***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Cute romance! Very quick read. Will look for more from Lizzie Shane.

Hallmark love stories are the best when you need something light with a guaranteed HEA, and this one did not fail! I loved Dean’s skepticism about love in general in comparison to Lucy’s belief. It was such a great contrast. This book is perfect anytime, but it is especially great for a Valentines read! I can’t wait to see the movie version of this in February!!!

This book was exactly like the title says, Sweeter than Chocolate! It was so cute; I couldn't handle the cheese at some points.

If you are looking for a quick, fun, romcom about the magic of love, then this book is exactly for you.

I really loved the narrators and will definitely be looking for them in future audiobooks.

A sweet little romance made sweeter by the Chocolate Shop setting. Sometimes you just need a happy innocent romcom and this fit the bill for me. The main characters played well off of each other and were carried along by the playful plot.

Narration by Brittany Pressley & Andrew Eiden was fantastic. Their voices were both engaging and their intonation and pitch kept the story lively and interesting.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.

Lucy Sweet is trying to keep her family chocolate shop afloat. Among the worries of her changing neighborhood, incoming competition, and declining sales, her best friend gets engaged and goes viral with her love story -- a story that includes a family myth that eating a particular chocolate sold in her store can help people find their soulmate.

Dean is an absolute skeptic and has made it his mission to uncover anything untoward that his television viewership should be aware of. When given the assignment of doing a fluff piece on Lucy, her shop, and her family mythology of the chocolates, Dean's aversion and skeptic nature is put to the test.

A sweet little Valentine's story about two love skeptics helping each other to really get to the bottom of their true natures, Lucy and Dean's story and the way it unfolds makes for a sweet rom-com read.

#netgalley
#arc
#sweeterthanchocolate

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Hallmark Publishing for the audiobook version of this book. Everything I write is of my own personal thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I am in no way affiliated with or compensated in any way for my review.
Lucy is a chocolate shop owner of "How Sweet It Is", this shop has been in her family for generations. The shop comes with a super special recipe for "Cupid Chocolate". Rumor has it that if you eat this chocolate on Valentines Day you will find your true love your soulmate. Lucys best friend made a viral post on social media about this magical chocolate. Well Dean a local TV reporter is know for his cutthroat get to the bottom of stories- especially when the story involves taking advantage of the community. So Dean is trying to get a promotion to new anchor and to do this he needs to show a softer side of him. His boss basically tells him he needs to do this interview and be nice- have it be a cute Valentines story. Dean does do the interview- many times- he eventually falls in love with lucy and after much investigation he finds it is just that- a rumor.

This was a fun book to read. I binged it in one day.

Well dang, that was just too “Sweet!”

I was skeptical when I read this was Hallmark Original story, but I was pleasantly surprised! So much so, I will probably watch the movie. (Which is not a thing I do.)

The story is about a sweet chocolatier named Lucy, her Magic Cupid chocolates, and a viral post that lands her in a working relationship with the cynical Mr. News. (AKA Dean.)

They are both reluctant when it comes to love, even Miss. Sweet herself. But magic has a way of working itself out.

Only way it could have been better is if it was a little longer and had a little more meat to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Hallmark publishing for the great read!!

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!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. A very cute story just in time for Valentine's day coming up. This is a Hallmark story plot, but I honestly enjoyed this one a lot. I enjoy the stories but they seem to be the same. This story was cute and I liked all the characters. The cover is really cute. The narrator did a good job.

I read and fell in love with the entire Pine Hollow series by Lizzie Shane. I didn’t think there could be anything sweeter than cute dogs and puppies. But a chocolatier who owns a sweet shop I couldn’t say yes fast enough. Lucy Sweet runs How Sweet It Is, a chocolate shop started by her great grandmother. She worries about keeping the shop going as competition and rents increase. The legend of the shop is that if you eat a special Cupid chocolate on Valentine’s Day you will find love. Her best friend gets engaged a few weeks before Valentine’s and shares the legend in telling how she met her man. The post goes viral bringing a lot of attention to the shop.

Dean Chase is an investigative reporter. His boss assigns him to do a puff piece on the shop wanting him to show a softer side. His initial skepticism puts him at odds with Lucy but eventually she agrees to the story. Between interviewing her and then couples who are the success stories for the chocolates, Dean opinion on love changes. Lucy starts off just as closed to love as well. All her time is spent on the shop. She isn’t someone who takes risks. These two are adorable together.

This is a slow burn, clean romance. Perfect for a Hallmark movie, which it is going to be. It is also inclusive in the love stories shared. I love that there isn’t big angst or miscommunications. Both Dean and Lucy have pasts that have shaped them into they are. And you get to see them change during the story becoming the biggest believers in hoping for love.

