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.

Local chocolate shop How Sweet it is has been in the Sweet family for four generations. But they don’t just serve your typical sweet treats, they also have Cupid chocolates. Rumor has it if you eat one of these Cupids on Valentine’s Day you’ll find true love.

Lucy Sweet loves being a chocolatier in her family shop, and she loves how her chocolates have helped others find love. However, always cautious, she has yet to take the leap into love herself. Enter Dean, a reporter who is sent to cover the shop for a story despite his cynical views on love.

Although the two don’t get off on the best foot, a friendship soon begins to form. Will it continue to grow into something more or will they let their fear ruin a chance at love?

This was just such a sweet, cheesy, charming story- exactly what you expect from Hallmark. If it wasn’t already being made into a Hallmark movie I would be calling for it to be.

This is a fun, quick read with short chapters. Throughout the story we get both Lucy and Dean’s POV which is always nice in a romance. I love getting to see inside each perspective as they fall.

P.S. Make sure to have chocolates nearby because I was definitely craving them 😂

Thank you to Hallmark Publishing, Lizzie Shane, and Netgalley for an ARC of Sweeter than chocolate.

I loved this! I'm a sucker for sappy romance stories. This was a cute and fun read, perfect for Valentines day!

If you believe in the magic of Love, then you will love this book! If you don't believe in the magic of Love, you need to read this book, to make a believer out of you! It will also be made into a Hallmark movie and I can't wait to see it. When you come to the chocolate shop on Valentine's Day and eat a cupid chocolate, the magic will happen if you believe. You will read of the many couples that have fallen in love because of this. What a great book for Valentine's Day!

Thank You to NetGalley for the ARC to read and do a review of.

I have found your perfect read for Valentine's Day. Sweeter Than Chocolate is a sweet and delectable romance that I devoured in one sitting.

Lucy owns a local chocolate shop called 'How Sweet It Is'. Her chocolates are out of this world and more people are starting to take notice, especially after they hear about the 'Cupid Chocolates' legend. According to Lucy and her family, if you eat Cupid chocolate on Valentine's day, you will meet your soulmate. It's so believable because so many couples have attested to the power of that chocolate. There is even a wall with pictures of happy couples that met because of the chocolates in the shop.

Dean is an investigative reporter who is up for a promotion for the morning TV anchor. One thing is holding him back and that happens to be his sweet side. No one at the tv station questions his determination to give viewers the truth but sometimes he can't connect on topics that are happier. So, he is given the assignment to report on the Cupid chocolates.

When Lucy and Dean meet, they don't get along right away. Dean accuses her of trying to take advantage of people by giving them false hope. But as he spends more time with Lucy he understands how magical she and her chocolates really are.

I really loved the friends-to-lovers trope because it was great to see Lucy and Dean build a true friendship. They opened up with one another and got to see each other for who they truly are. This book did read like a Hallmark movie and readers don't have to wait too long to actually see the book come to life. The book-to-movie adaptation premieres on February 4, 2023, and I am so excited about it.

This a sweet clean romance that is an all-around HEA for Lucy. It is well written and warms you from the inside out. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Sweeter than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane is a sweet story about a chocolate shoppe and a very cynical reporter who wants to expose the shoppe and its owner as frauds for claiming to sell chocolate that helps people fall in love. I really enjoyed this story. Be prepared for a story about 'magic' without it actually containing 'magic'.
Lucy Sweet, owns and runs her family’s chocolate store 'How Sweet It Is’. The shoppe has been in her family for four generations. Lucy is very passionate about making her family proud. There's an old family recipe for a chocolate that is famous in the small town for bringing people together with the 'magic' on Valentine’s Day.
What makes this story so fun are the characters and the whimsical idea of the chocolate bringing a couple together on February 14th, just by eating the Cupid chocolate.
When the skeptical TV reporter decides to report about the shoppe, there's some really 'sweet' discoveries and maybe a love interest found along the way.
Sweeter than Chocolate is an adorable story that could be a Hallmark movie that everyone would love.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Hallmark Publishing for an advanced readers copy and early audio copy. Narrated audio by one of my favorites, Brittany Pressley.

What a sweet book to read? I didn't even realize the book ending and even though it was a slow burn I was always curious to know what would happen next.

