The Book:
Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs (Bella Vista Chronicles series #4)
Published July 26th 2022 by William Morrow & Company
Date read: July 10, 2022
The Characters:
Jerome and Margot
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
Jerome “Sugar” Barnes learned the art of baking in his grandma’s bakery, also called Sugar, on historic Perdita Street in San Francisco. He supplies baked goods to the Lost and Found Bookshop across the street.
When the restaurant that shares his commercial kitchen loses its longtime tenant, a newcomer moves in: Margot Salton, a barbecue master from Texas.
Margot isn’t exactly on the run, but she needs a fresh start. She’s taken care of herself her whole life, pulling herself up by her fingernails to recover from trauma, and her dream has been to open a restaurant somewhere far, far from Texas. The shared kitchen with Jerome Sugar’s bakery is the perfect setup: a state-of-the-art kitchen and a vibrant neighborhood popular with tourists and locals.
Margot instantly takes to Jerome’s grandmother, the lively, opinionated Ida, and the older woman proves to be a good mentor. Margot thinks Jerome is gorgeous, and despite their different backgrounds their attraction is powerful–even though Jerome worries that Margot will simply move on from him once she’s found some peace and stability. But just as she starts to relax into a happy new future, Margot’s past in Texas comes back to haunt her…
The Review:
Thank you to @susan_wiggs_ and @uplitreads for this #gifted copy of #sugarandsalt in exchange for an honest review.
TW: Graphic description of SA and extensive discussion of legal aftermath.
I was so excited to return to Perdita Street, the location of The Lost and Found Bookshop. That was my first Susan Wiggs book, and I adored the sweet storyline! I was sad that we didn’t get more than a quick glimpse of the bookstore.
Sugar and Salt easily held its own, though, and ended up being way more than what I was expecting. The gorgeous cover lead me to believe I’d be reading a sweet, lighthearted romance, but Sugar and Salt goes much deeper. Pay attention to the trigger warnings!
This book is extremely timely with the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade. Margot’s story is absolutely heartbreaking, but I also found it fascinating to read. She finds herself in jail and desperate for an abortion, but the powers that be in the south were doing anything they could to prevent her from getting one in a timely and safe manner.
Although Margot’s backstory was my favorite plot line, I enjoyed that there were really three stories in one here. We also got to see Jerome and Margot’s love story, as well as Ida’s love story in the past.
To make this book even more special, there are a handful of recipes at the very end of the book! And swipe for some Q&A with Susan Wiggs!
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