Title: Sweet Tea
Author: Piper Huguley
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Sweet Tea" by Piper Huguley

My Opinion:

'Sweet Tea' centered around Althea Dailey [Tea] finally finding her way back to her family and getting a little bit of romance added to it. How this author puts this story together was interesting because the two, [Tea and Jack] seemed so very diametrically different. We find Tea had left her small hometown, along with her grandmother [Granda] Ada and her parents, who had passed on. Upon Tea finding out that Jack Darwent, a filmmaker, had come to Milford to work on his documentary that involved Tea's grandmother's who was a renowned chef who worked for the local HBCU, emphasizing African American cooking, so she decides to come back home to make sure of Jack's intentions. Tea didn't care that her grandmother was sharing her recipes with this filmmaker. Being a high-powered lawyer from New York, Tea worked on a case involving a sweet tea recipe. Seeing how these two [Tea & Jack] butted heads were quite something to read as it soon became apparent there was something else going on. So be ready for a read that will give you a little bit of 'romance, family dynamics, loss, grief' to one living up to what was natural for them. As the story progressed, it was a delight to see how Tea and Jack changed their lives, including Tea's Granda. ( )

Althea Dailey has finally arrived. She’s made partner at her prestigious New York law firm. She’s left her hometown of Milford, Georgia firmly in her rearview mirror. Even having to travel south for her new case doesn’t induce her to visit her grandmother in Milford.

But when Allie hears that a filmmaker is making a documentary featuring her grandmother and Granda’s famous recipes, Allie determines to come home and protect both Granda and the recipes.

Jack Darwent may be a trust fund frat guy, but he’s passionate about food and films. Filming Miss Ada, the legendary cook/chef at Milford College, a historically Black college, is going to be the centerpiece of his newest project. When Miss Ada’s granddaughter shows up, with a chip big as a brick on her shoulder and attitude to match, he can only help Miss Ada’s plan to thaw Althea’s hard shell.

The title, SWEET TEA, is a play on words. Sweet tea is at the center of Allie’s lawsuit, and T and Sweet T are her grandmother’s nicknames for her.

SWEET TEA is another departure for Hallmark Publishing. They are definitely trying to diversify their line and it’s showing. With its interracial couple, SWEET TEA is a welcome addition to the Hallmark family.

Allie and Jack are well rounded characters, not stereotypical and not shallow. I enjoyed their story a lot and I highly recommend it!

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I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not induce me to review it, favorably or not. ( )

Author Piper Huguley returns readers to small town of Mitford, Georgia--this time with a delightful contemporary romance, "Sweet Tea". Althea "Allie" Dailey had worked hard for years to achieve her goal as partner in a prestigious New York law firm. She had remade herself--losing her Southern accent, changing her appearance, and reshaping her mindset--until she became a different person. Yet, somehow, she wasn't happy the way she thought she would be. Something was missing from the equation, and it made her restless. When a legal case takes her back down South, she stops in Mitford to visit her grandmother, legendary cook and beloved community member, Miss Ada. Her grandmother, who calls Althea "Tea", is doing just fine, thank you--she's got the full attention and admiration of Jack Darwent, a lawyer turned chef and full-time foodie who is making a documentary and producing a cookbook about Southern cooking called "Southern Treasures". Immediate sparks fly between Althea and Jack--she's suspicious of his plans for Miss Ada, and he wonders about what makes Althea so tightly wound. When all their personal layers are peeled back, will the truth bring them together, or push them apart? In the South, "sweet tea" is not just a beverage, it's a way of life. It's an oasis of cool on hot humid days--a frosty touch of paradise. Author Piper Huguley's "Sweet Tea" is a foodie-romance lover's dream: lively characters, sparky romance, vividly detailed, delicious food descriptions, and of course, plenty of "sweet tea" to satisfy readers who are thirsty for a heartfelt love story.

Book Copy Gratis Hallmark Publishing ( )