Will the photographer with wanderlust ever be happy staying home? Her boyfriend doubts it. Charming story. Frustrating lack of communication within the couple. Sadly, it happens in real life, so that seemed normal but why I gave the tale four stars instead of five.

Captured by Chocolate by Steena Holmes is a bit different from the others in the series. This couple do not just meet somehow through the chocolate shop but have been dating for years. Casey and Dylan’s relationship has fallen into a pattern that is not healthy. It seems to be a holding pattern that has been permanent until something causes it to change. While both characters are honest and hardworking, I would have been surprised if the relationship would have lasted realistically.

A moving story, I found myself siding with Dylan more than Casey. Learning to give and take, re-prioritize your life and goals while staying true to yourself are at the heart of this love story. No doubt, Casey and Dylan can attest life is messy and love is not easy.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

When I first started this book I didn't think I was going to like it much. Casey Michaels is a character I don't like much. I found her selfish and self-centered. What drew me in was Dylan Morgan. He is just so perfect!! He loved Casey true and hard. He gave her the freedom she needed to thrive asking little from her in return. In the end I absolutely adored this book and I highly recommend it to everyone!!

This book frustrated me beyond belief. Because on the one hand there’s Dylan, who is a pretty decent guy. He loves his family, he’s good with kids, he purposefully gets the weather wrong so people can win money betting on his incompetence. He’s great, really, and a massive part of Marietta.

Then there’s Casey. Dream-chasing, photo journalist Casey, who loves her job and travelling the world and obviously does good work for charitable causes. In fact she’s a complete paragon who everyone loves because she’s so amazing and caring and giving… Except she’s not. Yeah, her job’s great and all, but when it comes to Dylan and her family she is unbelievably selfish. The way she treats Dylan is appalling and all those people who say she’s good for him need to get their eyes, hearts and minds checked. She uses him because he’s safe, he’s always going to be there and he loves her. She walks all over him and gets angry at anyone who points out the truth because they just don’t understand how it really is.

Well, the way I understand it is she gets everything she wants because only her wants and needs matter. Dylan doesn’t. She claims to love him, but there isn’t a single point in this book where she genuinely cares about what Dylan wants. It’s all about her. Even when he has a chance at something else, she’s far from supportive, because it doesn’t fit in with what she wants. She’s awful and I spent the whole book wanting to get Dylan as far away from her as possible.

She treats her family in a similar blasé fashion, yet they all still love her. WHY?! The only one who questions her is her sister-in-law, but Casey just ignores her anyway.

Then there’s the conflict at the end, when somehow Dylan’s the one in the wrong. Are you kidding me? That man deserves a life far beyond the reach of anyone who thinks Casey is good for him. As for the big gesture thing at the end, nope, that proves nothing. Casey should be apologising for the rest of her life for the way she treated Dylan – either that or letting him go. There’s nothing wrong with chasing dreams, but trampling all over other people’s hearts to get there so you can still provide yourself with a home to return to is not cool.

In all, I wasn’t convinced by this romance and couldn’t believe that any change would truly last. Dylan deserves better. Sorry, but this was one HEA I really couldn’t get behind.

Casey Michaels and Dylan Morgan have had a long distance relationship going for quite a while now as Casey wanted to go explore her dreams of becoming a photographer and traveling the world while Dylan was always more of a homebody and didn’t want to leave their small town of Marietta. Now after having doubts about her career and needing a break Casey has returned home and finds that it’s time for the talk to happen between them concerning their relationship.

Once home Casey starts to feel that maybe it’s time for her to put down some more solid roots but everyone around her seems to be waiting for that moment she runs out the door. Dylan has postponed a job interview wanting to see where things are with Casey but he feels that any moment she may leave him yet again and perhaps he should get on with his life without her. Will Casey’s grand gesture prove once and for all the two belong together?

Captured by Chocolate is the eleventh book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series written by various authors and set in the charming small town of Marietta, Montana. Each book in the series can easily be read and understood as standalone novels as they each feature a new couple with some sort of tie to the local Copper Mountain Chocolate shop. While they can be read separately though for the long time fans following the series there is always little bits of updates on the town and previous characters.

I found this installment to the series to be another lovely little addition to this great small town romance series. The characters in this story have a long standing relationship that just needs a bit of a push to rekindle so they do already know each other and one another’s flaws so the read can go a bit deeper than a first meeting of a couple. All the while working on their struggles the story still takes readers also back to the small town charm of things you can only find in Marietta which I’ve grown to adore with each book. Definitely another great addition to the series and as always look forward to reading the next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

A lot of love between Casey and Dylan that needs just the right mixture of trust, compassion and understanding to make their relationship work together.
Sprinkled with some wonderful family and friends in the small town of Marietta and include the best frozen hit chocolate from Cooper Mountain Chocolate Shop, and you have a sweet read to relax with.
Great story!

Photographer Casey Michaels and D.J. Dylan Morgan loved each other since they were kids.
Casey's wanderlust took her to foreign countries while Dylan stayed in Marietta, Montana caring for Josie his aging grandmother.
When Casey's world blew up in her face, she immediately flew home to Dylan promising to stay at least a month, but when her boss and friend Jordan calls her with a desperate need, she flies to London, not having the time to explain it all to Dylan.
Thus starts the series of misunderstandings that almost end the couple, but they are both taken in hand by loving relatives who help them find their way back
Great western romance chronicling how easy misunderstandings can break a relationship, and how it can be healed again, stronger for the tempest.
I requested and received an ARC copy from NetGalley as I have read most of the series so far and enjoyed it.

No, no, NO! Earlier this year I read a book that just made me furious. Someone else's review summed it up better than I could say but the basic crux of it was this: "It’s. All. Her. Fault." This book was the same thing, but "It's. All. His. Fault."

I can't recommend this book to anyone because after Casey keeps shitting all over Dylan and his heart for years and he finally decides he should try to let their relationship go everyone tells him to stick it out and he constantly is the one in the wrong.

Bottom line: Casey should be apologizing all over herself and Dylan can decide if he wants to accept her apologies. Casey is toxic. She's off living her dream with Dylan waiting patiently at home for her to grow the fuck up and she feels super entitled, that of course he is just going to wait for her. I mean, that's all he's done; he'll love her forever and let her grind him into dust waiting for her. She uses him, endlessly. Even the couple of good talkings-to that she gets end up with the other person in the wrong. Screw that! Casey is as selfish as they come and I'd kick her to the curb in a heartbeat.

I don't buy an HEA either. A sweet photoshoot of Marietta after years of treating Dylan like crap does not buy forgiveness and frankly, I don't trust her not to want to run off again.

It's hard to believe how each book in this series just adds more emotion and love piled upon the previous story. To me, Dylan and Casey's story had a different edge to it than those preceding it. There definitely was more push and pull between the characters, more unsettling, less lightheartedness, and tenderness...and a lot of miscommunications and misunderstandings. Until the end where it all came together with Dylan and Casey synching up their lives and love...I heard myself say, "Finally!"

It's still a delight to have the same thread of characters run through each story...their quirks and personalities add that much more fun and depth to the series. I'm looking forward to more stories as I'm just quite reading to leave The Chocolate Shop in Marietta, Montana.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and Natgalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.