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Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop #1
Sweetshop of Dreams: A Novel with Recipes #1
Were you a sherbet lemon or chocolate lime fan? Soft chewy ones or hard boiled sweeties (you do get more for your money that way)? The jangle of your pocket money . . . the rustle of the pink and green striped paper bag . . .
Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian’s sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong.
Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton’s sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to settle up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets.
Welcome to Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop of Dreams, a novel, with recipes.
Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian’s sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong.
Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton’s sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to settle up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets.
Welcome to Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop of Dreams, a novel, with recipes.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
924 people are currently reading
10760 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Colgan
101 books11.9k followersJenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including 'The Little Shop of Happy Ever After' and 'Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery', which are also published by Sphere.' Meet Me at the Cupcake Café' won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was 'Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams', which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013.
For more about Jenny, visit her website and her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.
Jenny Colgan has also been published under the name Jenny T. Colgan.
For more about Jenny, visit her website and her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.
Jenny Colgan has also been published under the name Jenny T. Colgan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,250 reviews
June 17, 2021
Sweetshop of Dreams is all you would expect from that title and more. Rosie Hopkins’ aunt, Lilian, needs her to help run the shop in Lipton, a quaint village. Rosie takes over and updates the shop; the yummy, scrumptious shop!
Also part of the story is a sweet romance between Rosie and a mysterious loner named Stephen.
There’s so much to love here, especially if you are looking for your next feel-good book this summer!
I received a gifted copy from the publisher.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Also part of the story is a sweet romance between Rosie and a mysterious loner named Stephen.
There’s so much to love here, especially if you are looking for your next feel-good book this summer!
I received a gifted copy from the publisher.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
April 22, 2012
When I saw the high ratings for this book I was really excited. I'm not a fan of chick lit but thought the idea of an old fashioned sweetshop being restored and someone falling in love with the country side after living in the city sounded charming.
Oh dear. I was really disappointed. I did not like any of the characters in this book. The protagonist, Rosie was really annoying.Her boyfriend made me cringe! Such a useless person attached to Mummy and is obsessed with food and himself. Who stays with someone for 8 years who is like that? it only took her over half the book to start sorting her head out! The back story concerning her aunt in the 1940's was nothing new or original, I have read that plot line so many times.
The characters were all, im sorry to say, so boring! I hate giving negative reviews but this book was a real chore. The two stars were for the writing. The writing was good, the plot...well...I think I have said enough. Such a shame when it could have been a really interesting story.
Oh dear. I was really disappointed. I did not like any of the characters in this book. The protagonist, Rosie was really annoying.Her boyfriend made me cringe! Such a useless person attached to Mummy and is obsessed with food and himself. Who stays with someone for 8 years who is like that? it only took her over half the book to start sorting her head out! The back story concerning her aunt in the 1940's was nothing new or original, I have read that plot line so many times.
The characters were all, im sorry to say, so boring! I hate giving negative reviews but this book was a real chore. The two stars were for the writing. The writing was good, the plot...well...I think I have said enough. Such a shame when it could have been a really interesting story.
March 12, 2012
After reading Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe last year I have been eagerly awaiting a new book by Jenny Colgan to come out so you can imagine the expression on my face when I was contacted by Sphere Publishing and asked to review her new book I was over the moon and then when I read the press release and see the title of the book I knew this was going to be the book for me I LOVE SWEETS!!
Jenny Colgan brings us a unique storyline that must be everyone’s dream come true. I mean who has never once in their life wanted to work in a sweet shop! I really enjoyed watching Rosie working to get the sweet shop back to its traditional glory, and when she finds the different kinds of sweets in the shop it had my mouth watering and me shooting back to my childhood remembering all my favourite penny sweets!
The storyline flows at a gentle pace which helps, along with the beautiful descriptive writing, to set the scene in the idyllic little village. There were a real mix of characters some who you love and some who you just have to roll your eyes at! Our main character Rosie is full of warmth and is at a dead end in her life we instantly pick up that Rosie isn’t really happy with things in her life but we hope that by taking time out of her day to day routine that she will finally find some happiness by making some changes in her life. What I liked about this book was I was never quite sure how the story was going to end which made me keep turning the pages eager to see what was going to happen next.
There was plenty of humour in this book which only added to this perfect concoction to make a deliciously delightful read.
Jenny Colgan brings us a unique storyline that must be everyone’s dream come true. I mean who has never once in their life wanted to work in a sweet shop! I really enjoyed watching Rosie working to get the sweet shop back to its traditional glory, and when she finds the different kinds of sweets in the shop it had my mouth watering and me shooting back to my childhood remembering all my favourite penny sweets!
The storyline flows at a gentle pace which helps, along with the beautiful descriptive writing, to set the scene in the idyllic little village. There were a real mix of characters some who you love and some who you just have to roll your eyes at! Our main character Rosie is full of warmth and is at a dead end in her life we instantly pick up that Rosie isn’t really happy with things in her life but we hope that by taking time out of her day to day routine that she will finally find some happiness by making some changes in her life. What I liked about this book was I was never quite sure how the story was going to end which made me keep turning the pages eager to see what was going to happen next.
