This was a nice easy read with such a nice story that I enjoyed. I just love the cover of the book aswell it’s beautiful.

CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE is the sixth book in the Love At The Chocolate Shop series. The series takes place in Marietta Montana with Sage's Chocolate Shop being where everyone meets up. The books are all written by different authors, yet the series meshes together very well. In this story Leah is in love with her best friend, Wade. She left Marietta for Los Angeles to get away from the cold, to make something of herself and to nurse her wounds as she feels she and Wade will never get together. When her friend Betsy asks her to help her out with a one day appearance on The Bachelor, Leah agrees. That one day turned into more and when they were looking for some situations to boost the show, they targeted Leah. Getting her drunk, she then said some things that she regretted. Getting the nickname "Lonely Leah" and being written up in one tabloid after another, she flees back to Marietta to lick her wounds and let the talk die down. She is praying that she does not lose her job. Once back in Marietta, she runs into Wade. With her grandma Josie, her brother Dylan and her friend Sage all telling her to be honest with Wade and that he still loves her, she is more confused and scared than ever. Will Leah ever lose the terrible nickname they gave her on the show? Can she trust Wade with her heart or do they try to go back being friends? Will she and Wade find their Happy Ever After?

I really enjoyed CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE as much as the others I have read in this series. I love meeting the characters in this small town and Josie was a hoot. She added the humour to this story. It is wonderful seeing this group of friends find their soulmates and live happily. I am looking forward to reading the next on in this series. They are quick reads and that keeps me wanting more. I recommend this book and series to those who enjoy a good, clean, fun romance.

I really enjoyed the book, it has everything I love in a novel from start to finish. I can’t wait to read what the author has planned next!

Charmed by Chocolate

Steena Holmes




CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE is the sixth book in the Love At The Chocolate Shop series. The series takes place in Marietta Montana and the delicious chocolate shop. Leah ran from Marietta as soon as she was old enough to make something of herself in Los Angeles. One day while working her friend asks her to fill in for one of the girls on a reality show, much like The Bachelor. Reluctantly, she agrees and her life blows up because of it. She gets drunk, sits on the sun for hours, doesn't eat all day, and during her introduction on the show, she admits to loving her best friend in the world, Wade Burns! Holy cow, hold on because this is going to be a crazy ride!


Leah runs back to her hometown to nurse her wounds praying that no one knows what is going on and what happened in LA. Who is she kidding? I grew up in a small town and know how fast gossip spreads! CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE introduces you to Leah's grandma who loves to play matchmaker. I loved Josie and all the situations she pushed Leah and Wade into. You see, Leah told Wade how she felt about him and he turned her down. She is beyond embarrassed when she runs into him and he doesn't realize that she has changed! Men!! After a few days, he wonders what the heck he missed and what is going on with Leah. He doesn't understand why she is avoiding him. Seriously?


Everyone in Marietta knows that Leah and Wade belong together except for Leah and Wade. Both of them are so stubborn and at times really aggravated me. Why didn't they just tell the other how they were feeling? I mean, they are lifelong friends right? That part of the book really frustrated me, but other than that, I really enjoyed CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE. Leah's brother, Dylan tries to help them see what is going on, but he has issues of his own he won't address. Can Leah ever lose the nickname they gave her on the show, Lonely Leah, and find her happily ever after? Can she trust Wade with her heart or do they just try to go back being friends? I'm not going to tell you how that goes but it sure was fun watching the two of them figure it all out.
I'm so excited to continue this series. I have fallen in love with this small town and especially the chocolate shop. CHARMED BY CHOCOLATE is a fun quick read that I read in one sitting.

List of food in this book:
http://sam-can-shout.blogspot.com/2017/05/Food-in-Books-Charmed-by-Chocolate.html

The saving grace for me is that this book, we are finally dealing with people who knew each other for a great amount of time. Sans book #3 (the one I missed, so I do not know if it follows the same pattern), all the couples thus far were basically in the situation of insta-love. Insta-acctraction I get, but it gets tiresome when all the books in this series are like that. You switch out the names and occupations and they are all alarmingly similar. This book, thank Gawd, at least breaks away from that, which was refreshing, but that was the only nice thing I can remotely think of.

I also want to make it clear that this book isn't any worse than its predecessors, just that unfortunately, the actual plot, with the lack of better words, PISSED ME OFF. I couldn't believe what I was reading; it dawned to me very early on, that it all started due to a misunderstanding, but it took an entire book for the characters to suck it up and actually try to clarify with one another. That was literally it; they both thought the other person didn't love them back. I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to feel rewarded and happy for them when their happily-everafter happened, but when I finished the book, I was only glad that I was done with it.

