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Pages: 66
Goes Well With: Sugary pastries and warm coffee
As kids, Grace Spencer and Brent Peterson were inseparable. They were the best of friends until Dan Turner showed up at the beginning of their senior year of high school and swept Grace off her feet—and she was married with a child on the way before Brent had a chance to tell her how he felt about her.
Now, Grace is a widow with a young son, running the Sweet Treats Bakery with her three sisters. But although it’s been three years since Dan’s death, she still wears her wedding band, unable to let go of her husband’s memory.
Brent’s feelings for Grace haven’t changed since they were in kindergarten together, but the ring on her finger keeps him from expressing his true feelings.
Grace’s Gold is as sweet as the pastries sold at the Spencer sisters’ Sweet Treats Bakery and as warm as the coffee that’s constantly brewing. If you’ve read Kate’s Kisses, the previous book in the Sweet Treats Bakery series, you’ll already know a little bit about the young characters—but, if not, you’ll have no problem catching up. Author Mary Manners does an impressive job of exploring their past and telling their story in just a few short pages.
Grace is a strong young woman who’s set aside her own needs to take care of her son and help her sisters run their bakery. Though her marriage to Dan was unexpected—and far from perfect—losing him was still devastating, and she has no intention of putting herself through such pain again. Instead, she’s chosen to throw herself into work and family and motherhood—which, in a way, is admirable. But, in the process, she’s also chosen to ignore Brent’s feelings for her (and hers for him). Her behavior can be frustrating at times, since Brent’s feelings are so blatantly obvious, yet she refuses to acknowledge them.
Brent, meanwhile, is an absolute gem—a rugged cowboy who runs his family farm and a charity to help those in need. Though he’s struggled with his own family hardships, he’s always been there for Grace and her sisters—and, even now, he’s always willing to put on an apron and serve coffee or take care of a sick child. Sensitive, thoughtful, and (of course!) distractingly handsome, he’s really too good to be true—but he still makes a lovable romantic lead.
Though the story and the language tend to be a bit flowery at times, Grace’s Gold is a sweet story, set in beautiful country surroundings. It’s an adorable contemporary romance that makes for a warm and cozy lunchtime read.
