I have to thank my good friend Michelle for introducing me to what has become one of my favorite contemporary romance series. I had a feeling that I would enjoy reading Laura Florand’s novels after my copies arrived and I saw how pretty they were. I’m pleased to report that I wasn’t disappointed.
Here’s the summary from Laura Florand’s website:
PARIS
Breathtakingly beautiful, the City of Light seduces the senses, its cobbled streets thrumming with possibility. For American Cade Corey, itβs a dream come true, if only she can get one infuriating French chocolatier to sign on the dotted line…
CHOCOLATE
Melting, yielding yet firm, exotic, its secrets are intimately known to Sylvain Marquis. But turn them over to a brash American waving a fistful of dollars? Jamais. Not unless there is something much more delectable on the table β¦
STOLEN PLEASURE
Whether confections taken from a locked shop or kisses in the dark, is there anything sweeter?
I LOVE desserts and I’m a big fan of chocolate. Some of my favorites are dark chocolate with nuts, mint chocolate and truffles. I know it’s not a healthy habit but I have chocolate almost everyday. I eat chocolate to cheer me up when I’m feeling a little low and I also eat chocolate to celebrate when something good happens. I feel like there’s always an excuse for me to indulge in chocolate. So imagine my delight at discovering that both the main characters in The Chocolate Thief are fellow chocolate-lovers. Cade is the heiress of Corey Chocolate, one of the largest chocolate corporations in the world (I think the surname Corey is a nod to Hershey). While Sylvain is one of the top chocolatiers in Paris. I wish I could afford to try chocolates that are as good as Sylvain’s masterpieces but I’m afraid they’re probably too expensive for me. I did find Sylvain’s reasons for choosing to work with chocolates intriguing:
He had been a gangly, awkward adolescent with shaggy hair, so it was a good thing he had discovered very early in his teenage years What Women Wanted.
Chocolat. If you wanted to lure a woman who wouldn’t otherwise have looked twice at you, good chocolate was better than a love potion.
Add the fact that the novel is set in Paris, a beautiful, romantic city that I’ve always wanted to visit and I’m one happy reader. We have here a chocolate-filled take of a love-hate relationship. Both of them love chocolate but in different ways. Cade is proud of her family’s heritage and how their products bring happiness to millions of people. She’s all about making chocolate more accessible to people. While Sylvain looks down on mass-produced chocolate and believes that creating chocolate is a fine art form. What I loved about these two characters is how passionate they both are about what they do. Cade knows that people rely on her and their company is responsible for providing much-needed jobs. Sylvain pours so much of himself in what he does that he takes total ownership of his creations, to the point that he feels that people are tasting a part of him whenever they devour his chocolates. This is why he takes so much pride in the fact that Cade can’t get enough of his work, which she doesn’t want to openly admit so she resorts to stealing them. I can certainly appreciate a girl resorting to thieving for the sake of the finest chocolate that she’s ever tasted. I like how the reader is given a full understanding of the characters’ background, how and why they became who they are when we meet them. I liked Cade and Sylvain’s warm interactions with their family and friends. The Chocolate Thief is a deliciously tempting work of fiction, I gobbled it up in just two days. I would have done it in one sitting if I didn’t have to go to work. Highly recommended for fans of chocolate, novels set in Paris and contemporary romance. Just make sure you have some chocolate on hand when you read this. I seriously cannot wait for the third book in the series, The Chocolate Touch, to be released in July. It will be about Cade’s sister and Sylvain’s rival.
On a side note, I’m delighted to put up a post on my birthday about a book that I loved. I wish I could do that every year. Yesterday, my lovely co-workers got me this yummy chocolate cake called Othello:
Happy 29th of March! π
Other reviews:
Rachel Neumeier
Angieville
Smexy Books
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