At the beginning of the book, Emma Laurent, the main character is looking at a painting entitled "The Girl With the Butterscotch Hair." The painting is displayed on the wall of her family's candy shop, and Emma reflects on how much has changed in the 27 years since she was the five year old in that painting, "beaming as she sipped chocolate" and feeling excited over the upcoming Christmas, as reflected in the painting's depiction of the store during the holiday season.

Fast forward to today, and she's the manager of Starlight Cove's candy shop, which her stepmother Gillian inherited after Emma's father died. Although Gillian is the only mother that Emma has known, it's a strained relationship, since Gillian sent Emma to live with her grandmother after her husband (Emma's father) died. Emma had secretly hoped that someday she could buy the candy shop, but one evening her stepmother surprises her with the news that she's selling the shop because she needs the money to fund her retirement. Emma is surprised that once again, her stepmother is leaving her out in the cold, since the sale of the shop means Emma will no longer have a job.

Throw in a few other side plots -- including the fact that Emma is struggling to pay for her grandmother's assisted living facility, the fact that Emma offers to open her home to a mother and son who have no place else to go, and the mystery surrounding a couple who love the painting so much they are willing to pay $20,000 for it. Then there's the romance subplot, with Emma discovering that she has a growing attraction for one of her high school classmates, Cody, who runs the town's hardware store and created an after-school program for at risk youth in the community.

Yes, there's plenty in this story to keep the reader intrigued and turning the page, to find out how Emma's story will unfold. Will she follow her friend's advice and look for a way to purchase the candy shop? What is the mystery behind the homeless mother and son who suddenly show up in town? Is she able to help them overcome their problems? Does Emma resolve her issues with her stepmother? Is the painting really worth $20,000 or much more? And does she finally feel happiness and stability with Cody and their developing relationship?

I really enjoyed this book, which gave me a peek into small town life. I also liked the fact that Emma becomes stronger and more confident in herself and overcoming obstacles in her life, while still helping others who need her. It's an inspiring book for anyone who is facing difficulties and not sure how she will work herself out of them!

A busy story that hangs together well. There's a LOT going on here - the main character's grief, trying to overcome some poor choices in her past, her feelings of abandonment. Then there's the sale of the store and her efforts to buy it. And also the mom and her pre-teen son that she helps. And also the art piece. Oh - and the start of a romance. As I said, it's a lot. But it never felt overwhelming or overstuffed. It never felt like the author didn't have complete control over every thread of the story. I enjoyed watching things unfold for Emma and the end was satisfying.

I had no idea this was part of a series. My reading experience was not impacted by not having read the first two books in the series. Fans of the series should check this one out. Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with hints of a romance should give this one a try.

This was such a great book. Cynthia Ellingsen did a masterful job creating a mystery without any murders or violence. The story is intriguing with believable, likeable characters. Emma, the main character, is a nice person who feels the need to help others, often at her own detriment. But Miss Ellingsen keeps her from becoming cloyingly sweet. You understand Emma’s need to help others and her insecurities. The plot is believable, the twists and turns keep the story moving. And, I have to admit, I got a little teary at the end. I look forward to reading the rest of the Starlight Cove novels.

Thank you, Netgalley for the free e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

More Sweet Than Bittersweet. I fully admit that when I got this book, I didn't realize it was the third book in a series. And yet it doesn't really read like one, since it uses the shared world style of building a series - yes, some other characters have already had their tale told, but this book focuses on characters who haven't yet. And it does a really great job of showing a caring young woman scarred by events of the last 20 ish years trying to move forward and achieve her dreams... while finding some startling personal and municipal history along the way. Excellent Hallmark type book, and very much recommended.

This is a feel good novel about a woman-Emma- who keeps plugging away even when things look bad. She's had a lot of loss, her parents, her fiancé, and now, it appears, the chocolate shop she thought she was going to inherit but which instead went to her stepmother who wants to sell it. Set in a small town in Michigan, this is a third in a a series of interconnected but not interdependent novels that include little mysteries. In this case, the question is why a couple is willing to pay $20k for a painting by Monte which has hung on the wall of the shop for years. Emma's in the painting and she's the owner so she's the one who will get the money- a real windfall. Of course, she uncovers some old family secrets along the way. It's a nice story about a nice woman- Emma helps others. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A pleasant relaxing read.

