Review & Giveaway - - The Sweet Life

The Sweet Life

by Debbie Mason

Sunshine Bay - Book 3

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: June 10, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

Sometimes you can go home again . . .
 
Attorney Sage Rosetti is a force to be reckoned with. Work/life balance? Never heard of it. But when the unexpected loss of her mentor sends her spiraling, she’s prescribed a healthy dose of time off. Luckily, she’s just inherited the perfect home where she can recover. Unluckily, she’s now co-owners with her high school crush/nemesis, Jake Walker. How can she truly relax when her heart is at risk?

Sage’s mother, Gia, is dealing with a crisis of her own. A new book is about to reveal their family’s biggest secret—and Gia’s devasting heartbreak. The only person she can confide in is the one man she shouldn’t be getting close to: her sister’s ex.

But just as Sage and Gia are starting to find their paths, someone from Gia’s past resurfaces who could ruin everything they’ve worked so hard to build.

PJ's Thoughts:

Debbie Mason takes readers back to Sunshine Bay for the final book in her trilogy about the Rosetti women. This time, Gia and her workaholic daughter, Sage take center stage and things in Sunshine Bay are about to get complicated.

I absolutely adore this Italian-American family of women that Mason has created. They leap from the pages of this book with their verve, their over the top emotions, their family feuds, and their bonds of love that, while tattered in some cases (for very good reasons), are perhaps not quite beyond repair. 

There's a lot going on in this book that kept me eagerly flipping pages. Mason infuses the story with humor, hope, romance, grief, betrayal, family conflict, self-discovery, and unexpected new beginnings, managing it all seamlessly. And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the drool-worthy dishes that emerge from the kitchen of the Rosetti family restaurant. My advice: have the pasta ready before you start reading.

Her characters are incredibly well developed and fully dimensional, with journeys that feel authentic and relatable. In all three books, I have never felt like I was reading about fictional characters. The three generations of Rosetti women and the men who have won their hearts have become real people to me and I am fully invested in their happiness.

Debbie Mason is a consummate storyteller whose books are among my favorites. If you enjoy family-centric books with romance, complicated relationships, a bit of mystery, and the joy - and messiness - of a big Italian family, give this one a try. 

The Sweet Life could be enjoyed on its own but because of the inter-woven stories and complicated family relationships that run through the trilogy, my understanding of all the characters, their past - and present - relationships and conflicts was enhanced by reading the three books in order. They are Summer on Sunshine Bay, Three Little Wishes, and The Sweet Life. 

Have you read Debbie Mason?

Do you enjoy women's fiction-romance blends?

Each of the Rosetti women has developed a signature sauce. What's the dish you're known for in your family?

Debbie Mason has very graciously offered a signed copy of The Sweet Life to two randomly chosen people who post a comment before 11:00 PM, (EDT), June 12.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review & Giveaway - - Three Little Wishes

Three Little Wishes

by Debbie Mason

Sunshine Bay - Book 2

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

Nothing gets Willow Rosetti down. She adores everything about her life in Sunshine Bay, particularly the close proximity to her beloved family and her job as a meteorologist. So when she finds out Channel 5 may close and she and her coworkers will be out of work, she goes behind her family’s back to call her estranged aunt, a famous actress. Willow has never met her aunt and has no idea why her family disowned her, but she’s hopeful Camilla can deliver the ratings they need to convince Noah Elliot, the station’s gorgeous and grumpy owner, to save Channel 5.

When Camilla Monroe learns her niece Willow is trying to contact her, she fears the worst—that her secret has finally come out. Distracted, she doesn’t see the e-bike in the road. Now a case of amnesia has Camilla back in Sunshine Bay, and she’s getting Willow into one mess after another.  

 
With a little bit of scheming and a whole lot of heart, this unlikely duo might just have the summer of a lifetime, saving the station, healing their fractured family, and even paving the way for love.

PJ's Thoughts:

Debbie Mason takes readers back to Sunshine Bay and the Rosetti family with a new tale filled with unexpected twists, long-held secrets, laugh-out-loud humor, and heart-tugging emotion. It's everything I expect - and enjoy - when reading a Mason novel. 

I love the dynamics among the women in the Rosetti family - the focal point of this series - the complex relationships, the layers within each of the women, the steadfast bonds among Willow and her two cousins, and the unexplained estrangement among their grandmother, mothers, and aunt. Mason took time to give each character the attention and development they deserved. That also included Noah and his teenage sister, Riley. In fact, the relationship between by-the-book, 15-year-old Riley and mischievous, 40-something Cami (who, because of amnesia, thinks she's 17 for the first half of the book) was one of my favorite parts. 

Willow and Cami are the Rosetti women who evolved the most in this book. I appreciated the complexities of each of their situations as well as their places within the Rosetti family. Or, in Cami's case, outside the family. I really enjoyed watching the growth of both of these women; with Cami as she worked to mend the rift between her, her sisters, and her mother and with Willow as she worked to find her calling and prove her worth. One of the facets of Mason's writing that I especially enjoy is her willingness to dig deep into emotionally fraught and thought-provoking situations. 

The romantic relationship between Willow and Noah is also an important part of this book and one that I enjoyed. Mason is so good at threading together multiple relationships in her books without causing confusion or sacrificing the importance of any one singular relationship. Whether it's friends, co-workers, siblings, mothers and daughters, other extended family, or romantic couples, each gets the attention it deserves and each has the necessary thread to form a complete tapestry. Things got pretty messy at times (just like real life) and there were places in the book where I had no clue how it would all work out - for any of the characters - but, of course, Mason guided them expertly forward to a heartfelt, believable conclusion with laughter and tears along the way. I'm already looking forward to whatever she has planned for this family next. 

Three Little Wishes can be read as a standalone but for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the Rosetti family, I would recommend reading book one, Summer on Sunshine Bay, first (Click the title to read my review).

Have you read Debbie Mason yet?

What books are on your summer reading list?

Do you enjoy multiple-generation stories or do you prefer books that focus on only one couple? 

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 13 and follows @ReadForeverPub at either Facebook or Instagram will receive a print copy of Three Little Wishes from Forever Publishing. To be entered into the giveaway, you must  include your social media handle in your comment and at which social media platform(s) you follow Forever.

* U.S. and Canada only

* Must be 18