Love is Sweet

Love is Sweet

2020 • Drama
Jiang Jun, a driven woman with a background in economics and psychology, leaves philanthropy to fulfill her late father’s wish by joining a top investment firm. There, she faces intense competition and reunites with her childhood friend-turned-rival, Yuan Shuai. With her intelligence and resilience, she navigates workplace challenges, uncovering hidden schemes while finding success in both her career and love.

Why you should read the novel

If you’re drawn to heartfelt romance and nuanced characters, reading Qizi’s novel 'Love is Sweet' offers a richer, more introspective experience than the TV adaptation. The book delves deeper into the protagonists' inner thoughts, motivations, and emotional struggles that shaped their journey from childhood friends to destined lovers. Through exquisitely crafted prose, the novel reveals subtle details about Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai’s personalities, their upbringings, and the unspoken tensions between them. These elements, often glossed over in the fast-paced series, enhance your understanding of their complex relationship and help you truly empathize with both sides. With more space for secondary characters and subplots, the source novel also expands on the business and psychological drama at play. By choosing to read the book, you'll gain a fuller appreciation of the world Qizi has built, its realism, and its emotional depth beyond what’s shown on screen.

Adaptation differences

One of the key differences between the 'Love is Sweet' novel and the TV series lies in narrative depth. The novel provides extensive access to the characters’ internal monologues, giving readers greater insight into their personal dilemmas, desires, and evolving perspectives. In contrast, the TV adaptation often externalizes these emotions, relying on actors’ expressions and dialogue, which can flatten the complexity found in the source material. Additionally, several plotlines and characters in the book undergo significant changes or simplification for the television version. Some supporting characters receive less development or screen time, and intricate subplots involving work and personal life are either condensed or omitted entirely. This streamlining creates a faster-paced story but sacrifices some of the nuanced interactions and gradual character evolution present in the novel. The romance itself is also depicted differently. While the novel slowly builds emotional tension through small, meaningful interactions, the drama often accelerates key moments, introducing heightened conflicts or misunderstandings for greater on-screen impact. This can make the TV version feel more dramatic but less authentic to readers who appreciate subtlety. Lastly, the ending and certain character arcs diverge as the TV adaptation seeks a more visually satisfying and dramatic conclusion. Book fans may notice that some themes or character decisions are adjusted to appeal to a wider television audience, altering the story’s tone and occasionally its ultimate message.

Love is Sweet inspired from

Love is Sweet
by Qizi