Title: Better Than Chocolate (Icicle Falls #1)
Author: Sheila Roberts
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: September 2012 – Harlequin MIRA
Paperback 400 pages
Synopsis: How sweet it isn’t!
Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company has been in the Sterling family for generations, ever since Great-Grandma Rose literally dreamed up her first fabulous recipe. But now it looks as if they’re about to lose Sweet Dreams to the bank—and that would be a disaster, not only for the family but for the town of Icicle Falls, Washington. Can Samantha, the oldest daughter and new head of the company, come up with a way to save it?
After Samantha does some brainstorming with her mother and sisters, inspiration strikes. They’ll have a chocolate festival! Time’s running out, but the Sterling women are determined and the town’s behind them, so everything’s bound to go smoothly….
Or not. Events seem to be conspiring against Samantha, and her mother’s attempts to help aren’t helping. To make matters worse, the fate of her company is in the hands of her archenemy, Blake Preston, the bank manager with the football-hero good looks. It’s enough to drive her to chocolate. But Blake’s also enough to convince her that (believe it or not) there’s something even better than chocolate.
My take: The synopsis along with the cute cover sold me on Sheila Roberts’ latest novel. Better Than Chocolate is the story of how the Sterling women try to save the family chocolate company despite numerous roadblocks.
Roberts has a knack for incorporating timely issues in her novels. Better Than Chocolate is a cautionary tale about what can happen when women aren’t involved with the financial and legal details in their marriage and/or family business. Sisters and mother pull together to save the business in an unconventional way that could also end up helping their quaint tourist town. Roberts used just the right amounts of humor and tension to pace the story perfectly. If I’d had the time, I would have read it straight through in one sitting.
I thoroughly enjoyed Better Than Chocolate and look forward to the next book in the Life in Icicle Falls series.
Disclosure: I received a review e-galley from the publisher via NetGalley.
I am offended by the title! What could be better than chocolate?
Thinking of you and sending healing wishes your way.
This sounds like a feel-good book. The title and book cover caught my attention too. What can be better than chocolate? Love, of course…
It was a feel good book, Laura. I mean, there were challenges for the characters to address but Sheila Roberts’s novels always leave me feeling optimistic
This really sounds like a good one, Mary. Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much.
It was, Kaye. And it precedes Merry Ex-mas!
This sounds good to me but I can’t think of much better than chocolate!
Ha, you’re not alone on that point
Any book that involves chocolate in a major way is a winner for me. I would love to read this one at some point, and I am glad that it gives some practical bits to chew on as well.
It had me craving salted caramels as I read!
I have this on the WWBL. I’ve wandered out of my usual comfort zone of mysteries and paranormal from time to time and found out how much I like Sheila Rober’s books. Thanks for confirming this one for me.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I have this book on my tbr shelf… Looking forward to reading it.. and I mean who would not it has chocolate theme.. yea baby…
Exactly, Kathleen
A book book I’ve been hearing lots about, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by, Tracy!
This sounds like a book I would love as well!
I could read anything with chocolates in the title, thanks for your review.
This book keeps calling me from the nightstand – it sounds like just like the feel good stories I like mixed into my reading!
I love that cover big time, probably one of the reasons I requested this one from NetGalley!
Your review was awesome as always!
Pingback: Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts « Bookfan