The main character is very complex and unlikeable
This is a well written book full of emotion. It is a very memorable story

This was just a pasable read. I enjoyed the ambiance and the characters, but it was boring to me. I have to say that the writing style was interesting, but overall it was just not for me.

The Sweetness in the Lime was an interesting story set in Cuba, which if you ask me, adds a certain charm to the reading.

I took a little time to get into it, to be honest, but on the whole, found it richly layered as it explored the themes of family ties, the stories that we tell ourselves, and the homes we build.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC of the book.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just didn't do it for me, I found myself a little bored jn places and didn't think the characters were very consistent.

This one was just okay for me . I just couldn’t get into the plot .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ecopy of this book!

Okay so, starting off! For the most part, I enjoyed this book. Especially at the start! The writing was good and it being partly set in Cuba was exciting since I haven’t read a book set in Cuba.

I even liked Eli at the start, but he just turned into this self involved character that only did things for his own benefit.
Like even when Mariela was telling him about her troubles, he was only thinking of himself and what he should say back to her so they’d get together/she’d stay with him. He felt very CALCULATING and I’m not sure I liked that.

And then I got really bored nearing the end and skimmed a few pages. Everything felt repetitive for me at that point and my confusion with the alternate timelines didn’t help.

Interesting setting and characters but I think the alternate timelines and plot could be better. Overall 2.75 ⭐️ I definitely think some people out there would enjoy it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t me and I just thought it was okay.

As an avid traveller, I loved being transported to Cuba in this book and really felt like I was walking the back streets of Havana as I followed the story.

I liked the exploration of an older protagonist hitting a crossroads and having to change their life's direction, showing we always have room to grow.

I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.


A must read of 2020 for all adult fiction readers. This book has been one hell of a heartwarming book. The author has done a great job. Loved this book and loved the plot.

I really, really wanted to like this book! It seemed to me that it was almost all a cliche, though, and so it was very difficult to get through. Great writing, interesting descriptions of real vs. tourist Cuba, but I could not get into it.

Thank you NetGalley and Nimbus Publishing for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Eli Cooper is a resolutely single, fiftysomething newspaper copy editor. He spends his nights obsessing over reporters' unnecessary "thats" and his days caring for a demented father he knows should be in twenty-four-hour care. Eli is too busy—and too self-absorbed—to acknowledge what's missing in his life. But then, on a single day in February 2008, Eli loses his job and his father. Alone and adrift, he begrudgingly accepts his sister's gift: a two-week forget-it-all vacation to Cuba. After a series of misadventures, he meets Mariela—an off-the-books, thirtysomething tour guide—and falls in love. But does Mariela fall for Eli, or is he just her ticket to a new life? Eli and Mariela each have secrets they're not ready to share—until they have no choice.

Eli is have the worst of bad days. Suffering loss, he needs to find some happiness and escape. Where better to do that than a trip to Cuba? But will our protagonist get the happy ending the reader wants for him? No spoilers here, but the journey will be a twisted uphill road. As expected, nothing comes easily at 50.

“ She wanted only to curl back into herself, to drift back into that place and time where Tonito was smiling, where she could reach out and touch him...to the place and time that had never been.”

This book takes you on a terrific journey, one fraught with problems and unexpected setbacks but moments of joy and happiness as well. Part romance, part mystery this book delivers for the reader. It is a fabulous journey the author leads you on. Sit back and enjoy the sweetness in the lime.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was interesting and I felt invested in Eli & Mariela.. I just felt that something was lacking. Or maybe the point was there is only the sweetness in the lime and I wanted more.

I liked the concept of this book and loved the bittersweet vibe. I struggled with the writing style at times but overall I enjoyed it.

After losing boh his job and his father in the same day, Eli Cooper embarks on a journey to Havana. There he meets the beautiful Mariela and falls for her- for the first time since high school. But does she fall for him or is she just using him as a ticket to get answers about her old life?

The Sweetness in the Lime was a beautifully written story about a man finding himself and finding love. Familial relationships are weaved throughout the story and the author uses alternating timelines, which kept me on my toes throughout the story. I do feel that the ending was somewhat rushed, and I wish Kimber had taked some time to flesh out what happened between the end of one timeline and the beginning of the next. Overall, I though this book was a great and easy read and I would recommend it.

I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

What a rollercoaster of emotions and what a well written tale. This could have been a miserable story but the author has infused such warmth and humour into its telling. I was drawn into the lives of the characters so deeply that it felt real, as if the author had experienced it and was retelling his own life journey.

A story about family and all the complications that can arise.
A story about love as we fantasize it to be and as it can be in reality.
A story about secrets being revealed and the choices we can make.
A story about making positives out of what life throws at us.

I will definitely be purchasing this for our library and promoting it to the adult readers.

Very difficult to follow as the writing style is stilled and the story has no clear, linear timeline. I do not recommend this book.