aforementioned Within Reach and When He Was Wicked, my favorite book by Julia Quinn), there's just something so satisfying for me as a reader. I get a little tired of the evil first spouse, and I find it very moving when a character who is grieving finds love again with a person who is close to them.
This book starts out, rather adorably, 5 years in the past. Adam, the sort of person who probably belongs on Jeopardy!, is quizzing Zoe about trivia. They met when they started eating lunch at the same time every day in the same cafe while she's working in a department store finishing up her undergraduate degree part-time and he's doing an MBA. Zoe enjoys his company and is starting to find him cute, but as they've become friends over two months of "casual" lunches, he hasn't made any indication that he's interested in her or wants to ask her out. This book is told entirely from Zoe's point of view (in the third person), so we never get Adam's internal thoughts, but anyone who has read a lot of romance learns to read between the lines, and it was immediately apparent to me that Adam was shy and wanted to build a friendship before asking her out. Alas, one day he tells her about a company he's starting with his cousin, and in walks said cousin, who is gorgeous and single. And not shy.
Five years later, Josh has lost his battle with cancer, and Zoe is preparing for his funeral. While I felt no connection to Josh as a character, since he only appears in the book in her memories except for their initial meeting in the prologue, I felt the tragedy of his death at such a young age. Cancer is always triggering for me in stories because it's how I lost my mother after a very long and drawn-out illness, so I empathized deeply with Zoe. She is exhausted, both from being Josh's primary caretaker and from being a new mother (their son, Logan, is only six months old when Josh dies).
Adam picks her up on the day of Josh's funeral, and through Zoe's thoughts we learn that she and Adam are no longer close at all, because Adam became very distant when she started dating Josh. Adam and Josh were not close in the way of best friends or brothers, due to their different upbringings, but they loved each other, and Adam truly mourns his loss as well, something that takes Zoe a while to realize because of how Adam behaved.
It would be easy to be frustrated with Zoe's behavior at the beginning--and, well, I admit that I was--because Adam is nothing but lovely to her (even when he's being "bossy") and Zoe pushes back at any help he tries to give her. But what stopped me from being truly annoyed was that I felt this was an accurate portrayal of a grieving widow who now has a child to raise and no other family in the area (aside from Adam, who never talks to her anymore). Emotions and behavior are not always rational after a tragedy, and Zoe is devastated and doesn't know what to make of Adam coming back into her life after pushing her away. It clearly hurt her and it's something she's never expressed to him, just accepting that--from her point of view--he doesn't like her anymore, for whatever reason.
The difficulty with this trope is making the reader believe that the protagonist really loved their first spouse--and still does--but is also open to loving again. There were times when I wondered whether Zoe was ever truly going to get over Josh. And Adam clearly feels this way too, but he's so patient with her. I was smitten with Adam from the prologue. He's just...the most understanding, compassionate, wonderful man. I would've loved to have his point of view as well, but there's something kind of interesting as well about having to guess at his thoughts and feelings from Zoe's point of view. Adam is so reserved, and Zoe doesn't just "get over" Josh (again, something I felt was realistically portrayed; not to mention in her mind it's "taboo" to be with Josh's cousin), hence the slow burn aspect of their relationship. This book covers a lot of time. Chapters can jump months, but I didn't feel like it was skipping anything important. It allowed their friendship to develop over a span of time while Zoe deals with her loss.
Was this book perfect? Of course not. But I don't have it in me to nitpick it. It's sad at times, but heartwarming, and just the right kind of book for me.
This book was recommended to me by willaful after I asked for recommendations on Twitter for books where a protagonist falls in love with their sibling's or best friend's ex or widow/er (along the lines of Within Reach, a personal favorite of mine). It's a pretty niche trope, so it's not one that I encounter very much, when it's done well (like the aforementioned Within Reach and When He Was Wicked, my favorite book by Julia Quinn), there's just something so satisfying for me as a reader. I get a little tired of the evil first spouse, and I find it very moving when a character who is grieving finds love again with a person who is close to them.
This book starts out, rather adorably, 5 years in the past. Adam, the sort of person who probably belongs on Jeopardy!, is quizzing Zoe about trivia. They met when they started eating lunch at the same time every day in the same cafe while she's working in a department store finishing up her undergraduate degree part-time and he's doing an MBA. Zoe enjoys his company and is starting to find him cute, but as they've become friends over two months of "casual" lunches, he hasn't made any indication that he's interested in her or wants to ask her out. This book is told entirely from Zoe's point of view (in the third person), so we never get Adam's internal thoughts, but anyone who has read a lot of romance learns to read between the lines, and it was immediately apparent to me that Adam was shy and wanted to build a friendship before asking her out. Alas, one day he tells her about a company he's starting with his cousin, and in walks said cousin, who is gorgeous and single. And not shy.
