Today’s Second Chance Sunday is brought to you by the wonderful Sarah Ockler and her awesome book, in a slew of many, Bittersweet. I swear this is the book that started my love affair with cupcakes so I’m warning you all ahead of time. But seriously this book was fantastic and I thought it should be recognized since Sarah’s next fantastic book The Book of Broken Hearts comes out next week(review on the blog on Wednesday).
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler Published by Simon and Schuster
Published: January 3rd 2012
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Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.
So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.
It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...
A sunshine yellow lemon cupcake with a coconut infused marshmallow frosting. Filled with a raspberry and blueberry jam and decorated with marzipan figure skates and hockey sticks. Drizzle with silver glitter dust and serve on a plate of awesomeness!
Sarah Ockler has done it again! This book was just beyond amazing! Seriously I thought I loved Ockler before with her amazing works Fixing Delilah and my favorite Twenty Boy Summer, but I’m head over heels now.
Ockler has a gift for getting down to the depth and emotions of her characters and she did that flawlessly with Hudson. A once high prospect for the figure skating world, Hudson had lost her way and found herself in the kitchen baking amazing cupcakes as a way to forget who she was. But after a chance run-in, and I mean that literally, with the co-captain of her school’s hockey team, Hudson’s love of the ice finally makes itself known. When presented an opportunity to help the team(and the boy she is crushing on) and get ice time for a competition she is secretly entering Hudson takes in more than she can chew and all hell breaks loose on her life.
Told entirely from Hudson’s point of view the readers are privy to every thought and emotion that Hudson feels leaving us to feel like we are taking the journey with her. You personally feel like you are there for the fights and laughs and hugs and kisses and near kisses. You can feel the sadness and regret and anger that she has towards her family and herself and the drive she has for baking and skating. It truly is a touching story of finding out who you are and what you want.
Bravo Ms. Ockler. My only question…when are you opening a cupcake bakery with all those delicious concoctions you teased us with??!! 🙂
[…] Bittersweet […]