4.5/5

I’ve read several Jenny Frame books by this point and I’ve really enjoyed them. I figured her name attached to the work was really all I needed to know.

I really enjoyed both of these characters. I especially enjoyed them together. Flora has a few assorted mental health issues, and I cannot explain how much I loved how sweet Mack was with her about these. It was just great. Both of these characters are so genuinely sweet and likeable. They do seem a bit too perfect at times, but I’m not too bothered by that in all honesty.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that it didn’t end where Flora’s mental health issues were fixed. That’s always something I’m worried about when it’s in a book. That there will be a magical cure. No. She finds things that help manage her issues a bit better and she even finds the strength to overcome some of her issues when it's serious, but she’s not “fixed” by the end of the book.

One thing I don’t have an issue with that other’s might is the pacing. There’s kind of an instant connection between the two and the relationship does likely move to fast into relationship than it normally would. I don’t mind that in a book, but others prefer their romances without a dose of insta-love.

The plot of this book was…unexpected for me. Again, I didn’t read the summary, but I definitely did not expect it. It’s a good plot and I really enjoyed it, but it wasn’t what came to mind when I saw the cover and read the title SWEET SURPRISE. It was an interesting plot and I thought it was quite well-developed. The conflict could have lasted a bit longer and been a bit more impactful, but I’m also glad that it wasn’t dragged out too much.

This is a slow burn romance. It was nice to see a main character that was different from the usual. Without giving too much away. Mack Sharkey is released from prison and has decided to walk the straight and narrow road. She opens a barber shop. She discover that her neighbor Flora is the young lady she thinks about constantly ever since an encounter that took place over a year ago.
Flora is the owner of a sweet shop and suffers from OCD, PTSD and Social Anxiety. I admire how patient Mack was when dealing with Flora as their relationship developed. I enjoyed the book and thought it was an easy read.. I recommend. 4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Book for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netally for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest, out of the three books I requested from Bold Strokes in November I predicted that this would be my least favorite but it ended up being the book I loved the most.

I loved the build up and that Mack tried so hard to understand Flora's things. I love that they all tried to understand both Flora and Isla. There was very little romance in this but I actually preferred it that way. It was nice to just get know the characters and see them evolve as a person, friends and couple before anyhting really happened. And the side characters were nicely written too.

I actually finished this in 5 hours.

I have mix feeling about this book. I'm mostly leaning to not liking it, but I'm also having a hard time knowing why. both characters were developing . However, Mack is so hard to like. and both their chemistry to me is missing.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’ve read a book by Frame before, then you will pretty much know what happens here. Frame’s characters follow a definite pattern of butch/femme, with the femme character generally needing protection or saving in some form.

Here, we have Mack, member of a once gangster family (the Sharkey’s) that’s gone legit, and Flora, who owns a sweet shop and suffers from anxiety disorders and OCD. They first meet when Flora is attacked by a group of men and Mack saves her, and then are reunited when Mack sets up a barber shop next to Flora’s store.

Flora is pretty sure she’s a lesbian and this is confirmed for her upon meeting Mack. Flora is shy and sweet and Mack was drawn to her when she saved her, and is delighted to have happened upon her again. Mack, for all her toughness, is a big sweetheart and sets about befriending Flora and wanting to make her feel safe. Mack also owns the best character in the book, a sausage dog called Dexter.

The supporting characters include each MC’s coworker, and Mack’s family, her mother, aunt and uncle, who aren’t given much to do, and her cousin Nikki and Nickki’s daughter Isy, who also suffers from anxiety and spends a lot of time with Mack, Dex and Flora.

The romance between the leads is very sweet, it unfolded organically and they spent a lot of time together. One issue I had with the book is that we hear endlessly about how sweet and in need of protection Flora is and how Mack is her ‘guardian angel’. Mack also ‘saves’ Flora multiple times in different ways throughout the book. The repetition was annoying.

I give Frame kudos for including an MC with mental health issues, and I enjoyed watching Flora blossom through her relationships Mack, Dex and Isy, but I couldn’t help thinking she was becoming codependent with Mack.

The main issue I had with the book though was the ‘mobster’ storyline. We’re lead to believe the Sharkeys are the good guys, but if the turned legit 20 years ago, I had to wonder how they’d held 9nt9 their ‘power’. They seemingly had no trouble using violence to get their way, but that was ok cause they were using their power for ‘good’. There’s quite a few instances of Flora thinking about how she knows Mack can be violent but that Mack would never hurt her. The bad guys are also not well drawn, so they never feel like much of a threat.