A Bittersweet Surprise by Cynthia Ellingsen a beautiful story written in the town of Starlight Cove. I loved all the characters that make the candy shop so special. I especially love Emma and her friendships and relationships as she is trying to find out what happened to the painting 🖼 “the Girl with the Butterscotch hair that is part of her legacy.

Charming story set in charming surroundings.. Lots of good characters,a bit of a mystery and a feel good story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy...

Wow! What a delightful story I ever read this book...Amazing!

Looking forward to read more book from this author soon...

If you need a feel-good, sweet, small-town story, author Cynthia Ellingsen has completed the third book in the Starlight Cove series, A Bittersweet Surprise.

(Synopsis from Netgalley) Emma Laurent has always preferred helping others to asking for help. But now, she’s the one in need. Her stepmother is selling her late father’s candy shop, her grandmother’s assisted-living facility has become a financial burden, and the anniversary of her fiancé’s death is quickly approaching.
Rather than face her problems, Emma does what she does best—finds someone else to help by offering a mother and son with nowhere to go somewhere to stay. So when a couple visiting Starlight Cove suddenly offers to pay $20,000 for the old painting that has hung on the candy shop’s wall since Emma was a child, it seems like fate has stepped in to help Emma in return—but the more she thinks about it, the more suspicious the offer seems.

Determined to uncover why the couple is so interested in the painting, Emma begins to investigate, unknowingly wading into a sea of old family secrets. At the same time, a new flirtation has her feeling guilty and confused. As Emma uncovers more about the past, can she find the courage she needs to save the candy shop and permit herself to open her heart to love again?

A Bittersweet Surprise is a beautifully wholesome and sweet story with compelling plot points. There were past tragedies that seep into the present day, family secrets that come to light, and a host of characters who truly pull for one another. Ellingsen delivers a story that is light and breezy, much like you might experience if you visited the actual town of Starlight Cove. It is a Hallmark movie-worthy read.

There is not as much meat to this story as there could be but this is a story meant to be uplifting and fluffy. Ellingsen could have gone deeper into the pain of Emma’s past heartbreaks or make things more complicated with her sweet shop’s sale and the financial troubles she faces with her grandmother’s nursing home. This is not that kind of story though and that’s fine. What Ellingsen does include in her story works for what it is meant to be: a lovely picture of people rising to challenges and still having hope in the world.

I would give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars for the sheer fact that a story this sweet is needed in the world today.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
A Sweet Surprise will be published on September 3, 2019.

A Bittersweet Surprise by Cynthia Ellingsen is such a gem of a book.

Valuable paintings, love and loss, new beginnings, heartfelt stories of friendship and small town magic, a bit of tragedy and deceit with a happy ending all mixed together make this book a must read.
It is entertaining, charming and will pull you right in and stay with you for a long time..
It touches on so many important issues but in a light and easy way.

Emma Laurent runs a chocolate shop which used to be her father but has been passed on to her estranged step mother since her father's death. She absolutely loves her shop. One of the best parts of that shop is a beautiful painting of her done by an unknown artist.
Emma has never known her mother, lost both her father and the love of her life in a tragic accident but still has a heart full of love and she lives to help others.
That is the reason she helps woman with a small boy who are obviously running away from something,
In the unexplainable chain of events everything is going to change for Emma and her life will never be the same.

I literally couldn't put this book down. It is very easy to read, it flows smoothly yet is extremely intriguing and absorbing.
I love both the main protagonist as well as all side characters.
I enjoyed bits and pieces of chocolate making.
I have never read a book with so many things going on at the same time and so many people interspersed together. So much so that at times it really felt as too much.
Nevertheless, it was a pleasure to read as the overall story was completely mesmerizing.