Five years later, Josh has lost his battle with cancer, and Zoe is preparing for his funeral. While I felt no connection to Josh as a character, since he only appears in the book in her memories except for their initial meeting in the prologue, I felt the tragedy of his death at such a young age. Cancer is always triggering for me in stories because it's how I lost my mother after a very long and drawn-out illness, so I empathized deeply with Zoe. She is exhausted, both from being Josh's primary caretaker and from being a new mother (their son, Logan, is only six months old when Josh dies).
Adam picks her up on the day of Josh's funeral, and through Zoe's thoughts we learn that she and Adam are no longer close at all, because Adam became very distant when she started dating Josh. Adam and Josh were not close in the way of best friends or brothers, due to their different upbringings, but they loved each other, and Adam truly mourns his loss as well, something that takes Zoe a while to realize because of how Adam behaved.
It would be easy to be frustrated with Zoe's behavior at the beginning--and, well, I admit that I was--because Adam is nothing but lovely to her (even when he's being "bossy") and Zoe pushes back at any help he tries to give her. But what stopped me from being truly annoyed was that I felt this was an accurate portrayal of a grieving widow who now has a child to raise and no other family in the area (aside from Adam, who never talks to her anymore). Emotions and behavior are not always rational after a tragedy, and Zoe is devastated and doesn't know what to make of Adam coming back into her life after pushing her away. It clearly hurt her and it's something she's never expressed to him, just accepting that--from her point of view--he doesn't like her anymore, for whatever reason.
The difficulty with this trope is making the reader believe that the protagonist really loved their first spouse--and still does--but is also open to loving again. There were times when I wondered whether Zoe was ever truly going to get over Josh. And Adam clearly feels this way too, but he's so patient with her. I was smitten with Adam from the prologue. He's just...the most understanding, compassionate, wonderful man. I would've loved to have his point of view as well, but there's something kind of interesting as well about having to guess at his thoughts and feelings from Zoe's point of view. Adam is so reserved, and Zoe doesn't just "get over" Josh (again, something I felt was realistically portrayed; not to mention in her mind it's "taboo" to be with Josh's cousin), hence the slow burn aspect of their relationship. This book covers a lot of time. Chapters can jump months, but I didn't feel like it was skipping anything important. It allowed their friendship to develop over a span of time while Zoe deals with her loss.
Was this book perfect? Of course not. But I don't have it in me to nitpick it. It's sad at times, but heartwarming, and just the right kind of book for me.
May 3, 2015
Very slow building romance between grieving widow and her husband's cousin who loved her even before she met her husband.The realism of grief and overcoming it is refreshing although cynic in me have a hard time believing that a successful, rich, smart and handsome hero would wait for the heroine so long and be so understanding and sensitive. I am not sure man like him exist in real world :)but hey, that's why I love reading romance! It is nice to dream:)
March 23, 2024
4.5🌟!
Rtc
Rtc
May 8, 2013
I was debating how to rate this, definitely four stars but after reading through a couple of scenes and how they affected me, I've decided to give it a full five star. The book was aptly titled because that's how I felt when I was reading it. The story is about a widow, Zoe and how she tries to move on. Her husband's cousin, Adam tries to help her cope with hurdles of dealing with the loss of her husband, Josh — what to do with Josh's company, making decisions on buying a house, even babysitting her baby so she can have a girl's night out. What we see in the beginning was, Adam and Zoe met each other first (5 years before) and were more like lunch buddies in Zoe's mind because Adam never asked her out. After almost of month, Zoe meets Josh during one of those lunches and Josh wastes no time in sweeping her off her feet. When Josh and Zoe get together, Adam has a falling out with Josh and has been distant ever since. So now he is back in Zoe's life helping her out.
Again, this is classic Noelle Adams style. Adam shows much restraint in expressing his feelings in words. But it wasn't until he sees Zoe with another man that he loses that restraint. Adam is such a strong man, but he feels deeply but has trouble acting on those feelings preferring to be patient. And those feelings are very sweet. The way Zoe and Adam work to have a relationship is very believable. I like the author's heroines because it's not insta-love, there is some cluelessness which I find cute.
There are some slow parts, which was why I was hovering on rating, but I really loved this book.
I review paranormal, contemporary (including erotica), new adult and young adult romances. My 4 to 5 star reads can be found at:
Victoria Paige Books - Reviews
Again, this is classic Noelle Adams style. Adam shows much restraint in expressing his feelings in words. But it wasn't until he sees Zoe with another man that he loses that restraint. Adam is such a strong man, but he feels deeply but has trouble acting on those feelings preferring to be patient. And those feelings are very sweet. The way Zoe and Adam work to have a relationship is very believable. I like the author's heroines because it's not insta-love, there is some cluelessness which I find cute.
