It was such a relief to get the last two boxes from my order. Having ordered the boxes on July 23, it was disheartening that they took so long to ship the boxes, and even more disheartening that they forgot half my order in that first shipment. Now that they’ve arrived I no longer have to think about Sweet Reads or worry about whether or not I’ll get what I paid for. It’s too bad it was such a bad experience because I probably would have otherwise subscribed. Their customer service makes me think they don’t need me, but the surplus of “buy now” boxes makes me think otherwise.
Sweet Reads Box Subscription Overview
Cost: $89.99 CAD + Shipping + Tax (Discounts & Free Shipping for 3-12 months)
Value: Unknown
Frequency: Monthly
Cancellation Policy: Cancel any time but if you have pre-purchased a subscription, you will be shipped the remainder of your boxes.
Payment: 1st of the month
Focus: “Each month you will receive a carefully curated box showcasing the novel of the month.” This includes a drink to set the mood and a sweet treat.
Ships From: Vaughan, Ontario
Inside the Box
This is a romantic comedy that takes place in London, England. It sounds like a good time that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. I’m actually fairly looking forward to reading this. Someday.
I don’t understand these Q&A things. The questions don’t seem to pertain to the book, and they’re not very interesting either. If you’re a person who appreciates these, could you let me know what appeals to you about them?
Though unsurprisingly past their best before date, I think these cashews are absolutely delicious. They’re too sweet as a snack for me, but I would definitely have these as a dessert or to offset the saltiness of a dish. (I like to eat something sweet with my salty foods.) Being sugary nuts, the calories are hefty in this bag.
Mate is a fairly common drink in South America from what I remember, often consumed in special gourd cups with a bombilla, which is a straw that filters out the leaves and stems. I only had it a handful of times because I’m not a huge fan of it. It is highly caffeinated and often sold as an alternative to coffee with other health benefits touted. This particular blend has lemon pieces & peel, ginger, peppermint, lemongrass, and gynostemma. Now that Tony and I have ways to brew loose leaf teas, I am looking forward to trying this.
Sweet Reads has a lot of confidence to add so many branded products in their boxes. I will never wear this hat and I don’t think I could give it away. Donation bin it goes.
Soap is also a necessity of life, and I generally welcome all bars of soap. This one doesn’t smell particularly pleasant, which is a bit of a surprise since it is strawberry scented (flavoured?) I guess since there’s no actual strawberry, only “parfum”, I shouldn’t expect too much from it. I will still forever love my pure olive oil soaps.
This is a lovely little set of cards with quotes by famous authors. There are six cards, and each is unique. There are seven envelopes for… just in case? I’d rather have too many envelopes than too many cards, so this is good.
I don’t like wooden bookmarks; I don’t think they fit well in books and they break easily. This is a cute design but I can’t decide whether to gift or keep.
I won’t be using this book. It says it’s supposed to lower anxiety and stress, but just thinking about doing the activities stresses me out. I’m very much “finish line” oriented, and thinking of how many circles I would have to draw to fill the page raises my heart rate, and not in a good way. There are so many other things I could be doing with my precious time. I also become a bit obsessive with tasks and would probably attempt to finish the whole thing at once, which is counterproductive. This will definitely be gifted to someone who will benefit more than I would.
Overall Impression
There’s not a lot in this box that appeals to me. There are some things I can use, and some things I look forward to trying, as I wouldn’t choose to purchase them, but overall I could do without all of the items in this box. Even though I really like the cashews, I would happily do without them. I don’t need to expose myself to more delicious, non-healthful foods.
I also really don’t like the purposeful branding of products. I get it if they’re being used as promotional items, but when they’re being paid for it’s a bit rude to assume that we want to pay to advertise your company.
wanderingfawn 