Sweet Thing by Renee CarlinoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars
Okay, I've had time to process. Walking away from this book I was pretty sure that I had loved it. I felt that it deserved five stars, and I was just over the moon. But then I realized something as time had passed. I absolutely hated Mia. I mean, to the point that I had no idea WHY Will would have wanted to be with her in the first place. She was so back and forth that even I had whiplash. BUT for some reason, it was still really appealing to me. Will was the saving grace in my opinion. He was very loving, friendly, animated, and driven. He put himself out there every moment that we see him. He was sure of who he was, what he wanted, and he made no apologies for that. Even when Mia doubted him, or came up with every excuse under the sun for why things had to be different. He still stayed his course. I think that was a very attractive quality that Renee Carlino gave him. And there's a point in this story where Will calls Mia out on the bullshit that I really loved.
I was high fiving him in that moment. While mentally yelling "That's right Will, you tell her!" Because seriously, by that point it was about time that he did. That being said I was able to see a certain viewpoint that Mia had, where she wanted someone who had goals, who was stable, and could provide. Someone who understood that passions didn't always foot the bills. What I didn't get, however, was how she easily dismissed what someone else viewed as their end goal just because it didn't align with hers. Suit and ties didn't mean everything. And most importantly, practicality doesn't equal happiness or love. Just because it didn't fit in her little box, didn't mean that it wasn't worth exploring either. So, I pushed through each chapter mainly because I really enjoyed Will, but also because I knew that this author (though it was my first book of hers to read) had to have something MORE in store for us.
And I was right! There's a turning point in this story. You'll know when you get there too. And I knew that this was the MORE I had been waiting for. There's growth, maturity, and apologies. There's recognition, and acceptance.
And that's what I wanted to read about. It made my opinion of Mia soften. It made me actually like her character in the end. I flew through those final chapters really content with how the story was unfolding.
Now even though this story is mainly about Mia, and about Will, their separate journeys as well as the one they started out on together, Renee interwove some pretty amazing side characters as well. Jenny was very straightforward and I loved it. Her relationship with Tyler was cute, and fast but it fit. Martha was a pretty wise woman who was there for Mia when she really needed some steady advice. Though she didn't always listen I was pleased that someone was there telling her all along what was right in front of her. Mia's parents are also really present in this story without actually being in it the whole time. The main reason she finds herself in New York is due to her father's passing. But the love story between her mother and father, as well as the very different lives they lived once apart were main reasons for Mia's outlook on life and relationships. Music is also a big part of this story. Both Will and Mia are musically talented, and it's a constant theme throughout the book. The Cafe, the apartment, the venues. It's all beautifully intertwined, and made for a great read I could hardly bring myself to put down.
Overall I give this book an A-. I'd definitely recommend it, and I'm excited to read more of Renee Carlino's books.
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