Sugar & Spice by Phoebe Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Phoebe Alexander created an amazing, suspenseful romance in this story. Cyrus Sweet had spent as much of his time pursuing his dreams while he was in college. He wanted to become an artist and had secured a place in a program where he would learn from his idol, Krstiph Kostopolous, in Greece. However, his brothers and parents had other plans. Corden and Ophelia Sweet own Sweetopia, a family-oriented theme park. They had learned that a possible strike was stirring in the company. Cyrus was told he had to find the ringleaders to keep his inheritance. Corden also offered $25,000 as an incentive. Reluctantly, Cyrus agreed, as long as he could go to Greece.

Cyrus is the persona of Marcus Young, a British graduate student in art history. As a seasonal temporary employee, he was assigned to Bard’s Bakery. He had heard his brothers discussing the new Red Velvet Queen as being hot. When he took a look at the woman, he was automatically intrigued. He introduced himself to her as Marcus, and the attraction was obviously shared.

Jolie works as the Red Velvet Queen by day and a paid dominatrix in the evenings. She has to support her mother and two sons. River was a special needs child with cystic fibrosis who was often in the hospital. While Sweetopia had benefits, their health insurance was shabby, and they paid her $5.00 an hour without overtime. She didn’t want a relationship, but after meeting Marucs, she thought it would be okay to have a little fun during the summer.

Frequent trysts in Jolie’s dressing room have Cyrus feeling guilty about deceiving her about his identity. When he learns of a meeting, he struggles to decide what to do. Should he tell his parents about the impending press conference calling for a strike and boycott of Sweet Enterprises? If he doesn’t do what they demand, he is going to lose his inheritance and trip to Greece. Likewise, he had grown attached to several employees and the beguiling Jolie.

Phoebe brings equal parts sweetness and spice to this novel. The plot is unpredictable, and the points of view of Cyrus and Jolie provide their personal views in vivid detail. Alternating between Cyrus and Jolie was done smoothly, making the transitions effortless. I couldn’t put this book down as I followed the two protagonists, who kept secrets from one another. Their romance blossoms at work while they face impossible odds that could potentially pull them apart. The suspense builds to a climactic scene that I prayed would turn out positively. Sugar & Spice is the first book in the Spicetopia series. I recommend this five-star book to romance readers who like connecting with the characters in a steamy, forbidden romance novel.

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