I would love to visit Starlight Cove! This was a very charming book with small town feel. The characters are so enjoyable and feel like your neighbors and friends. Emma has such a kind heart and I wanted the best for her from page one. This was a great escape book for me.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Starlight Cove is the sweetest small town and Emma Laurent works at a chocolate shop called The Sweetery. She has plans to purchase the shop from her step-mother but she is lacking the funds. There is also a mystery surrounding a beloved painting that hangs in The Sweetery. Could it be a valuable painting or just a picture painted by a family friend ?
This is the third book in the Starlight Cove series and I loved reading about new characters and also having some of the other books characters pop up in this one.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book for review.

Absolutely loved this charming book. Enjoyed the setting, the characters and the mystery of the painting. Thank you Cynthia Ellingsen for this wonderful read. I look forward to reading more.

What a charming book. It was a perfect feel good read.
The characters and setting gave me a warm glow
A lovely warm hearted fuzzy read

Delightful, smooth, well written and very fulfilling. Was held captive by the story from the very start to the very finish. It was exactly the tale I had been craving. 5/5 stars for a sugary sensation.

A Bittersweet Surprise is very well written. Loved the mystery of the painting. I look forward to reading more books in this series. I received an arc from the publisher. This is my unbiased review.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy and quick read - having grown up in Michigan, I enjoyed the local flavor of the story. The characters, particularly the heroine, were likeable, but it was not very deep and thus did not really engage me. Plot lines were rather foreseeable, and overall it was rather saccharine in tone.

This is a cute book. Emma is the heroine of the story. She’s had a rather difficult life. It’s not a “poor little me” or a sob story. The storyline is interesting and kept my attention. I felt like I could be friends with Emma and i would have loved her Grandmother. At the beginning of the book you learn that Emma’s fiancé was killed and she’s just starting to think she might survive. The characters are believable and well developed. There’s a little love and a little mystery. I would read another by the author and I will recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

I flew through this charming book in two days, barely able to put it down. It was the perfect feel-good read I was looking for. The characters and setting (Starlight Cove) had a warm feel, reminding me of the beloved Stars Hollow of Gilmore Girls.

Cynthia Ellingsen quickly transported me to a quaint town, full of small town problems and gossip. Sweetery chocolate shop manager, Emma, is a kind and likable character, someone you root for from page one. I adored all of the characters, whom I wish I could befriend. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, warm and fuzzy read, this is your book!

#AbittersweetSurprise #NetGalley

This was a very enjoyable story set in a small town, with a bit of a mystery running through it about a painting that has been on the walls of 'The Sweetery' chocolate shop for years - is it worth a lot of money... or not?!

Emma has been running 'The Sweetery' for a little while but her stepmother, Gillian, actually owns it and she has decided to sell it and Emma is initially distraught. Her Father used to own it, but when he died unexpectedly it went to his wife and not Emma as she was his next of kin and he didn't have a will. Emma and Gillian have a bit of a fraught relationship as once her Father died Gillian palmed young Emma off on her grandmother instead of bringing her up herself. The reasons for this become clear later in the story.

On the wall of 'The Sweetery' is a painting that a couple visiting suddenly decide they want to buy and offer Emma a lot of money for, arousing her suspicions about their intentions, so she starts to look into the origin of the painting. It was actually painted by someone who visited their small town when Emma was young, and became good friends with her Father. The little girl in the painting is actually Emma. The painting was given to her Father on the understanding that it would go to Emma after his death. Emma loves the painting but has always left it on the wall in the shop, not thinking it was of any value.

But after the offer to buy it things take on an unexpected turn and it turns out the painting may be by a famous painter... or not! Lots of confusion about this, but in a nice way.

Along the way we also meet up with Emma's friends, and a love interest in keep-fit/healthy eating Cody, who is always ribbing Emma about the bad effects of chocolate sold in her shop.

There is definitely lots to keep you interested in this story, Emma is always helping people and helps a homeless woman and her young son by sorting them out accommodation and even sorting her a few cleaning jobs, but she has secrets and is Emma too trusting?

Very enjoyable, small town story with interesting characters and a bit of a mystery. This is the third book in this series, but I would definitely be interested in going back and reading the rest now.