The Love at the Chocolate Shop series is such a charming, small town romance series written by various authors. They can be read as a standalone. One of my favorite things about the series is that they are filled with characters from previous books; both in this series and other books based in the town of Marietta Montana. The Valentine Quest features Nevada Parker, visiting her sister while finishing up the process of receiving her PhD (we met her sister Dakota in A Thankful Heart) and Dustin Decker, a wrangler at the Bar V (who we have met in other books in the series and Bar V series). The pair join forces to conquer the town’s Valentine Quest in order to try to win the prize of a vacation. Dustin wants the prize for a vacation and to validate that he’s still a winner, Nevada wants to win it for her Air Force brother (bonus for me, he’s station in Maryland-my home state. Could it be he’s at Andrew AFB, 30 minutes away?). Dustin and Nevada are completely different from each other; he’s cocky, avoids commitment, but has many talents and a generous heart. Nevada is super smart, a bit prim & proper (Dustin thinks she’s an ivory tower princess) dislikes Valentine’s Day, and looking for something new and challenging to try. They soon find themselves drawn to each other as they work together to complete the tasks assigned. This sweet story is not all about romance; the quest is centered around helping the community and you have the wonderful residents of Marietta popping in. I loved the pacing of the romance. I liked this couple together, and watching them overcome their fears, hurts, and bumps in the road as they complete the Valentine Quest. A quick, easy, satisfying read. Another winner from Melissa McClone.

Melissa McClone has written another of her trademark heartwarming romances in The Valentine Quest. Set in the quaint town of Marietta Montana, this story brings together two of the most unlikely people to fall in love, yet somehow they manage to do so anyway.
Nevada Parker is working on her PhD dissertation and has decided she has no time for relationships, having been emotionally scarred as a teenager. Cowboy Dustin Decker has never wanted to make a commitment after living through his parents' failed marriage. Despite their differences Nevada and Dustin team up to compete in Marietta's Valentine Quest, and discover that they have quite a bit in common after all.
I really liked the various tasks that needed to be completed as part of the Quest, as well as the way those tasks helped Nevada and Dustin to work through their difficulties. I liked Nevada and Dustin too, and I liked that the more time they spent together the better suited they seemed to each other.

The Valentine Quest: Love at the Chocolate Shop #5 is by Melissa McClone.
Release: February 2017 (TBD)
Read: February 4, 2017
My Rating: 5
Cover: 4
Standalone; told in dual third person perspectives.
Series: Love at the Chocolate Shop: Melt My Heart, Cowboy; A Thankful Heart; Montana Secret Santa; The Chocolate Cure; The Valentine Quest; Charmed by Chocolate *I believe there will be more.

Love at the Chocolate Shop has done it again with The Valentine Quest, the fifth book in this delightful series. Seriously...who doesn't love romance AND chocolate? I admit I haven't YET read them all but loved the ones I have. Another fact I love about this series is that each book is written by a different author. Although, each book in the series is connected to the chocolate shop, Copper Mountain Chocolates, they are all standalone.

Before I sum up this book for you, I'll tell you that is was a beautiful story. Pretty clean as far as intimacy; just some sweet and passionate kisses. Truth is I didn't mind that this couple never made it to the bedroom. The author's writing was talented in that she weaved a sweet story that had me engrossed from the first page. Every written word, spoken and unspoken, was honest and believable. I couldn't wait for the happily ever after.

Dustin Decker and Nevada Parker.....

The center of this story's focus is the Valentine Quest. The contest is for couples and singles, however chances to win were better for couples. You'll read why on your own. The prize for the contest is a vacation in Fiji. Both Dustin and Nevada are eager to win. Nevada wants this vacation trip so she can give it to her brother, York, who will be retiring from the military in a few months time. York is the big brother I wish I had. Unfortunately I am the oldest in my family and my brother is one of the youngest among my five siblings. York is loving, generous, loyal and protective of his younger sisters. Especially his youngest, Nevada. Nevada wants to do something special to show her love and appreciation so she is determined to win for him. (I'll say this right now...I hope we get to meet York in person, in Marietta one day soon.)

Unfortunately Nevada is up against a lot of eager contestants.

Dustin just wants a vacation. He loves his job as a wrangler on the Bar V5 resort ranch but lately is feeling a little stifled. He just wants to get out of Marietta for a couple of weeks during the winter when ranch work is slow and monotonous. And what's more inviting than a warm tropical island with tiki bars and bikinis? But there is a small problem he foresees; couples entering will have an advantage and he was planning to enter as a single. But he has an idea.

