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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Jamie Zabolotney

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A classic historical western romance. When Elizabeth arrives back in Bittersweep under an assumed identity, she doesn’t expect to do anything more than find her Mother’s treasured box and live a normal life as the new school teacher. JP, the local wealthy rancher and school board chair is the first to meet her at the station and take an interest in her. Enter the murder, robbery and intrigue!

I found all of Wareeze’s characters very easy to identify with. Her easy style of writing has me coming back time and time again, no matter the period she is writing in. I look forward to reading many more.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Roxsanne Lesieur.

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The year is 1897 and Elizabeth is a young woman with a haunted past, one night, when she was five years old, she and her sister and brother were packed into a wooden buggy and sent away with their father, leaving their mother behind, while their house burned down to ashes. It is a sight and smell which has haunted her memories for fifteen years, but now, she is returning to her one time home in Bittersweep, Texas to take up a teaching position and hopefully find some answers to her questions about what happened that day and why. As she arrives into the town on the steam locomotive she has travelled on, she tucks her newspaper under her arm and prepares to disembark from the train and collect her luggage, she briefly questions her sanity of returning to this place and almost turns right back around before she admits that she needs the position and everything else that goes with it. She is looking around at the small town and thinking how much has not really changed overly much, but there is more of everything now, people, horses, homes and stores and because of this she is assaulted by memories she would much rather forget.

It is while she is lost in these memories that she is bowing her head down and hoping that nobody recognises her, but this also leads to her walking into the path of a carriage and horses veering out of control and heading straight towards her, when she does, she is paralysed by fear and cannot move even if she wanted to, that is until she is grasped round the waist and pulled out of the way by an unknown pair of hands and into a very masculine body just before she is run over. When she manages to regain some of her breath and senses, she looks behind her to see the mysterious owner of the hands and body and finds a look of anger in their face and an equally angry outburst along the lines of does she have a death wish and to have some consideration of those around her, even if she has no regard for herself. This encounter brings Elizabeth back to herself and she acknowledges what happened, apologises and states that she wasn’t concentrating as she was looking for the school chairman whom she was meant to be meeting at the station, it is at this point that she finds out that the stranger who saved her is indeed the chairman of the school board and she is more than mortified at this information.

As she takes a moment to regain her composure, she is told that she hasn’t necessarily made the best first impression, however, the town is very easy going and that hopefully that shouldn’t stop her from being accepted anyway, he then offers to take her to the boarding house where she will be staying, Elizabeth is grateful and accepts the kind offer, when she is settled, they agree on a time to meet so that she can see where she will be working and make her preparations for the start of the school year, Elizabeth is now hoping that she will make a better impression the next time, but she also cannot believe that despite her best efforts to enter the town unnoticed, she hasn’t made that happen either. Will Elizabeth settle back into life in Bittersweep and find the answers she needs, or will she find that she is even less welcome now than she was then? This is a historical romance with a thrilling edge to it which will keep you guessing as to what will happen next throughout and keep you hooked until it’s conclusion.

Reviewed by @roxsannel

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Jennifer Gordon

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this historical romance with added mystery and murder which had me hooked from page one. Set in Texas it has an old fashioned Western feel to it and I found myself being transported back in time. The main character, Elizabeth has returned to her childhood town of Bittersweep which she left in mysterious circumstances fifteen years earlier as a young child. Although her memories of that time our those of a five year old she remembers leaving on a wagon in a rush and there being a fire. Her main reason for wanting to discover why her family left is because they were forced to leave without her mother. In order to find the answers she wants she accepts a teaching position under an assumed name, Campbell. However, her first encounter with the school board’s chairman was a disaster as JP had to save her from a team of runaway horses. Elizabeth tries to keep her distance from JP, who is intrigued by the new teacher, but when she finds herself in trouble it is him that helps her.