Overall though, if you like Frame’s books, you’ll like this. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Jenny Frame books are so swoon-worthy and I Luv it! At times my heart truly did pour out for Flora, but Mack always steps in to save the day like the superhero she is. This is a sweet tooth romance with a clean not so clean family biz in the mix. I would luv to read more about Mack’s cousin Nikki (head honcho) Maybe she will get her fairy-tale ending too.🤞🏽


Thank you Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of Jenny Frame butch/femme romances and although this one had a “sweet” theme it touches on some very serious topics. The reader is introduced to Flora Buchanan, a sweet shop owner in Glasgow and Mack Sharkey who has just been released from one and a half years in prison. We learn that Flora suffers from OCD and anxiety. The book explores how Flora struggles with everyday things that most people take for granted. The story also reveals that Flora and Mack were thrown together briefly prior to Mack’s prison sentence and then are reintroduced when she is released,

This book held my attention and I enjoyed the patience that Mack displayed in developing a relationship with Flora. The simple things like a touch, talking, or cooking meant at lot to these characters. Dexter was also a wonderful addition as Mack’s good boy doggie! 4 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who suffers from mental health issues I truly loved this book. The main character Flora or Flo for short, is a Victorian candy shop owner who suffers from severe social anxiety and OCD. The book opens with her being attacked in public and Mack coming to her rescue. The book fast forwards to a year and a half later where Mack is released from prison from other incidents that occurred on that same night.

Mack ends up opening herself a barbershop right next door to the candy shop and slowly starts to show Flora she cares. I was truly impressed with how they showed partners of those with mental health are there as not only a sexual partner and someone for a good time but they have to sometimes be willing to understand that all situations are not the same.

I loved this book. I will 100% be reading more by Jenny Frame and I recommend you do too!

I did receive a free copy of the book for review purposes.

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a sweet read, literally. The story is about Mack, fresh out of prison, getting her new start after having served time for her cousin and Flora, the woman in the shop next door who happens to be perfect for her.

It was a sweet slow burn romance tackling on more harder subjects such as PTSD and OCD but never in a way that it felt demeaning to the characters.

This butch-femme relationship was given such sweet scenes and dialogue that I could not wait to see how their story unfolded. I really did feel like their connection which is a hard thing to do on paper.

I am a fan of many of Ms. Frames novels, with that being said, this was not my favorite. It had the typical butch/femme pairing that I love in her books, but I couldn't connect as much. Mack was sweet and wonderful but at the same time I felt as the Flo was so much work that I couldn't necessarily see what she got out of the relationship. I feel kind of awful for thinking that but it always felt so incredibly one sided. I have experience with mental illness and I know the toll it takes on relationships. It can be detrimental. All in all it was an okay read. I'm not the biggest fan of epilogues that have no real time lapse. I would like to have seen how Flo manages her life after getting the help she needed.

I received to title from NetGalley via the author for an honest review.

First, my favorite character is Dexter the wee spoiled dachshund, who wears sporty jumpers and is almost an emotional therapy dog. He steals every scene. Sweet Surprise is sweet. Mack Sharkey has been an enforcer for the family business but fresh out of short stint in jail she opens up a barber shop. The Sweet Shop next door is owned by Flora Buchanan. They'd briefly met once before when Mack rescued Flora from a scary situation. Flo has mental health issues including social anxiety and OCD. Her shyness brings out the protective side of Mack who wants to get to know her and bring her out of her shell. They start with daily walks (with Dexter) and Mack introduces her niece who also has anxiety.

This is a slow-burn romance and I like that Flo's issues are dealt with realistically. Falling in love isn't a cure all. Mack proves time and time again that she will keep Flo safe. But I got a little weary of her calling herself Flo's guardian angel. I liked that improvement for Flo not only comes with Mack friendship but also medication, counseling and learning coping skills. And I enjoyed that Flo gets her moment to stand for herself near the end. The back story of rival mob families with the Sharkey's gone legit but using force to keep drugs out of Glasgow seemed a stretch but it gave a reason for things to play out as it did. I enjoyed the humor and light touches but the romance was only average for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the story was interesting with some bright spots here and there.

The challenge I had were the characters read more like caricatures. There was an over the top feel to the story, dialogue and character set up that make it hard to get lost in. There is also good amount of repetition which can wear you down.

I was neutral overall.

I don't think this book was really for me though I can see why others might enjoy it a lot. This is my first book by Frame, though I know she has several published.

Sweet surprise follows Flora Buchanan and Mack Sharkey. They own shops right next door to each other but also have a bit of history as well. Flora suffers from several mental illnesses including OCD and PTSD, where Mack recently finished a prison sentence. And instantly when they come back in contact the vibes are on.

There's a lot to enjoy about this book. It was very sweet and tender and watching Flora open up to Mack and learn to trust her was touching and warm.

