What do you get when you have a skeptical news reporter always looking for the story to expose some kind of con going on. A chocolatier who is making "magic love" chocolates and Valentine's Day coming up?

You get this awesome story by Lizzie Shane. I found it to be a cute story that I just could not put it down. I think you will enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

This is a cute and romantic little book about magic chocolate and love. Lucy owns a chocolate store that has a legend that if you eat a Cupid chocolate on or around Valentine’s Day, you’ll find true love. Dean is a reporter who wants to promote in his work. He is also a man who doesn’t really believe in love. Lucy’s store goes viral after her friend made a post about the legend and Dean’s boss makes him do a cover story for it. Will Lucy and her shop/love of the chocolate magic change Dean’s mind?

I really loved this story. I think it’s such a cute romance novel. I think it also shows a lot about how small things like magic chocolate can help influence yourself to find love and put yourself out there. It also shows that it’s okay to believe in a little magic.

This story is super fast pace and I finished it in one sitting. If you love quick little romances and the trope of sunshine vs. grumpy then this is the book for you!

4 stars!

This story is adorabe and I can absolutely see it being a Hallmark movie. The book has wonderful characters and an original premise. Just loved it!

Lucy runs her family's sweets shop, which specialized in Cupid's chocolates, which, rumor has it, will lead people to their true love, if the taster is open to love. They even have a Cupid's wall with the successful pairings. She is worried, however, about overusing the "magic" once their shop goes viral.

Dean is a reporter who received an assignment to report on the "magic chocolates" since it is almost Valentine's Day, when the apparent love magic is strongest. Dean is completely skeptical as he doesn't believe in love.

Lucy is reluctant to let Dean interview her after he admits he thinks the cupid chocolates are a scam. However, he needs to make this piece to have a chance at a promotion. Thankfully, his sister works with Lucy and convinces her to the interview, which is a resounding success.

He in now tasked to do follow up interviews with couples featured on the wall and Lucy accompanies him. He really enjoys Lucy's companionship, but there is no way he'll fall in love. Then the producer wants Dean to eat a cupid chocolate live on Valentine's Day....

Such a cute romance! I can definitely see why it was picked up to be made into a Hallmark movie. I can't wait to see who they pick to play everyone!!
I just reviewed Sweeter Than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane. #SweeterThanChocolate #NetGalley
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Thank you the the publisher, author, and net galley for the chance to read this arc.

I thought this story was cute, you could definitely tell that it was a hallmark story. It did take me a bit to get into the characters, but overall cute rom com.

I just LOVE everything Hallmark!! This was such a great book. I listened to the audio and absolutely loved the narrators. This story was such a cute and sweet rom com! I loved hearing about their history with the candy store and how everyone fell in love. If you love a good hallmark movie and book this is definitely a must! Lizzie Shane is a great author. I also recommend her book Pride & Puppies!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, Hallmark Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

Chefs Kiss!

This was such a fun, romantic story. I liked the legend that anyone who ate a Cupid chocolate with an open heart would be guaranteed to find their one true love and have their picture displayed on the Wall of Love at the store, How Sweet It Is.

The characters of Lucy Sweet and Dean Chase really pulled me into the story. Lucy was a very sweet chocolatier and Dean was such a romantic skeptic, believing the How Sweet It Is store was promoting a con with their Cupid chocolates and he planned to expose them. He was a reporter for Channel 5 News.

I enjoyed how the story evolved and how the Cupid chocolate video went viral. Lucy was afraid there might be a curse on profiting from the sale of the special chocolates since her relative had led her to believe it was true. She could not keep up with the demand for the Cupid chocolates either.

There definitely was a feeling of magic in the story. I cannot wait to watch the Hallmark movie in February and see this romantic story come to life.! The only part I disliked is that the story made me hungry for chocolates. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Dean, a broadcast journalist, prides himself on protecting the unsuspecting from those who would take advantage of their gullibility and he takes it as a professional affront when he is assigned to do a puff piece in preparation for Valentine’s Day. Lucy, a chocolatier who is trying to keep her family’s candy shop afloat financially, thinks she is too busy for love but her grandmother believes in the magic of “the Cupids”, a candy made for generations from a secret recipe for the purpose of matchmaking. According to the legend, if you eat a Cupid candy on Valentine’s Day and your heart is open to love, you will find your true love. Lucy isn’t sure enough about the legend to offer guarantees but she still makes the traditional Cupid candies every year for the crowds of believers. When Dean enters the candy shop and hears about the legend, his investigative antenna goes up and he considers a new angle for his Valentine’s story that involves exposing the candy store for making fraudulent claims. This was such a fun spin on the enemies to lovers trope and it is told with a heat level that is consistent with a Hallmark movie. I enjoyed it although I felt it could have been a bit shorter. I received an advance copy via NetGalley and this voluntary review contains my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy. This is a really sweet book, kept me entertained throughout and I would thoroughly recommend to all.