There are some slow parts, which was why I was hovering on rating, but I really loved this book.
I review paranormal, contemporary (including erotica), new adult and young adult romances. My 4 to 5 star reads can be found at:
Victoria Paige Books - Reviews
December 10, 2024
I'd give it 10 stars if I could
Oh my freaking god!!!!
I SO LOOOOOOOVED THIS BOOK!!!
This is a story of 2 people, Adam and Zoe.
They meet and become friends and then, soon after meeting Adam, Zoe meets his cousin Josh. And she falls in love with him, they get married and have a son. Unfortunately, Josh is diagnosed with brain tumour and, soon after that, dies. And that's when the story picks up.
It's not a typical story of a girl falling in love. It's Zoe's journey of healing, finally being ready to let go of the past, and learning to find a place in her heart for both her late husband and Adam.
And I looooooved Adam's character. He is everything I need in a book boyfriend: protective, clearly in love with Zoe for a very long time, yet respectful and patient, giving her all the time she might need to be ready for the next step in her life. Always there, but never pushy. I loved that!
The story is beautiful and I think my absolute favourite from Noelle so far.
Wow. Just WOW!
It stole my heart from the get-go and I just inhaled it in one go.
An absolute must-read!
Highly recommend!!!
Oh my freaking god!!!!
I SO LOOOOOOOVED THIS BOOK!!!
This is a story of 2 people, Adam and Zoe.
They meet and become friends and then, soon after meeting Adam, Zoe meets his cousin Josh. And she falls in love with him, they get married and have a son. Unfortunately, Josh is diagnosed with brain tumour and, soon after that, dies. And that's when the story picks up.
It's not a typical story of a girl falling in love. It's Zoe's journey of healing, finally being ready to let go of the past, and learning to find a place in her heart for both her late husband and Adam.
And I looooooved Adam's character. He is everything I need in a book boyfriend: protective, clearly in love with Zoe for a very long time, yet respectful and patient, giving her all the time she might need to be ready for the next step in her life. Always there, but never pushy. I loved that!
The story is beautiful and I think my absolute favourite from Noelle so far.
Wow. Just WOW!
It stole my heart from the get-go and I just inhaled it in one go.
An absolute must-read!
Highly recommend!!!
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May 22, 2013
05/22/2013 --
Overall Rating = 2.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 3 / 3 = 3 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 2 Stars
Character Development = 3 Stars
Story Appreciation = 2 Stars
Worth the Chili = 4 Stars [$Free for me on Amazon, currently $2.99]
Didn't feel the love with this one. It fell apart a bit at the end. All the dry hump love? Seriously? These were adults. I just didn't buy much of it. It may work for you, but it fell short for me.
This author can write some of my favorite, long, absorbing, "full of feeling" stories. I guess we can all have a bit of mediocre in our backlist!
Not her best work. I've come to expect so much more.
Happy Reading!
Overall Rating = 2.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 3 / 3 = 3 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 2 Stars
Character Development = 3 Stars
Story Appreciation = 2 Stars
Worth the Chili = 4 Stars [$Free for me on Amazon, currently $2.99]
Didn't feel the love with this one. It fell apart a bit at the end. All the dry hump love? Seriously? These were adults. I just didn't buy much of it. It may work for you, but it fell short for me.
This author can write some of my favorite, long, absorbing, "full of feeling" stories. I guess we can all have a bit of mediocre in our backlist!
Not her best work. I've come to expect so much more.
Happy Reading!
June 17, 2021
Really enjoyed this! I think it gives an interesting perspective on what it is to lose a spouse and the difficulty that moving on causes.
The characters are real, the struggles they face as individuals and as a couple are real, and I believed all the emotions they felt.
Definitely my favorite of everything I've read by Adams.
The characters are real, the struggles they face as individuals and as a couple are real, and I believed all the emotions they felt.
Definitely my favorite of everything I've read by Adams.
March 17, 2016
So sweet and beautiful...
May 27, 2013
I hadn't started this book with much expectations and honestly I don't know whether to be glad because of it or plain disappointed, that I was proven right. Reading Anna Karenina can be pretty depressing not to mention headache inducing at times so I picked up this little thing for a break from Mr.Tolstoy' monstrosity and it was not a relief.