I did NOT feel any sympathy towards our main gal, who, for the majority of the book, felt she was heartbroken. Guess what, you really kind of just wasted all those tears because you weren't rejected in the first place. How about next time you make sure the person you are talking to, has actually heard you, before you go bawl your eyes out and do something stupid? At first, I believe I understand being afraid of rejection once more, but after a few chapters, that was when I got annoyed and felt like she should just get her head out of her a**. I can only assume there are readers out there who love to torture themselves with reading plots like this that spans the whole book, but if it isn't clear enough already, I'm not one of those people.

Another reason why this book didn't particularly work well for me, was that Saint Patrick's Day/St. Paddy's Day was barely involved. I'ma be frank; for me, the attraction towards this series, sans the gorgeous book covers, is that each book is suppose to surround a holiday per month. For March, it actually took me a while to think of St. Paddy's, so as someone who was not born and raised in the States, I was looking forward as to how this book was going to tie it in. I was disappointed with what I got. St. Paddy's was only confirmed in Ch. 9 (out of 18) that it was indeed the holiday this book was set around, and to be honest, it was almost a very subtle background info.

I get that in the end, this series is probably all about the couples and NOT the holidays, so I can't exactly fault it for making the event secondary (very generously speaking.) However, when the arc going on with the the couple failed to interest me, the lack of use on the holiday would then made me go "oh, if only." Like seriously, I don't care how cliche it is; so what if "luck" wasn't what the couple need but "courage" or "brains"? Isn't "luck" one of the obvious stuff to use to associate with St. Paddy's? And where's the green? Gawd there was basically no holiday spirit at all in this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1921979764

Fun and entertaining read. Liked the characters and story flow. The journey of the best friends to lovers is interesting since the basis of the inner conflict is a reality show. Good idea! Any story with chocolate is a winner! Easy to read. Recommend reading.

Leah left Marietta for Southern California, returning only for visits. When a favor for a friend results in Leah declaring her “unrequited” feelings for her best friend, Wade, as well as making some unflattering comments about her home town, and it is leaked to the press, she heads home hoping it the fascination with the topic will blow over. Unfortunately, that puts her directly in Wade’s path, a place she hoped to avoid until she could come to terms with her feelings and what she feels are Wade’s lack of feelings.
Wade is happy Leah is finally home, he has been waiting for her to figure out that she belongs in Marietta, with him. What he can’t understand is why she is avoiding him.
Misunderstandings and mishaps, fun characters, Marietta, and Sage’s chocolate make for a sweet friends to lovers tale. This book is part of the Love at the Chocolate Shop series but can easily stand alone.

Charmed By Chocolate, the latest in Montana Born Books' Love at The Chocolate Shop series, has been a sweet read with fairly likeable and well developed characters. Having said that, I did find Wade, our hero, just a little bit too good to be true with all his snow shovelling and sand spreading. The plot flowed well, the story kept me interested and overall I enjoyed the story. I do wish though that author Steena Holmes had proof read this story a little bit more closely because the grammatical errors really grated on me at times.

I love finding a a new series and this one has me hooked. I can't wait to read other books in the series and hopefully more in the future!

Entertaining, but frustrating. As is typical of many romance stories, if the characters would talk honestly with one another all the angst and hurt feelings would disappear. But then there would not be a book. The tale was engaging enough to allow some leeway for their hesitation to talk. The friends are imperfect, but do care for the main characters and try to push them in the proper direction. It was a pleasant diversion.

Charmed by Chocolate starts off with Leah slinking home with her tail between her legs after she dissed her hometown on a nationally broadcast TV show. Even worse, she blurts out her lonely for love status and longtime love for a hometown guy that she has had an on/off relationship with for years. Due to a series of miscommunication's, Leah and Wade haven't been able to make their love connection.

I sometimes get annoyed with the star crossed lovers theme but this book didn't go to an extreme and the two protagonists finally grew up and talked to each other. I have enjoyed all of the books in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series and this one was no different. This book was a fun read and the couple was worth rooting for.

Leah loved Wade Burns her whole life.... but she believes she blew her chance with him by running away.
Wade has always loved Leah...and always will, but thinks he missed his chance.
Through a series of misunderstandings, they are not together.
After making a fool of herself on a national television show, she returns home, hoping to avoid the mess she leaves behind.
With more than a little family and friendly interference, they have an honest conversation.
Sweet romantic tale set in Montana in the Chocolate Shop series. I recommend it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a second chance romance. Leah has returned home to Marietta, which she never wanted to return to, after embarrassing moment on a reality tv show to lick her wounds. Wade has never left Marietta and has always loved Leah. Their timing has always been off in the romance department but now he has one more chance to move his love with chocolate and fun things to do around Marietta. The whole town is rooting for this couple.

