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A review by koleworld
Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan
2.0
I'm going to be reading a handful of these super sweet, innocent, romance novels because I'm trying to figure something out.
So I started with this one.
It's a...fine story. A city girl has to go to the country and run a candy shop. She has a terrible boyfriend in the city, and naturally will fall in love with some country dude.
80% of this book stares at you with big, blue, innocent eyes, and feels very Hallmark-y. Then an event happens and the entire scene feels like it was written by a different author. It goes from Hallmark to...well not HBO but something more along the lines of AMC? It felt a little jarring, but nothing too crazy.
So why did I rate this so low?
Because Rosie doesn't learn a damn thing the entire time.
But eventually, the time apart makes all the cute quirks(?) her boyfriend has come into focus and Rosie finally dumps him. And he's the WORST about it.
While she's been in the country she's been helping a local doctor perform house visits for some of the people in town. One of them is a surly dude, who for sure has PTSD and naturally they start to create a rapport. Eventually she realizes she has feeling for him. Some stuff goes down and homeboy does NOT handle it correctly. And instead, pretty much just ignores Rosie. When they do run into each other he uses the excuse that "no one can get any cell reception in this town so why would I call you? Everyone talks to people in person if there's any business to deal with." Okay dude, but you didn't come talk to her in person either so...??? Basically, he continues to be terrible and never apologizes. They part ways and Rosie goes home to complain to her aunt, who is like "well don't do what I did and miss out on a chance for true love." And Rosie is like, ya know what, you're right." And chases after the dude. (*insert angry emoji face here*)
And then they basically have a meet cute at the end of the book and then the book wraps up with updates on how everyone is doing several weeks later. Like, hang on. Rosie has exactly ZERO character growth from the beginning of the book. She basically left a relationship where she was a doormat and had to do everything, and then found a grumpy dude that can maybe do his own laundry, but still can't even tell her how he feels? Can't even say "I'm sorry I made you feel bad?"
2 stars for zero character growth and terrible men.
So I started with this one.
It's a...fine story. A city girl has to go to the country and run a candy shop. She has a terrible boyfriend in the city, and naturally will fall in love with some country dude.
80% of this book stares at you with big, blue, innocent eyes, and feels very Hallmark-y. Then an event happens and the entire scene feels like it was written by a different author. It goes from Hallmark to...well not HBO but something more along the lines of AMC? It felt a little jarring, but nothing too crazy.
So why did I rate this so low?
Because Rosie doesn't learn a damn thing the entire time.
Spoiler
Her boyfriend in London is completely useless. He's a whiney, entitled brat who wont do anything for himself and takes Rosie for granted. When she goes away to help sell the candy shop, he moves back in with his mother because he can't BEAR to do his own laundry or cook his own food. Gross. But, Rosie being the sweet, kind, innocent woman that she is, finds it endearing (?? can't relate).But eventually, the time apart makes all the cute quirks(?) her boyfriend has come into focus and Rosie finally dumps him. And he's the WORST about it.
While she's been in the country she's been helping a local doctor perform house visits for some of the people in town. One of them is a surly dude, who for sure has PTSD and naturally they start to create a rapport. Eventually she realizes she has feeling for him. Some stuff goes down and homeboy does NOT handle it correctly. And instead, pretty much just ignores Rosie. When they do run into each other he uses the excuse that "no one can get any cell reception in this town so why would I call you? Everyone talks to people in person if there's any business to deal with." Okay dude, but you didn't come talk to her in person either so...??? Basically, he continues to be terrible and never apologizes. They part ways and Rosie goes home to complain to her aunt, who is like "well don't do what I did and miss out on a chance for true love." And Rosie is like, ya know what, you're right." And chases after the dude. (*insert angry emoji face here*)
And then they basically have a meet cute at the end of the book and then the book wraps up with updates on how everyone is doing several weeks later. Like, hang on. Rosie has exactly ZERO character growth from the beginning of the book. She basically left a relationship where she was a doormat and had to do everything, and then found a grumpy dude that can maybe do his own laundry, but still can't even tell her how he feels? Can't even say "I'm sorry I made you feel bad?"
2 stars for zero character growth and terrible men.