Bittersweet tells the story of Zoe who has recently became a mom and a widow, She lost her husband around the same time she gave birth to her son Logan. Adam her old lunch buddy and her late husband' cousin comes around at this point once again in her life and helps her through the testing time. As a executioner of Josh' will he stays around to help Zoe deal with the financials of his software company and eventually takes a liking to her son as well.
Zoe having been nursing her cancer ridden husband for the better part of a year even while she was pregnant, finds herself getting attracted to Adam in the process and puts down her attraction to her ..eh 'dry spell'.
One night on a blind date she encounters Adam with another woman at the same place she and her date plan to visit. An awkward encounter follows and finally in a confrontation Zoe & Adam reveal how they feel about each other and have a dry humping session. From then on the book becomes so boring I honestly think I fell asleep at a point as it was so predictable.
Zoe was an okay-ish heroine and Adam was mostly described as a virile hot stud - nothing new or out of the ordinary there. Hell even the toddler calling Adam 'Cla Lala' started getting on my nerves after a point.
What disappointed me the most was the writing I wasn't expecting the likes of Markus Zusak or the brilliance of Zafon Ruiz C. but this was so below average a Fanfic would have scored better in the linguistic skills.
This review can also be found at One reader A thousand lives
Bittersweet tells the story of Zoe who has recently became a mom and a widow, She lost her husband around the same time she gave birth to her son Logan. Adam her old lunch buddy and her late husband' cousin comes around at this point once again in her life and helps her through the testing time. As a executioner of Josh' will he stays around to help Zoe deal with the financials of his software company and eventually takes a liking to her son as well.
Zoe having been nursing her cancer ridden husband for the better part of a year even while she was pregnant, finds herself getting attracted to Adam in the process and puts down her attraction to her ..eh 'dry spell'.
One night on a blind date she encounters Adam with another woman at the same place she and her date plan to visit. An awkward encounter follows and finally in a confrontation Zoe & Adam reveal how they feel about each other and have a dry humping session. From then on the book becomes so boring I honestly think I fell asleep at a point as it was so predictable.
Zoe was an okay-ish heroine and Adam was mostly described as a virile hot stud - nothing new or out of the ordinary there. Hell even the toddler calling Adam 'Cla Lala' started getting on my nerves after a point.
What disappointed me the most was the writing I wasn't expecting the likes of Markus Zusak or the brilliance of Zafon Ruiz C. but this was so below average a Fanfic would have scored better in the linguistic skills.
This review can also be found at One reader A thousand lives
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2017
4.5 stars.
My thoughts during the first half: TENSION! Delicious, palpable tension! Poor clueless Zoe. Poor patient Adam. Oh, the feels!
The second half was weaker because the tension lessened and Patient Adam became Angsty Emo Adam. I still love him but man he feels things so deeply that I wanted to give him a Valium.
Claire’s journey felt real while not making her an emotional wreck or giving Adam competition for World’s Top Emo. Most clueless and naïve, perhaps. Honey, I knew from the second salt shaker and practically every page thereafter reinforced it.
Unrequited love and friends to lovers are my top tropes so this book lit up all my buttons. I didn’t find it very sexy but the romance was there. Slowly developing. Slowly hugging my three sizes too small heart.
Someone commented that the characters are the same in all of the author’s books. Well, let me tell you, I’m about to buy the crap out of her backlist because I want me some more unrequited emo love.
My thoughts during the first half: TENSION! Delicious, palpable tension! Poor clueless Zoe. Poor patient Adam. Oh, the feels!
The second half was weaker because the tension lessened and Patient Adam became Angsty Emo Adam. I still love him but man he feels things so deeply that I wanted to give him a Valium.
Claire’s journey felt real while not making her an emotional wreck or giving Adam competition for World’s Top Emo. Most clueless and naïve, perhaps. Honey, I knew from the second salt shaker and practically every page thereafter reinforced it.
Unrequited love and friends to lovers are my top tropes so this book lit up all my buttons. I didn’t find it very sexy but the romance was there. Slowly developing. Slowly hugging my three sizes too small heart.
Someone commented that the characters are the same in all of the author’s books. Well, let me tell you, I’m about to buy the crap out of her backlist because I want me some more unrequited emo love.
August 7, 2014
1.5 for me, I wanted to like it more I really did I struggled to finish it.
July 18, 2017
My Musings
Unique story line and enjoyable characters, especially little Logan. Glad I took a chance on this. I enjoyed the narrator a lot. Happy ☺reading 📚!
Unique story line and enjoyable characters, especially little Logan. Glad I took a chance on this. I enjoyed the narrator a lot. Happy ☺reading 📚!
April 30, 2016
Ugh! DNF..
