About the Book
She’s lonely, rich, and ten years too young for him—but she’s also his “sugar daddy,” and they couldn’t have less in common. Opposites attract in this charming new romance by Katie Shepard.
MBA student Caroline Sedlacek knows her personal balance sheet is a little lopsided. On the asset side, at twenty-two she’s got an NCAA trophy, a great education…and the two million dollars she unexpectedly inherited. Liabilities? She’s never had friends, a boyfriend, or any life experiences away from the tennis court or the classroom. She’d love to invest herself in everything else, but “everything else” never came easily for her.
In the ten years since he left art school as a vaunted prodigy, Adrian Landry has won shows and major prizes—and done his best to shed his reputation as a pretty man who makes pretty paintings. Though currently broke and sleeping off a bad break-up on his college roommate’s couch, he knows this is the chance to get his life back on track at thirty-three—he just needs the money to find a new gallery.
When Adrian’s roommate lists him on a thinly veiled escort site, Caroline is not the patron he expected. She’s way too young, way too naive, and loudly uninterested in having sex with him. Instead, they’re both going to get exactly what they want: a little culture on her side, and a lot of cash on his. Aside from their sugar baby arrangement, they’ve got nothing in common. But as they reel from the symphony to the Haymarket, they learn that what they want and what they need might be two very different things.
My Review
We’ve become quite accustomed in the fiction world that it’s the man with the money and the power that swoops in to save the young women, but not in Sweeten the Deal. The role reversal – young Caroline being a sugar mamma to the older Adrian – was a fun twist that I definitely enjoyed. Two complete opposites, the unexpected pair team up to suit their needs – Caroline finally getting more real world experience outside the tennis court, and Adrian having cashflow while he struggles to find a new art gallery for his work. When the two start to become closer than expected, it’s interesting to watch them both attempt to fight their feelings. Adrian feels uncomfortable that he’s ten years older than her, and Caroline doesn’t have enough (re: any) relationship experience to know if he’s the real deal or still only using her for her hefty inheritance. This was an entertaining age-gap romance though the ending did feel a little rushed to me. Still a fun read for rom com fans.
