Sweet Masterpiece

Samantha Sweet Series, Book 1

By: Connie Shelton

Narrated by: Andrea Bates

Samantha Sweet breaks into houses for a living - all perfectly legal as a caretaker for the USDA. But her real dream is to open her own pastry shop, 'Sweet's Sweets.' Life is a little crazy for Sam right now.

At one of her break-in properties, a dying woman insists that she take a small wooden box. Sam doesn't realize that the old woman was known locally as a 'bruja,' a witch, until she begins to feel some strange effects from the box. Meanwhile, at another property, she finds an unmarked grave and the authorities come to investigate. The property owner disappeared a few months earlier and Sam wonders - who is the body in the grave? A small mural in the house leads to a connection with a famous artist; a bogus will points to possible fraud; and the handsome deputy investigating the case seems completely enchanted with Sam. While Sam scrambles to fill bakery orders and keep her properties in order, she's equally intrigued with the idea of a new romance. It all makes for a delightful romantic mystery with elements of the paranormal.

©2010 Connie Shelton (P)2013 Books in Motion

This is a must read

This was a captivating story that held my attention from start to finish. It inspired creativity and engagement as I listened. The narrator's voice was exceptionally well-suited to the material, effectively conveying emotion at all the right moments. Now, I'm eager to learn more about the mysterious box—looks like I'll need to get the sequel to satisfy my curiosity!

Good book

The story really kept my interest. Samantha was a good woman that thought of others. I liked her character. The reader of the book did a great job. She could always be understood and had an extremely pleasant voice. I believe a woman between 40 and 80 would like this book best.

Sweet is Sweet

Enjoyed the story and the reader. That's quite a job she has, and brave too, yikes! The descriptions of her baking and frosting designs are so fine I actually saw them in my mind. "Who done it" really was a surprise!! oh my!!

cute and different!

I really enjoyed reading about someone a little older, a little less perfect but still living life aggressively! I got a kick out of her jobs and appreciated how hard Sam had to work. thanks for the realistic fiction!

Okay

I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it. I didn't like the narrator's voice. I also didn't feel a connection to the story or characters. I finished it because I didn't have anything else better to read. I probably won't get the next book in this series.

A sweet little book ...

... definitely going to read more to see how the character develops! Certainly worth a read!

Lovely book

Something that shows kindness and love between two people. No graphic sex. A plus..
love, kindness, and compassion.

Very Good and different

Overall this is a good book. It is different, because there is a little mystery, magic, murder, love relationship, and a story about the life of a woman who breaks into homes to fix them up. She also wants to own a bakery. The magic part is based on her getting a box from a old dying lady and how it helps her with her life health and solve mysteries. I really want to read more of the books, because I think they will expand on the magic and provide more mysteries. The great thing is she is over 50 years old, but you see her as a spry young person. I also, likes the fact that she is a little over weight and is still able to attract a man who is younger than she. Awesome.

Picky, I know I'm Picky.

I really enjoyed this book -- the plot, the characters, the locale, the whole thing....BUT....Ms Andrea Bates needs to learn the pronunciation of the few Spanish words in the text correctly (unless of course, Spanish in NEW Mexico is pronounced differently than it is in "OLD" Mexico)

.As a writer and editor details are extremely important to me and as a US citizen living in central Mexico, near Guadalajara for 26 years, my Spanish pronounciation is good, even though my grammar is flawed.

Ms Bates just misses on a couple of words, but each is used multiple times and they grated, and made the back of my neck stiff.

First -- Brujas (witches, curanderas) is said bru-haas NOT Bru jaws as in the tape.

The second is Quinceareas, the celebration of the 15th birthday, and that number is the more commonly used slang for the event -- a girl has her "Quincea~nos" of just Quince. Actually that is the part of the word causing the problem -- Quince (15) in Spanish is not pronounced like the fruit, the quince. Any time there is a qui in a Spanish word, it is pronounced "key" So it could phonically be written keencee or the full Quincea~nos (with the tilde over the n) is pronounced Keencee anYos

I know, it's picky....but the first couple times she said Bru-jaws I didn't know what she was talking about.

Thanks for an enjoyable listen and if I could I'd give the performance 3.5, in spite of these words and the 3 or 4 times she had lost her place or fumbled on a word.

Sweet, Artsy and Fun

I didn't expect to enjoy this one quite so much! But I connected with Samantha right away . . . down to earth, no frills, no pretense . . . and gutsy! And not as skinny as a toothpick to boot! Cleaning repossessed houses and baking, she runs onto a dead artist in one of the homes she has come to reclaim . . . and the authorities want to tie it up with a bow as "natural causes" . . . but Sam is pretty sure that something diabolical happened here . . . This is a clean, entertaining listen . . .