I have no idea what authors are thinking when they make the heroine a total A-hole. Is that supposed to make her look strong? Well, it doesn’t! Zoe was a complete jerk to Adam from the time the funeral started. She couldn’t even open her mouth without something nasty coming out. When I start out disliking the hero or heroine it’s pretty hard for me to change my mind about him/her. So, I like Adam a lot and I couldn’t stand Zoe at just 10%. I knew if she didn’t get better soon I wasn’t going to finish this book.
At 30% I was really tired of her pity party and her lack of concern for Adam’s feelings. AND there wasn’t on ounce of guilty desire for each other. I mean, even if they weren’t going to do anything about it it looks like there would be some kind of feelings. This was a really boring book. The 4 and 5 star reviews must have been by readers who really didn’t care if there was any kind of story at all. Unless you wanted to read about Logan’s first steps, or Logan’s first words, or Logan eating, or Logan playing on the floor, or Zoe nursing Logan, or Logan having a screaming fit. It just went on and on about Logan.
Anyway, I got to 45% and I’m done. It’s just too angsty for me, on Zoe’s part, and I just feel sorry for Adam. Even though it’s just a book I feel like he could do better, the author could have made Zoe a better character. I never really connected with Zoe. I started off not liking her and I never got over it.
I’m sure, from what the reviews said, there was sex in this book but there was not one little thing that led up to it. And there was no swearing, or anything else, for that matter.
As to the narrator: I absolutely love Amy McFadden. She reads with so much emotion and does such terrific voices but even she couldn’t help this book.
I have no idea what authors are thinking when they make the heroine a total A-hole. Is that supposed to make her look strong? Well, it doesn’t! Zoe was a complete jerk to Adam from the time the funeral started. She couldn’t even open her mouth without something nasty coming out. When I start out disliking the hero or heroine it’s pretty hard for me to change my mind about him/her. So, I like Adam a lot and I couldn’t stand Zoe at just 10%. I knew if she didn’t get better soon I wasn’t going to finish this book.
At 30% I was really tired of her pity party and her lack of concern for Adam’s feelings. AND there wasn’t on ounce of guilty desire for each other. I mean, even if they weren’t going to do anything about it it looks like there would be some kind of feelings. This was a really boring book. The 4 and 5 star reviews must have been by readers who really didn’t care if there was any kind of story at all. Unless you wanted to read about Logan’s first steps, or Logan’s first words, or Logan eating, or Logan playing on the floor, or Zoe nursing Logan, or Logan having a screaming fit. It just went on and on about Logan.
Anyway, I got to 45% and I’m done. It’s just too angsty for me, on Zoe’s part, and I just feel sorry for Adam. Even though it’s just a book I feel like he could do better, the author could have made Zoe a better character. I never really connected with Zoe. I started off not liking her and I never got over it.
I’m sure, from what the reviews said, there was sex in this book but there was not one little thing that led up to it. And there was no swearing, or anything else, for that matter.
As to the narrator: I absolutely love Amy McFadden. She reads with so much emotion and does such terrific voices but even she couldn’t help this book.
May 25, 2013
Bittersweet is my favorite flavor, so it's no wonder I consumed this book.
Without spoilers, I can really only say that my only real problem with this book is that (I think) the readers will all know what is up with Adam Peterson (Our Hero) almost as soon as he is re-involved in Our Heroine's - Zoe's - life.
What I love here is the opening and closing. I love the willingness of Zoe to communicate and confront even when she's uncomfortable. Once she knows what she's feeling, anyway. I enjoyed the way time was shown to pass, because it had to for this to work. I appreciated the set-up even if I felt bad about it most of the time.
What I was less than thrilled with was the need for Miscommunication Angst. I know it's needed, here, due to the nature of the story, but it bothers me anyway. Especially when the relationship could have gone So Very Badly if Zoe hadn't stepped up and made sure to communicate.
The side characters...were not really here. I had no sense of them, aside from Zoe's son. The story's focus was entirely on the main pairing and Zoe's son and that was pretty much it. There were appearances from a few others, but there isn't a lot of sense of their place in the story.
Overall, a good romance. And, like the best of dark chocolate, it is indeed bittersweet.
4.25, rounded down to 4 for the purpose of the rating.
Without spoilers, I can really only say that my only real problem with this book is that (I think) the readers will all know what is up with Adam Peterson (Our Hero) almost as soon as he is re-involved in Our Heroine's - Zoe's - life.
What I love here is the opening and closing. I love the willingness of Zoe to communicate and confront even when she's uncomfortable. Once she knows what she's feeling, anyway. I enjoyed the way time was shown to pass, because it had to for this to work. I appreciated the set-up even if I felt bad about it most of the time.
