A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love (Choc Lit)

Its very rare a book captivates me from the beginning, and this did just that.
From the moment a stranger named Adam arrives dripping wet at Katie's Bakery 'Sweet Occasions' i was hooked, i just wanted to keep going and going to see how this would pan out.
I loved how Linn sectioned the story out by telling it from different people's angles, and how the story was spread over two and a half years. This just added to the greatness of the story.
I loved lilly and Grace, i thought it was touching how Jack would come and visit Grace when she needed that bit of guidence.
Near to the end i did want to shake Katie and say 'Just tell him'. Although a predictable ending, i was just glued to how the story would develop.
A great story by Linn and by far the best. Its one of those that will stay with you for a long time to come.

​​​​​4.5 Stars!

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love by Linn B. Halton is a well-conceived story with an interesting plot and characters. The book was originally published in the summer of 2014, and Choc Lit edited and revised it for 2016. Due to the positive feedback surrounding the book's first release, I decided to read it. With the exception of a little lull a chapter or two before the ending, this book kept me entertained and engrossed from beginning to end. The story opens with a bang, which immediately pulled me into the lives of Katie, a fantastic baker, and Adam, an IT consultant. Primarily, each chapter is told from either Katie or Adam's point of view, however, Katie's partner Steve, Adams's grandmother Grace, and even Lily, Adam's cute as a button eight year old daughter, are each given their own voice, which I found to be quite fascinating.

Katie owns and runs Sweet Occasions, the town's local bakery. Her passion to create new flavors and cake designs is evident in everything she sells. She doesn't make a ton of money, which causes her to worry a lot, but she is living her dream. Eventually, her long-term boyfriend Steve, a successful business consultant, convinces her to grow the business. As a result, she is making more money, but the homey feeling the bakery once represented is no longer evident. Overtime, she and Steve drift a part and their only daily connection is the bakery.

Adam is a single dad with shared custody. So on his off weeks, he travels constantly from one job to another. Lily and Grace give him amazing joy, but he needs a woman in his life. Grace and her late husband raised him, so speaking with Grace regularly and visiting with her whenever Adam's schedule allows is a priority. Meeting Katie en-route to his grandmother's house evokes a spark that he has not felt for a long time.

I really enjoyed this story and the author's way with words. Ms. Halton is a passionate writer, which enabled me to experience each character's true essence and personality. I even caught a glimpse of family members that were no longer living. My hunger pangs were on overdrive with each mention of a cake or cupcake concoction. All the characters were well thought-out and had a unique sense of self. Overall, this is a nicely written book with a captivating plot, and an ending that will leave you smiling from ear to ear.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Originally published under the title “Sweet Occasions”, this is the story of Kate, a woman who feels like she’s finally turning a corner in her life when she opens her own bakery. But running a business isn’t easy, and even with her partner, Steven’s help, Kate feels like she’s failing at both her business and her love life. One day a man walks in looking for a cake for his grandmother. Kate is immediately drawn to Adam, but they both have complicated lives and know that they can never be more than friendly acquaintances. But over time, Kate cares more and more for Adam and his daughter Lily and Kate will learn that sometimes even the best laid plans may not be the best ones

I knew going in that A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love by Linn B Halton would be a fun but thoughtful read, I have yet to read one book published by Choco Lit that wasn’t. This was no different. It is an enchanting look at the average person’s life. There is no save the world, maybe a “save your sanity” since simply making do in life can wear a person down. There is no “instant love or lust” for that matter but a slow simmering of attraction that is stirred by a friendship made in passing.

After staying up way too late to finish this book, I see my fellow man in a different way. As I go about my day I now wonder how many of the people I meet are like Katie and Adam, quietly living careful unsatisfied lives. Katie and Adam are late bloomers but it was so worth the wait. Even Grace would have to admit that since she was unable to hurry them along any faster.

I loved how the reader is privy to so many different perspectives. I appreciated how all the characters including the exs and current interests are shown warts and all. I will also admit that I found A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love to have a slow start but once the plot got going, I was hooked. I am looking forward to more by this insightful author.

Katie is quite happy running her cake shop apart from her boyfriend Steve who wants her to expand, but she doesn't want to and she doesn't want to be financially reliant on him. Then in walks Adam and everything changes.

Adam is a lovely character, very caring, always looking out for his daughter and grandmother and needing to move on and find love again after this divorce.

The story is told mainly by Adam and Katie and its great to see the different viewpoints. a lovely heartwarming story that I would really recommend, perfect for the beach or curling up in front of a fire.

