Curl up, suspend your disbelief, and jump into Josey Cirrini's world...you won't regret it! This is another sweet (oohh...sorry about the pun!) novel from the author of "Garden Spells." It's a story of love and magic and realizing that forgiveness can be given---it's never too late. This is a perfect Escape-My-World novel. I loved it!

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This is the second book I have read by Sarah Addison Allen and like the first, Garden Spells, I was put under a spell. ( Pun intended!) Her books are a light, easy read. You can keep track of all the characters and what is going on in the book with out having to make notes. I find it intriguing how she mixes real life with magic and a little fantasy. I am looking forward to reading more by S. Allen to me she is an author to watch!

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This was such an enjoyable book. I became so attached to the characters that it felt like losing a good friend when the book came to an end. A fascinating story line that keeps you turning the pages and not wanting to put it down, and characters that you can really connect to. I can't wait to read the next book by this author.

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Excellent story! Leaves you wondering until the very end, so it is a bit of a mystery (don't know if it is billed as one). The only complaint I have is that the title is a bit misleading and doesn't give a good picture of the story.

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If you like fiction books with just a touch of magic, then you'll love The Sugar Queen!

I read this book straight after Garden Spells (although the two books are not connected) and it's hard to say which I enjoyed more. Once again set in North Carolina and centered around a small town and it's residents, I guessed the major twist in the book very early on but it still didn't spoil my enjoyment of this wonderful book.

I'm very much looking forward to Sarah Addison Allen's next book and hope she writes many more.

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Loved it!

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I really enjoyed the book. After the first couple chapters I was caught up in the surprise of how all the characters were connected. I had a hard time putting the down. If looking for an enjoyable quick read, this is the book.

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This book was an adorable follow-up to Garden Spells! SAA has fast become one of my favorite authors. A word of caution, do not read any of her works if you are hungry. Sugar Queen made me want grilled cheese sandwiches for days.

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I loved this book!!! It was such a joy to read, I couldn't put it down even though I wanted to savor it longer. The book takes place in a small Southern town in the snowy town of Bald Slope. Josey is a modern day Rapunzel, trapped in her house taking care of her ungrateful mother her whole life. The sudden appearance of a stranger changes it all. This book is romantic and magical, but in ways that aren't your usual run-of-the-mill spells and I loved it for that. Loved the author's writing style, cannot wait to pick up her other book!

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Mystical and magical. A fascinating story of women, their mothers, their fathers, friends and sisters. Suspend all you know about life, and read this tale of romance and heartbreak.

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I really enjoyed both of the Waverly books by Allen. This was the first stand alone book I have read by Addison. It was okay, but definitely not my favorite. There is a bit of magical realism in here, but not nearly as much as in the Waverly books. It basically follows a couple young women around as they deal with life issues and try to find their way to happiness.

Josey is living a pretty sorry life as a 27 year old. She was a horrible child and has spent most of her life trying to make up for it by caring for her mothers every need....Joseys mother is not a nice person. Things start to change for Josey when the wild Della Lee shows up in her closet, Della is fleeing something and begs to stay in Joseys closet to take a breather from her life. Della pushes Josey to try new things and before Josey knows whats happening Josey has befriended the slightly odd Chloe Finley. Then Josey actually decides to talk to the mailman Adam who shes had a crush on for years. All of this leads to Josey and the people around her taking risks and working to make their lives a better and more happy place to be.

This book is written in the beautiful writing style that all of Allen's books are written in. However I had some trouble engaging with the characters and just thought the whole story was a bit boring. The book didn't give me the comforting warm feeling that her Waverly books do.

I had a lot of trouble engaging with Josey, she was just so cowed by her mother and so scared to step outside her comfort zone. She does grow a lot as a character throughout the book, but as the main heroine of the story she wasnt my favorite. Josey hides candy in her closet and eats it in secret as a way to deal with her unhappiness (hence the title of the book).

I liked the character of Chloe better. Chloe has a mysterious power, books randomly appear around her and they are always books that will help her in some way. When her husband cheats on her Chloe feels betrayed and desperate. Only her budding friendship with Josey allows her some stability and helps her from making some truly bad decisions.

Adam is Joseys love interest and he was a well done character. He is very sweet and loving towards Josey and has some secrets of his own. I thought the relationship between him and Josey was sweet but they two didnt have explosive chemistry. Theirs was more of a gentle lull of a relationship.

There is a big twist at the end of the book that I kind of saw coming. However, I found most of the story to be a bit boring. It was more of a drama/soap opera than anything, even with the small bits of magical realism throughout.

Overall this wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't my favorite either. I like Addisons Waverly series a lot more. This book was mostly the drama of a number of women trying to find their way in life. Parts were a bit boring and I had trouble engaging with the characters. There is a nice twist at the end of the story and I did enjoy the beautiful writing style. I guess I would recommend to die hard Addison fans or to those who like reading those Lifetime drama sorts of books.

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I thought this books was great. First time reading anything by sarah addison allen, it was pleasantly surprising quick read.

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