What I was less than thrilled with was the need for Miscommunication Angst. I know it's needed, here, due to the nature of the story, but it bothers me anyway. Especially when the relationship could have gone So Very Badly if Zoe hadn't stepped up and made sure to communicate.
The side characters...were not really here. I had no sense of them, aside from Zoe's son. The story's focus was entirely on the main pairing and Zoe's son and that was pretty much it. There were appearances from a few others, but there isn't a lot of sense of their place in the story.
Overall, a good romance. And, like the best of dark chocolate, it is indeed bittersweet.
4.25, rounded down to 4 for the purpose of the rating.
July 3, 2013
I couldn't sleep last night so started reading thiis book on my kindle.
It was so good I couldn't put it down and go to sleep like I knew I should. I was getting sleepy but had to finish it. This author writes a story that is aobut loss and finding love right in front of your face after losing a husband. She writes about loss and love and how recovery and falling in love is not perfect or easy, it's messy and it's hard and it doesn't follow any rule books. I loved the book!
Found here on Good Reads:
As a widow at twenty-six, Zoe isn't looking for love. She's just looking for the energy to get through the next day and take care of her infant son. She might have to deal with Adam, her husband's cousin and business partner, but she doesn't have to like it. She doesn't have to like him.
But he just won't go away.
Adam knows that Zoe needs time and space to heal, so he resolves to be a friend and help her when he can. He wants to do the right thing. He doesn't want to act on feelings he shouldn't have for her.
But they just won't go away
It was so good I couldn't put it down and go to sleep like I knew I should. I was getting sleepy but had to finish it. This author writes a story that is aobut loss and finding love right in front of your face after losing a husband. She writes about loss and love and how recovery and falling in love is not perfect or easy, it's messy and it's hard and it doesn't follow any rule books. I loved the book!
Found here on Good Reads:
As a widow at twenty-six, Zoe isn't looking for love. She's just looking for the energy to get through the next day and take care of her infant son. She might have to deal with Adam, her husband's cousin and business partner, but she doesn't have to like it. She doesn't have to like him.
But he just won't go away.
Adam knows that Zoe needs time and space to heal, so he resolves to be a friend and help her when he can. He wants to do the right thing. He doesn't want to act on feelings he shouldn't have for her.
But they just won't go away
November 8, 2015
This is a tale of grief and second chance love depicted with realism. I listened to this book on audio and the narration was good. Zoe meets and marries Josh, their relationship is full and everything she hoped it would be until Josh dies from an aggressive cancer leaving Zoe with their little boy Logan, only a few months old. Zoe met Josh through her then friend Adam. Adam became estranged to both Zoe and Josh early on in their relationship, so she doesn't appreciate Adam's bossy and entitled approach to managing her life after Josh's death. Adam is a cold fish, everything precise, no emotion. Zoe is an open book, letting her emotions and grief spill out. One thing is clear though, Adam is grieving for Josh too.
Whilst this may sound a depressing premise for a book, it really isn't. Josh's death is told with minimal detail and in retrospect. The grief journey feels realistic and I warmed to both the characters in this book. Logan, Zoe and Josh's son is a well written addition and a great buffer between the two main characters.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog
Whilst this may sound a depressing premise for a book, it really isn't. Josh's death is told with minimal detail and in retrospect. The grief journey feels realistic and I warmed to both the characters in this book. Logan, Zoe and Josh's son is a well written addition and a great buffer between the two main characters.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog
June 29, 2023
Noelle Adams is the queen of writing repressed, stoic, yearning heroes.
This one was heavy, but the grief and mourning were handled well. The plot moppet wasn’t terribly annoying, the yearning was delicious on both sides, and the sex was smokin (when it finally happened)
This one was heavy, but the grief and mourning were handled well. The plot moppet wasn’t terribly annoying, the yearning was delicious on both sides, and the sex was smokin (when it finally happened)
November 11, 2017
somewhat cute, sad, uplifting-ish story
Zoe meets nerdy Adam at her lunch place, they become friends, it seems obvious that he's into her, but she's mostly clueless, then she falls in love with Adam's cousin, Josh.
Zoe and Josh get married and have a son, Logan. right before Logan's birth, Josh is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and subsequently dies.
the story is about Zoe dealing with her grief and moving on after Josh's death. made somewhat easier by the fact that Josh's business did well, so Zoe didn't have to worry about money, just everything else, still horrible, but could have been worse if she was struggling to make ends meet.
she was a little hard to like at first. taking out her grief on Adam, who was also grieving - things like objecting to Adam's helping hand, seemingly just to be contrary. then again, suppose "newly widowed with an infant" is entitled to process grief in her own way (still, felt bad for Adam, especially after losing out on her to start with). then she was busy feeling guilty about moving on with her life and with her husband's cousin (I didn't get why that tenuous familial relationship was such a big issue, but I guess if it's a big issue to her, then it's a big issue to her)
it's pretty slow moving, but seemed logical. there were huge chunks of time passage (more natural) instead of everything happening immediately after the other.
not a huge fan of kids in romance novels, but Logan fit here and there probably wouldn't have been a story if she were widowed without a child
"Being with him was sometimes like being by herself. Only not so lonely." (true love!)
