Book Review: “My Sweet Escape” by Barbara Howard

“My Sweet Escape” by Barbara Howard (2025)

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Page Length: 364 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

When LA-based social media star Mia Daniels’ perfectly curated life implodes after a viral scandal, she escapes to the quaint town of Cider Mill, Ohio. Her plan? To lay low until the storm passes. What she doesn’t expect is to find herself drawn to Jack Miller, a fourth-generation candy maker who creates magic with copper pots and believes some moments are better left uncaptured.

As Mia trades her ring light for chocolate-stained aprons, she discovers there’s more to life than likes and follows. But just as she and Jack begin to create their own sweet blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern flair, her social media past threatens to unravel their budding romance.

With her heart on the line and her career hanging by a thread, Mia must decide what matters more: reclaiming her online empire or pursuing a love that’s anything but virtual.

Review:

What a sweet treat of a romance novel (see what I did there, haha)! My Sweet Escape is a story of savoring life’s small moments, stepping away from the hustle, and indulging in mouth-watering candy recipes. The novel can be described as best through Mia’s words in this quote:

For years, she’d viewed the world as content waiting to be captured. Every sunset, every coffee cup, every moment existed to be transformed into likes and follows. But here in Cider Mill, with her career in free fall and her phone tucked away, she felt remarkably unburdened.

Though it has some steamy romance scenes, reading this book felt like one big cozy hug. Cider Mill is an idyllic small town that is a break from the city life. The tight-knit community of the town constantly looks out for each other and there are so many beautiful landscapes that you just can’t capture through a photo. It reminded me of a cozy Hallmark movie with plot and easygoing vibes of the novel. I really enjoyed getting to know the romantic leads, Mia and Jack, stories along with those of the townspeople. I especially appreciated learning about the intricacies of his family’s business and the art of candy making.

The slow process of creating the confections in the candy shop can also be applied to the larger discussion of putting passion into your craft. So often Mia was trapped in the social media content grind that she loses sight of what made her enjoy sharing stories online with others. It reminds readers not to get caught up in the illusion of what is portrayed online and what people show you on a surface level. This aspect of the story made it very relatable to a wide reading audience.

I loved the slow-burn romance that develops between Mia and John over the course of the story. It felt very rea and genuine as the two work through their own issues and learn to lean on each other. The scenes where they bonded over fudge making were the cutest! I would love to see more stories set in the Cider Mill setting and revisit these characters again in the future. I look forward to reading more of Howard’s novels soon!

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.