The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop: The perfect heartwarming summer escape from the Kindle bestselling author
The heartwarming new holiday read from the Kindle bestselling author of The Cosy Teashop seriesWhen Emma opened her gorgeous little chocolate shop in the harbour village of Warkton-by-the-Sea, she realised a lifelong dream. Love is also blossoming with her hunky beau, Max, who’s slowly healing her fragile heart.Summer is here and life has never felt so sweet. Until the rainclouds start to gather…A rival sweet shop and killjoy landlord give Emma a headache, and when a face from the past turns up unannounced, Emma finds herself spiralling down memory lane. With Max’s crazy work schedule driving him to distraction, Emma’s in danger of making some choices she might regret . . .With close friends, spaniel Alfie, and the whole village behind her, can Emma get the chocolate shop and her love life back on track?‘A deliciously summery story about second chances, following your heart and never giving up, and it’s brimming with romance’ Cressida McLaughlin
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HarperImpulse an imprint of
HarperCollinsPublishers
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2018
Copyright © Caroline Roberts 2018
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018 Cover illustrations © Shutterstock.com
Caroline Roberts asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008295547
Ebook Edition © June 2018 ISBN: 9780008295554
Version: 2018-09-21
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
A Letter from Caroline
Acknowledgements
Also by Caroline Roberts
About the Publisher
‘Is it ready yet?’ The young man stood at the counter smiling, a hint of nervous anticipation in his blue eyes.
‘Yes, of course. I added the final touches to it this morning,’ Emma answered.
‘I can’t wait to see it. And did it fit in okay?’
‘Yep, no problem at all. I used one of the little cellophane bags I usually put the truffles in to protect it – didn’t want any chocolate smears to spoil the box. It looks great, honestly. I’m sure she’ll be happy with it. Anyway, I’ll go and fetch it from the crafting kitchen, where I’ve kept it safe for you, then you can see for yourself.’
It had been an unusual and rather lovely request: to place an engagement ring inside a hand-crafted chocolate Easter egg. Emma had been asked to design several creations, or add special messages to gifts, over the eight years since she had opened The Chocolate Shop by the Sea, but never this. She’d thought it wise to keep the ring in its jeweller’s box, so the lucky girl in question didn’t spoil the moment of revelation by eating it accidentally and ending up in A&E!
Emma had spent many hours designing and crafting the delicate, filigree-inspired sugar-paste design of hearts and flowers that adorned its moulded dark chocolate sides (dark chocolate being the fiancée-to-be’s favourite). With some trepidation, and not wanting any breakages at the last moment, she carried it carefully through to the shop, praying that it would be everything that Mark, the young man waiting at the counter, was hoping for.
‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ The young man’s jaw dropped.
Emma felt her shoulders relax as she placed the very special chocolate egg on the counter-top.
He smiled ecstatically at her. ‘The design is just stunning. She’ll love it, I’m sure. Let’s hope she loves what’s inside too.’
‘She’d better,’ Emma grinned. ‘If someone had made that much effort for me, well …’ She let the words trail. Someone had, once, many years ago. Just the memories and the love she still felt for that wonderful person took her back – and still, after all these years, it had the power to make her feel raw, bruised.
‘Well, best of luck,’ Emma rallied, not wanting her own past to tarnish someone else’s bright, shiny future. ‘Here, let me pack it up for you. I have a box and bubble wrap to make it as safe as I can.’
‘I’ll drive home steadily, I promise.’
And a few minutes later, the young man was setting off with his ‘engagement egg’ safely stowed in his arms, along with a heart full of hopes and dreams.
