Most of Jenny Colgan's novels have a few things in common: feisty, determined women who need a change of scenery, a business in need of help, fabulous out-of-the way locations in the UK, Scotland or the islands north of the UK, and men who aren't typical romance heroes. SWEETSHOP OF DREAMS is no exception.

Rosie Hopkins is not living her dream life. She's working as an auxiliary nurse and living with her boyfriend, Gerard, of seven years in their small flat in London. He takes her for granted, and she's been waiting years for him to propose or show in some way that their relationship is permanent. But Gerard would prefer to be catered to rather than take charge.

"There is no mystery to solve or twist at the end, but like a true Jenny Colgan novel, this story works its way to a sweet and satisfying ending."

Rosie is not thrilled when her mother calls from Australia, where she lives with Rosie's brother and his family, and asks if Rosie can go to the small, faraway town of Lipton and help her great-aunt. It's summer, and Rosie must find a new job, plus she loves London during this time of year and doesn't know how Gerard will manage without her for a month or two. But she eventually agrees to go, and we lucky readers get to ride along as she experiences life in a small, rural town far from the city and Starbucks.

We are introduced to Rosie's great-aunt, Lillian Hopkins, who grew up in Lipton and took over the family sweetshop after her father died. Through alternating narratives, we also learn about Henry, the love of Lillian's life, and the mistakes she made as a young woman --- mistakes that cost her much of her happiness and that she hopes Rosie doesn't repeat.

Colgan excels at describing small town life and sharing the picturesque nature of the winding lanes, tall hills, ever-changing weather and sheep-dotted valleys. One of the pleasant pitfalls of reading her books is that we have an overwhelming urge to go online and book a plane ticket to whatever location we’ve been visiting on the pages. The same happily can be said of Lipton.

Lillian lives in a cottage next to Hopkins's Sweets and Confectionery. Through Colgan's words, we see the vintage sweetshop, dusty and neglected, and Rosie's determination to bring it back to its former glory. The inhabitants of the town are thrilled to see the shop back in business. We are tempted by candy with such delightfully exotic and inviting names as chocolate limes, gobstoppers, Edinburgh rock and sherbet lemons. Rosie quickly makes friends with the handsome local doctor, who tricks her into visiting a recalcitrant young man who refuses to have his rather serious wound cared for. Her brash nature doesn't let her take no for an answer, and soon she's assisting him with his injury, helping an obese man lose weight, befriending a six-year-old boy with a rather neglectful mother, and weaving her way into Lillian’s heart.

Will Rosie sell the sweetshop and put Lillian in a home, or will her life take her down a different path? We know the answer almost from the start, but that doesn't make the journey any less enjoyable.

There is no mystery to solve or twist at the end, but like a true Jenny Colgan novel, this story works its way to a sweet and satisfying ending. There are no villains to be found here, but rather some people we admire and others we dislike --- just like real life. In these pages, we can be assured of only happy endings. Even for Lillian.