I have a pretty lengthy review on GR that contains swear words, because I was super angry at our main gal and there's just no sugarcoating it. Don't quite remember if it's allowed here, so on the safe side, I'm just putting the start of the review here and the link of the full review.

Let me start by saying, at one point, I rated this book a 2. I'm giving it a 3, not because I actually thought it became better by the time I finished it, but because, in retrospect, I didn't think it was that much worse than the other books in the series, just that I personally loathed the plot and a specific character. The 3 is again a very honorary one; I simply don't care for this book, and would only recommend it to people who enjoy getting angry at disagreeable characters. The 3 is also for certain parts that I did appreciate, but the overall is more of a 1.5 for me, so like I said, the 3 I gave really isn't a full 3. I'm also going to just say it right here; should this book continue to have the average of 3.75+ passed 200+ ratings, I WILL lower mine back to a 2; that's how much I dislike the book.

Full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2065343210

Great next book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series. Easy and enjoyable read.

Captured by Chocolate is an entertaining romance. The book has a good plot and well developed characters. I enjoyed the author's writing and anticipate reading more of her work.

Photojournalist Casey Michaels has been working all over the world but when tragedy strikes he runs home to her family and longtime boyfriend Dylan. Radio DJ Dylan Morgan is happy in small town Montana but when a job offer comes in at the same time Casey comes home he has to make a big decision. I liked this book but found Casey to be on the annoying side only caring about what she wanted. Dylan was a sweet and supportive guy who deserved to be treated better. I did enjoying seeing Casey's character grow throughout the story.

Dylan has put his career on hold as Casey has traveled the world for hers. When Casey returns after devastating news, she must take a hard look at her life and decide how to plan the future. Dylan isn't sure where he stands and forces her hand. Each must decide if their love is strong enough to keep them together for a permanent love and future.

This story opens with Casey Michaels living her assignment in a foreign land and returning home to Montana. The small town of Marietta is where this photo journalist comes back to recharge only to leave again. This last assignment has changed her and she is wondering if it is time for a change as well in her life. Her longtime boyfriend Dylan Morgan is doing his radio show, preparing for his sister’s wedding, and for the first time has actually accepted his offer of looking at a job offer in New York. Not hearing from Casey her family as well as Dylan are surprised when she has arrived backed and she is taken back by everyone’s talk of when is she leaving again. When talking to Dylan she lets him know what happen on the last trip and though he is a little surprised that she did not tell him when they skyped, he comes around. He also is tired of always waiting for her and asks her to move in and she accepts. It is right after this that everything goes haywire again. She all of a sudden leaves again when she had told everyone she was staying especially Dylan, and she said she would be gone three weeks and it turned into six. Happy and excited to be home she has news to share but he is gone to New York and though he comes home she knows that it is strained. What they had has changed and maybe she had taken him and everyone for granted by leaving and coming home throughout the years. She decides to show Dylan her love not just for him but their town by the only way she knows how. Pictures but will the man she loves show up and see what she has done? Read this fine story about two people and their love ones fighting for them. A good story that is helped along with good characters.

Casey has loved Dylan forever and she knows they are soul mates. The only problem has been that Casey is a photographer determined to make her mark and see the world and Dylan is happy with his life in Marietta, Montana. Casey has spent her career using home as a base and taking off when the next call comes, leaving Dylan and her family with no notice to sit and wait for her.
Dylan has finally decided it's time to move on and explore career opportunities. When Casey shows up unexpectedly, needing a safe haven to recover emotionally. When she realizes that Dylan is ready to make permanent changes in their relationship, Casey has to decide what is important to her and prove to Dylan and everyone else, that she is ready to put their relationship first.
This was a great addition to the series. Dylan is such a good guy and more patient and understanding with Casey than I think I could ever be. Casey was a hard character for me to embrace through a good part of the story. I thought she was selfish expecting to go off on her adventures and live her life without Dylan but expect him to wait for her and be there no matter what. I needed her to prove she was worth his love, just as she had to with him and everyone else.
This was a well written story with characters that made you feel and root for them.
This is part of a series, and I enjoyed re-visiting other characters, but it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

Dylan and Casey know that they are each other's soul mates and are destined to be together. But Casey's passion for her work puts Dylan in backseat most of the time. Being the loving and understanding partner that he is he accepts his role in the relationship and lives a low key but content life in Marietta waiting for Casey to return to him. But when he finds himself refusing better career opportunities repeatedly he realizes that whiles he's making sacrifices Casey's moving up without giving him a second thought.

So this time when she comes home he's determined to have "the talk" with her. But this time Casey is different; she's hurting but won't open up to him and isn't ready to talk. In spite of her assurances though that she's staying longer this time, Ryder keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop and she's taking off on another trip around the world again.