I liked the representation shown in Floras character for her mental health issues. It was handled pretty well overall and more visibility towards disabilities that she has and showing that they can be real people too is important.

But some things about the book didn't stick as well with me. One was Flora's seemingly dependence on Mack for stability when they got closer together. For as much as I do appreciate Frame giving us a character with OCS, anxiety, and PTSD, I didn't always like the codependence she found in Mack.

Also the whole thing with the Sharkey family being framed as the "good mobsters" who don't push drugs or are involved in criminal activity anymore even though they act like it, it just felt really weird to me. Like the good mobsters vs the bad mobsters. I just didn't really gravitate to that.

This book was pretty sweet overall and did bring some warm feelings, but I also had some part I didn't like as much. 2.5/5

No one writes a drool-worthy butch quite like Jenny Frame. In Sweet Surprise, we are introduced to Laura (Mack) Sharkey, her latest iteration of an unabashedly proud, immensely capable, and unapologetic butch. She is finally leaving prison after taking a rap for her cousin Nikki, the leader of the Sharkey businesses. In the not too distant past, the Sharkeys were gangsters running the mean streets of Glasgow. Now their businesses are legitimate for the most part, but sometimes lines still need to be crossed. That is Mack’s forte – she has a reputation as an enforcer and will do anything to protect her family. Her nickname is Mack the Knife, and it is not just because she is a trained barber. Once she’s free she plans to step away from the family businesses and start running a barbershop, called Mack the Knife. Just before her incarceration, she had stepped in to help a young woman who was being hassled by a group of drunken men. Their time together was fleeting but Mack can’t help thinking about her – who she is and if she’s okay.

Flora Buchanan is the owner of a Victorian-style, old-fashioned candy emporium called Sweet Surprise. Her family has owned and operated it for generations, and she loves her shop. Now that her grandfather has died she is all alone. She has several mental health issues, including OCD, anxiety, and PTSD. Her problems have interfered with her life so much that she risks going out after dark to a support group meeting. Unfortunately, after her hasty retreat after the meeting, she is accosted by a group of men and dragged into an alleyway. Luckily for her, a woman comes to her rescue, battles her attackers, and comforts her briefly by taking her in her arms. This episode pushes her deeper inside herself and her OCD symptoms are getting worse. Through a twist of fate, her rescuer has just opened a barbershop next door to her sweet shop and is slowly but surely, getting to know and understand her issues. As Mack and Flora tentatively begin a friendship, old scores will need to be settled and that brings danger to their doors.

The secondary characters are lovely as well. There is a shy eleven-year-old girl, Isla who is struggling with mental health issues of her own; Isla’s mother Nikki is a suave and sexy businesswoman, prepared to take on all comers; and there is an adorable dachshund, Dexter who is the king of all he surveys. Various friends and family members round out the field and provide love and support for the burgeoning couple. There is a pathway to a sequel, but this story is a complete, stand-alone book. Mack and Flora get their happy ending and Dexter gets more treats than any dog should.

The plot is well-paced, and I was easily able to finish the book in a day. If you couldn’t tell, I love a good butch character, and Mack is a dandy. She is thoughtful, caring and stalwart. Flora is intelligent, competent, and brave in her own unique way. I highly recommend Sweet Surprise.

2/5 stars

I wish I enjoyed this book more, and I really dislike giving critical reviews, but this certainly was not for me. I think this was at least partly a ‘it’s me not you’ situation, but I also think the story could have been improved in general. I say it’s partly me because I’m not a fan of romances where one character is clearly portrayed as a saviour/protector of the other. For me, it reads very much of toxic masculinity, with many of the ‘typical’ masculine characteristics you find books are embedded in Mack. She loves to eat but definitely not salad, she is all about chivalry/ being the one in charge, she uses violence to ‘protect’ Florals and she even says a quote along the lines of ‘she doesn’t know she’s beautiful’. While I’m not suggesting that any of this is problematic, for me it feels quite outdated and just isn’t what I’m looking for in my romance.

I think adding to me dislike of these characteristics is that it was included in a book about a character with mental illnesses, with Flora having OCD, PTSD and anxiety. As a woman with anxiety myself, I am always extra watchful of books that are representing this mental health condition. For me personally, the idea of a saviour character and the many moments in which other people speak for Flora, even without her consent (for example Sandra speaking to Mack about what Flora is feeling early in the book), is not something I like to see. In saying this, in general I think that the feelings of anxiety and struggling with a mental illness are portrayed quite honestly through Flora. I also like that this book didn’t fall into the trap of ‘curing’ mental health issues just because Flora found love, instead the idea of a process and avocation for therapy was a focus.

