Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams | Jenny Colgan
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⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
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As a general rule I don't "do" chick-lit these days. I find them a bit "samey". You know. Girl moves to Ireland after breakdown of relationship. Lead to believe girl is a bit dumpy and average. Girl turns out to be a stunner that bags the hottest guy in the village, but not without all sorts of complications. I'm not cynical. I just find them a little repetitive and predictable.
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In many ways, this was no different but at the exact same time it was completely different.
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Whilst the majority of the novel is written from Rosie's point of view, the narrative is interrupted with flashbacks of Aunt Lilian's story. We get excerpts from her self-published book too which are quite frankly hilarious and it captures the very essence of her. This mix of style really helps with the pace of the book which is almost 500 pages.
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I found the ending predictable but it didn't take away from the warmth, charm and sweetness of this book. Somehow, the nostalgia of childhood sweets is completely captured which makes this a truly lovely read.
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Thanks to @katielouisepollard1983 for sending me this one back in January in the #busymamabookswap