Lucy Kendall, a beautiful, privileged young woman, returns from a whirlwind year in Europe with her aunt and uncle. She feels the trip has changed her life, but nothing like what transpires when she returns to her home in St. Louis, Missouri. She finds during her absence her father has suffered a heart attack and is bedfast, all her peers have married except one, and her mother wants to sell their candy business, City Confectionery.
During her trip she gathered the most luscious candies she could find, planning to use them to create the best candy recipe ever to save her fathers struggling business. She begs her mother to give her a chance. Her mother gives her one month to work nothing short of a miracle. The catch is she must fulfill her obligations in society as debutante which is further complicated by being elected as Queen of Love and Beauty.
Charlies Clarkes life was the exact opposite of Lucys, abandoned by his father at a very young age, living in poverty and becoming involved in crime to support his mother and siblings. He is sent to live with his very wealthy father whom he has not seen in 15 years. His father just happens to be the owner of Standard Manufacturing, the nemesis and competitor that is driving Lucys family out of business. Story also has it that Mr. Clarke conned Lucys dad out of his original recipe for Royal Taffy, the number one selling candy of the time! With bitterness toward his father, and the social shock suddenly being thrown into high society, Charlie is struggling this is own issues.
As if making all the public appearances and working on her candy recipe isnt enough, things get even more complicated for Lucy when she meets Charlie (not knowing who he is) and finds herself falling in love with him. Charlies feelings match hers. That is until Lucy finds out whom he really is!
Lucy goes into full blown attack mode to save their company. Charlie not wanting to comply but desiring his fathers praise, does everything he can to stop her every effort. The ensuing battle is hilarious, with each one trying to outmaneuver the other. All along, they are fighting the strong attraction for one another and growing more frustrated by the moment.
While this book is a wonderfully entertaining, filled with romance and a lots of humor; it offers much more. Historically I was able to see a blossoming, and rapidly changing era. Ms. Mitchell allowed me to see the early 20th century through the eyes of both the wealthy and the poor. It held a surprising reminder of the great gulf that lay between the two social groups during that time. The conditions in the factories and the child labor was appalling enough without realzing how some business owners had no compassion or concern for their workers, especially the children.
As the story unfolds I saw Lucy and Charlie mature and grow as young adults; each one being forced to harshly examine their self. They faced their character flaws and faults, but most importantly desired to change. Lucy was a beautiful example of how we can become so focused on our desires we can sacrifice our values and end up making impulsive and sinful choices all in the name of winning. Charlie reveals that our past does not define who we are in the present, and we must not only seek Gods forgiveness but also forgive ourselves.
You will laugh, cry and even feel angry at the escapades of Lucy and Charlie. The book is 391 pages but you will find it difficult to put it down, and when you come to the end, you will be wishing for more! A very good book.
I received this book free from Bethany House Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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A good book! A little slow at the beginning, but keep reading. It's the story between rival candy-makers and the things they do to keep their brand of candy the favorite of the public. Also, there is a little romance thrown in for good measure! Recommended!

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Plot: I was a little disappointed with the plot. The story wasn't as interesting as I thought it was going to be. There were some twists, which made it interesting, but overall, I wasn't too impressed.

Characters: I didn't think that the characters were all that interesting. They did have some depth though, which was good. They also evolved by the end of the story and you could tell that they had grown.

Themes: This story didn't really have a theme to it. It was simply a romance novel. There wasn't really anything to be learned from this story.

Emotion: I was disappointed by the lack of emotion in the story. The plot left a lot of potential for some good emotional involvement, but, unfortunately, it was lacking.

Overall: I really enjoyed the way that this book was written in first person narrative by both of the main characters. It made for a more enjoyable read as you saw the story from both points of view at the same time. This wasn't a bad book, I just feel that it was lacking and that it didn't quite measure up to it's potential.

---I received this book for free from the publisher for this review.---

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Age Appropriate For: 12 and up for reading level and romance

Best for Ages: 16 and up

I didnt think that Siri Mitchell could match The Messenger, but she managed to with Unrivaled.

One of the reasons I was so eager to read this book was the fact it was set around candy making and candy factories. I had never read a book with candy making as a main part of it. The candy making parts of the book were obviously well researched, and were delightful. They felt very real, but not so much detail that I got bored.

The overall story was amazing. Like with her last two books, one third in I was wondering how she was going to stretch the book for 400 pages. Two chapters from the end, I wondered how she was going to wrap up everything. She once again delivered a satisfying ending that made me sigh with contentment.

The best thing about this book had to be the amazing way Siri made me wonder who was right. Often books try to create a situation where the reader is supposed to wonder who is telling the truth. Most of the time, however, they fall short of truly creating that feeling. By the middle of the book, Siri had me wondering which set of parents were twisting the truth and who was right.

I really loved the message of this book, especially since it was subtle and woven into the story flawlessly. The end justifies the means is an ever growing belief, and this book looks into what that could cost you, but still has a happy ending.

I highly recommend this book for historical fiction lovers, sweet romance lovers, and readers who can't get enough of extremely well written fiction.

I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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Lucy has just come home from Europe with her aunt and uncle when she learns that her father is sick and her mom wants to sell the business before their finances are drained. Lucy immediately makes a plan to save the company and pours her whole heart into creating a new candy. The only gimmick is that she only has one month to do so and she must participate in society to successfully find a husband.

Charlie is in jail when the story starts, but he is also offered a deal. His estranged father has invited him to come stay with him and agreed to help him become a respectable business man working for the candy business. Charlie is reluctant at first, but decides to give it a go and plans on a revenge scheme of his own when the moment is right.

Even though this book is considered a historical romance, I read it from the perspective of Charlie and his father versus Lucy with her father. Lucy is extremely close to her dad and his health decline motivates her to do foolish things in her desperation to save the company. Even though she does come off as a whiny character in some parts of the plot, I found her struggle and her heart to be endearing. Charlie is just getting to know his father after not seeing him for 15 years and his father struck me as a corrupt business man more than once. Charlie is quite clever, but he doesnt see himself in the same image as is expected of him. He wears the same clothes, speaks the same way, and attends the same functions but his main goal is attempting to please his father and make sense of the way things are run.

This book really reminded me of the movie Youve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Instead of competing book businesses, its candy instead. The candy is only a small part of the story. Its really about the dynamics of each relationship and learning to let go. One of my favorite parts is the conversation Winnie has with Charlie, such a hoot! Lucys goals are to save her fathers company and she really loves making candy. Charlies goal is to win his fathers affections and to win Lucys heart. Lucys Mom wants a better life for Lucy. Charlies father wants to dominate the candy business. Some of the schemes within the story are questionable, but some of them are utterly clever! Overall I was happy with the book and it was a joy to see its conclusion. All of my questions in the plot were answered or implied and I enjoyed seeing Lucys dreams come true.

I want to thank Bethany House for the review copy they sent me. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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