I enjoyed the audio book narrators. Andrew Eiden is especially good as the cynical reporter Dean. Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Hallmark Publishing and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for a review.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, and it really reinforced my preference of a female narrator who will do both the voices of male and female characters, as I find it a bit disconcerting when a man does the voices for the female characters. I have found that the dialogue sounds more exaggerated and pulls me out of the book because I’m thinking about how harsh it sounds.

Otherwise, this book is on par with Hallmark-type books/movies. The setting/plot is unique, which is what initially drew me in. I know there isn’t typically a whole lot of relationship development when it comes to these kinds of romances, but if more had been incorporated, it would have taken this book from good to great. There was a lot of focus on the meet cute, which took time away from the buildup/development of the chemistry and relationship.

The two main characters also aren’t lovable from the beginning and have to grow on you. They’re both very practical people and have a lot of baggage that made them this way. I don’t mind the baggage if it’s written in a way that furthers the relationship development, but there isn’t enough time spent on the characters after revealing their flaws to explore how the revelations affect each other. It’s a truth told by someone, and then we move quickly past it without really processing it.

All that to say I would certainly read more books by this author for a light read.

“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.

Thanks NetGalley for the early access to this audiobook. This book is the cute, cheesy enemy to lovers romance. There are not a lot of Valentine’s Day themed books so this one was really fun to listen to.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of TheSweeter Than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane. This is a cutesy contemporary romance that revolves around a chocolate shop and it's owner, Lucy. This shop sells Cupids, a special chocolate around Valentines Day, that are acclaimed to make people fall in love.

Love this one! I listened to the audio version and the narrators were perfect for this book. The plot was cute and the ending was just what was needed, I can’t wait to watch this movie on Hallmark!

100% Hallmark & 100% adorable!
Lizzie Shane has created a picturesque romance with grumpy/sunshine vibes, strong family and friendship relationships, a whole lot of chocolate and a little bit of magic. Super fun (clean) romance publishing 1.17.2023. 4/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

With a name like Lucy Sweet, you have to open a chocolate shop, right? I didn't realize this story had a magic element to it (which is not usually my cup of hot chocolate, pardon the terrible pun) but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.

A nice, cute romance perfect for anyone who loves Hallmark movies!

Sweeter Than Chocolate by Lizzie Shane is a sweet, charming, and swoony romance. This story follows Lucy Sweet, who is the owner of the chocolate shop How Sweet It Is. The chocolate shop has been in her family for generations and sells magic cupid chocolates. The legend of the cupid chocolates says that if you eat one of the cupid chocolates on Valentine’s Day with an open heart, you will find true love.

Along with Lucy, this story also follows Dean. Dean is a news reporter who is against anything love related. As a news reporter, he has made himself a “defender of the little guys” and likes to uncover the truth behind news stories. It is definitely out of his comfort zone when he is assigned a report on the cute story about the cupid chocolates. Together Dean and Lucy explore the magic behind the cupid chocolates.

This is a nice slow-burn, wholesome, Hallmark romance. This book is a quick read that will have you thinking about what love and magic mean to you. The thing I loved most about this story was that there wasn’t any big miscommunication, and the main characters were good at communicating their feelings. Along with the relationship between Dean and Lucy, this story also has great relationships with friends and family.

I would give this book 5 stars! This is the perfect read for someone wanting a cute, charming romance for valentines day.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Hallmark Publishing for allowing me a digital advanced reader’s copy!

When I saw the synopsis for this book I knew I had to read it. It was the perfect grumpy/sunshine wholesome holiday read that I expected it to be! The characters were beautifully written and who doesn't love a good hallmark romance? The 2 person point of view also added to the slow burn between the characters.

I give this book a 4 star rating. Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an advanced copy!

Grumpy/Sunshine
Clean Romance
HEA

Dean is a journalist with a GIANT anti love ship on his shoulder. Known for "defending the little guy" he has a very sad outlook on life and love and believes everyone is about a scam until proven otherwise. Lucy is a happy chocolate maker running her family's chocolate business. She's very busy running the business and has zero time for love. So what now? Dean is assigned a "soft and fluffy" piece on Lucy's family business and their "cupid's chocolate". What's Cupid's Chocolate? Oh that's just the little bit of magic that if eaten on Valentine's Day will help you find the love of your life. Or so legend says. Dean of course is as skeptical as the day is long.

This story was fun. Dean was super frustrating at times because he would be coming around and then just complete 180 back to Grumpville. I did appreciate both Dean and Lucy's growth in this one.