Dustin teams up with Nevada. He doesn't know her well; she's just visiting her sister, Dakota, for the winter. Yes she's a bit prudish however she is beautiful and very smart. Nevada is a graduate student currently working on her dissertation so she can receive her PHD degree and teach at a university. She and Dustin don't have much in common. Except they both want to win AND neither want to be involved in a relationship. Dustin believes he is not made for commitment. And Nevada is afraid to get involved with any man for fear of being hurt. Again.

Dustin and Nevada get off to a poor start; not doing well with their first task. But soon they start to progress in the rankings and the prize is looking like it's within their reach. Meanwhile, as they get to know each other better becoming friends, their attraction for each other grows. They become closer than either expected.

But then the proverbial 'shoe' drops. With a loud thud I might add. I won't give any details away but there was an emotional; moment where my heart hurt.

Then came the grand gesture. It was sweet and adorable. Was it predictable? Yes, and the ending came quicker than I would have liked but I still enjoyed it. The Valentine Quest is a great book to read with Valentines Day just around the corner.

I understand there will be more books in this series. There is definitely one story I am eager for. Portia's. She has been around since the beginning of the series (if you are a fan of all the Montana Born books, then you will know of Portia from the Carrigan's series) and each book gives us a glimpse of her troubles. Her happy ending is one I am impatient for. I just hope the wait won't be too long.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley.*

Nevada Parker, a shy nerdy type woman meets forcibly retired rodeo star Dustin Decker.
And the sweet tale of two hurting souls healing begins.
Ms. McClone takes you to the wonderful little town of Marrietta Montana, shows you the inhabitants and makes you want to stay.......at least when you get to the end.....you know the next book in the series will bring you back.
I received an Arc cop to peruse.

Loved this fun, whimsical story that takes us back to Marietta! Nevada Parker, serious and academic, is the perfect partner for Dustin Decker in the Amazing Race like competition going on in Marietta. She brings the brains and him the brawn. That is if they can get along long enough to finish the competition! This is a fun quick read that will leaving you smiling. I definitely recommend it.

We have all heard the saying "you often find love when you have stop looking" and in Nevada Parker and Dustin Decker's case, this happens to be true. Neither wanted anything serious. They just wanted partner up in order win the Valentine Quest, and then go one their separate ways.

Nevada had been hurt by a guy when she was in college and didn't care about meeting or dating men. She was focused on teaching and finishing school. Former rodeo champion, Dustin was just a fun time guy and never serious about any girls he met or hung out with. But when Nevada and Dustin decide to join the Valentine Quest as a team, they start to realize they not only make a good team, they just might make a good couple.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters' backgrounds were well thought out and the story moved along at a good pace. The scenes were easy to visualize too. If you are looking for a heartfelt romance, this is the book for you.

The Valentine Quest is the fifth book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series. This book is written by author Melissa McClone who also wrote the second book in the series, A Thankful Heart. The star of The Valentine Quest, Nevada, is the sister of the star of A Thankful Heart, Dakota. Dakota was the animal rescuer. Nevada is a grad student in New York currently staying with her sister and working on her dissertation and teaching in Bozeman at the university there.

Nevada decides to enter The Valentine Quest to win a vacation for her brother who is retiring from the army. She is going to do it alone but then decides to team up with former bull rider Dustin Decker. Neither of them are looking for a relationship but hey it's Valentine's Day...what do you think is going to happen?

The Valentine Quest is a wonderful addition to this series. I enjoy McClone's writing style and I found the story to be both believable and enchanting. I loved the quest itself..it fits perfectly with the town and with this series. I liked both of the main characters and was rooting for both of them. I loved the ending.

Highly recommend The Valentine Quest for anyone looking for a well written and touching romance. Give it to your best friend for Valentine's Day. They'll love it!

3 stars
Take a smart, a bit shy professor type and mix her with a past rodeo rider still wanting to prove he still has it.
Throw in the town of Marietta and the continuing series of Love at the Chocolate Shop and you have the fifth book, The Valentine Quest.
This is a tale of two seemingly opposites coming together for a specific purpose... and finding out there is more attraction to each other than the ultimate goal which brought them together.
It was fun seeing a distant and a bit prickly gal capture a cowboy. Our cowboy could figure out what hit him... and he was smitten.

This is a continuing series and each entry has been fun.

It seems as if I can't get enough of the stories where Marietta, Montana seeps from the pages. I've so enjoyed the all the different stories with the common thread of Marietta running through them, this story is no different.

The Valentines Quest brings together Nevada and Dustin, first through an alliance, then as their HEA developed. There was nothing cliche about their story, layered under the quest was self discovery, awareness and a deeper character then either Nevada or Dustin realized. Once again Ms McClone has taken a quaint town, and holiday, and used both to demonstrate her gift of storytelling. Her characters jumped off the page through their depth and dynamics...shining throughout the story were the deeper emotions that neither of the pair allowed others to see, but the author was able to bring to light with a genius concept of competition and reward, for others not just themselves.

I'll continue to read more books where Marietta, Montana is the setting...I seemed to have become accustomed to the town and its quirky residents.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

A wonderful story with great characters and great dialogue and a lovely setting!
How a broken but cocky cowboy and an intellectual heroine preparing her dissertation fall for each other in the beautiful town of Marietta, Montana. I loved how Melissa McClone managed to create such a lovely couple: a hard-working cowboy (ex-bull rider), perhaps a bit too full of himself, and an intelligent PhD student and part-time college teacher, with a lot of insecurities. And how they complement and learn with each other so well.
The hero is charming, sexy, cocky, slightly wounded – he even sports a limp – but, above all, he’s a well developed character who managed to overcome a hard childhood (marked by poverty, but with a very loving father).
With great well developed secondary characters and a wonderful setting, this is a really sweet, funny and feel-good story.

Sometimes I can imagine Cupid hovering over in a corner, surveying the surroundings looking for his latest victims… ah, potential couples, yeah that’s what I meant, and thinking to himself “Yeah. Those two. Total opposites, not looking for or believing in love. I’ll show them what love is all about, piece of cake… chocolate cake of course.”

On the surface Nevada and Dustin could not be further apart on much of anything. He’s a retired rodeo cowboy now working as a ranch hand with a bum knee. A bit cocky, a little arrogant and completely lost without his rodeo career to define him as a winner still. He’s watched that love thing dissolve with his parents and never intends to go there. She’s about as nerdy as one can get, book smart but maybe not life smart, shyness hides behind an intelligence that some find intimidating. One really bad, painful experience has proven to her that love is simply not something she’s willing to take a chance on ever again. All the hearts and pink decorations in the world will not change her mind. Yep, totally opposites except in their shared belief that love is for fools – and they are not about to be foolish. Oh, Cupid, can you ever pick ’em. *mischievous grin*

There is one thing that these two share right away – the desire for that vacation grand prize for winning The Valentine Quest. Trouble is, not all of the quest can be done alone and they need a partner, someone who knows the rules, keeps their sight on the grand prize and won’t let emotions get in the way… at all. Sounds like Nevada and Dustin make perfect partners – now can they let themselves be perfect for each other lovers and let the past go to live and love in the right now, and maybe the future.

I enjoyed The Valentine Quest so much. We get the chance to catch up a bit on the underlying story line threads that are woven throughout all the stories, visit a little with past couples, try to figure out who the anonymous donor with deep pockets truly is, and watch a man and woman discover that love doesn’t have to be hurtful if it’s shared with the right person. Oh, there are going to be bumps along the romantic road for Dustin and Nevada, nothing worth while is truly easy. But they stick, they try, they work on it until loving each other is as natural as a love for chocolate. I like this couple, and I believe in the end that they’re going to beat the odds of their pasts and make it. Sometimes what you need is hope, with a bit of that just about anything is possible.

Love at the Chocolate Shop is one of those series where yes, each story “could” stand on it’s own as an enjoyable romance. But with a few story threads that continue in the background of most of the stories, I personally believe that this is a series best enjoyed by following from the beginning.

I would definitely recommend this title and this series to any Romance reader who enjoys a solid, good story, likable couples, engaging secondary characters… oh, and a love for chocolate. Indulge a bit and enjoy.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

What a sweet story. I just loved this story from the first chapter to the very last "I love Nevada" carved into the heart sculpture! I was so heart broken when she walked out of the chocolate shop after finding out she could not compete the last day. I just wanted him to say something and stand up for her too, make her feel like she belonged with him. But he didn't and I was so heartbroken over it, especially after she helped him through so much and listened to his childhood stories about how he grew up. Oh, I was about in tears when they delivered the boxes to the families and at the children's hospital it was so touching.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Set in a quaint town in Montana this romantic novel is a bit frivolous and frothy. The sexy former bull rider meets the nerdy,incredibly smart but cute Nevada. Two opposites who are attracted to each other, the outcome is predictable.
But it is a lighthearted ,quick and easy read which made me smile. Enjoyable for what it is.
3.5***