I would like to finish this review with some positives, because I certainly didn’t think the book was all bad. As I said, I enjoyed the mental health rep and advocation for therapy. I also loved the side characters in this book, they brought a real life and vibrancy to the story, especially little Dexter and Isy (as well as Mack’s other family). I also think Jenny Frame is really great at setting up a romance and making the reader hooked from the beginning.

This was a great book, very original. Gangster rescues mousy OCD girl and it's love at first sight. Not too much angst with a great ending. I definitely recommend this book.

Jenny Frame mainly stood for me for a certain elegant kind of book.
Her stories almost always take place in a royal/countryside universe and a dashing butch sweeps the attractive femme off her feet.
And to be honest as I read the blurb for „Sweet Surprise" I was doubtful! An OCD and anxiety tormented femme meets the butch family member of an ex criminal family which name still makes people gasp, whether out of fear or respect.
But Jenny Frame weaves a romance story with even some light thriller elements and introduces very colourful side characters! Dexter the dog steels the show!
When the two of them meet, Flora has an old fashioned sweet shop like there are very few left. And Mack is opening her barber shop by coincidence right next to her. After spending some time in prison for a crime she did not commit there seems to be too much of a difference between them to overcome.
I felt every OCD flare up and Flora‘s social anxiety. And the slow burn was therefore totally believble and you rooted with Mack and her every small thoughtful and creative step she made to get Flora to let her closer than shouting distance. I was so happy to read my first book with ASMR content and I instantly saw Mack in my mind in an youtube video as an ASMR barber.
Most wlw romance feature really sexy people being sexy without ever hesitating or having awkward problems which would be too much for a romance book.
But Frame did it and put together flawed women who show that not every wound is seen on the outside and a first spark needs nothing more than Rasbperry Fizz bombs!
This book is in my opinion not part of a series but I would love to read more about Nikki „the Queen of the Glasgow Streets"

I’m so glad I had the chance to read Sweet Surprise by Jenny Frame. This is a lovely slow-burn romance about a couple who really need each other and definitely belongs together.

This is a story about two women: Mack Sharkey, who has just gotten out of prison, and Flora Buchanan, who has lived most of her life with severe OCD, social anxiety, and PTSD. When Mack opens up a barbershop next door to the sweetshop Flora owns, the two begin to see each other on a daily basis. Mack quickly realizes that there is definite chemistry between the two, but she will have to tread carefully if she wants a future with Flora. There are problems that could sink any chance of a relationship the two might have including Mack’s criminal past, her family ties, and of course Flora’s mental health issues. This budding romance has many hurdles to overcome.

I love a good character driven romance, and these ladies really worked for me. These are well-developed characters that I connected with quickly. Flora’s health issues are treated realistically and only endeared me to her more. Mack is exactly the person she needs to help her thrive. Add in a terrifically described setting and lifelike secondary characters, and you have a tale you don’t want to miss.

There is a scene in the novel where there is a physical attack against a woman. It is not the most graphic I’ve ever read, and I had no problem with reading it myself, but I want to mention it for those who might be sensitive to this kind of action. I truly enjoyed reading this book. It is a beautiful love story, and the way it ends makes me think there might be more to come, maybe with one of the secondary characters in the tale. I hope there is.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections:
https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

I liked this book, but as the title suggests it was sweet. Possibly a tad too sweet for my tastes, as the way Mack pandered to Flora did get a bit repetitive, as well as the suggestion that Mack is Flora's guardian angel. I lost count of the amount of times this was mentioned in the later part of the book. The repetition was grating.

In saying that though, the romance is lovely and I really liked the characters, who felt quite realistic. The one aspect where I would've liked to have seen more would be exactly why Mack chased Flora and wanted her specifically. There wasn't anything in the story to tell me why Mack liked Flora so much and due to her mental health issues, the chemistry wasn't there between them, so I think my logical brain kicked in and made me feel as though it was a little too constructed and simple for me.

Sweet Surprise is still a good read though and I enjoyed reading about Mack's family and their time on the edges of the law. I'm hoping that Nikki will get her own book, as she definitely intrigued me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Why did this book end so soon??? I needed this book to be 1,000 pages long! This is my favorite Jenny Frame book so far and all of her books are in my top 20. I loved the way the MH issues were handled. It was prevalent but not over done. I LOVED Mack and had tremendous sympathy for Flora. I love the scenery and descriptions. I could envision the sweets shop in my mind and that's rare for me. I loved that this book felt like the romance it was but that it had the family dynamics creating some tense situations to keep the story moving and exciting. I definitely think there needs to 2 more books and make this a series. One for Nikki and another for Jay and Annie maybe starting a family. Also, I love the addition of pets in books and Dexter was absolutely magical. He felt alive on the page. This book was just perfect. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.