Dean - He's a TV reporter who doesn't believe in magic. Definitely with his past incidents he doesn't believe in love or the chocolates his Future love is making. Jokes apart but his views are also completely justified on the cupid chocolate.

Lucy - Who's trying to run her family chocolate shop Business meets this TV reporter. They're meeting is definitely a misunderstanding at the beginning but then they both unknowingly end up becoming friends.

Georgie (I won't speak about what's her relationship with the main characters) *Not gonna reveal the secrets* but I truly loved her. She captured my heart.

The story brings in a lot of positivity within us. This is one such book which also concentrated on the supporting characters. I'm sure Lena's and Tyler's (Supporting character) story would also make you think and understand the plotline of the story even better. The author did justice to all the characters she created in this story.

Thank you so much giving me the ARC of this sweet book @netgalley @hallmark and @lizzieshaneak

When I heard this was being made into a Hallmark movie, I was instantly sold! It's exactly what you would expect - a sweet, clean, happy-ever-after kind of book, and it's just what I was looking for to warm up the chilly winter months! Lucy and Dean had a lot of great banter and definitely made it an enjoyable read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A friends-to-lovers romance novel, Sweeter Than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane centers on television reporter Dean Chase and chocolatier Lucy Genivee Sweet.

I won't lie; Lucy and Dean had some of the best heated banter because they were always teasing each other and stealing secret glances. However, despite their hilarious banter, I didn't feel any real chemistry between them; rather, it felt more like friends making fun of each other while harboring minor crushes.

I will admit, though, that the book felt incredibly drawn out, which added to how obvious the plot was and how predictable it was. But, I will admit that the last 20% improved a lot, and we got to read about Lucy and Dean's genuine chemistry throughout that time.

In all, this was a sweet read that had so much potential.

*Thank you to Hallmark Publishing, and to the author, Lizzie Shane, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

This was an incredibly "sweet" story! If you enjoy the stories in Hallmark movies, this is a book you'll want to check out! I found that Lucy and Dean, as well as the other side characters, were all very likable, even Dean, who was the terrible TV reporter hoping to expose the "scam" he believed the chocolates at How Sweet It Is to be.

There were so many wise thoughts woven throughout the story that it made for some excellent reading. Even if it was hiding behind the Hallmark-esque romance style. I felt like the characters, both the main characters and supporting characters, all added so much depth to the story and though there were a lot of characters, I didn't feel like it was too many.

My biggest "complaint" is the there wasn't much of a story with the shop across the street. I was expecting 'You've Got Mail' vibes which I didn't get from this story.

This story is being made into a Hallmark movie set to release soon. This is the perfect story for Hallmark and I absolutely can't wait to watch the movie! As the story is set around Valentine's Day, this is the perfect read for the holiday, whether or not you celebrate Valentine's Day.

What a delicious romantic read! Make sure you have some chocolate goodies in the house when you read this as you’ll definitely be craving some chocolatey goodness after you finish it.

Lucy Sweet is the owner of How Sweet It Is, a family business passed down through generations of Sweets, who were originally the Van Suyts from Belgium. Family recipes have been passed down, including the Cupids, which supposedly can help you find your true love…

Lucy’s friend Lena posts about the Cupids on social media and the local news station catches wind and wants to do a story on it. Dean Chase, investigative reporter, is sent to do a romantic piece on the Cupid Chocolates… but he reckons it’s just a marketing scam and a hoax.

All in all, this romantic, sweet story is a light and fluffy romance perfect for anyone wanting an easy read. Definitely one to read in the run up to Valentine’s Day!

Do the “Cupid chocolates” from Lucy’s shop
really help people meet their One True Love?
Dean, a TV reporter, has his doubts…

Lucy’s chocolate shop, How Sweet It Is, has been in her family for generations…along with the secret recipe for Cupid chocolates. Rumor has it that if you eat one on February 14, you’ll meet your soulmate. Lucy herself isn’t sure if it’s magic or just romantic optimism, but a family legend is at stake. Besides, with her grandmother to support and a rival bakery opening up across the street, it certainly doesn’t hurt to believe.

Dean, an ambitious and skeptical TV reporter, doesn’t like the idea of a business taking advantage of romantic desperation. He doesn’t count on Lucy joining him as he tracks down and interviews couples supposedly brought together by the chocolates. Together, they find that the truth can be complicated…especially when it comes to their own hearts.

