Sweetheart: The World of True North

4 Star review of Sweetheart (Busy Bean #1) by Sarah Mayberry This book deals with mental illness and may be a trigger for some so proceed with caution. Sarah Mayberry is a new author to me. It was wonderful to re visit the Busy Bean in Vermont. This is Haley Elliott and Daniel Beck’s story and it was at times an emotional roller coaster of a read. Hayley is a barista at the Busy Bean and is off in search of the owner of Dark Horse Coffee, she wants to use it at the cafe. Imagine her shock when she learns that one of the owners is in fact her sister’s ex boyfriend, the man she had feelings for. Can Daniel put aside his bitter feelings and enter into an agreement to supply the Bust Bean? As they work together, feelings that have been dormant, begin to surface and although they have a lot to overcome, they slowly but surely evolve into a couple. Haley and Jess could not be more different and at times Daniel had a hard time but the beauty and kindness Hayley exudes shines through and he realizes he has found “the one”. There are situations that are tackled which deal with issues of mental health and they were well handled. It added an extra layer of realism to the story and may be difficult for some readers. Just as it appears that things will work out for Haley and Beck, her sister Jess, returns to town and with it a whole pile off issues. It was great to see some familiar faces pop up whilst reading and added an additional layer to my reading.

4.5 stars — Yeah. That was just…good stuff. I was a bit worried with the whole sister’s ex and all that shiznit, but I shouldn’t have been. Ms. Mayberry showcased how she can offer so much depth and heart and finesse in a truly odd situation, and have me feeling perfectly satisfied when I come out on the other side. Haley was pretty adorable. She was modest and shy. But she could also be bold and take charge. I loved her kind heart. And she was so wise in the world — she saw situations with so much clarity, and even if they were tough, she tried to maintain emotional balance. She impressed me. Her role in her family had truly shaped her, but she never lost the goodness that just surrounded everything she did and thought. And I loved how talented she was in such a unique passion. I was worried about how I would like Beck, b/c he doesn’t really start off on the right foot. But you do get to see what’s behind it, and he just kind of needed a knock upside the head so he could focus on the right things and see *all* of what was in front of him. He was kind, supportive, loving…just adorable. The situation with Jess was fraught with so many nuances, and I feel like Ms. Mayberry really gave us a unique story by showing what it’s like to love a family member with a serious mental illness…especially an untreated one. There are so many conflicting feelings. I was worried how Haley and Beck were going to navigate it, but I felt like every step made sense for both of them. It made it so that when we get to our HEA, I believed in it…I believed they could navigate through any future hardships. I LOVED seeing all the Busy Bean folks. It was truly a treat to get to see them in a different light. And it wasn’t just the Busy Bean folks, there were other cameos for anyone who is a Sarina Bowen fan! But it never felt campy or forced, it was just kind of delightful. And I ADORED Larry!! I mean who doesn’t love a story about a guy and his dog. I actually really loved learning about the coffee roasting side of things from Beck and his brother, and the shoe making stuff from Haley. It always makes me want to look these things up and invest in artisans when I encounter this stuff in books. So yeah. I’m not surprised I loved the book, I’ve been a fan of Ms. Mayberry for YEARS. But it’s always nice when you can just sink into a book and smile and smile and smile and know that you’re in good hands.

I sat down to read this story in the middle of my granddaughter's remote class and I could not put it down. I felt like I had walked into the Busy Bean myself to grab a cup of coffee and met all these wonderful fun characters. I mean here we have Zara and Audrey who own this wonderful cafe that sells and serve coffee and amazing food. We can not forget Haley who works part-time there and is the main draw who and she owns an ETSY shop just like me! Only hers is successful! We have Daniel and Sam Beck two hot coffee bean, makers or whatever you call them. And Daniel is so much more than that, there is history between Daniel and Haley. Well sort of. And therein is where the story gets good. I really honestly love how the author addressed all the issues in this story head-on and did not shy away at all. I am so happy that we continued on with another story based around the Busy Bean and it's actually written by a different author. I like how this is going as a team writing.