Zoe meets nerdy Adam at her lunch place, they become friends, it seems obvious that he's into her, but she's mostly clueless, then she falls in love with Adam's cousin, Josh.
Zoe and Josh get married and have a son, Logan. right before Logan's birth, Josh is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and subsequently dies.
the story is about Zoe dealing with her grief and moving on after Josh's death. made somewhat easier by the fact that Josh's business did well, so Zoe didn't have to worry about money, just everything else, still horrible, but could have been worse if she was struggling to make ends meet.
she was a little hard to like at first. taking out her grief on Adam, who was also grieving - things like objecting to Adam's helping hand, seemingly just to be contrary. then again, suppose "newly widowed with an infant" is entitled to process grief in her own way (still, felt bad for Adam, especially after losing out on her to start with). then she was busy feeling guilty about moving on with her life and with her husband's cousin (I didn't get why that tenuous familial relationship was such a big issue, but I guess if it's a big issue to her, then it's a big issue to her)
it's pretty slow moving, but seemed logical. there were huge chunks of time passage (more natural) instead of everything happening immediately after the other.
not a huge fan of kids in romance novels, but Logan fit here and there probably wouldn't have been a story if she were widowed without a child
"Being with him was sometimes like being by herself. Only not so lonely." (true love!)
May 9, 2021
First off I have to say why I was this the first time I was reading this book and the second is when I can make time to read it again. I loved Zoe and Adam. This book was such an emotional read. From feeling so much for Adam for all he never had and for all he gave up. To Zoe who lost so much in her young life but ended up with more then she thought she would have in the future. You add in Logan and Adam's butler and this book will have you laughing one minute and tearing up the next. This book was beyond fabulous and I am for sure adding this to my list of books to read again.
October 26, 2014
☆☆
2.5 stars
This is another book that I got off of amazon unlimited to listen to at work. Again, I went in not knowing what it was about. When I pick books to listen to at work I go based off of the cover (yeah, yeah, I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Too bad, I do it) and the genre. I picked this because the cover is adorable. I skimmed the blurb before downloading it, but when I actually got to listening to it I no longer remembered anything.
Also, this review will be quote free. I didn’t save any and I honestly can’t be bothered to look some up. There were none that really stuck out to me. Sorry >.<
Adam and Zoe first met at a cafe (coffee shop?). He asked to borrow her salt and just never stopped sitting with her after that. She didn’t think he was interested in her so when she meets his handsome cousin and business partner, she goes for it. 4 years later she is left widowed with an infant son, Logan.
I spent the majority of this book wanting to yell at the characters and the author. The characters were fucking stupid! I was getting bored with the “I like him, he doesn’t like me,” “It’s not the time to tell her how I feel,” bullshit that was blasting through my headphones. FUCK THAT!
The writing was god-awful. The character development was lacking. I felt that instead of building the characters Noelle Adams spent the whole time just repeating herself. It also was a bit annoying that Ms. Adams named her character Adam… like, really?
Adam supposedly didn’t show any emotions, yet it is stated over and over that his voice cracked, his eyes showed flickers, his voice was THICK. God the number of times she said his voice was thick. We got it. Get a thesaurus.
It is getting 2.5 stars from me because the plot had major potential, it was just not the best of writing quality. Also, because I love the cover and it was free. I didn’t feel like I necessarily wasted my time with this novel, but I definitely didn’t walk away from it feeling the lightness that finishing a book usually gives me.
2.5 stars
This is another book that I got off of amazon unlimited to listen to at work. Again, I went in not knowing what it was about. When I pick books to listen to at work I go based off of the cover (yeah, yeah, I know, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Too bad, I do it) and the genre. I picked this because the cover is adorable. I skimmed the blurb before downloading it, but when I actually got to listening to it I no longer remembered anything.
Also, this review will be quote free. I didn’t save any and I honestly can’t be bothered to look some up. There were none that really stuck out to me. Sorry >.<
Adam and Zoe first met at a cafe (coffee shop?). He asked to borrow her salt and just never stopped sitting with her after that. She didn’t think he was interested in her so when she meets his handsome cousin and business partner, she goes for it. 4 years later she is left widowed with an infant son, Logan.
