#WRC2018 Book Spotlight: Dreaming in Chocolate by Susan Bishop Crispell

Title: Dreaming in Chocolate

Author: Susan Bishop Crispell

Published: February 2018, St. Martin’s Griffin

Format: Paperback, 288 pages

Summary:

A story of love, hot chocolate, and one little girl’s wish for her mother that will make your heart swell.

At
twenty-seven, Penelope Dalton is quickly ticking off items on a bucket
list. Only the list isn’t hers. After her eight year-old daughter Ella
is given just six months to live thanks to an inoperable brain tumor,
Penelope is determined to fill Ella’s remaining days with as many new
experiences as she can.

With an endless supply of magical gifts
and recipes from the hot chocolate café Penelope runs alongside her
mother in a small town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, she is able
to give her daughter almost everything she wants. The one sticking
point is Ella’s latest addition to her list: get a dad. And not just any
dad. Ella has her sights set on Noah Gregory, her biological father and
the only person Penelope knows to have proved her true love hot
chocolate wrong.

Now Noah’s back in town for a few months—and as
charming as ever—and the part of her that dreamed he was her fate in the
first place wonders if she made the right decision to keep the truth of
their daughter from him. The other, more practical part, is determined
to keep him from breaking Ella’s heart too.

But as Ella’s health declines, Penelope must give in to her fate or face a future of regrets.

What readers are saying: 

“Come for the life-changing chocolates and opinionated apothecary table,
stay for the enchanting eight-year old and complicated secrets. After
reading Susan Bishop Crispell’s charming Dreaming in Chocolate, you’ll want to take up residence in Malarkey, sip magical hot cocoa, and change your own fate!” ―Amy Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

“Dreaming in Chocolate
is an endearing and beautifully spun tale of three generations of women
and the enchanted chocolate shop that they share. A story of broken
hearts, missed opportunities and the sometimes excruciating realities of
motherhood, Susan Bishop Crispell teaches us that, even in a life
surrounded by the mystical and inexplicable, sometimes, finding true
love is the real magic.” ―Kristy Woodson Harvey, author of Slightly South of Simple

“In
a world where people too often lose faith in second chances, happy
endings, heart’s desires and homemade miracles, Susan Bishop Crispell’s Dreaming in Chocolate
makes me a believer again. This tender story about unthinkable loss and
the strength of a family’s love to bring them together as they face a
future that is uncertain, is a reminder that the most powerful magic any
of us possesses is hope.” ―Kimberly Brock, award winning author of The River Witch

“Set
in the world where salty caramels inspire truth telling and bittersweet
truffles conjure happiness, the real magic of this warm and enchanting
romance is found in the love the characters have for each other. A sweet
treat for fans of Joanne Harris and Alice Hoffman.” ―Louise Miller, author of The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living

 “Like
a good piece of chocolate, Crispell’s latest is sweet, without being
cloying, and utterly satisfying. Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison
Allen, this is a real treat of a novel.” ― Colleen Oakley, author of Close Enough to Touch

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Dreaming in Chocolate  by Susan Bishop Crispell is one of  BookSparks “Winter Reads” reading selection picks.  

 Follow the #WRC2018 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other winter books! Also, be sure to check out the BookSparks Facebook page for the #WRC2018  and other fun links.