Official Review: Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson

[Allyseria]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bittersweep" by Wareeze Woodson.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Bittersweep is a historical fiction written by Wareeze Woodson. It follows Elizabeth Clarke as she returns to her hometown, Bittersweep, where she and her family were forced to leave when she was just five years old. She disguises herself under the name of Elizabeth Campbell and with her new position as a school teacher, she is determined to find the reason for being forced to leave as well as reclaim her mother’s treasured box. But will she be able to guard her heart from the handsome chairman of the school board? And will she be able to prove her innocence after being accused of murder? Finally, who is behind the bank robbery?

Altogether, the author is excellent at creating visual descriptions and describing smells to the point where the reader is pulled back in time to Texas, 1897. Unfortunately though, the book leaves a lot to be desired. For example, although there was a huge build-up to finding the treasured box, the scene where Elizabeth finally finds it was anti-climatic. I had expected the box to hold a significant secret, but that wasn’t the case. The contents did not live up to its build-up.

Furthermore, there were no red herrings. It was too clear who the robber was as there was only one character that was portrayed as a potential antagonist. Also, JP, one of the main characters, was a Gary Stu, i.e., the male equivalent to a Mary Sue. He was good looking, rich, confident, excellent with children, always doing the right thing and had every woman wishing to be married to him. As a result, I found it hard to see him as a real person.

Additionally, there were some details that didn’t make sense. For example, Elizabeth looked exactly like her mother except for her eyes. Surely everyone would have recognised her as it was a small town and was inhabited by almost the same people. It was only fifteen years ago that Elizabeth’s family left, and most of the inhabitants were old enough to remember her mother.

Finally, although there were plot twists that surprised me, the lack lustre way the characters reacted to the new information decreased the shock value of the twists.

Overall, I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars. The author had a good concept and if a few things were changed, i.e., JP having more flaws, there being more red herrings and the characters reacting more appropriately to the twists, this would have made for a very engaging read.

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Bittersweep
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[Ashiyya Tariq]

Sad to hear about the lacklustre details. Though the plot was good enough if properly comprehended. Thanks for this well rounded review.

[Cecilia_L]

The inconsistencies in the plot you described would frustrate me, but I appreciate your interesting review.

[Emi_Review]

I also wonder why she would keep her first name the same if she was trying to disguise herself? It seems a shame about the lacklustre parts as it did seem like an interesting concept. Thank you for the review.

[Connie Otwani]

The author is excellent at creating visual descriptions and describing smells? That cracked me up! The plot is sound, I hope the author makes the amends you mentioned. Thanks for the honest review!

[Anon_Reviewer]

The plot sounds enticing. It's a shame the execution fell apart at the seams. This one is not for me. Thanks for the informative review!

[Rosemary Khathibe]

I was really looking forward to Elizabeth's relationship with the chairman of the school board. It's sad that the book is not so engaging with no realism and lack of suspense. Enchanting review!

[BriennaiJ]

Thanks for such an informative review. I hate it when "romance" novels try to put emphasis on a random object to try to give the story a plot that it doesn't truly have. I wish that the novel would just admit that it is a simple romance novel and move on, or give it an actual plot device that makes the story interesting.

[jcoad]

Harlequin Romance meets Hallmark movie, definitely not my cup of tea. Maybe if pulled off a little better as I like the premise and the setting but I will pass on this one. Thanks for the honest review!

[inaramid]

"Gary Stu" - the nail in the coffin for this book for me. It's unfortunate, given that the setting seemed to be vividly described. I will have to steer clear of this one.

[LaurenHaupt]

Sounded like it had a pretty good plot. That's a little disappointing with all the issues you brought up. Thank you for the honest review.

[JR Mercier]

Jp sounds so boring. It's sad that this book didn't meet the expectations. Thank you for such a honest review.

[Bianka Walter]

What a pity this one fell a bit short. Thanks for the great review!

[Allyseria]

Sad to hear about the lacklustre details. Though the plot was good enough if properly comprehended. Thanks for this well rounded review.

Thank you for leaving a comment I wished the characters had reacted a bit more to new information. I was surprised by the information but because the characters just accepted it, it made me wonder whether I was over-reacting.

[Allyseria]

The inconsistencies in the plot you described would frustrate me, but I appreciate your interesting review.

Thank you for leaving a comment Plot consistencies are never good