There was plenty of humour in this book which only added to this perfect concoction to make a deliciously delightful read.
May 1, 2018
3.5 stars
I'm torn by this book.
There is this nice part about Rosie coming from busy London to Lipton in order to help her great-aunt Lilian. She nurses her, re-opens Lilian's sweet shop and meets some nice local people etc. And that's exactly what I signed up for.
But then there's the other part. The so-called romance. It's absolutely non-existing.
It starts with the classic process of 'I love my boyfriend' to 'how did I not see that he's bad for me?'. Aah that was just too clumsily written somehow. And exaggerated. And annoying.
Then, why is the whole village gossiping about her having a fling with any male person who walks within 10 metres of Rosie? Without any sign of communication/ flirting/ whatever during their encounter? That doesn't make any sense.
And finally, the main love story. Ugh. I mean, on the bright side, the 'winner' not too obvious from the beginning. There are a few possible candidates at first. But after a few entirely unromantic (not really flirty) occasions, Rosie suddenly realises, that she's deeply in love with that guy. Am I stupid or are there some pages missing? This and the following events occur out of nowhere.
Well, apart from that failure, there were some other too unnatural and not smoothly enough written bits that I'm too tired to list.
I'm torn by this book.
There is this nice part about Rosie coming from busy London to Lipton in order to help her great-aunt Lilian. She nurses her, re-opens Lilian's sweet shop and meets some nice local people etc. And that's exactly what I signed up for.
But then there's the other part. The so-called romance. It's absolutely non-existing.
It starts with the classic process of 'I love my boyfriend' to 'how did I not see that he's bad for me?'. Aah that was just too clumsily written somehow. And exaggerated. And annoying.
Then, why is the whole village gossiping about her having a fling with any male person who walks within 10 metres of Rosie? Without any sign of communication/ flirting/ whatever during their encounter? That doesn't make any sense.
And finally, the main love story. Ugh. I mean, on the bright side, the 'winner' not too obvious from the beginning. There are a few possible candidates at first. But after a few entirely unromantic (not really flirty) occasions, Rosie suddenly realises, that she's deeply in love with that guy. Am I stupid or are there some pages missing? This and the following events occur out of nowhere.
Well, apart from that failure, there were some other too unnatural and not smoothly enough written bits that I'm too tired to list.
July 30, 2017
Romantično, ali ne i patetično, optimistično, ali ne i površno, zabavno, ali ne i plitko, ukratko ovaj roman je nešto što mi je trenutno baš leglo. Nešto što podsjeća na radost života i uživanje u životnim radostima, nešto što, kao i proljeće koje je sad počelo, budi želju za prirodom, boravkom na otvorenom, pa čak i za promjenu načina života. Pomisliš kako bi bilo dobro pobjeći iz grada i početi neki novi život i posao na selu, ali...puste želje... Jenny Colgan je mogu reći moja nova omiljena autorica romana, za koje ne bih rekla da pripadaju chick litu, već zapravo onom, u filmskoj industriji već pomalo zaboravljenom, žanru dobrih, starih, finih romantičnih komedija, recimo sa Meg Ryan, pa stoga željno čekam nastavke ovog serijala o Rosie i njenoj prodavnici slatkiša iz snova, kako bih opet sa osmjehom okrenula posljednju stranicu romana i još dugo zadržala taj lijepi osjećaj da sam pročitala nešto sa ljubavlju napisano.
May 3, 2012
I loved this book from the start, mainly due to all the references to sweets and particularly all those old favourites, some typically Scottish. I could completely imagine myself in the little sweetshop I frequented before I went to school in the morning and this book definitely took me back. The characters were well drawn. I can't even choose a favourite character, as I would have difficulty choosing between them. I wasn't particularly impressed with Rosie's boyfriend, but I wasn't meant to be, even if he did have some good points. The writer really managed to bring the village to life and I could even imagine the hill down to the farm that Rosie cycled down! The book is fun, but also addresses the more serious issue of Rosie looking after her ailing great aunt. This is the best Jenny Colgan book I have read and would actually make me go back and read others in her back catalogue which I haven't managed thus far.
I loved the flashbacks into Lilian's life and the parallels which were drawn.
There is something in this book for everyone and reflects all age groups - a great read.
I loved the flashbacks into Lilian's life and the parallels which were drawn.
There is something in this book for everyone and reflects all age groups - a great read.
May 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book so much! It was one of those books that feels like a nice warm hug. I picked it up just when I needed it most. It doesn't really get any better than that.
I absolutely adored the main characters, Rosie and Lilian. The small village of Lipton. There's just something about small town stories that are so heartwarming. The storyline is wonderful. It truly was a Sweetshop Of Dreams. The recipes at the beginning of each chapter are a nice touch. Though I finished this book wanting every sweet imaginable, ha ha ha!!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy!
I absolutely adored the main characters, Rosie and Lilian. The small village of Lipton. There's just something about small town stories that are so heartwarming. The storyline is wonderful. It truly was a Sweetshop Of Dreams. The recipes at the beginning of each chapter are a nice touch. Though I finished this book wanting every sweet imaginable, ha ha ha!!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy!