Are you brave enough to taste the magic? This is the first book that I’ve read from under the Hallmark Umbrella. It read just as well as any movie by them that I’ve watched. I would definitely watch a movie version of this if it was made. It was a enemies to lovers, forced proximity book. There was the normal Hallmark level of affection. I enjoyed the MMC’s strong bond with his sister. I also enjoyed the way that both main characters patiently pushed each other to be their best selves. All in all it’s a sweet story perfect for the coming Valentine season and I really really want some chocolate from How Sweet It Is!

Super cute, light read!
This was just really sweet (pun intended 🙃).

Sweeter than Chocolate is a lovely story about Dean & Lucy. Lucy is a small town chocolatier, making “magic” Cupid chocolates that bring love on Valentine’s Day. Dean is a skeptical newscaster, sent to tell her story & improve his likability to become a morning news anchor.
They help each other with their dreams, and to see that maybe magic, or love, does exist.

Read if you enjoy:
⭐️ Sorta enemies to lovers? Or maybe grumpy sunshine. Skeptic & romantic?
⭐️ Small town
⭐️ Slow burn (without steam)
⭐️ Dual POV/3rd person

Sweeter Than Chocolate has all the makings of a a good romance book. The plot of a chocolate shop owner who sells "magic" chocolate and a skeptical news report determined to expose her "scam" appealed to me, and seemed to set the stage as a book that I wouldn't want to put down. Yet somehow it fell flat. The plot moved painfully slow, taking several chapters for the meet-cute. By chapter 10 there wasn't enough heat between the main characters to keep me interested in their story line and I wasn't invested enough in the sub story lines to want to keep reading. Unfortunately, I didn't even finish the book. Such a bummer, I wanted to love this sweet read so, so much but it just didn't captivate me.

The perfect read to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit!

💝 Magic chocolates that help you open up to and find love when eaten on Valentine’s Day? There must be more to this story.

✨ Book Review: SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE by Lizzie Shan ✨

💝 Book Synopsis: When a social media post goes viral, investigative reporter Dean Chase is assigned to the story. But not to debunk it, to capture a light, fluffy, human interest piece that will soften his on-air image. Lucy Sweet, chocolatier and owner of How Sweet It Is, believes in the legend of her Cupid chocolates, but also fears the extra publicity, thinking she’ll awaken a family curse. The two are an unlikely pair and definitely start off on the wrong foot, but create a truce and find they might be just what the other needed.

Pair one grumpy, cynical reporter and one cautiously romantic chocolatier, and watch the slow-burn chemistry, understanding, and magic build.

💝 My Take: Read SWEETER THAN CHOCOLATE for a dual-POV sweet grumpy/sunshine romance set during the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. Definitely recommend, especially if you like holiday reads. This had all the magic of a sweet Christmas romance, but centered around Valentine’s Day. Adorable!

Plus, the audiobook is expertly read by Andrew Eiden, the audiobook voice of the BROMANCE BOOK CLUB series (!!!), WHEN IN ROME, and more, and Brittany Pressley, whose audio resume is understandably and similarly very (very!) long. Swoon.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was adorable, charming, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and hope to read more books by this author.

3.75 stars!

Lizzie Shane's "Sweeter Than Chocolate" is an almost too saccharine-sweet romance perfect for Valentine's day. How Sweet It Is chocolate shop has been in Lucy Sweet's family for four generations, and now, she is the one in charge. Unfortunately, sales are a bit down, and a new rival shop has opened up across the street. Luckily, a local rumor, about eating her magic chocolate cupids on Feb. 14th to fall in love, has just gone viral online, which catapults Lucy into the public eye. Enter Dean, a jaded newsman and self-proclaimed "defender of the little guy." Dean has been tasked to cover these "magic" chocolate cupids for a puff piece to boost his resume for a potential promotion. Dean is a skeptic when it comes to romance as he had a hard childhood full of divorce. Lucy reluctantly agrees to let Dean do a news piece on her shop, provided he doesn't make it harmful to her business. As the one-off piece becomes an ongoing Valentine's day series for their local news station, the two spend more and more time together, and it looks like they won't need a chocolate cupid to fall in love.

I liked "Sweeter Than Chocolate" more than Lizzie Shane's last book, "Pride and Puppies." Lucy and Dean are both well-written characters with good character arcs, as are Georgie (a worker at Lucy's shop) and Lena (Lucy's best friend). Could we see books about them in the future? Lucy and Dean's journey evolves quickly over a few weeks, and a lot of people will be put off by this fast insta-lovey connection. I personally didn't mind because Dean and Lucy start off pretty jaded and quickly change each other's minds about love and "magic." It's an enemies-to-lovers, only the slightest sense. The story doesn't really evolve over enough time for them to be true "enemies," in my opinion" Lucy is an affable main female character who cares about the success of her family's shop. Despite being a huge skeptic, Dean is charming enough to be likable. It's hard not to root for them to get together.

