Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler {Review}

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publish Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Library
Goodreads

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...

Bittersweet is the perfect book to curl up with on a dreary winter day.

I adored everything about Bittersweet from the characters to the cupcakes.

Let’s start with Hudson. I could completely relate to her need to escape the small town. I really appreciated her determination to do it too, even if it caused her some problems along the way. I think the thing I adored the most about her was how normal she was, though. When the mini-love triangle popped up she didn’t just sit there and wiffle-waffle about it, she did something. I also kind of wish I was as talented as her in the cupcake/business department :P

Will. I’m not sure if I was supposed to like him or not, but I just didn’t. He was way too cocky despite his attempts at sweetness sometimes.

Oh,  Josh. He was so sweet and adorable; I wish there had been more of him in the story! Don’t get me wrong, I really like how the romance played out, I just would have liked to see him a little more.

Bug was adorable. I loved the way Hudson cared for him. I liked his crazy little personality and his love for Mr. Napkins.

I really like Hudson’s friendship with Dani. It’s not often you see a friendship playing an integral part in the story these days. It was such a normal friendship, too! It had its ups and downs, of course, but Dani wasn’t a backstabbing jerk. She was just regular friend who acted like most would in that situation.

The setting was great too. I liked the wintery town, the crazy diner, and all the ice time. Winter is my favorite season so it was cool to see a town completely covered in snow for the entire story. The diner was kind of like how you’d expect an old-school diner to be, but this time you get to see behind-the-scenes to all the craziness that happens. Though I know absolutely nothing about hockey or ice skating, I still really liked reading about them. The way Ockler writes about made me feel like I did understand it.

The Nutshell: Bittersweet should go in the contemporary hall of fame. It has absolutely fantastic characters ranging from crazy younger brothers to best friends to boys to a surly hockey team. It also doesn’t follow the typical love interest formula of find the guy, get the guy, have problems, get the guy again. If you like contemporary or are simply looking for a good place to start, this is definitely your book. You need it in your life, like two days ago.

Pages: 378

Series: No

Rating: 5 stars