The author really bought both the characters and the Western setting to life with her descriptive narrative and I felt fully immersed in the story. I enjoyed the small historical details that really make you feel that your back in that era as a reader and which the author is great at adding. The main characters, Elizabeth and JP have instant chemistry and I liked seeing their relationship develop along with the secondary characters who all bought an added element to the overall story. The mystery element to the storyline had me happily turning the pages and the exciting plot kept me guessing until the very end. This is an enjoyable and engaging historical romance which I definitely recommend.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Jonell Collins

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson was an absolutely delightful book in every way. It was a very easy read, I loved the story, the mystery and intrigue, and the love story was perfect. The characters were marvelous, I think I would love to see Elizabeth, J.P. and Amy in other little mysteries. I would give this story more stars if I could for the simplest of reasons. Although the romantic tension between J.P. and Elizabeth is quite palpable the reader is not subjected to scenes of graphic lovemaking. You can feel the heat without having a picture drawn for you. Best romantic novel I have read in a good while.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Michelle Collier

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much! The town of Bittersweep, Texas is a place I grew to love while reading this book. Elizabeth is strong and stubborn schoolteacher determined to discover the past. JP is the man that takes care of everyone in the area. There is more than just chemistry with these two. This story has twists and turns galore! I hope someday to go back to Bittersweep and uncover the twins’ stories.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Kerry Carr

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love these books. I love how the author is able to transport you back in time to a era long gone. Because it is a historical romance the language reflects that which sometimes could get a little confusing but it didn’t take away any enjoyment  I had for this book.
As well as a sweet romance there is also danger, secrets, Mysteries and murder which makes this book a def page turner.

Elizabeth has returned home to the Town of Bittersweep where she grew up. After leaving the town in a hurry when her family home burnt down Elizabeth left behind her mother who had passed. Why had her house been on fire? Why did her mum pass was it an accident or something sinister? And what secrets did her mum keep in a box. Did things happen the way Elizabeth thinks or are your memories mixed up by a child’s imagination? That’s what Elizabeth sets out to find answers too.

Taking a job as the school teacher she meets JP Honeycutt. Immediately feeling an attraction she tries to distance herself from this man and his charms. However when she becomes a suspect in a murder the only person riding to her rescue is him.

Can she let herself learn to love again? And what secrets does JP hold which could hold the answers that Elizabeth is trying to find.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Samantha Snow

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bittersweep is a very well written story for the time period in which it is wrote in. Second book read by this author and I am sold on her writing style! I absolutely adored this book. I really enjoyed the storyline and oh the characters bring the story to life, so surreal. Loved every minute reading this story it was most definitely worth the read! Just an entertaining, easy and fun read! If you love historical romances then this is the story for you!!

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Shelly Kittell

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Miss Elizabeth Campbell (nee Clarke), the new schoolteacher, returns to Bittersweep to find out why her home was the only one burned down so many years ago during a yellow fever outbreak. She meets handsome chairman of the school JP Honeycutt. Though not looking for a romance, she is pulled to him by something…JP remembers a five year old little girl that he lifted onto a wagon when he was 12. Why does Elizabeth look so familiar? Elizabeth finds herself being warned off JP by Mrs. Ledbetter at the boarding house. She’s told that he isn’t interested in her type. Well, she doesn’t have time for that. Along with trying to find out answers to her questions, she is helping to rescue an orphan girl. She finds herself right in the middle of a murder mystery. A very entertaining book. The owl-hoot robbers (I love this) are such a hoot. The characters just pop right up in your mind. Aunt Maude’s scowling face is easy to picture. The town sounds like every small town, full of gossip and drama. Nice, clean, and easy to read. I highly recommend this book and this author.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Anantha Rusum

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of those intriguing old-fashioned mysteries, Bittersweep is centered around a woman, who comes back to the town fifteen years after her family had to disown it. She takes up a job of a school teacher, and is determined to find the answers to the questions about her childhood. But, fate has other plans and she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. She becomes the talk of the town and is in the limelight for all wrong reasons. With a murder and a bank robbery, this story is much more than romance, it is an adventure ride. The plot is gripping and keeps you guessing till the end. I really enjoyed this historic fiction. A good read !

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Angela Hayes

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

 

Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson is an American historical romance, set in Texas in 1897- this is a story full of mystery, suspense, secrets, danger, drama, hidden agendas, adventure, intrigue, romance, and more.
This is my favourite of Ms. Woodson’s books, so far. I liked the storyline and the characters- I was swept away to 1897, ‘seeing’ the story unfold before my eyes. Even the issues that caused me some frustrating moments, didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.
Elizabeth has arrived in Bittersweep to take up the teaching position that she accepted. She has a painful history with the town, secrets she must keep if she has any chance of uncovering the truth. That is until she has a chance encounter with the Chairman of the School Board. Things are off to an awkward, yet intriguing start. But with secrets to keep, sinister happenings, and hidden agendas- it’s not long before Elizabeth and JP are up to their ears in an investigation to track down a murderer, thieves, and a stolen horde of gold. Things are not as they seem. Will Elizabeth get the answers she needs to make peace with the past? Will JP have his way, and convince Elizabeth to take a chance on love? Has the horde of gold disappeared without a trace? And will they track down the thieves, and the murderer, before it’s too late? Get set for an action-packed romantic western adventure!