It makes sense that this book is going to be turned into a Hallmark movie...it's sooooo syrupy sweet that it nearly gave me a toothache. Like, a one-kiss-only type of sweet. I guess it lives up to its name?? Still, this might turn readers off. It's ridiculously predictable, as are almost all books of this nature. What *did* annoy me, however, is how repetitive nature of the narrative. How many times do Lucy and Dean need to be interrupted before they almost kiss?! The stakes aren't super high, but sometimes, we just need a quickie softball book to read, right?

Thank you to NetGalley, Lizzie Shane, and Hallmark Publishing for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

This was an ultra sweet Valentine’s romance book that had me bashfully smiling through it. Lucy is the owner of a small, struggling chocolate shop that has been in her family for generations. She is hard working, extremely cautious but still a hopeless romantic. Their shop specialty is a Cupid chocolate that they only sell on Valentine’s Day and legend has it that if you eat one, you’ll find your soulmate.

Dean is a skeptical TV reporter who loves to uncover fraud. He’s assigned a warm and fuzzy story about, you guessed it, the Cupid Chocolates. It puts him way outside his comfort zone.

This book was sweet, clean and so romantic. The burn is extra slow and the ending is extra happy. Bonus: it’s soon to be a Hallmark Channel Original movie!

Thanks to @netgalley @hallmarkpublish and @lizzieshaneak for this eARC. All opinions are my own. This book is available today!

Thank you NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review! I was a bit skeptical at first knowing that this was going to be turned into a Hallmark Original. As much as I love watching cheesy movies, reading them is another thing. I was not disappointed though!

Lucy Sweet is the newest owner of her family’s chocolate shop, How Sweet It Is. This shop has been in her family for generations and is known for its Cupid Chocolates. These chocolates can apparently aide you in finding the love of your life! Lucy’s best friend is a total believer in this, writes a post about how she found her true love, and the chocolates go viral.

In comes Dean- a reporter for the people. Dean is pretty anti love but is encouraged to write a cute piece on the shop and just how magical it is. Their story then leads them on a cute, romantic adventure to discover just how sweet the “magic” behind the Cupid chocolates really is.

Overall, I thought that this was a very cute story. The romance was definitely a slow burn, as neither of them are really looking for love. Although both had their cautions of each other from the start, you could easily see the growth in their characters throughout the book. I think that this book will transition into a movie very nicely and can’t wait to watch it!

Again, thank you NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for giving me the chance to read this book early!

Lucy’s chocolate shown is shrouded in magic where it is believed that if you eat a chocolate on Valentine’s Day, you will meet your soulmate. However, for Lucy it is all about the business and when a rival bakery opens across the street, she is devastated. Dean is a TV reportor, who doesn’t want the idea of a business taking advantage of romantic desperation, but he doesn’t expect Lucy to help him track down and interview couples, brought together by her chocolates. Yet, when he realises that he might have been wrong, things begin to change between them.
These are two great characters that are instantly likeable, and even more so as I went through their journey together to uncover the truth behind the magic of chocolates. There are so many loveable characters in the book, including Lucy’s grandmother and Dean’s sister who rounded out the story and made in so much more likeable. I can definitely see this playing out into a Hallmark movie and hope to see it come out soon.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am always very honest with my reviews, and this book wasn't a miss as much as it wasn't a hit. It was exactly what I expected. Very cute clean Valentine's Day Romance. If that is your cup of tea, then you will love this book.

The whole concept of magical chocolates is cute and Lucy and Dean were adorable. I loved. their banter and their connection, but maybe I just wanted a bit more. The whole Hallmark formula for me is better in movies than book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I always love to read a Hallmark romance book being turned into a movie - Sweeter Than Chocolate is coming out as a movie very soon and after reading (and listening to) this one now, I’m extremely anxiously awaiting the release date for this one! It was so extremely good and sweet, just like the title!

As a massive Hallmark movie fan, and not looking this one up first, I was trying to picture which of my fave actors would suit the roles of Lucy and Dean best…. I think Lacey Chabert and Wes Brown would be perfect, though any would be truly great.

The story follows Lucy and her chocolate shop, which has been in her family for generations, with their “Cupid” chocolate - a special truffle that, if eaten on Valentine’s Day, has a legend that you can find your true love, because of magic. Dean is a reporter who does stories to help consumers find truth and uncover scams and cons. He’s been sent to do a story about a viral post about this chocolate shop and their love chocolates, jut before Valentine’s Day…. Cue Hallmark love story!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing, and this is my honest feedback.