ARC provided by NetGalley for voluntary review consideration.

This book was short but sweet. I hadn't read the other books and while that didn't really matter I do think it would have added something to my experience.

It was nice and cute and I do want to read the others now.

I received a copy from NetGalley; this is my honest review. Casey Dylan
I loved the interaction of Casey and her family. Too bad she's been missing out on what's happening with her parents.
I loved the way Dylan and his family round up together for a good cause, be it someone in trouble or just listening.
I loved that we met again some of the main characters from the previous books.
There's drama, sadness, guilt, misunderstandings, selfishness, non-communications, respect, happiness - hopefully for the long-term.
I was expecting more of actually seeing them together flooded with happiness but since it has finished like this, we'll probably see them in the next book or two.
Editing needs another pass. Not serious, nothing to get you off-track, but still need another pass.

This is the eleventh book in this series but works well as a standalone, though I’m loving hearing more about the familiar characters, places and events in Marietta that feature in many books in this and other series from this publisher.

In this story, Casey Michaels is returning home from her globe trotting and anticipating being with her longtime boyfriend, the local radio presenter, Dylan Morgan. They are soul mates and both of them know it but he’s a home town boy whilst she’s always wanted to get out and explore the world. She’s had a traumatic experience this time that has made her start to reevaluate her life and her choices but everyone anticipates her getting a phone call and disappearing again, like she’s done so often in the past. Dylan is used to her doing just that but he’s fed up of waiting for her to choose him rather than her job.

Despite the two main characters knowing each other so well, this is a story of realising that people’s experiences and opportunities can change them. It is one where life is offering Dylan choices away from Marietta so he wouldn’t be there should she decide to disappear off again. He has put other people first throughout his life, is it now time for him to put himself first? It is certainly a challenging time for both of them and another enthralling read in this great series which I have no hesitation in highly recommending them to anyone who enjoys escaping to virtually visit a delightfully portrayed community, meeting characters who become like familiar friends and neighbours. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!

I requested and was given a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

Casey and Dylan have been together forever and definitely must be a case of opposites attract as Casey is a photo journalist always following the latest story around the world, whereas Dylan is a real homeboy still living in his home town of Marietta

Dylan's friend however is always trying to get him to come and work in New York and tempting him with a great DJ job........should he go this time? Casey is starting to think that globetrotting is not all that it is cracked up to be and maybe she should stay home and spend more time with Dylan.......but will he believe her and will she be able to do it.....or will there always be one last assignment!

A lovely story you can feel for both sides and hoping that they can come to a compromise as they do love each other. Loved Dylan's grandmother Josie, a great character that really helped make the book

Loved this addition to Love at the Chocolate Shop!! In this story we meet DJ, Dylan and photo journalist, Casey. Dylan has always considered Marietta home, where Casey is always off getting the latest photos across the world. Casey has returned home to Marietta to her forever boyfriend, Dylan but will it last for along before she gets the next call.

Loved Dylan, so easy going but does get tired of Casey jet setting life. Casey on the other hand, really wants to settle down but she always has that desire to get the next story but her heart was broken at her last location.

Great characters that I really enjoyed reading. Highly recommend this story aalong with the rest of the Chocolate Shop stories. All are stand alone reads.

There's this romance series based on this chocolate shop in Montana. I have to say, I really want a frozen hot chocolate. And then I want to know how these people don't go into a sugar coma! lol

I like Steena's writing. She has a really great style and flow, it's easy and enjoyable. However, this romance didn't sit right with me.

It was unique in that they were already a couple. But was it time to move forward or move on?

What made me mad, is everyone in town said she needed to give up her dream and stay home. Nevere mind that she invited him to join her several times and he always said no. But wether they stayed together was on her staying put. All or nothing, and it was all on her.

I actually quit reading for a bit, because I was so furious. But I gave it another go, thank goodness I enjoyed the other characters. This was the most unique romance novel I've ever read. I've never had to put a book down in order to fume before. lol This had more substance than I would have given it credit for.

For perhaps the first time in this series I’m really conflicted about a character, I mean really, really conflicted. Captured by Chocolate gives us a different, at times difficult look at love. Real love, yes, but two people who say they love each other, have loved for years yet there is a distance that is far more noticeable than the often miles between their locations. Let me say that i never doubted that Casey loved Dylan. I was disappointed in how she showed that love to the man who was her center, the man she returned home to time and time again. Even if he wasn’t a man she could stay home for, he was important and loved by her. I’ve no doubt. She did certainly, perhaps without meaning to, take him for granted, knew with certainty that he wold always be there for her. She was off chasing her dreams, building her career, doing good things while Dylan waited at home for Casey to return… until the next phone call, the next text, the next assignment that would only take a few days but stretched into weeks. So, yes, I was disappointed in Casey. In the things she just didn’t see, didn’t notice, didn’t pay attention to… and the things she did not tell Dylan about. She hurt a good man deeply with her carelessness and that bothered me. But then, it’s also very real to life as well, for none of us are as careful with our loved ones as we should be.