I love this book. It is a proper old fashioned love story which takes place over two years. Adam needs a Christmas cake for his grandma Grace. He stops at a cake shop called Sweet Occasions and is instantly attracted to the owner Katie. Adam is divorced and has an eight year old daughter. He lives and works 300 miles away from his grandma and the cake shop. Katie is in a relationship that's going nowhere . Over the next few years Adam buys birthday and christening cakes and love starts to grow between him and Katie. This eventually leads to a happy romantic ending. Lovely story.

I really liked that A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is set over a longer period of time. There is a lot happening for Katie and it was fun to dive into her life with her for a year. I watched her struggle, grow, question, and love. Nothing about this could have been rushed. The pace of A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is perfect.

I loved, loved that Ms Halton wrote from various POV's in this book. I loved knowing what the other characters were thinking, planning, and feeling. It makes for a very interesting, well rounded read. She introduces characters to us this way and I could feel so much more for these characters through their words.

Katie and Adam are both going through a lot in their lives, and the time for a new romance is not right when A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love starts. But as they progress through a year, they both grow and change...and maybe a little time is all they need before they move on to the next step.

Katie is a strong heroine, although a bit frustrating at times. The relationship she is in at the start of the book left me shaking my head at times. Katie grows and strengthens significantly though and became someone I really wanted to see things work out for.

I really liked Adam. He has his priorities and is sticking to them, but at the same time isn't locked in one place. He is struggling too...but walking into Katie's cake shop might end up being the best thing that happened to him.

The secondary characters all add strength and feeling to the plot. I especially loved Adam's Grandma.

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love made me feel a variety of emotions - hopeful, frustrated, sad, and happy. It was a really good read with memorable characters in realistic situations. The writing flow was smooth, and easy to read.

I'd recommend A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love to any romance reader.

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This was a deliciously sweet and enjoyable romance that had me captivated from beginning to end! When a man walks into Katie's cake shop, Sweet Occasions, dripping wet and barely able to speak you are immediately intrigued as to who he is and what has brought him into Katies' life!

The story is told from a number of different perspectives which is always a good thing, as you're able to see different sides of the story but the main viewpoints are from Katie and Adams' perspective and how their lives have not turned out quite as they planned. Katie is the owner of Sweet Occasions and lives for baking wonderful cake creations but when sales aren't going so well her other half, Steve, is there to push her business onto a different path from what she feels comfortable with. They've been together for so long and through a few struggles so it's interesting to see how the relationship changes when they mix business with pleasure.

And the story of Adam is just as interesting as he works long hours, and lives to provide for his daughter Lily after he split with Lilys mum, and also caring for his sweet Gran Grace who has been part of his life for so long after the death of his mother. His work keeps him travelling long distances and he often feels he isn't there enough for either of them

This story is full of such lovely, warm characters that you can't help but fall in love with them all and it was a pleasure to laugh and cry along with them all as the story unfolded!

Such a sweet book! I loved it. Katie and Adam are two people who finds out who they are. After failed relationships they find each other. This boom is nothing but about fate. How when something is destined to happen it will happen. Would I recommend this book? yes. Would I reread it again? Yes!

This was a sweet romance, in more senses than one! Katie runs a cake shop and meets Adam when he calls in for a cake for his Grandma. The book then follows their lives as they occasionally meet and then part once more.

It is very cleverly written - the chapters are written from Katie, Adam, Grace and even Steve's point of view - so we get very in-depth views of their thoughts and emotions.

I love Grace (Grandma) - she was a brilliant character and her love of her family was wonderful.

It was a little predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like endings like this! And the cakes were characters in themselves!

I enjoyed Lynn's book and look forward to more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this adorable and enchanting book about believing in love and what fate throws one's way! Although it was an easy read--it was filled with such emotion! Would love to see additional titles from this author and thank you for allowing me to read this advance copy!

Katie and Adam have a chance meeting one Christmas when Adam comes into her bakery during a rainstorm in search of a cake for his grandmother. After their initial meeting the two see each other only a few times a year, but they were always thinking of each other during the rest of the year. Finally some time, and a few relationships later, the two take a chance on love. I really liked this book. I liked that the story was told from different character perspectives and it was done in a way that wasn't confusing to the reader. Great read.

A heartwarming story for a c0ld winter's day.

A Little Sugar, A lot of Love By Linn B Halton

Have you ever experienced a novel that the character hit such a tick that you couldn't put the book down?

A Little Sugar, A lot of Love story takes place over a longer period of time. The author provides the reader with various points of view which I always find fascinating. Katie’s year includes growth, struggle, change, finding answers to questions and love. Adam’s year is full of struggles, change and growth.

When Adam and Katie meet for the first time they are not ready for love but as the year progresses and individually they change maybe they will get a chance a true love.

Ms. Halton provided the reader with a beautifully written story that took me on an emotion roller coaster. I laughed and cried along with the characters. The characters were well developed and the secondary characters were also well developed and added depth to the story. I truly enjoyed reading this novel and recommend the realistic read.

