Summary: Working at Meade Creamery is more than just a summer job for Amelia. The ice cream stand represents a sisterhood, dating back to the WWII era when the stand first opened with an all-girl staff. It’s the place where she met her best friend, Cate, and the two can’t wait to spend their last summer before college scooping ice cream and competing for tips. As the new Head Girl, Amelia is prepared to give the girls in her charge the best summer yet. But when tragedy strikes and Molly Meade’s grand nephew comes to take over the business, Molly goes into protection mode- for the stand, her friends, and her heart.

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

 Cover Lust?: Absolutely! Simon & Schuster slays the cover design game (exhibit A and B being Morgan Matson and Jenny Han’s books), and Stay Sweet is no exception. The cover gives you the perfect image of Meade Creamery, and I love how it continues from front to back.

My Thoughts:

 There’s nothing better than kicking off the summer with a summer contemporary. Especially one that features ice cream, like Siobhan Vivian’s Stay Sweet. I was super sold on Stay Sweet’s premise, as feminism and ice cream are the perfect duo for this reader. I’m happy to say that the book absolutely delivered on both ends. Meade Creamery, has always had an all-girl crew and the older girls make it a point to form close-knit relationships with all of the staffers. Amelia, Cate, and the girls’ friendships made me wish I could’ve worked at an ice cream stand in high school (and now!). There were points where Cate did frustrate me because she was being too harsh on Amelia for doing her best to keep the ice cream running. However, I also understand Cate’s point of view, looking to spend one last great summer together before college.

And before anything else, let’s get into the ice cream. I love books involving food, let alone ice cream! While it may be expected, there was so much about ice cream in Stay Sweet that I may or may not have taken a few breaks to my freezer while reading. We see Amelia and the girls serving customers, prepping the stand for the summer, and even making ice cream! I’m now completely pining for an ice cream maker (and a blast chiller and basically 50 gallons of milk) and attempt to make my own Home Sweet Home.

I loved Amelia as our MC because of her determination and dedication to Meade Creamery. It was really empowering to not only see Amelia’s effort, but also her genuine passion for the stand. While I’ve seen mixed feelings about the romance in Stay Sweet, I liked Grady as a character and didn’t mind their relationship. It was fun to see him let his guard down and his own passion for the business.

Overall, I absolutely loved Stay Sweet for Amelia’s determination, its female friendship, and yes, all of the ice cream! I’m highly anticipating Siobhan’s next book, We Are the Wildcats.  

Have you read Stay Sweet? What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Share in the comments!