Thank you, Wareeze Woodson!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Katie Matthews

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Bittersweep was another wonderful historical romance read from this author. I am really enjoying these books at the moment and I loved that this one was set somewhere different to that I am used to. I love this author attention to detail and I am always completely swept up in the stories and the characters. I feel like I am right there with them and can easily imagine everything that I am reading. I loved Elizabeth and JP, they were such great characters with an undeniable chemistry. I really enjoyed the mystery that was interwoven into the story and I found I just wanted to keep on turning the pages to find out just what was going to happen. There were also some really good secondary characters that I enjoyed reading about and they definitely added that additional layer to a very enjoyable story. I already have my next book by this author lined up to read and I cannot wait!

@katiem
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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Desiree Ottinger

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an intriguing old time, western romance and mystery. You are instantly drawn back to a time with horses and carriages, and gentlemen that treat a lady respectfully. There are secrets and prejudices that come to light in the small town of Bittersweep. All the while, Elizabeth, the school teacher is falling in love with the chairman of the school board- against her better judgement. When there is a murder and she is blamed who will come to her rescue?

You can’t help but love the characters and their need to find answers and to protect the innocent. This the second time I have read this author and I wasn’t disappointed!

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Karyn Taylor

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bittersweep is a great historical romance novel from Wareeze Woodson. I have recently read a few books from this author and I’m becoming a big fan of her writing. I am more of a contemporary romance fan but Wareeze Woodson is giving me a love for historical romance.
Moving back to her hometown of Bittersweep after 15 years away, and under a different name, schoolteacher Elizabeth Campbell is determined to find out what happened to her family.
Chairman of the school board JP is taken by the new school teacher wants to find out more about her but she’s determined not to let him close.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the relationship between Elizabeth and JP. Both are characters that I really liked and could read about for hours.
There is so much more to the story line than just the relationship between these two. I was really drawn in by the story and did not want to put this book down. It is very entertaining and keeps you drawn into the story right up to the very end.
I definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Wareeze Woodson’s work.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Dahnielle Hibbert

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I could not put it down!! A must read! The authors ability to turn words into pictures really made me feel as if I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. The dialogue between characters is both interesting and intriguing. The town of Bittersweep is full of mystery leaving you wanting to read more. Do not pick up this book if you are looking for an easy reader that you can put down at will. The story of Elizabeth and JP will have you in its grips to the very end!! Wareeze Woodson is officially on my list of favored authors!!

Reviewed by: Dahnielle Hibbert
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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Kerry Baker

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson is a well written book that keeps you interested from the first page through to the last. This is a pretty new author to me still and yet already I am starting to get a feel for how she likes to write. Her books are descriptive and developed well while the characters all have a depth to them. I loved the characters in this book. They got so well with the story and just seemed to bring it to life. I liked how it felt like this book was focused on the story and what was happening, so you could really get invested.
This is an author I am pleased to have discovered and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Tausha Treadway

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson. I really enjoyed this book. Its a historical romance about a young woman named Elizabeth Clarke who has returned to Bittersweep, Texas after being run out of town as a small child. Apparently the Clarke family was the first family in town to contract yellow fever and some men burned their house down with her deceased mom inside. Returning under an assumed name Elizabeth Campbell she becomes the new teacher in town. She is determined to find out who burned her home down and why they were made to leave. When she arrives back in town she meets the chairman of the school board and soon falls in love with him only to discover that all the single women in town are also after him. When she first meets JP Honeycutt something about him seems vry familiar but she can’t put her finger on it other than she knows not to trust that name? Will Elizabeth be able to uncover the secrets she wants to know answers to? Will she and JP make a go of their relationship? Read Bittersweep to find out!