Usually I would say that I enjoyed a story, yet Captured by Chocolate was more a story that I was personally involved with on another level. We become accustomed to the chase in romance novels, with an established couple in love we see different layers which made this a story that touched different emotions along the journey. My head is bursting with a thousand thoughts about this story, but I’ll stop here for you, the reader, should make up your own mind about Dylan and Casey.

I would recommend this story and the entire series to any Romance reader. This one will make you think, consider how you treat your own loved ones and wonder if Casey and Dylan’s happy ending will hold. For I confess, I’m wondering, too. And that leaves me a touch sad that even after their resolution of conflict, their happy ending I still question whether Casey will actually stay. That’s how much of a hold this character got on my emotions.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Photo journalist, Casey Michaels, was always on the move from one country to the next while her boyfriend Dylan Morgan waited for her to return to Marietta. But he was starting to lose hope for a future between them. He doesn’t think Casey is serious about settling down.

Casey is burned out after her last assignment. She is home for a break and needs Dylan to help her move past the heartbreak that she has endured while in Nepal. Dylan has always been there for Casey, but this time might be the last. He has an opportunity for a big job in New York City and is seriously thinking about taking it. But he gives Casey one last chance. When Casey leaves again, it’s the last straw. Will Dylan be able to convince Casey that he needs her to be with him and not always traveling?

I enjoyed this story. It’s an eye opener about putting aside something that might seem important to you and focusing on what is important for the one you love. Sometimes you have to meet in the middle.

I totally loved Captured by Chocolate by Steena Holmes, book eleven in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series. We finally get radio DJ Dylan Morgan’s story and his mysterious girlfriend, photo-journalist Casey Michaels. Dylan loves living in Marietta as well as the people who live there. He might not be an alpha-male, but this beta-man cares more about other people and his family than he does himself. He even passes up a wonderful offer to work at an east coast radio station in order to stay in Marietta. Casey has traveled around the world but while on this latest assignment she has lost her passion. She needs a break which she will find in Marietta where her family and Dylan live. They will always be there for her and love her no matter what. No one believes that Casey is home for the long term. However, if the phone rings with an offer for a new assignment, off Casey will go, sometimes without saying goodbye. Dylan is tired of coming in second when it comes to Casey and her career. With the help of Dylan’s grandmother and Sage, of the chocolate shop fame, she attempts to plan a grand gesture to prove she is really home for good.

I loved, loved, loved reading this book and had trouble putting this book down, reading it in one day. Ms. Holmes drew me in and did not let go until I read the last page. I highly recommend this book to other readers and while I for one look forward to the next book in this wonderful series, know that it is the last.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Eleventh in the Love At The Chocolate Shop series, Captured By Chocolate is about love, healing and new beginnings. Set in the tiny Montana town of Marietta the story can be read and enjoyed either as a stand-alone or as part of the series.
Photojournalist Casey Michaels gives her all to her work. She's talented at getting to the heart of a story through the lens of her camera but her last assignment, working with children in Nepal, has left her utterly shattered. She's home in Marietta to heal and take the next step in her longstanding relationship with her soulmate, Dylan Morgan.
Dylan has a program on the local Marietta radio station. He's an all-round good guy. Kind, generous and caring, he's stayed in Marietta to look out for his grandmother Josie. Dylan loves Casey, but he's completely over her dropping in and out of his life at will.
Steena Holmes has done a good job of developing the characters in this story. Both Casey and Dylan are complex and well rounded, and they have an excellent support cast to help them face their issues and work towards a happy ever after.
For me this story was darker and more intense than others in this series, possibly because of the secondary thread around the Paper Orphans in Nepal, which was truly shattering. I liked that the embracing community of Marietta and Its wonderful chocolate shop were able to weave their magic once again.

Casey and Dylan have been dating for years. Casey is a photo journalist and travels the world and Dylan is a DJ and stays home in Marietta, Montana. They only spend such short times together because of Casey's job. Casey returns home broken and world weary and wants to charge back up at home. Dylan wonders how long this time she will stay home with him before the phone rings. This was an edgy love story of 2 people who need to put their love first. My heart broke for Casey and all the things she has seen. I wanted to reach through my kindle many times and hug her. I loved meeting up with Josie again who is Dylan's grandmother. Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for providing me an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you- unfortunately, this entry to the series did not connect with me. Both characters had issues... but I felt the woman was in denial of what a relationship is all about. The stopry held too many misunderstandings aws the reasons for the plot.