Review: Sweetly (Sisters Red #2) by Jackson Pearce

Source: Received an ARC from publisher for an honest review.

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: August 23, 2011
Number of Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

SWEETLY is a modernization of Hansel and Gretel and a companion book to SISTERS RED.

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

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I really liked Sisters Red, but I LOVED Sweetly! I knew that the two were companion novels, but I had no idea that they would be so closely linked! The world is definitely the same, and for anyone who's planning on reading or rereading Sisters Red before reading Sweetly, I suggest that you pay attention to the members of Silas Reynolds' family, one of them may just turn up. *hint, hint. nudge, nudge* and *wink*

Now onto the story itself, I loved it! I loved the sibling relationship between Gretchen and Ansel, but I did feel kind of bad for them, their step-mom was such a bag, and their family just suffered so much! I was so glad that they had each other, though. I loved how Gretchen grew throughout Sweetly, she really impressed me! And Samuel...oh boy, he was awesome (please note that you must read "awesome" in a breathless whisper, almost with a worshiping tone). If you can't tell by my massive amount of gushing right there, I loved Samuel, and Gretchen, together or apart, these two were fantastic! :D

The only downside to reading Sweetly was that it made me want chocolate and candy REALLY bad, and I didn't have ANY! So, if you're about to read Sweetly, I suggest you stock up on some snacks first, it'll be like you're IN the story! haha

Now, moving on from my intense desire for some candy while reading, this book was awesome. I read it during a Read-a-thon, and I just couldn't put it down! It drew me in, and I loved every moment of it! I thought that Jackson Pearce did a fantastic job of including details from the original tale of Hansel and Gretel, while also incorporating it into the world that she created in Sisters Red. Together, these two elements made for a remarkable story, one that you will want to read over and over again because it's a story that will have you craving more and more!

Sweetly was a fantastic book! As a stand-alone, a follow-up, or even a a precursor to Sisters Red, it was amazing! I do recommend that you read it after Sisters Red though because there are certain details you learn in Sisters Red that would make Sweetly even better! Definitely would work either way though. :)

Have you already read Sisters Red? Thoughts?
Are you excited for Sweetly?
And just because I'm curious, does anyone else have a serious sweet tooth...or is it just me? :P

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur