St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley provided me with an Advanced Reader's Copy of Dreaming in Chocolate. The choice to review this book was my own.

Fans of the author Sarah Addison Allen might enjoy this magical realism novel about miracles and second chances. Penelope Dalton runs a hot chocolate cafe with her mother, a shop that features items that have magical properties. The apothecary table gifts the women with recipes and ingredients that they need, but will not give Penelope the one thing that she needs: the ability help her young daughter. Will Ella’s bucket list have power of its own?

The biggest problem that I had with Dreaming in Chocolate was that the author neglected the very realistic issues surrounding a serious illness and focused instead on the fantastical part of the story. Ella's illness was not realistically portrayed, nor was her mother's response. The idea of a magical table was barely explored and readers were basically asked to take on faith the miracles that the table can perform. The addition of a romantic interest cheapened the plot and took the focus away from a mother and daughter dealing with their shared grief over a debilitating illness.

Dreaming in Chocolate is not lighthearted enough and did not have the whimsy that hallmarks most magical realism novels. For these reasons, I am hesitant to recommend this book to other readers.

A plot around a terminally ill child is just rough no matter what, but reading it with everything going on in 2020 is tough. Still, I liked the idea of magical chocolate. The main character wasn't super likable as she was keeping the child from her father.

Chocolates that have magic? I always knew that chocolate had special powers… a good reason to eat more!

But this book, Penelope and her mother run a café that makes chocolate and other candies that have special powers. They are given special recipes to make chocolates that will help each other and their customers with their lives. The catch, the one thing Penelope really needs a special recipe for never happens. My heart wanted to break for Penelope and her daughter but their way of living life made me smile. They took each day for all they could get out of it and truly lived life to the fullest. Each check made on Ella, the daughter’s, bucket list made me smile at how something simple like having cake for breakfast is taken for granted when you believe that you have many years left to live.

The setting of the small town was fun. There was a quaintness that I would love to live in. I am not sure I could handle the nosy, know it all, pushy neighbors but I believe they made up for all that with their love, respect, and never-ending support.

I believe this is the perfect book for someone looking for a charming, heartwarming, sweet story. I’d recommend picking up your own copy of Dreaming in Chocolate.

Thank you William Rhino at St. Martin’s Press for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet story about a girl who has an inoperable brain tumor and is simply wanting to live out some of her wishes and dreams in the time she has left. I enjoyed much of this story but I didn’t love it like I had hoped I would. I didn’t really like the element of magic throughout the book, and magic aside, I felt like a lot of what happened just didn’t seem realistic enough to have happened he way it did. This was my first book by Susan Bishop Crispell, but I enjoyed her style of writing and would love to check out more of her books in the future.

3.5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun and magical read, a book full of a little fantasy, chocolate, love and family. It's a winning combination for a book. The characters were lovable, even when they were mildly annoying, the story was heartwarming and the book was as enjoyable as all the others that I've read by the Susan Bishop Crispell. Looking forward to her next book.

I really enjoyed Susan Bishop Crispell's previous book, The Secret Ingredient of Wishes, and how the magic was just ingrained in the world, so I was very excited to dive into another of her contemporary/modern fantasies with Dreaming in Chocolate! These books tend to veer more heavily toward contemporary romance without all the heat and steam, so on that front I wasn't a huge fan, but it was still an enjoyable book.

Despite the synopsis indicating there's a child involved with an inoperable tumor, I found the book was more lighthearted than I expected. In fact, I grew quite attached to the young girl, Ella. Which was fortunate because I struggled with Ella's mother (Penelope) and father (Noah). 

Their relationship just wasn't working for me. Noah doesn't know he's Ella's father and the fact that Penelope hid it and then suddenly that information comes back in their lives just felt off for some reason. And I wasn't really a big fan of their romance either. It felt a little too insta-lovey for my tastes.

I did like the magical element to Dreaming in Chocolate. Like the last book of Crispell's I read, it's not hidden but it's also somewhat subtle and just a part of life. I think it was one of the stronger aspects of the book.

It was a slow read, something I expected based on her other work, but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't claim that I LOVED Dreaming Chocolate but it was a cute story and I'd likely pick up her other books in the future.

I'm a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen's novels and had I not read her books first, I may have enjoyed this book more. As it was this reminded me of a Lifetime or Hallmark version of one of her novels. It's not awful, but it's just not for me.

I skimmed around on this. I do love magic realism. But it was difficult to like the heroine --keeping her child from her father. Secret baby books just don't work for me anymore.

Unfortunately, this was a book I had to set aside. The subject matter of a terminally ill child was too much for me as I recently lost my own mother to cancer. I will not be rating or reviewing this book. Thanks for the opportunity.

I adored Susan Bishop Crispell’s The Secret Ingredient of Wishes and looked forward to Dreaming in Chocolate with much anticipation.

Unfortunately, as much as I did enjoy this read, it simply didn’t live up to my expectations. Perhaps that is partly my fault….my expectations were ridiculously high… But I think that it had more to do with the subject matter of Dreaming in Chocolate.

A plot surrounding a terminally ill child really makes it hard to enjoy the warm fuzzies while reading. I also had some issues with the life choices that Penelope made…I really had a hard time understanding her sometimes and I think that also got in the way of my enjoyment of Dreaming in Chocolate.

Don’t get me wrong though…there were a lot of really charming aspects to this read…and I did enjoy it. It has a healthy dose of my favorite genre (Magical Realism) and I loved all of the magical aspects to the book.

It just didn’t give me all the warm cozy feels that The Secret Ingredient of Wishes did.

This is for real the sweetest ( I mean that literally) book I have read in a long time. I loved this little story based right here in my home state of North Carolina. 🍬🍬🍬
The story begins many years ago when boy meets girl. Girl drinks magical hot chocolate to "see" her true love. Boy freaks out and leaves town. One minor problem. Girl is pregnant with their child. Fast forward eight years. Penelope is running a magic chocolate shop while raising her terminally ill daughter, Emma. Noah comes back into town...and back into her life. Will the magic prevail?
I adored this book. It warmed my heart. I fell in love with the characters and the story as a whole. My only complaint was the weight I gained due to the chocolate cravings

2.5 Stars

I’ve not read much women’s fiction, I don’t tend to gravitate towards it; however, after being captured by the beautiful cover, the mention of chocolate and the hint of magical realism I decided to branch out and give it a try. Unfortunately it didn’t work out as well as I was hoping.

My expectations going in, is that it may be a bit of a tear jerker, after all there was a terminally ill child involved, but that wasn’t the case. It was actually quite…uplifting and it was hard not to charmed by the Ella, the child in question. My issue was, was that she was the only character I liked in this book. In general I though the characters were shallow and the magical realism aspect was very clumsy.

The magic came in the form of the chocolate that Penelope, Ella’s mother, made, which, is a lovely (if not very original) idea. But the way it worked was heavy handed when compared with other books I have read such as Chocolat by Joanne Harris and Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. Then there was the characters of Penelope and Noah.

Noah is the unknowing father of Ella who left town before knowing that Penelope was pregnant. And Penelope never decided to enlighten him. Which, for me is unforgivable, as the reason she didn’t tell him seemed to stem from a teenage fit of hurt feelings. The book told us that Penelope and Noah had this helpless attraction towards one another, however, I failed to see it and the author failed to show it.

This book wasn’t for me, many of the story lines, such as the romance and the magical chocolate fell flat for me. If you want magical realism with some real emotional punch behind it please check out Sarah Addison Allen, her books never fail to amaze me.

I have been a fan of Susan Bishop Crispell since reading The Secret Ingredient of Wishes . This new novel is charming and a beautifully told story of three generations of women. Curl up with some chocolate and be prepared to enjoy some magically fun realism and delicious chocolate with the story. This the story of two women, Mother and Daughter who run a chocolate shop in the Smoky Mountains where their products are infused with a bit of magic .
Penelope and her terminally ill daughter Ella run the shop. The shop is run by a magic producing apothecary table. The table gives them the ingredients they need to run the shop, but also what they need to learn and grow and change in their lives. Its a charming story of perseverance through difficult times, starting over and family. I love the Southern charm, the quirky characters and the lovely shop. The story weaves it magic through a lovely story that any reader will enjoy who loves a bit of magic in their books. This is a charming story of being a devoted single Mom, family ties and being grateful for your life in every way through hard times.
I highly recommend this book as all of the authors work.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

Reminiscent of Joanne Harris and Sarah Addison Allen, but not quite as good. I did love the character of Noah though. A stand up guy in a sit down world. Overall, a pretty good story.

Dreaming in Chocolate had me at the title, and did not disappoint. It is a lovely story about mothers and daughters, hopes and dreams, romance, and, of course, magical chocolate. Set in Malarkey, North Carolina, this is the story of mother and daughter, Sabina and Penelope, who own a chocolate shop with a special apothecary table that gives them magical chocolate recipes and ingredients. Penelope's daughter, Ella, is the light of their lives, however, she has been diagnosed with an illness that even the magical chocolate recipes may not be able to cure. Yet with the town's support, along with that of Penelope's former flame, Noah, who has returned to Malarkey after several years away, magic may happen.

I enjoyed this book very much with its small, intimate town, and people that believe in the magic of the chocolate and wholly support Sabina, Penelope, and Ella. I definitely recommend Dreaming in Chocolate, and I think you will love this charming book as well.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.

I was drawn to Dreaming in Chocolate because it involved two of my favorite subjects, chocolate and mysticism. The premise of the story involves Penelope - owner of a chocolate shop along with her mother, where some of the baked good and hot chocolates have a magical property, including a concoction that allows an individual to see their future. Located in the town of Malarkey, Penelope has seen the good and bad connected to her powerful desserts, for others and even herself.

When Penelope was in her late teens, she saw a future with the man she was dating, but when she mentioned it to him, he ran, literally. His lack of commitment plus another wish not fulfilled a number of years later, regarding her daughter’s health made her doubt the potency and viability of the magic. This cynicism starts to carry over into her work and clouds her judgment, as a store shop owner, a friend and as a parent.

I liked the premise of the story and the side characters. The reader is offered insight into many of their decisions and backstories. I didn’t love it though for a few reasons, one of which may be connected to my reading a preview copy. The transitions between sections within chapters was almost non existent, so as a result, the plot was often choppy and difficult to follow. The other reason has to do with the end; there are many implications but it is left very open ended, with the reader having to draw their own conclusion. Even though the author provided a map so to speak, the directions were a little fuzzy and the reader has to make some assumptions; I prefer an ending that is completely open ended or equally all wrapped up.

Fans of other mystical stories, such as ones by Sarah Addison Allen, Alice Hoffman, and even this author’s other works will likely enjoy the plot of Dreaming in Chocolate.

A sweet, magical fiction romance novel that fans of Sarah Addison Allen will enjoy. The town of Malarkey and its residents reminded me of the Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow.

Although this is story is basically a romance, I found the book to have an underlying sadness to it. First, is that in one of the main story lines Ella, the daughter, is dying. I don't particularly like to read about children suffering. Also, another back story line dealt with Sabina, the mom, still missing her departed husband. She used the store's magic chocolates basically to self medicate herself. I had a problem with this plot point. Magical realism is one thing; using it to induce an almost drug like effect on a character, not so much.

An easy read, but not as light as others in this genre

This story returns to wishing and magic bakery items. Penelope's daughter, Ella has a brain tumor and doctors aren't very optimistic. Penelope is doing a bucket list for the two of them with the help of her mother but Ella has one request of her own. A dad who will love both of them. Ella's dad is back in town and she has picked him to fill the bill. The story ending is open, hopefully another book will bring a bright and happy ending. I enjoy Ms. Crispell's both because she adds just a hint of magic that make an enjoyable read. It would be a perfect book if she included some good chocolate recipes from the bakery.

Penelope Dalton is faced with an impossible decision: try to save her daughter's life or let her daughter live. Her mother, Sabina, and the very opinionated apothecary table inside of the chocolate shop the pair own have been making their thoughts on the matter known, but Penelope won't be swayed or influenced by magic. Especially since the magic has already let her down.

Penelope and her mom own the Chocolate Cottage in the small town of Malarkey, North Carolina. The shop is beloved and the owners are revered--if also just a little bit feared. The chocolates that Penelope and Sabina craft often includes a special ingredient: a touch of magic. Penelope has always respected the magic--the recipes and ingredients the shop's antique apothecary table provides--but she has stopped trusting and believing in it. Penelope's daughter, Ella, has been sick for a while. And last year, at the town's annual Festival of Fate, the entire town wished for Ella's full recovery. Only a few people know that the wish wasn't going to come true. As Penelope struggles to come to terms with the heartbreaking reality, it seems as though the fates themselves are pulling out all the stops to make her believe in love, hope, and magic again.

Dreaming in Chocolate is a sweet story enhanced with humor, romance, and, like those chocolates, just a touch of magic.

Dreaming in Chocolate is the perfect mix of Practical Magic and The Good Witch. I absolutely loved it! This is a quick read that is a heart-warming story of three generations of women who run a chocolate shop that serves up magical treats in the small town we all want to live in.

"As far as hole-in-the-wall towns went, Malarkey took the cake. Nestled in a valley in the Appalachian Mountains, the town was one where people found themselves in one of three ways - they were born there, they knew someone who was born there, or they'd gotten themselves good and lost."

Penelope was born in Malarkey and is now raising her daughter Ella there while running the chocolate shop with her mother Sabina. Penelope was a firm believer in the magic they served until it didn't work for her. The man who was supposed to be the love of her life walked out on her and her daughter Ella has cancer. How could Penelope possibly believe in magic with everything in her life falling down around her.

When an accident brings Penelope's long, lost love back into town she can't help but feel resentful. He's back for now, but will he stay? Will Noah even remember Penelope? What if he finds out Ella is his?

"The possibility of Noah Gregory coming back to town nine years after walking out of Penelope's life for good was not even something she wanted to consider. As she brewed a pot of tea for the women, she had to remind herself there was no point in getting worked up over something that would never happen."

Dreaming in Chocolate is a tale of long lost love and the crazy ways that love interferes in life when you least expect it. Susan Bishop Crispell has weaved a tale of love lost, love found and the people caught in the middle.