Sweetshop of Dreams

July 15, 2014
RosieHopkins has settled into life in London-with "settle" being theoperative word-when her job gets put on hiatus and her mother convinces her tohelp an elderly great-aunt who lives in a country village and owns a sweet shop.Rosie's life is fine. She has a nice apartment, a steady nursing job and aloyal boyfriend, who, OK, might be a little annoying since he doesn't help atall around the house and plays video games all the time. But really, shedoesn't have anything to complain about, does she? When her hospital getsrenovated, however, and she finds herself doing temp nursing jobs, things seemmore of a struggle, and she begins to question whether what she has is reallywhat she wants. At her mother's request, Rosie travels to the small village ofLipton to help her great-aunt Lilian get back on her feet after an injury, thenfinds herself falling under the spell of the village and the people there, especially the local doctor; the single mother who helps out in Lilian's shop;and the enigmatic Stephen, who's bitterly healing from an injury himself. Rosiesoon discovers she's more at home in tiny Lipton than she ever was in London.Colgan's novel celebrates small-town pleasures as Rosie realizes her existencein London pales in comparison to the life she's creating in her new home.Interspersed with Rosie's tale of self-discovery are occasional vignettes of Lilian'syouth and her own heartbreaking experience with romance, which becomes acautionary tale when Rosie's love life goes awry. The story is a little slow attimes, but it's a pace and tone that fits well with the overall theme of thebook.A sweet and delicious journey.

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July 1, 2014
Rosie Hopkins, auxiliary nurse, is the family's choice to leave London and go to the little village of Lipton to care for her great-aunt Lilian, who has fallen and broken her hip. Leaving her helpless, clingy, self-centered boyfriend behind, Rosie arrives only to have Lilian greet her with a barrage of insults. Rosie is made of sturdy stuff, though, and not only does she resolve to win the cranky octogenarian's heart, she also decides to reopen Lilian's candy store, which shows signs of years of neglect. As in any small town, a stranger attracts a lot of attention, and Lipton is no exception. Soon a farmer and the local doctor are vying for Rosie's affections, but a nice twist at the end reveals the one she truly loves. This book goes back and forth between the present and 1942, when events changed Lilian forever. Colgan's delightful confection of a book is guaranteed to make your head dance with visions of sugarplums and all things sweet. You can almost taste the candy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)