I really loved this book, it was very reminiscent of the movie Simply Irresistable, but with chocolates. Who doesn't want to think, or hope, that there is some whimsy or divine magic that leads you to your soulmate? Loveable characters also added to my enjoyment.

This is a wonderfully clean and wholesome read, perfect for gifting to your galentine this year.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

@netgalley #netgalley #bookreview #bookstagram #contemporaryromance #hallmark #hallmarkbooks #valentines #galentinesday #chocolate #sweeterthanchocolate #romancereadersofinstagram #romancestagram #cleanromance #sweetromance

A cute, quick, Valentine's theme clean romance.
Lucy owns a chocolate shop with a magical Cupid chocolate, and legend is that eating one on Valentine's Day helps you find your true love. Dean is the anti-love investigative reporter for the local news and shows up ready to do an expose. Except his boss wants a feel-good piece. Then begins Lucy and Sean bantering as she tries to convince him the chocolates can work. They end up spending a bunch of time together, feelings, etc.
I enjoyed this, as it was less saccharine and cheesy than some of the Hallmark stories. It was a nice Valentine's focused book, and I liked the characters.

There was something so sweet about Lucy and her chocolate shop, "How Sweet It Is". If you eat her chocolate on Valentine's Day, you will receive love, an idea I wasn't a huge fan of. She didn't want to promote magic either, which I liked about her. In the shop, the Valentine's Day atmosphere was warm and welcoming. My favorite thing about Dean was his character and how he was a skeptical television reporter. In the story, he was one of the most difficult characters to crack, which added some tension.

A few interviews later, Lucy and Dean realized some truths about themselves and that magic can really exist.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Hallmark Publishing, for this book in exchange for my honest review!
1 like

This book was so cute. I enjoyed reading it. I love a good love story. Hallmark really knows how to yank a person’s heartstrings. This was the first book I read from hallmark publishing and it definitely won’t be the last one.

This book is definitely SWEET as the title suggests. The story of a family chocolate shop, a Cupid Chocolate and finding love.

This is in some ways a typical romance story/book but it is cute, sweet and a little bit romantic. Lucy and Dean are the perfect characters for this setting and the writing was clear, easy to follow and fun to read.

This is a fun, entertaining, romantic and an easy reading book and great for a holiday read.

This book was so cute! I loved absolutely everything about it. I loved skeptic Dean and all about love Lucy. They made the perfect pair with how opposite they were. The side characters in this were just as amazing as the main. This was such a cute and fast paced Romcom.

“Do the “Cupid chocolates” from Lucy’s shop really help people meet their One True Love? Dean, a TV reporter, has his doubts…”

This has all the best parts of your Basic Hallmark Romance, with none of the annoying bits.

There IS a cynical, career-driven character.
There is a small-town-mom-n-pop shop needing a Christmas Miracle.
There is a dash of magic.
There is a happy ending.

The great thing? The cynical character ISN’T the woman.

Hallmark can tend to set back feminism by decades in its incessant need to make the FMC choose a man over her career.

But, this is 2023 and HALLMARK IS GROWING Y’ALL!

I enjoyed the meet(stuff-foot-down-throat)cute.
I enjoyed the slow-burn Enemies to Likers (zero spice in this book).
I enjoyed all the secondary Success Story Cupid Couples.
I definitely enjoyed hearing about all the delicious chocolate.

I found The Curse storyline a little weak, but all in all, this story was the best I’ve seen come from Hallmark.

2023 is going to be a great year.

7/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Hallmark Publishing, and Dreamscape Media for this sweet ARC.

Lucy Sweet owns a chocolate shop, How Sweet It Is, that has been in her family for generations. Legend has it that if you eat one of the special Cupid chocolates on Valentine's Day, then you’ll meet your soulmate.

Dean is a tv reporter who has his sights set on an anchor position, but he’s told he needs to soften his image a bit. He’s assigned a personal interest piece that is a bit out of his comfort zone as a resident skeptic when it comes to love.

Together Lucy and Dean interview the couples who claim to have been brought together by the Cupids. Will all the publicity from Dean’s coverage be enough to help Lucy’s shop and help Dean secure the position he desperately wants?

As a fan of all things Hallmark, this novel did not disappoint. I can’t wait to see the Hallmark Channel original movie!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #SweeterThanChocolate