August 11, 2013
The only real way I can think of describing Colgan's book is delightful, but I am afraid that that makes it come across as absurdly twee and saccharine when it isn't at all. Sweet Shop definitely has hidden depths.
Rosie is cajoled into leaving her somewhat anticlimactic London life to visit and care for her Great Aunt Lilian. Rosie is your somewhat typical 'Bridget Jones' character; thirty-something, bored and disenchanted with her job and life in general. Juxtaposed with Rosie's somewhat monochrome existence is the riotous colour recollection of Lillian's dramatic World War adolescence. Lillian is a wonderful secondary character, she is most assuredly not growing old gracefully, fighting tooth and nail to hold on to her independence; she's feisty, stubborn and sharp tongued.
Lipton, possibly the most adorable village ever, is full of a delightful cast of characters and, apparently, a whole host of single, good looking men from the jovial Moray to flirtatious Jake and the Mr Rochester-esque Stephen. Rosie's journey throughout the book is funny and insightful. Rosie is definitely one of those heroines who whirls into your life and encourages you to question your own decisions and your own situation. She's also one of those wonderfully witty, self deprecating and down-to-earth heroines you want to sit down with and share a bag of chocolate eclairs.
Sweet Shop is nothing if not a life affirming novel. Lillian teaches Rosie, and us, to grab life and stop letting it pass us by while she herself gradually learns that we all need a little help sometimes. I cannot recommend this book enough; it's the perfect treat on a late summer evening. Before you start though, I do suggest you take a trip to your local sweetshop before hand, it'll save a desperate scramble for some cherry lips or pear drops halfway through the book.
Full review at Rosie Reads Romance
Rosie is cajoled into leaving her somewhat anticlimactic London life to visit and care for her Great Aunt Lilian. Rosie is your somewhat typical 'Bridget Jones' character; thirty-something, bored and disenchanted with her job and life in general. Juxtaposed with Rosie's somewhat monochrome existence is the riotous colour recollection of Lillian's dramatic World War adolescence. Lillian is a wonderful secondary character, she is most assuredly not growing old gracefully, fighting tooth and nail to hold on to her independence; she's feisty, stubborn and sharp tongued.
Lipton, possibly the most adorable village ever, is full of a delightful cast of characters and, apparently, a whole host of single, good looking men from the jovial Moray to flirtatious Jake and the Mr Rochester-esque Stephen. Rosie's journey throughout the book is funny and insightful. Rosie is definitely one of those heroines who whirls into your life and encourages you to question your own decisions and your own situation. She's also one of those wonderfully witty, self deprecating and down-to-earth heroines you want to sit down with and share a bag of chocolate eclairs.
Sweet Shop is nothing if not a life affirming novel. Lillian teaches Rosie, and us, to grab life and stop letting it pass us by while she herself gradually learns that we all need a little help sometimes. I cannot recommend this book enough; it's the perfect treat on a late summer evening. Before you start though, I do suggest you take a trip to your local sweetshop before hand, it'll save a desperate scramble for some cherry lips or pear drops halfway through the book.
Full review at Rosie Reads Romance
June 7, 2013
I'm not really a fan of chick-lit but I ran out of books while on holiday and thought meh might as well. The female protagonist really makes me cringe. At the start she acts very childishly about her relationship with Gerad, once she moves to the countryside she's just embarrassing and pathetic and it doesn't get better from then on. Nothing makes me hate a book more than a weak female character! Only good thing about this book was the sweets, all of the characters were poorly written and had very little depth and the plot wasn't believable at all.
October 12, 2017
This is literally a very sweet story. A young nurse goes to a small town to assist an elderly great aunt at her mother's request and finds a new life. She and her great aunt teach each other many things and both of them benefit from each others company. There were many great characters and the revival of the town sweet shop brings them all together. This was a very pleasant book to spend an afternoon with.
April 18, 2018
Rosie has a rather stagnant life. She lives in London with her boyfriend of seven years, Gerard. She is an auxilary nurse with a few good friends. She is over thirty, bored yet rather complacent. She gets a phone call from her mother in Australia. Her Great Aunt Lillian, who lived in the small village of Lipton needs some help. She is in her 80s and her health is failing. She needs to sell her sweet shop and cottage and move into a care facility and Rosie is the closest relative, who is also single, who is available to help. Of course this storyline alone becomes rather humorous at times as well as thought provoking, but there is another story also being told. Lillian is remembering her life as a teenager and telling the story of the young man she falls in love with and the trials they had in this relationship, such as it was. Lillian is a wonderful character, she is not growing old gracefully, fighting tooth and nail to hold on to her independence; she's feisty, stubborn and sharp tongued. When she and Rosie first meet there is a certain amount of animosity, but that gradually disappears and they begin to care very much for one another.
Lipton is full of delightful characters as well as several good looking men from the jovial Moray to flirtatious Jake and the stubborn, handsome Stephen. Rosie's journey throughout the book is funny and insightful. Rosie barges into the lives of the villagers and encourages them to question their decisions and situations. From children, to parents, to her Aunt Lillian she touches everyone's life she meets. She also examines her own life and decisions to make the changes that will push her to try love again. Rosie made me want to head to Lipton just to meet her. She has an ability to laugh at herself and analyze her situations to a point that I want to get her opinions over a cup of cocoa and some chocolate. There are some great lessons in this novel. Lillian teaches Rosie, and us, to grab life and stop letting it pass us by while she herself gradually learns that we all need a little help sometimes.
I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed the narration. It made the characters come alive for me. It was relatively long, but it certainly kept my interest throughout. I recommend this story to anyone at a crossroads in their life, those who enjoy chick-lit and those who love sweets.
Lipton is full of delightful characters as well as several good looking men from the jovial Moray to flirtatious Jake and the stubborn, handsome Stephen. Rosie's journey throughout the book is funny and insightful. Rosie barges into the lives of the villagers and encourages them to question their decisions and situations. From children, to parents, to her Aunt Lillian she touches everyone's life she meets. She also examines her own life and decisions to make the changes that will push her to try love again. Rosie made me want to head to Lipton just to meet her. She has an ability to laugh at herself and analyze her situations to a point that I want to get her opinions over a cup of cocoa and some chocolate. There are some great lessons in this novel. Lillian teaches Rosie, and us, to grab life and stop letting it pass us by while she herself gradually learns that we all need a little help sometimes.
I listened to the audio book and really enjoyed the narration. It made the characters come alive for me. It was relatively long, but it certainly kept my interest throughout. I recommend this story to anyone at a crossroads in their life, those who enjoy chick-lit and those who love sweets.
November 13, 2014
Lovely novel, would recommend it for candy lovers seeking a light read while having a cup of tea (or coffee) on a cloudy day any day in fact but the cloudy part makes it much more entincing to curl up on the couch reading this novel rather than going out.
TBH I like this book but I'm not crazy about it. It drags a little, especially during Rosie's great-aunt flashback scenes. I felt a huge urge to skip past a bunch of them. To me, these scenes are like the ones where there are tons of pages you've read but can't really remember what it was about. Filler stuff that don't really add much bores me, and I'm sad to say that this happened quite a number of times. There were a few LOL moments and some romance going onduh, but in general this book failed to capture my complete attention and devotion to finish it. Not to say the writing wasn't good, it was nice and sweet but again not really my cup of tea...
Of course, after finishing this book, I'm looking forward to trying out some of the 3579 types of candies mentioned in it... Moreover, there are also some recipes for sweets that the author swore she used and was highly successful, so there you go.
Candy out.
TBH I like this book but I'm not crazy about it. It drags a little, especially during Rosie's great-aunt flashback scenes. I felt a huge urge to skip past a bunch of them. To me, these scenes are like the ones where there are tons of pages you've read but can't really remember what it was about. Filler stuff that don't really add much bores me, and I'm sad to say that this happened quite a number of times. There were a few LOL moments and some romance going on
Of course, after finishing this book, I'm looking forward to trying out some of the 3579 types of candies mentioned in it... Moreover, there are also some recipes for sweets that the author swore she used and was highly successful, so there you go.
Candy out.
January 7, 2021
A sweet rom-com in which Rosie, an auxiliary nurse who lives in London with her lazy boyfriend, finds a chance at new life in an unexpected place. She goes to the small country village to help her aging Aunt Lilian, who needs to sell her house and candy shop and go to a nursing home for care. A dual timeline flips between the present and the 1940s, when Lilian was young and attractive and had a crush on Henry. The story lags at times and Rosie and Lilian can both be annoying as they adjust to each other. But they grow on each other and on us, and as their stories unfold, we’re taken by the lush descriptions of the countryside, mouthwatering mentions of every candy imaginable, and the joys and heartaches of romance. A warm and cozy escape!
Note: This is the newest edition of the book, released originally as “Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams” in 2012.
4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 13 Apr 2021
#SweetshopOfDreams #Netgalley
Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
Note: This is the newest edition of the book, released originally as “Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams” in 2012.
4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 13 Apr 2021
#SweetshopOfDreams #Netgalley
Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.
June 1, 2017
Rosie lives in London with her long-term boyfriend. She is an auxiliary nurse, but currently unemployed. So her mother asks her (the only unemplyed in the family AND the only nurse) to go to the small village of Lipton for a short time and care for her great-aunt Lilian. Lilian herself owns a sweetshop, which has clearly seen better days and which Rosie is supposed to bring back to life, so that someone can finally buy it off her great-aunt.
At first, all Rosie wants is to go back to London, her boyfriend (who doens't seem to want to pop the important question) and her their normal life. But soon things start to change: Rosie finds new friends, falls in love with the shop and finally begins to reconsider her choices...
Oooh, I loved the story. It was gorgeous. What I loved the most was that you didn't only get to know all about Rosie and her life, but also about Lilian and her own love story from nearly 70 years ago. I love stuff like that. ♥ You could witness her falling in love and how that ended and how all these things from the past are related to the present. That was really great. ♥
Rosie's Prince Charming (well, almost, ha ha) was nice as well, although not my very favourite of all time or something. Also, I loved Lilian. At first, she seemed a bit grumpy or something and you got the image that she didn't really want Rosie in her cottage, but that changed quickly and the more you got to know about her past, the more you liked her. ♥
It was a really lovely story, most of all because of that back-in-the-wartime-part. I can definitely recommend it! ♥
At first, all Rosie wants is to go back to London, her boyfriend (who doens't seem to want to pop the important question) and her their normal life. But soon things start to change: Rosie finds new friends, falls in love with the shop and finally begins to reconsider her choices...
Oooh, I loved the story. It was gorgeous. What I loved the most was that you didn't only get to know all about Rosie and her life, but also about Lilian and her own love story from nearly 70 years ago. I love stuff like that. ♥ You could witness her falling in love and how that ended and how all these things from the past are related to the present. That was really great. ♥
Rosie's Prince Charming (well, almost, ha ha) was nice as well, although not my very favourite of all time or something. Also, I loved Lilian. At first, she seemed a bit grumpy or something and you got the image that she didn't really want Rosie in her cottage, but that changed quickly and the more you got to know about her past, the more you liked her. ♥
It was a really lovely story, most of all because of that back-in-the-wartime-part. I can definitely recommend it! ♥
May 2, 2012
Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams was my first book by Jenny Colgan and I absolutely loved it! Her last two books have really appealed to me what with being a real foodie, and her pretty charming covers have really caught my eye. I think the concept of having a chick-lit novel intermingled with a delicious treat, in this case old fashioned sweets, is a bit of a genius idea as it really gives the sense that your indulging in something naughty but nice and it’s refreshing to see a chick-lit novel that celebrates the joys of sweets instead of the heroine counting the calories and going on a diet in a bid to lose weight.
The book begins with our loveable heroine Rosie living out a pretty mundane existence. She’s in a steady relationship and has a good job in a city that she loves. Rosie’s always been a true Londoner and has never known anything else but the hustle and bustle of city life. So when she gets a call from her mum pulling in a family favour asking her to go and care for her Great Aunt Lilian in the countryside Rosie’s not at all thrilled. But as she gets settled in and swept up in the gorgeous quaint country village of Lipton Rosie not only finds herself falling in love with this way of life and her aunt’s old fashioned sweetshop but the people too particularly three strapping countrymen a doctor, his patient, and the local handy man who are a far cry from her high maintenance boyfriend back in London. Soon enough Rosie has some big decisions to make, return to the life she’s always known? Or take a leap of faith into something new? And if she does take the plunge which local lads arms will she be falling into?
The story’s told in an alternating narrative between Rosie and her Aunt Lilian. Rosie’s chapters are told in present tense as she refurbishes Lipton’s Sweetshop and Lilian’s are told in the past tense taking us back as far as 1942 when she was a young lass running her family’s sweetshop through war, heartbreak, and family feuds. I have to admit that I did prefer Rosie’s chapters simply because I found her more relatable than Lilian. But that being said Lilian’s chapters where fascinating to read about and gave a little something extra to the story especially as we come to learn of Lilian’s mistakes and regrets and how they start to mirror Rosie’s own situation. There’s a strong moral of living with no regrets, of taking what you want from life, and learning from past mistakes.
I absolutely fell in love with the Hopkins’ Sweetshop. The way that Jenny Colgan describes the sweets and scenery was so vivid that my mouth would water as I imagined the sweet sugary scent which made me nostalgic (not to mention hungry!) for the sweets I enjoyed as a child. Chocolate Limes, Flying Saucers, and great big thick slabs of creamy Fudge they’re all here and celebrated in this book. I particularly enjoyed the sections on sweets taken from Lilian’s recipe book at the beginning of every chapter particularly the one about life being like a bag of Revels rather than a box of chocolates!
Overall Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams is a charming and delicious treat of a book for foodies and chick-lit fans alike. The blend of sweet nostalgia, warm characters, and yummy men make it a book good enough to be eaten up in one single satisfying bite.
The book begins with our loveable heroine Rosie living out a pretty mundane existence. She’s in a steady relationship and has a good job in a city that she loves. Rosie’s always been a true Londoner and has never known anything else but the hustle and bustle of city life. So when she gets a call from her mum pulling in a family favour asking her to go and care for her Great Aunt Lilian in the countryside Rosie’s not at all thrilled. But as she gets settled in and swept up in the gorgeous quaint country village of Lipton Rosie not only finds herself falling in love with this way of life and her aunt’s old fashioned sweetshop but the people too particularly three strapping countrymen a doctor, his patient, and the local handy man who are a far cry from her high maintenance boyfriend back in London. Soon enough Rosie has some big decisions to make, return to the life she’s always known? Or take a leap of faith into something new? And if she does take the plunge which local lads arms will she be falling into?
The story’s told in an alternating narrative between Rosie and her Aunt Lilian. Rosie’s chapters are told in present tense as she refurbishes Lipton’s Sweetshop and Lilian’s are told in the past tense taking us back as far as 1942 when she was a young lass running her family’s sweetshop through war, heartbreak, and family feuds. I have to admit that I did prefer Rosie’s chapters simply because I found her more relatable than Lilian. But that being said Lilian’s chapters where fascinating to read about and gave a little something extra to the story especially as we come to learn of Lilian’s mistakes and regrets and how they start to mirror Rosie’s own situation. There’s a strong moral of living with no regrets, of taking what you want from life, and learning from past mistakes.
I absolutely fell in love with the Hopkins’ Sweetshop. The way that Jenny Colgan describes the sweets and scenery was so vivid that my mouth would water as I imagined the sweet sugary scent which made me nostalgic (not to mention hungry!) for the sweets I enjoyed as a child. Chocolate Limes, Flying Saucers, and great big thick slabs of creamy Fudge they’re all here and celebrated in this book. I particularly enjoyed the sections on sweets taken from Lilian’s recipe book at the beginning of every chapter particularly the one about life being like a bag of Revels rather than a box of chocolates!
Overall Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams is a charming and delicious treat of a book for foodies and chick-lit fans alike. The blend of sweet nostalgia, warm characters, and yummy men make it a book good enough to be eaten up in one single satisfying bite.
April 26, 2021
I may be a terrible person, because this book irked my soul. It had so much going for it, but Rosie was a hard protagonist to lie. I read the second and third stories about this character, but finally got around to reading the first story. It's funny, if I had read this first, I am doubtful I would ever have continued the series. The book doesn't hang together very well. We have insights about candy (I assume told by Lilian) and then we jump from 2012 (Rosie) to the 1940s (Lilian). The flow of the book was just lopsided and I found myself getting bored while reading. I just wanted to get to the end already.
"Sweetshop of Dreams" follows 30 something Rosie Hopkins. Rosie's mother Angie living in Australia with Rosie's brother Pip (I laughed a lot every time I read that name) calls and asks can she help out her mother's elderly great-aunt, Lilian. Lilian runs a sweetshop in a remote village and apparently with her arthritis and health issues needs some help getting the shop ready to sell. Rosie is feeling at loose ends since she's a auxiliary nurse and her long-time boyfriend Gerald has still not committed to marriage. When Rosie arrives in Lipton though, she sees another way of life and ends up thinking that possibly she can have a different dream than the one she thought she always wanted.
So the characters in this one read dull except for Lilian. The book showing us her life during War World II in Lipton were heartbreaking at times. When we would switch back to Rosie, I just ended up feeling annoyed. Her running around and having three men (well really two) she thought she had a chance with when she had a boyfriend had me going eh. And it didn't help that her feelings for one of the men it seemed came out of nowhere. It didn't help that I thought Rosie was awful to Stephen's mother and her comments about her parenting were just awful. I thought that whole storyline showed she could keep her mouth shut since she didn't know everything. Plus it didn't help that her own life was and is a mess that she thought she should comment on anyone else's.
The writing was so-so. I just found the flow the worst part to get past. The book just drags.
The setting of Lipton felt very ghost townish to me. It seemed only 15 people lived there since those were the only people that Rosie ever met/mentioned.
The ending just made me shake my head.
"Sweetshop of Dreams" follows 30 something Rosie Hopkins. Rosie's mother Angie living in Australia with Rosie's brother Pip (I laughed a lot every time I read that name) calls and asks can she help out her mother's elderly great-aunt, Lilian. Lilian runs a sweetshop in a remote village and apparently with her arthritis and health issues needs some help getting the shop ready to sell. Rosie is feeling at loose ends since she's a auxiliary nurse and her long-time boyfriend Gerald has still not committed to marriage. When Rosie arrives in Lipton though, she sees another way of life and ends up thinking that possibly she can have a different dream than the one she thought she always wanted.
So the characters in this one read dull except for Lilian. The book showing us her life during War World II in Lipton were heartbreaking at times. When we would switch back to Rosie, I just ended up feeling annoyed. Her running around and having three men (well really two) she thought she had a chance with when she had a boyfriend had me going eh. And it didn't help that her feelings for one of the men it seemed came out of nowhere. It didn't help that I thought Rosie was awful to Stephen's mother and her comments about her parenting were just awful. I thought that whole storyline showed she could keep her mouth shut since she didn't know everything. Plus it didn't help that her own life was and is a mess that she thought she should comment on anyone else's.
The writing was so-so. I just found the flow the worst part to get past. The book just drags.
The setting of Lipton felt very ghost townish to me. It seemed only 15 people lived there since those were the only people that Rosie ever met/mentioned.
The ending just made me shake my head.
July 26, 2023
J’adooore ces livres ce sont des histoires toutes mignonnes qui me donnent foi en l’humanité. Ici nous suivons les aventures de Rosie qui reprend la confiserie de sa grande tante pour l’aider à la revendre et placer cette dernière en maison de retraite. Pendant tout le roman je n’avais qu’une envie c’est de manger des bonbons 🍭 je me suis dit quand je reviendrai j’achèterai des bonbons traditionnels et je relirai ce livre. C’est typiquement ce que j’appelle un livre doudou qui donne des envies de plaid et de chocolat chaud et d’un bon feu de cheminée
March 12, 2021
I read a few reviews for this before I started just so I knew what I was getting into because I don’t read much chick lit, and so I went in with high hopes but it didn’t quite live up to it all for me. It wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, and if this is your genre, you’ll prob love it.
I did enjoy the 2 timelines and at the beginning of each chapter there was a brief description of different types of candy with some recipes.
I also did love the idea of Rosie, the main character bringing the sweet shop back to its original glory because I mean, who wouldn’t love that?! Rosie doesn’t love her life as a nurse so this worked out well for her. She leaves her busy life in London to help her Aunt in a small town, and she thought she wasn’t going to like it, but she was able to work through some things in her personal life and figure out what she really wanted. There was some funny parts too, which I didn’t expect, but I really enjoyed.
Aunt Lily was so feisty and not your typically old granny which was refreshing!
Overall, it wasn’t super duper sweet (hahaha) and a quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
I did enjoy the 2 timelines and at the beginning of each chapter there was a brief description of different types of candy with some recipes.
I also did love the idea of Rosie, the main character bringing the sweet shop back to its original glory because I mean, who wouldn’t love that?! Rosie doesn’t love her life as a nurse so this worked out well for her. She leaves her busy life in London to help her Aunt in a small town, and she thought she wasn’t going to like it, but she was able to work through some things in her personal life and figure out what she really wanted. There was some funny parts too, which I didn’t expect, but I really enjoyed.
Aunt Lily was so feisty and not your typically old granny which was refreshing!
Overall, it wasn’t super duper sweet (hahaha) and a quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
March 11, 2025
A bit all over the place, and not very memorable, but also light and perfect when in the mood for something simple and cozy.
October 23, 2022
Od četiri pročitane knjige Jenny Colgan, ova mi je ubjedljivo najbolja. Ima neku posebnu toplinu koja se povlači u pozadini priče Rouzi i Lilian.
November 14, 2018
So, after having read three of these very similar novels, I've decided that despite their being sweet and thoughtful and a little melancholy, there also more than a touch formulaic. Thirtiesh woman in need of some guidance meets or comes into contact with an elderly person with some special insight and develops a relationship with them to achieve their dreams, then when said dream is realized, insightful elderly person kicks the bucket. That might be putting too fine a point on it, but that's the general premise of the last three books I read from Jenny Colgan. And that's not even really a complaint, more like an observation. I just always knew it was coming and that made the death a little less impactful. But the stories themselves were all lovely and delightful in their own way. This one was probably my least favorite, but that might be because the heroine ended up with the wrong guy, in my opinion. But the guy I liked for her turned out to be gay, so I know nothing. :)
August 21, 2012
Well I have mixed feelings about this book as I didn't finish it, not because it was rubbish but because it annoyed me. I liked the main character Rosie and Lilian was fine for a embittered old woman. I couldn't get on with the two time frames at all and this made it too hard to enjoy from the beginning. I liked the whole idea of an old fashioned sweet shop, but there were too many things going on in the story for me to concentrate and enjoy it. I was going to carry on but in the end I couldn't be bothered as the storyline just got more unbelievable. I know its chick lit and I should have switched my brain off whilst I read it, but as I really enjoyed 'Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe' and thought this might be similar.
October 19, 2020
Colgan’s sweet tale is filled with humor, family, friendship and love. The novel is a delight to read and Rosie is a character most will relate to on one level or another. Her relationship with Stephen is frustrating at times, yet overall this is a fun, heartwarming book.
Although Rosie Hopkins is at a crossroads with her career, she has a pleasantly comfortable life with her long-time boyfriend, Gerard. Things get turned upside down when Rosie’s mom implores her to travel to the middle of nowhere to care for her elderly great aunt, Lilian. Lilian owns a sweet shop that needs a great deal of TLC and Rosie takes it upon herself to deliver. She meets some quirky villagers who help her to re-evaluate her life and what she wants.
Although Rosie Hopkins is at a crossroads with her career, she has a pleasantly comfortable life with her long-time boyfriend, Gerard. Things get turned upside down when Rosie’s mom implores her to travel to the middle of nowhere to care for her elderly great aunt, Lilian. Lilian owns a sweet shop that needs a great deal of TLC and Rosie takes it upon herself to deliver. She meets some quirky villagers who help her to re-evaluate her life and what she wants.
July 29, 2016
I really enjoy books narrated by Jane Collingwood and this was no different. However, I did have a few issues with the main character. I can't say I loved her, she was quite judgemental and jumped to conclusions before hearing the full story. The stand out characters for me were great aunt Lilian and little Eddison, who I thought was adorable. This is the first I've read by Jenny Colgan, and although I didn't love this story I liked it enough to definitely try another book.
January 3, 2018
Yes, there is a formula to Jenny Colgan's books but they never fail to bring cheer, offer a light breezy read & make me hungry. Rosie is a fun character as is her feisty great-aunt Lilian. No surprises in the story but it's sweet & fun.🍬🍭🍬I do feel like my Halloween candy bowl isn't nearly as interesting as the British sweets sold in the country sweetshop.
February 12, 2022
Fun light read for me since I like both sweets and romance novels so a very good combination :) Personally I would call this a good on the train or bus read. While not earth shatteringly good it will keep you from getting bored and is a welcome distraction.
October 3, 2015
I was disappointed with this. It was merely okay and I didn't care for Lilian's plotline at all.
The Beach Street Bakery blows it out the water.
The Beach Street Bakery blows it out the water.
July 6, 2021
She is hard to like, but even she didn't deserve someone who let his friends slut- shame her and did nothing about it and never apologized.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2018
My go to author for a feel-good, heartwarming read is Jenny Colgan.
Sweetshop of Dreams is the first book featuring Rosie Hopkins. (Note that this was released in the UK as Welcome To Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop Of Dreams.)
"Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian's sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong."
Rosie arrives in Lipton and makes her presence immediately known, through a series of mishaps. And we begin to meet the residents of the village of Lipton - in all their quirky glory.
The descriptions of the village, homes and shops made me want to move to Lipton.
Rosie is a wonderful lead character - warm, kind, funny and more - just the kind of person you'd love to have in your circle of friends. The supporting cast is just as well drawn and the listener can't help but be drawn to them. (Most of them - the dentist opposed to the sweetshop is especially unpleasant.)
Colgan's books have love at the heart of them. Love lost, love found, love for friends, family and partners. The yes, no, maybe so of the Rosie's search for happiness will have you wishing and hoping for a fairy tale outcome. I found Lillian's memories of the past (1940's) to be especially poignant, well written and yes, heartbreaking.
Each chapter opens with an excerpt from Lillian's book on candy. Various types are lauded and dissected in detail with a droll, dry wit. Recipes for some confections are included.
Beverley A. Crick was the narrator. I really enjoyed her interpretation. Her voice for Rosie captured the mental image I had in my head. She provided easily identifiable voices for the other characters. Lillian's had just the right quaver, young Edison the right innocence and male voices that felt right as well. She has an expressive voice and it reflected the emotion, humour, sadness etc. in Colgan's tale. Her voice is clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to.
Sweetshop of Dreams has everything you want in a great listen - love, loss, drama, humour and yes - a just right ending.
Sweetshop of Dreams is the first book featuring Rosie Hopkins. (Note that this was released in the UK as Welcome To Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop Of Dreams.)
"Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian's sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong."
Rosie arrives in Lipton and makes her presence immediately known, through a series of mishaps. And we begin to meet the residents of the village of Lipton - in all their quirky glory.
The descriptions of the village, homes and shops made me want to move to Lipton.
Rosie is a wonderful lead character - warm, kind, funny and more - just the kind of person you'd love to have in your circle of friends. The supporting cast is just as well drawn and the listener can't help but be drawn to them. (Most of them - the dentist opposed to the sweetshop is especially unpleasant.)
Colgan's books have love at the heart of them. Love lost, love found, love for friends, family and partners. The yes, no, maybe so of the Rosie's search for happiness will have you wishing and hoping for a fairy tale outcome. I found Lillian's memories of the past (1940's) to be especially poignant, well written and yes, heartbreaking.
Each chapter opens with an excerpt from Lillian's book on candy. Various types are lauded and dissected in detail with a droll, dry wit. Recipes for some confections are included.
Beverley A. Crick was the narrator. I really enjoyed her interpretation. Her voice for Rosie captured the mental image I had in my head. She provided easily identifiable voices for the other characters. Lillian's had just the right quaver, young Edison the right innocence and male voices that felt right as well. She has an expressive voice and it reflected the emotion, humour, sadness etc. in Colgan's tale. Her voice is clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to.
Sweetshop of Dreams has everything you want in a great listen - love, loss, drama, humour and yes - a just right ending.
April 24, 2021
Quaint, Cosy, and deliciously sweet!
Sweetshop of Dreams is a delightfully uplifting tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic village of Lipton and immerses you into the lives of Rosie Hopkins, a young nurse who enjoys her life in London and is not entirely overjoyed to be heading to the English countryside to help her great-aunt recuperate and prepare her sweetshop to be sold, and Lillian Hopkins, an elderly woman who after running her family’s candy store for decades is determined to keep her memories at bay and a few long-buried secrets permanently hidden.
The prose is witty and light. The characters are quirky, sympathetic, and attentive. And the plot, set in both the 1940s as well as present-day, is a tender, heartfelt mix of life, love, family, friendship, self-reflection, history, happiness, romance, community, new beginnings, second chances, and of course, some truly scrumptious treats.
Overall, Sweetshop of Dreams is a hopeful, absorbing, charming tale by Colgan, and with its abundance of endearing characters and heartwarming storyline, it’s definitely one happy-every-after ending I’m glad I didn’t miss.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Sweetshop of Dreams is a delightfully uplifting tale that sweeps you away to the idyllic village of Lipton and immerses you into the lives of Rosie Hopkins, a young nurse who enjoys her life in London and is not entirely overjoyed to be heading to the English countryside to help her great-aunt recuperate and prepare her sweetshop to be sold, and Lillian Hopkins, an elderly woman who after running her family’s candy store for decades is determined to keep her memories at bay and a few long-buried secrets permanently hidden.
The prose is witty and light. The characters are quirky, sympathetic, and attentive. And the plot, set in both the 1940s as well as present-day, is a tender, heartfelt mix of life, love, family, friendship, self-reflection, history, happiness, romance, community, new beginnings, second chances, and of course, some truly scrumptious treats.
Overall, Sweetshop of Dreams is a hopeful, absorbing, charming tale by Colgan, and with its abundance of endearing characters and heartwarming storyline, it’s definitely one happy-every-after ending I’m glad I didn’t miss.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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