This was great addition to the Chocolate Shop stories. Many laugh out moments through the story. Plenty of chocolate and home made goodies that will leave you hungry. I highly recommend this book along with the rest of the series. Can be read as a stand alone.

Charmed by Chocolate is the sixth book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series set in the small town of Marietta, MT. It is not necessary to read the previous books; they are connected by the Chocolate Shop and the small town but are each their own story. While this one is not one of my favorites of the series, it was still a good read. I thought it dragged too much based on a misunderstanding/lack of communication and I didn’t really get into until more than halfway through. I did like the storyline of friendship, family ties, and being true to yourself. Fans of the series will recognize previous characters and the charm the series provides. I’m sure they will enjoy this second chance love story between best friends.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I admit I am not a big romance fan. But I found this very hard to get through...I wanted to bash the main characters' heads together. Soooo many pages of unnecessary (to the point of ridiculous) misunderstanding and angst. The characters were one dimensional and not very likeable. .

Charmed by Chocolate is a sweet and angsty friends to lovers story. Wade and Leah though, they make me want to bop them upside the head. Once again, it's the secondary characters I really want to read about after it all.

Leah and Wade have been best friends forever. Each has confessed love of the other, but each time something stood in their way, or rather each time one of them stood in their own way. It's Leah's turn to be heartbroken and so she ends up on a reality dating show that totally messes her up.

Hiding out back home, she is studiously avoiding Wade who she confessed to loving but who apparently doesn't love her. Wade is confused and hurting because the last time he confessed to loving Leah, she turned him down.

The issues in this book could have been solved very easily if they had just been honest with each other, you know, like best friends. Instead, it's a game of telephone involving Dylan and Sage and Betsy and half the town of Marietta. Despite that, I rather liked Wade and Leah and understood their fears.

Overall, I liked this book, especially Dylan (Leah's brother and hapless meteorologist at the local radio station). Dylan and his horrid, no good, terrible weather predictions have been a staple of this series and I loved Dylan here. I also loved how Marietta loved Wade and Leah.

Leah has returned to her hometown of Marietta, MT mostly to hide from the press out of embarrassment with an incident on a dating television show that her friend in California has talked her into going on. Leah is hoping that no one in the small town will hear of what happened but it doesn’t take long to see that won’t be the case.

Leah had only gone on the show to help out her friend because Leah actually has feelings for her best friend in Marietta, Wade Burns. But unfortunately Wade didn’t seem to return her feelings when he ignored her telling him she was in love with him a month before so now Leah must also face Wade and her feelings for him.

Charmed by Chocolate is the sixth book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series set in the small town of Marietta, MT with all the books having some sort of tie in with Sage’s Chocolate shop in the town. As usual with this series this book features a new couple and it’s not necessary to have read the previous to understand the main story line and their relationship. However for those fans of the series there are mentions of previous characters and the small town charm that all Marietta books hold.

For me this edition of the series just seemed to be filled with a bit too much angst for my taste to be honest. The entire plot is one of those huge misunderstandings dragged on throughout the entire book which really drives me absolutely bonkers. I’m usually OK with a bit of drama in a romance read at some point but lifetime friends to not be able to communicate and resolve the dilemma at hand just didn’t seem to ring true to me. But on the plus side I still enjoyed the book as a part of the series and just keeping up with the small town charm even if this couple wasn’t one of my favorites of the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a very entertaining friends to lovers story that had me chuckling all the way through. Leah couldn't leave Marietta fast enough for the sunshine of Southern California. Hating the brutal winters and done with lusting after her best friend Wade Burns, Leah is certain life has to be better in California. Appearing on a reality dating show is her downfall though. After a little (ok, a lot) too much to drink Leah confesses her secret love for her friend Wade Burns. Dubbed Lonely Leah she's now being hounded by the media and runs back home to Marietta to get away. Problem is Wade is in Marietta too.

Very enjoyable read and one I recommend.

A sweet story. Sometimes you think you can go back and sometimes you can't. A story of trying to recapture an old love

Leah’s experience on reality television just goes to show all can go so wrong in front of the camera. It is easy to have sympathy for her in Charmed by Chocolate by Steena Holmes. My first thought was Leah should stick with chocolate while my second thought is “All’s well that ends well.”

This is a great story with real, genuine characters who blunders are public yet are ones we can easily identify with in our own lives. The meddlesome community and family are so real, I would swear that Ms. Holmes has been to the small town I where I live. Charmed by Chocolate is mix of family, friends true and otherwise, humor, and the possibility of a real chance at love if Leah and Wade will only take it.

Steen Holmes’ style and characters are right at home in Marietta, Montana. The Love at the Chocolate Shop Series is a perfect series for her. Fans of Steena Holmes and Marietta will love this addition to the Tule Publishing small town books.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley.