Time and time again I have said “This book is so cute, it could be a Hallmark movie!” It tickles me to no end to say this actually IS a Hallmark movie (and Hallmark published the book)! New to Lizzie Shane, I couldn’t help but adore the cover of this book and what it held – especially with Valentine’s Day being just around the corner. Pleasantly surprised by the sweetness (get it) of the story, Lizzie captivated my attention and stole my heart with a classic will they/won’t they, too stubborn for their own good strangers, to friends, to lovers story of two people who are determined to shut love out and the magic that brings them together.
Lucy lives the rich and fulfilling life of being a chocolatier. Passed down from generation to generation, Lucy now owns How Sweet It Is and is determined to keep her family’s legacy alive. This also means she has to keep her focus on the needs and survival of the store and nothing else. Easier said than done when a potential competitor pops up across the street, creating a strain to an already delicate financial situation. While Watson Corners has been the home of How Sweet It Is since the day it opened, the area is upscaling and so is her rent. Pushing worry and doom aside, Lucy focuses on what is important, the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday and preparing Cupids, the magical chocolate that once bitten on Valentine’s Day, brings you true love. Simple enough until her best friend Lena goes viral with a post sharing her engagement and a certain chocolate that made it happen. Now a local phenomenon, Lucy is panicking! Warned by her Great Grandmother Gigi of the potential curse if the Cupids were ever sold, Lucy doesn’t want the publicity, the fanfare, or the attention of a certain reporter who has walked through her door.
What I liked about the book: This book was absolutely adorable. The two of them together and how they fueled each other is what kept this slow burn romance alive. Dean's grumpy disposition to all things love and her cautious approach to romance created a beautiful synchronized swim in a sea of denial. I enjoyed the additional stories about the couples on the “Wall of Love”, showing that the magic was bigger than a viral post and one shop keeper, that the importance of hope, opportunity, and openness – highlighted by the differences within each story, was what made the Cupids part of the tale, not the cause of it.
What I loved about the book: I LOVED Nana Edda. That woman cracked me up and that stunt she pulled, I knew something was up and couldn’t stop laughing – especially when she played the “I’m innocent because I old” card. That woman was sharp as a tack!
What I don’t like about the book: I felt at times the book went around and around in order to extend the length. There was a point where Dean kept making the same declarations about love and I felt like saying “we know, we know” and finishing his thought because it was the third or fourth time he shared the same stance. The only thing that kept these moments from being a nuisance was the shift in Lucy’s reception when the thoughts were shared. Initially, she shared the same cynicism, but each time his position was declared, you witnessed cracks in her foundation.
With two people so wrapped up in their own stubbornness, their own beliefs, and their own rationale (despite how irrational it truly was), it took Dean being right to find out how wrong he really was. That is what made the story a hit for me. To watch someone who was so determined to be right about everything, to reveal the ultimate truth, to get his wish and witness the fallout. That is what made the ending of this book so good.