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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Sweetshop of Dreams is all you would expect from that title and more. Rosie Hopkins’ aunt, Lilian, needs her to help run the shop in Lipton, a quaint village. Rosie takes over and updates the shop; the yummy, scrumptious shop!
Also part of the story is a sweet romance between Rosie and a mysterious loner named Stephen.
There’s so much to love here, especially if you are looking for your next feel-good book this summer!
I received a gifted copy from the publisher.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Also part of the story is a sweet romance between Rosie and a mysterious loner named Stephen.
There’s so much to love here, especially if you are looking for your next feel-good book this summer!
I received a gifted copy from the publisher.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
I may be a terrible person, because this book irked my soul. It had so much going for it, but Rosie was a hard protagonist to lie. I read the second and third stories about this character, but finally got around to reading the first story. It's funny, if I had read this first, I am doubtful I would ever have continued the series. The book doesn't hang together very well. We have insights about candy (I assume told by Lilian) and then we jump from 2012 (Rosie) to the 1940s (Lilian). The flow of the book was just lopsided and I found myself getting bored while reading. I just wanted to get to the end already.
"Sweetshop of Dreams" follows 30 something Rosie Hopkins. Rosie's mother Angie living in Australia with Rosie's brother Pip (I laughed a lot every time I read that name) calls and asks can she help out her mother's elderly great-aunt, Lilian. Lilian runs a sweetshop in a remote village and apparently with her arthritis and health issues needs some help getting the shop ready to sell. Rosie is feeling at loose ends since she's a auxiliary nurse and her long-time boyfriend Gerald has still not committed to marriage. When Rosie arrives in Lipton though, she sees another way of life and ends up thinking that possibly she can have a different dream than the one she thought she always wanted.
So the characters in this one read dull except for Lilian. The book showing us her life during War World II in Lipton were heartbreaking at times. When we would switch back to Rosie, I just ended up feeling annoyed. Her running around and having three men (well really two) she thought she had a chance with when she had a boyfriend had me going eh. And it didn't help that her feelings for one of the men it seemed came out of nowhere. It didn't help that I thought Rosie was awful to Stephen's mother and her comments about her parenting were just awful. I thought that whole storyline showed she could keep her mouth shut since she didn't know everything. Plus it didn't help that her own life was and is a mess that she thought she should comment on anyone else's.
The writing was so-so. I just found the flow the worst part to get past. The book just drags.
The setting of Lipton felt very ghost townish to me. It seemed only 15 people lived there since those were the only people that Rosie ever met/mentioned.
The ending just made me shake my head.
"Sweetshop of Dreams" follows 30 something Rosie Hopkins. Rosie's mother Angie living in Australia with Rosie's brother Pip (I laughed a lot every time I read that name) calls and asks can she help out her mother's elderly great-aunt, Lilian. Lilian runs a sweetshop in a remote village and apparently with her arthritis and health issues needs some help getting the shop ready to sell. Rosie is feeling at loose ends since she's a auxiliary nurse and her long-time boyfriend Gerald has still not committed to marriage. When Rosie arrives in Lipton though, she sees another way of life and ends up thinking that possibly she can have a different dream than the one she thought she always wanted.
So the characters in this one read dull except for Lilian. The book showing us her life during War World II in Lipton were heartbreaking at times. When we would switch back to Rosie, I just ended up feeling annoyed. Her running around and having three men (well really two) she thought she had a chance with when she had a boyfriend had me going eh. And it didn't help that her feelings for one of the men it seemed came out of nowhere. It didn't help that I thought Rosie was awful to Stephen's mother and her comments about her parenting were just awful. I thought that whole storyline showed she could keep her mouth shut since she didn't know everything. Plus it didn't help that her own life was and is a mess that she thought she should comment on anyone else's.
The writing was so-so. I just found the flow the worst part to get past. The book just drags.
The setting of Lipton felt very ghost townish to me. It seemed only 15 people lived there since those were the only people that Rosie ever met/mentioned.
The ending just made me shake my head.
Very sweet book (groan).
An easy summer read that has you cheering for Rosie.
An easy summer read that has you cheering for Rosie.
After reading Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe last year I have been eagerly awaiting a new book by Jenny Colgan to come out so you can imagine the expression on my face when I was contacted by Sphere Publishing and asked to review her new book I was over the moon and then when I read the press release and see the title of the book I knew this was going to be the book for me I LOVE SWEETS!!
Jenny Colgan brings us a unique storyline that must be everyone’s dream come true. I mean who has never once in their life wanted to work in a sweet shop! I really enjoyed watching Rosie working to get the sweet shop back to its traditional glory, and when she finds the different kinds of sweets in the shop it had my mouth watering and me shooting back to my childhood remembering all my favourite penny sweets!
