“Love’s kind of like sweet tea. The secret is all in having the patience to let it steep.”
Jill Clemmons is in the middle of a huge fundraising event when she receives a call from her ex boyfriend, Garrett Malloy, who informs Jill of her grandmother Pearl’s death. What is even more startling news to Jill, is that Bradley Kase, her boss and present boyfriend, knew about Pearl’s death that day but did not disclose the information to Jill. Jill leaves her new home in Savannah, GA and returns to her hometown in Adams Grove, VA, where she rediscovers old friends, comforting memories, and her ex-boyfriend, Garret Malloy. Jill also learns the peculiar terms of Pearl’s last will and testament, designed with Pearl’s hopes that it would reignite the love that Jill and Garrett once had for one another. Jill’s life is in a quandary as she tries to make sense of the grief, the memories, Bradley’s sudden insensitivity and anxiety about Pearl’s house, Garrett’s undying affection for her and the break-ins at Pearl’s house. As Jill works through the mystery left behind by her grandmother, she rediscovers herself, Pearl’s lessons in life and love worth keeping.
Despite a couple of minor typos, Author Nancy Naigle is earthly and unpretentious. Naigle draws out the Southern comfort and charm in this romantic story, laced with suspense and mystery and overflowing with lively, vivid characters, from the spunky grandmother to the Southern gentleman and the slick businessman. Naigle captures Jill’s emotional confusion as she settles back into life in her hometown, with a gentle perceptibility that makes Jill and the other characters credible and satisfying. Naigle also includes recipes mentioned in the story in the back of her book for dessert.
Sweet Tea and Secrets is a charming tale about love and following your heart, delightfully sweetened with a touch of mystery. A dulcet read with a cup of tea.
Reviewed by Maya Fleischmann for IndieReader