Lacey Dupont is usually out Christmas shopping in London, but this December, her heart is in shreds over her cheating ex and she's driving to the Scottish village of Honey Haven to get as far away from him as possible.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.
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| November 2026; Bolinda Audio; 9781038067135 audio (8h 38m), ebook, print; holiday romance |
The Hot Chocolate Hotel is the second book in a standalone seasonal(?) romance series by Donna Ashcroft. I haven't read the first book, but that's okay. The only thing they have in common is that they are both set in the same small town in Scotland.
I don't read a lot of romance novels, but I'm a sucker for holiday romances. After looking through the holiday books on my list this year, I realized it was mostly mysteries. So when The Hot Chocolate Hotel was offered as an audiobook, I didn't pass it up.
It is a cute holiday romance with a bit of steam.
At first, I thought it was going to be an enemies-to-lovers plotline, but I thought Scott was too nice a guy for that trope to work. And I was right, as it quickly switched to a fake dating/engagement scenario, which worked well with the characters.
I liked the characters a lot. Well, not Lacey's parents, but we aren't supposed to like them. But it was more than that, though. I felt like they were caricatures. Their demand that Lacey marry the man of their choosing because of what he had done for the company was just too over-the-top for 2026. Perhaps, marrying out of a sense of duty is still a real thing in England, but to my American ears, it sounded outdated.
I enjoyed the narrator; Rose Riley did a great job. The voices she gave everyone were unique and definitely fit the character.
At a little over 8.5 hours, this is the perfect book to listen to while decking the halls or wrapping presents and then relaxing with a cup of hot chocolate while you admire your holiday handiwork.
Buy The Hot Chocolate Hotel at Amazon
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of the how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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