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Rebecca Hill

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once again, I really enjoyed this historical romance by Wareeze Woodson. I happen to be a huge fan of historical romance, but if you aren’t, there is a nice amount of mystery and who done it to keep the reader involved. The book takes place in 1897 in Bittersweep, Texas. Elizabeth Clarke has returned to the town where her mother died under the false name of Campbell. She never plans on meeting and falling in love with JP Honeycutt. I loved trying to figure out who was involved in the bank robbery. The book keeps you guessing on all of the details until the very end. This one is worth every minute of your time!

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Jenni Bishop

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson is an historical romance story where one woman wants to know the truth of her past and returns to where it all began. Unfortunately, she becomes a prime suspect and gets far more than she bargained for. She becomes the talk of the town and the one who turns men’s heads. There are a lot of side characters and little tales of their own. With murder and rustling and bank robberies, and adventure this is more than just a romance story it is also a murder mystery and a cozy mystery all rolled into one.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Bobbi Wagner

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this historical romance story. This is an author that I have enjoyed from the first book I have picked up of hers. This book is no different. This is a well written story that the author used attention to details to give the story a realistic feel. The characters are connectable and bring the story to life. This is a fast paced story that I had a hard time putting it down. This is a story about Elizabeth and her determination to find out why she had to leave without her mother. She now also finds herself in a new town with a new job. Then she meets Campbell and things heat up from here. I won’t say much more as I highly recommend picking up this book. It is a great story that is entertaining and easy to read.

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Review by @bjwagner

Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Santana Hicks

BittersweepBittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bittersweep is a romance taking place in the late 1890’s Texas but it has a mystery aspect to it as well. The main character, Elizabeth, left Bittersweep when she was kicked out of town at 5 years of age. Years later, she returns with a school teacher job and under a false name. She has questions about her past and she thinks she can only get answers from Bittersweep. Elizabeth is a very stubborn and witty woman, also very pretty who can turn the heads of almost all of the men who see her. She meets a man by the name of JP who seems familiar but she can’t quite put her finger on it. All she knows is not to trust his last name.

JP is what you would picture when you imagine a stereotypical 1890s rancher. Strong, handsome, and intelligent but with a soft spot. Both characters are very likeable from the beginning. I was rooting for them to get together the first time they met. JP immediately has a soft spot for Elizabeth. Being in charge of most of the town, he was involved in finding out who, what, where, when and why of a body was found shortly after a bank robbery took place.

I really enjoyed this book due to all the different aspects it touched along the way. It wasn’t just a romance, which made it so much more interesting to me.

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Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson

~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~
Bittersweep by Wareeze Woodson
Genre – Historical Western, Romance, mystery
Page Count – 288 pages
Arriving at the station in 1897, twenty-year-old Elizabeth Campbell steps off the train onto the wooden platform at Bittersweep, Texas. After Yellow fever ran rampant over the small community devastating families, hers included, she hoped never to see the place again. However, broke and in need of employment, she accepts a job as the new teacher. She dreads meeting a native of the town yet is thrilled by her chance to discover what really happened fifteen years earlier. Would her mother’s box still be hidden waiting for her to retrieve?
Standing in the middle of the road, memories of fifteen years ago roll over her drowning out every sound except the roar of the fire behind her. Trapped in the recollections of her five-year-old self and that dreadful time, she envisions peering over her shoulder at the smoke and flames billowing over the treetops behind the wagon. Wanting to cry, she lifts her chin and turns away from the horrifying scene. She must care for her baby sister now.
JP Honeycutt snatches her out of the path of a runaway team and wagon bearing down on her. He is the chairman of the schoolboard meeting the train to escort her to her lodgings. Wealthy, powerful, a man of strength and character, he takes a dim view of her actions. Deciding to give her a chance to prove herself, he loads her into his buckboard and takes her to the boardinghouse.
Will what they discover together bring the two together or forever tear the lovers apart?

~ AMAZON ~

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 I write under the name Wareeze Woodson. I took my mother’s pen name Wareeze for my own. She never had anything published so I thought I would carry her pen name forward. I write historical romance with a twist of suspense, Regency and Victorian mostly. I did tackle a historical western as well. I’m an avid reader and I love to write as well. I live near Houston, TX and enjoy my family. Thank God for grandchildren. If you like to read historical love stories with a flavoring of suspense, look for books by Wareeze Woodson and join me on a journey through the past with daring heroines and dashing heroes.

Author Interview With Wareeze Woodson

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