The storyline flows at a gentle pace which helps, along with the beautiful descriptive writing, to set the scene in the idyllic little village. There were a real mix of characters some who you love and some who you just have to roll your eyes at! Our main character Rosie is full of warmth and is at a dead end in her life we instantly pick up that Rosie isn’t really happy with things in her life but we hope that by taking time out of her day to day routine that she will finally find some happiness by making some changes in her life. What I liked about this book was I was never quite sure how the story was going to end which made me keep turning the pages eager to see what was going to happen next.
There was plenty of humour in this book which only added to this perfect concoction to make a deliciously delightful read.
Jenny Colgan brings us a unique storyline that must be everyone’s dream come true. I mean who has never once in their life wanted to work in a sweet shop! I really enjoyed watching Rosie working to get the sweet shop back to its traditional glory, and when she finds the different kinds of sweets in the shop it had my mouth watering and me shooting back to my childhood remembering all my favourite penny sweets!
The storyline flows at a gentle pace which helps, along with the beautiful descriptive writing, to set the scene in the idyllic little village. There were a real mix of characters some who you love and some who you just have to roll your eyes at! Our main character Rosie is full of warmth and is at a dead end in her life we instantly pick up that Rosie isn’t really happy with things in her life but we hope that by taking time out of her day to day routine that she will finally find some happiness by making some changes in her life. What I liked about this book was I was never quite sure how the story was going to end which made me keep turning the pages eager to see what was going to happen next.
There was plenty of humour in this book which only added to this perfect concoction to make a deliciously delightful read.
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a pretty fun and heartwarming read. But it did feel like things with Gerard dragged on a bit. I’m curious to see what the next book will bring, as this definitely could’ve been a standalone as well.
This was such a cute little book! I have a soft spot for books that read like a Hallmark movie and this one definitely falls in that category. The story and setting was super sweet and at times I felt like I could smell the sweets in the sweet shop because of how descriptive everything was! It's a dream of mine to own my own bakery so I have a sweet spot for bake shops like this.
I wasn't expecting this book to have a dual timeline narrative and that was a pleasant surprise for me. I felt like I was peeling back the layers of Lillian while I was learning about her past and enjoyed that part of the story as a nice enhancement to Rosie's story.
My only drawback with this book was Rosie's relationship with Gerard. I thought Gerard seemed like a dope from the beginning and I was rooting for Rosie to have the confidence to stand up for herself sooner than she did! I admire how much she saw the good in everyone and enjoyed watching her on her own journey of loving herself and finding her passion, but was definitely rooting for her confidence from the start.
Recommended for anyone who is looking for a light read and for any baking aficionados!
I wasn't expecting this book to have a dual timeline narrative and that was a pleasant surprise for me. I felt like I was peeling back the layers of Lillian while I was learning about her past and enjoyed that part of the story as a nice enhancement to Rosie's story.
My only drawback with this book was Rosie's relationship with Gerard. I thought Gerard seemed like a dope from the beginning and I was rooting for Rosie to have the confidence to stand up for herself sooner than she did! I admire how much she saw the good in everyone and enjoyed watching her on her own journey of loving herself and finding her passion, but was definitely rooting for her confidence from the start.
Recommended for anyone who is looking for a light read and for any baking aficionados!
Was tempted not to follow through with this one - the start is slow, the characters somewhat 'meh', and I was wondering where this was going. The POV jumps all over the place, it reads very quaint throughout... It's only because it's a Jenny Colgan book that I stuck with it - I love her stories usually, so decided to give this a chance.
And glad I did! It's a very old-fashioned book - the writing jumps all over the place and in almost all the characters' heads at some point, the setting feels 'trapped' in time, and aside from some mention of cell phones and internet, you could really think this were happening pre-2000 entirely. But brushing all that aside, look at the story, at what's unfolding on the page, at Rosie's journey. This is what warmed my heart as I read, the new Rosie who emerges in the country, the relationships that start to form, the bonds that strengthen. All of it proved terribly heart-warming, and sometimes, we do need a story like that - makes no editorial sense, but is good for the heart. This is the story for that
And glad I did! It's a very old-fashioned book - the writing jumps all over the place and in almost all the characters' heads at some point, the setting feels 'trapped' in time, and aside from some mention of cell phones and internet, you could really think this were happening pre-2000 entirely. But brushing all that aside, look at the story, at what's unfolding on the page, at Rosie's journey. This is what warmed my heart as I read, the new Rosie who emerges in the country, the relationships that start to form, the bonds that strengthen. All of it proved terribly heart-warming, and sometimes, we do need a story like that - makes no editorial sense, but is good for the heart. This is the story for that
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lovely, light-hearted read full of delicious sounding recipes.
Sweet, literally, story of a woman who goes to rescue her great-aunt only to have her great-aunt rescue her.