⭐⭐⭐💫 3.5 stars | Having read To, Sir with Love by E. R. Braithwaite in high school, it was a little strange to me to see a romance novel with the exact same title. But once you know the premise, you'll understand the meaning behind the name.
When Gracie Cooper's father passes away from cancer, she steps up to take over his Manhattan champagne shop, not realizing the dire finances it was in. But she tries to keep it afloat and even sells her art there (her real passion) to bring in more revenue. It's still not enough though and soon a giant corporation, led by the very attractive Sebastian Andrews, starts knocking rather persistently on her door to buy the store, even as she refuses to give up on it. The one bright spot in her life is "Sir," a person she met through a picture-less dating app. They don't know what the other looks like nor have they met in person but their constant messages reveal the connection they've made.
What ensues is honestly very, very predictable and the official synopsis basically gives everything away but I felt it was meant to be obvious. It was really more about Gracie struggling under the pressure of keeping the store, her relationship with her siblings, and being torn between "Sir" and Sebastian. I actually really liked the premise of the story and thought it was cute but I did think the execution overall was a bit lacking. Even though I empathized with Gracie and certainly rooted for her, I thought the book being less than 300 pages was a bit of disadvantage. Everything was happening fast and not enough development was given to the characters and their relationships, which I would've loved to see more of.
Do I recommend? I still do although I would recommend borrowing it over buying. It is cute and quick read if that's what you're in the mood for!
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