The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts

When Emma opened her gorgeous little chocolate shop in the harbour village of Warkton-by-the-Sea, she realised a lifelong dream. Love is also blossoming with her hunky beau, Max, who’s slowly healing her fragile heart.

Summer is here and life has never felt so sweet. Until the rainclouds start to gather…

A rival sweet shop and killjoy landlord give Emma a headache, and when a face from the past turns up unannounced, Emma finds herself spiralling down memory lane. With Max’s crazy work schedule driving him to distraction, Emma’s in danger of making some choices she might regret . . .

With close friends, spaniel Alfie, and the whole village behind her, can Emma get the chocolate shop and her love life back on track?

At Christmas I read The Cosy Christmas Chocolate shop by Caroline Roberts and let me tell you that quaint little shop and its loveable owner Emma has stayed in my mind so when I saw that there was a sequel being released I couldn’t wait.

In A Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop we are reunited with all of our friends from the previous book and once again the community spirit is shining through. Emma and her friends Holly and Bev who work at the chocolate shop are as busy as ever and are keen to push the business even further with another new idea that was set to get the tastebuds flowing. Mr Eel is up to his nasty tricks again and for a while I did worry that the storyline was going to be a bit to alike the first book but gradually other events unfold to set a fresh feel to the storyline.

What I love about both of these books is how ambitious and passionate Emma is about her business and all of her hard work looks to be paying off but poor Emma always seems to face continual hurdles whilst all we wish to see for her is a fairytale happy ending. We see more of her relationship with Max in this book and also see how the relationship between Holly and Adam is blossoming too.

The detail that the author goes into with regards to the delights made and sold in the chocolate shop is amazing, nobody will be able to read this book without drooling from time to time. I wish that this little shop really did exist then I would be there in a heartbeat.

This book has everything you could possibly want from a perfect Summer holiday read and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that we will get a third book in this series as I do not feel like I am ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.

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The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts

Emma is the proud owner of The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, nestled in the heart of the cosy seaside village that’s become her home. With Christmas right around the corner, she and her assistant Holly are busy cooking up the locals’ festive favourites.

From cinnamon hot chocolates to reindeer lollipops, Christmas wouldn’t taste the same without a little cocoa magic. And for Emma it’s the perfect distraction from her romantic pains of the past. So when the shop’s miserly landlord threatens to hike up the rent, Emma’s Christmas and New Year suddenly look a lot less cheerful.

With the whole village rallying behind her – and loyal spaniel Alfie by her side – Emma’s determined to hold onto her chocolate-box dream.

The chocolate calendar countdown is on. Can Emma rescue her business and her broken heart?

I was looking for a light festive read and with a title that not only involves Christmas but also chocolate too, The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts caught my eye.

Our main character is the lovely Emma and she will warm your heart from the get go. When Emma is left heartbroken she decides to make a new start in a new town and pour her heart into a new business venture by opening up her own chocolate shop. With the help from her assistant Holly her business is beginning to thrive. With things looking up for Emma is there a chance that she could let another man in to repair her broken heart?

This was such an addictive read. The characters were all so likeable in this book, I loved the relationship between Emma and her assistant Holly. Emma was very passionate about her trade and I enjoyed finding out which concoctions she was going to come up with next I was drooling at each new flavour she created.

I love how the storyline weaves a slow burning romance around an ambitious business venture. I enjoyed watching Emma transform her business and work so hard to make her own way. It touches on how small businesses need local support to survive and that there are always hefty financial worries around every corner. The author also shows how heartbreak can come in more ways than one and that this can effect everyone differently some taking years to repair that broken heart. Emma was such a hard working and caring character that I was just so desperate for her to put herself first and not worry about everyone else, I just wanted her to find her happy ending. 

My only slight negative was I found the storyline was slightly drawn out and could have been around 50 pages shorter as I was beginning to find my interest wavering in the last few chapters compared to how desperate I was to turn the page throughout the rest of the book.

I found this such a light and uplifting read that will make a perfect addition in someone's Christmas stocking this year. I look forward to discovering more cosy books by this author.

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