Such a sweet and lovely story. The only thing that I didn't love was that they didn't get together sooner! It was important to see the growth in these two characters as they came to realize what was really important to them both. If they hadn't both figured that out (with the help of Adams grandma) they may have never ended up together. Adam was adorable and Katie was just as sweet as her cake shop. Loved it!

What can I say ... Its a lovely, cosy, romantic, feel good book I couldn't put down. A very worthy read for all romantics out there

What a gorgeous, feel-good read this was. ‘A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love’ will hit just the spot when you need to while away the winter hours with a handsome hero, lots of cakes and a slow-burning, heartfelt romance.

Katie’s story will resonate with many readers. Trapped in a relationship that is turning progressively more and more suffocating as she tries to balance her dream job at her bakery and her romantic life, she finds herself giving her partner Steve more power over her business in an attempt to make profits. But what happens when your dream starts becoming a nightmare? I really felt for Katie, and throughout the novel we get to see her go through ups and downs in her life which we will all relate to, and sympathise with.

Enter Adam, not just once when she needs somebody, but again and again, and an unlikely friendship forms. That is what I loved so much about this story. It’s romantic in its slow-burning way, but at its heart it is a story about the strength of friendship and how for every relationship it will only work when the time is right, and that can take many years, and many cupcakes! I adored seeing the chapters where Adam is with his daughter, and my heart melted at the strength of their affection for each other. With the added extra of the no-nonsense, yet secret romantic Grandma Grace, this book had the most wonderful collection of characters that I felt were my own friends.

A beautiful story, perfect for cuddling up with on a cold winter night, ‘A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love’ is a definite must-read for lovers of romance!

5 Stars!

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this from netgalley and having read another from this author for book club a little while ago I looked forward to reading it.
I enjoyed this, I like the way the author mixes a modern day romance story with a paranormal twist of ghostly messages. I loved Katie and her cake shop she's an artistic soul with a wonderful dream it was a shame Steve never really understood her vision for her business.
Adam is just the person to shake things up a bit a single dad to lily age 8 and with a lot of nudging from his grandmother Grace and several Christmas and birthday cake orders later.....
The ghosts in this story started subtle with a short mention here and there of Grace seeing her deceased husband while sounding out ideas and thoughts though mentions become more often later on expanding to complete conversations between Grace and ghosts, in this story they are more prevalent than other book I've read so may put off some readers but I don't think it takes away from the romance side of the story.
Overall a pleasant read that I couldn't wait to pick up again each time I had to put it down

How many times have we stayed in relationships long past the time we should have simply moved on? Personal, romantic, business the type doesn’t really matter – the fact that we will hold onto what we know instead of leaving what we’ve outgrown is very telling.

Katie creates the most wonderful baked creations. Cakes, cupcakes the sweet delights of life are her joy. Her partner in life and business sees their joint venture in another way, pure numbers loss and profit. Katie’s dream is losing some of that joy as she gives in to Steve’s business decisions that completely change what she originally created.

Sometimes it just takes one door to open, one special person to walk in and change the vision of your reality. It might start in one moment, but given time and nourishment something amazing can be created.

A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is Katie and Adam’s journey of discovering what’s really important in their lives, taking a chance on stepping out of that comfort zone and maybe finding that love which comes along so rarely – another person who understand you deeply, and in spite of that loves you exactly as you are.

I found this story to be somewhat a combination of Contemporary Romance and Women’s Fiction. These are two adults with jobs, dreams, people depending on them and lives to live. Their relationship is slow to grow, and while it does life around them goes on. Told in varying points of view, we get a good idea of what is going through each character’s mind as events develop – even the jerk Steve. This isn’t a romance that rushes towards the happy ever after ending. It is the discovery of what should matter in two people’s lives and the journey to get to that realization is just as important as the love story. Told over time, Katie and Adam’s story is given every chance to grow into life changing events as a different reality full of possibilities becomes clear to this charming couple.

If you’re looking for a love story that isn’t a fast tumble, but a slow understanding of the person you’re falling in love with – then A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is a story that you’ll want to pick up.

*I received an e-ARC of A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love from the publisher, Choc Lit and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

This was a really sweet book. Katie runs a lovely cake shop and develops a friendship after she takes pity on a drenched customer. He returns when he visits his darling grandmother Grace- who is such a great character. She wants a happy ever after future for her grandson Adam and wants to play cupid. He buys the most gorgeous sounding cakes - making you want to find your own local bakery who go that extra mile.

There is a spark of attraction between Katie and Adam- but a relationship would have to overcome several obstacles.

It's a great book of romance, friendships, families and relationship disasters. A really warming read. My first book by Linn B. Halton and I will be keen to read more.