I spent the majority of this book wanting to yell at the characters and the author. The characters were fucking stupid! I was getting bored with the “I like him, he doesn’t like me,” “It’s not the time to tell her how I feel,” bullshit that was blasting through my headphones. FUCK THAT!
The writing was god-awful. The character development was lacking. I felt that instead of building the characters Noelle Adams spent the whole time just repeating herself. It also was a bit annoying that Ms. Adams named her character Adam… like, really?
Adam supposedly didn’t show any emotions, yet it is stated over and over that his voice cracked, his eyes showed flickers, his voice was THICK. God the number of times she said his voice was thick. We got it. Get a thesaurus.
It is getting 2.5 stars from me because the plot had major potential, it was just not the best of writing quality. Also, because I love the cover and it was free. I didn’t feel like I necessarily wasted my time with this novel, but I definitely didn’t walk away from it feeling the lightness that finishing a book usually gives me.
December 12, 2013
First off, the heroine is dense. She has lunch with this guy for a month or more and doesn't realize he likes her? She marries his cousin and has no clue why he's now standoffish? Idiot woman.
So the book officially starts I guess at the funeral - cousin has died. Heroine is there with baby who is…7 months old - I think. I'm not quite certain because a chapter or two later and the kid is still 7 months old - I think - and it's been two months. Such is how the timeline is handled.
A year goes by and her friends are pressuring her to date. Uh… Right. You know, everyone grieves differently, so back off. In the meantime, she's getting all these *feelings* for the H (the poor schmuck who watched his cousin abscond with the girl he wanted).
And that's another thing… he's been patient, but not really. Wanting to be there for her without making her realize just how "there" he wanted to be. And on and on and… Yeah.
So the book officially starts I guess at the funeral - cousin has died. Heroine is there with baby who is…7 months old - I think. I'm not quite certain because a chapter or two later and the kid is still 7 months old - I think - and it's been two months. Such is how the timeline is handled.
A year goes by and her friends are pressuring her to date. Uh… Right. You know, everyone grieves differently, so back off. In the meantime, she's getting all these *feelings* for the H (the poor schmuck who watched his cousin abscond with the girl he wanted).
And that's another thing… he's been patient, but not really. Wanting to be there for her without making her realize just how "there" he wanted to be. And on and on and… Yeah.
November 7, 2013
Bottom line is that I liked it, but it would really benefit from some editing to tighten the story up and a wee bit of copy editing to fix some sneaky homophone mix-ups. The premise, characters, and depth of emotion were all wonderful, but sometimes I was pulled out of the story by the meandering plot (this happens, then this happens, then it's two months later and this happens, then it's three months later and that happens...) and repetitions. There were also a lot of clothing descriptions, a pet peeve of mine, but I think the strength of the character development and overall story is demonstrated when I conclude that I liked the book despite these things.
May 19, 2013
Such an interesting story.Amazing plot,I felt like I could relate to the characters Zoe and Adam.How do you wait so long?What if the time never comes?Though I know this is just a novel,am glad that finally Adam got what he really wanted,even if the love of your life is married to your cousin and are happy together.I feel that Adam was her better fit,and that its possible to find love despite everything.I would read any of her books if I came across them.
February 28, 2015
This story y Noelle Adams was great and I really enjoyed reading it. It is the story of Zoe who meets Adam and then later meets his cousin Josh. Josh and Zoe fall in love and get married, then years later Josh dies. Zoe tries to pull her life together for her and her son. Adam is a great help and he and Zoe rekindle their friendship. Zoe is not aware that Adam has always loved her. The story follows her struggles and Adams as they try to rebuild a life. Its really a good read
September 10, 2013
Bittersweet it was. I remembered that Zoe was widowed butt not that she had a son which made it harder on her knowing Josh would never get to see his son grow up and Adam would. I thought this was pretty good, enough but not too much information or writing, not overly done and that's what really made it good. I read or hear about a lot of books with too much effort from the author. Definitely worth it.
July 28, 2013
Well, this book was pretty alright. I got to the end of it, and there was an about-the-author section which explained that this was written when the author was twelve. On the one hand, I feel like it made the elementary-ness of it make sense, but then I felt confused about the sexual nature of it all. Oh well. Read it or don't read it, I really can't say either and feel good about it.
August 23, 2013
This book was kind of weird. I felt like the writing was awkward at times and it just didn't flow very well. I also didn't really feel like there was a spark between Adam and Zoe and their relationship was awkward as well. There didn't seem to be a lot of intensity and the set ups were a little too obvious.
I didn't really enjoy this one and it didn't keep me very interested.
I didn't really enjoy this one and it didn't keep me very interested.
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