The Sugar Ticket

De: Susan Jean Ricci

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

From the award winning Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, Cindy and Jay DeMatteo return in the sequel The Sugar Ticket, a tale that chronicles their marital journey as they alleviate a sour past and embrace a sweeter future together. Join these two midlife adolescents as they learn how to gently overcome their marital hurdles, especially with Christmas and a special birthday on the horizon. Cindy and Jay are always stepping out of the box of normalcy, while they explore new adventures, both the exhilarating and the humdrum. Enjoy their light-hearted humor and occasional rants, while they meet their daily tribulations head on. Cheer for them as they face the most fundamental challenge of all: Staying in love forever.

Cindy's love story, with a light touch of humor

I read the Kindle version a few years ago and couldn’t resist getting the audio edition, which brought the story to life.

Written with self deprecating humor, Cindy’s voice in this book presents the hope that having gone through two marriages in the past, the third time is the charm. "During Jay's courtship, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to deal with his emotional support, simply because I wasn't used to it. Now that we're married... it's not something I take for granted."

It is after the wedding ceremony that the real challenges begin: learning to live together, to adjust to the particular sensitivities of each other: "Our ex-spouses soon joined the taboo topic list... Since he has never uttered a nasty word about either of his former wives, this kind of make me wonder why he ever divorced at all."

These words summed it best for me: "The Sugar Ticket is the sweetness of your present when you alleviate the sour taste of the past."

Lovely mixture of fun, romance, and drama

Susan Jean Ricci's The Sugar Ticket is a touching and amusing sequel that follows Cindy and Jay DeMatteo through the second act of their love story. In a society too frequently obsessed with immaculate protagonists and flawless relationships, Ricci provides something refreshingly authentic: a middle-aged couple with eccentricities, baggage, and an enduring, if occasionally irritated, love for one another.
The Sugar Ticket picks off where their story left off, with Cindy and Jay attempting to sweeten a sour past. With the holidays approaching and a birthday celebration adding to the emotional weight, the couple must face both the mundane challenges and the unforeseen twists that come with marriage in middle age. Ricci expertly depicts the entire emotional spectrum of long-term devotion, from hilarious banter to quietly touching moments of reflection.
What makes this work stand out is its flawless blend of wit and warmth. Cindy and Jay are far from picture-perfect, which is exactly what makes them so appealing. Their "out-of-the-box" approach to life and love results in adventures that are both silly and sincere, keeping readers interested while rooting for their happily ever after. The style is light and well-paced, making the book an easy and delightful read. The humor lands exactly where it should, adding appeal and relatability to even the most serious situations.
The Sugar Ticket is more than just a love story; it is a celebration of what it takes to stay in love. For anybody who has weathered the storms of real-life romance, Ricci's tale serves as a gentle reminder that love, properly nourished with laughter and grace, may last a lifetime.
The audiobook format adds to the story's appeal, with narration that captures the humor, complexity, and real passion of Cindy and Jay's relationship, creating an even more immersive experience.