Cupid’s arrow permeates the air once more, striking those close with warm feelings of love. Rather than sulk in loneliness or soak in the happiness of your relationship, why not snack instead? Here I review a selection of this year’s offerings:

Hot Stuff Chocolate Rose:

While definitely a gimmick gift, I found the idea of a chocolate rose cute, rather than cheesy. Sure, I might prefer actual roses over a dozen of these, but can you eat actual roses? No. As for the quality of the chocolate, I judge it as pretty mediocre, but I did not really expect much from a brand called Hot Stuff.

Trolli Sour Hearts:

I favored these the most out of what I tried. I eat Trolli sour gummy worms fairly often, so I felt confident I would enjoy these. I am ecstatic to say they taste the exact same as their worm counterpart. If you or your special someone anyone likes sour candies I highly recommend these.

Starbursts Sweet and Sours Heart:

I had never tried sour starbursts before this, and I deeply missed out. With flavors like sour apple, sour cherry, sweet blackberry, and sweet strawberry, I found happiness inside the heart shaped packaging. This would make a perfect gift for a sweet (or sour) friend. 

Russell Stover Assorted Chocolate Heart:

Okay, first of all, Russell Stover put a puppy on the front of this chocolate box, so that automatically sealed the deal for me. For only a dollar, the box includes three different truffles. I received dark chocolate nougat, milk chocolate coconut, and dark chocolate caramel. They all appealed and I think the flavors they chose provide a nice variety. With many designs to choose from this small treat could please almost anyone.

Sour SweetHearts:

If you read my Valentine’s Day review last year, it will come as no surprise I absolutely despise SweetHearts. Despite literally being the face of Valentine’s Day candies, they fail in providing any sort of flavor not reminiscent of chalk. I thought perhaps the sour version of SweetHearts may please me more, but sadly these did not meet my expectations in any way whatsoever. Sure, they have cute phrases on them, but seriously, at what cost?

Butterfinger Heart:

As Butterfingers hold the spot as my favorite chocolate candy, I must say I expected more from this heart shaped peanut butter chocolate creation. Instead of a flaky peanut butter center covered in chocolate, Butterfinger presented me with a solid chocolate heart with small pieces of peanut butter flakes dispersed throughout. I enjoyed this far less than the original, as the I felt the chocolate quality lacked any significant taste.

If anything, pick up a few of these snacks 75% off on February 15. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!