What do you think?
Rate this book
Amour et Chocolat #1
Крадецът на шоколад
Чувственост, романтика и наслада – деликатес от Града на любовта...
Силвен Марки знае какво желаят жените: шоколад.
Знае и какво иска той...
Париж
Градът на любовта съблазнява сетивата, спира дъха на всеки турист с красотата си, а павираните му улички кипят от живот, изпълнени с усещането, че всичко е възможно. За Кейд Кори, американската наследничка на династия за шоколадови десертчета, идването й тук е сбъдната мечта. Или поне ще стане, ако успее да накара този надут френски шоколатиер (Боже, какви страхотни ръце има само!) да сложи подписа си в долния десен ъгъл на един договор...
Шоколадът
Топящ се, податлив при докосване и все пак твърд, екзотичен и загадъчен, това е изкусителният шоколад, който не крие тайните си от Силвен Марки, прочутия парижки майстор на шоколадени изкушения. И сега Силвен трябва да ги разкрие на някаква нагла американка за шепа долари (добре де, за пълни шепи долари)?! Jamais.
Никога! Освен ако на масата за преговори не бъде сложено нещо много по-съблазнително...
Насладата
Независимо дали става дума за най-новата линия шоколадови бонбони, откраднати от заключен магазин, или за откраднати целувки в мрака, има ли нещо по-изкушаващо от забраненото удоволствие?
Магьосникът на арт шоколада – красивият французин Силвен Марки, и неустоимата похитителка на шоколад – Кейд Кори, се впускат в страстна игра на съблазняване и интриги и попадат в сложен любовен триъгълник, в който третият е... шоколадът.
Силвен Марки знае какво желаят жените: шоколад.
Знае и какво иска той...
Париж
Градът на любовта съблазнява сетивата, спира дъха на всеки турист с красотата си, а павираните му улички кипят от живот, изпълнени с усещането, че всичко е възможно. За Кейд Кори, американската наследничка на династия за шоколадови десертчета, идването й тук е сбъдната мечта. Или поне ще стане, ако успее да накара този надут френски шоколатиер (Боже, какви страхотни ръце има само!) да сложи подписа си в долния десен ъгъл на един договор...
Шоколадът
Топящ се, податлив при докосване и все пак твърд, екзотичен и загадъчен, това е изкусителният шоколад, който не крие тайните си от Силвен Марки, прочутия парижки майстор на шоколадени изкушения. И сега Силвен трябва да ги разкрие на някаква нагла американка за шепа долари (добре де, за пълни шепи долари)?! Jamais.
Никога! Освен ако на масата за преговори не бъде сложено нещо много по-съблазнително...
Насладата
Независимо дали става дума за най-новата линия шоколадови бонбони, откраднати от заключен магазин, или за откраднати целувки в мрака, има ли нещо по-изкушаващо от забраненото удоволствие?
Магьосникът на арт шоколада – красивият французин Силвен Марки, и неустоимата похитителка на шоколад – Кейд Кори, се впускат в страстна игра на съблазняване и интриги и попадат в сложен любовен триъгълник, в който третият е... шоколадът.
308 pages, Paperback
First published July 31, 2012
About the author
Laura Florand
25 books903 followersLaura Florand is the international bestselling and award-winning author of fifteen books, including the Vie en Roses series (Once Upon a Rose), the Paris Hearts series (All for You), and the Amour et Chocolat series (The Chocolate Thief). Selected by NPR for their Top 100 Romance list, her books have appeared in ten languages, been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book of the Year, received the RT Seal of Excellence and numerous starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and been recommended by USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
She was born in Georgia, but the travel bug bit her early. After a Fulbright year in Tahiti, a semester in Spain, and backpacking everywhere from New Zealand to Greece, she ended up living in Paris, where she met and married her own handsome Frenchman, a story told in her first book Blame It on Paris. Now a lecturer at Duke University, she is very dedicated to her research into French chocolate. For a glimpse behind the scenes of some of that research as well as recommendations for US chocolate, make sure to check out her website: www.lauraflorand.com.
She was born in Georgia, but the travel bug bit her early. After a Fulbright year in Tahiti, a semester in Spain, and backpacking everywhere from New Zealand to Greece, she ended up living in Paris, where she met and married her own handsome Frenchman, a story told in her first book Blame It on Paris. Now a lecturer at Duke University, she is very dedicated to her research into French chocolate. For a glimpse behind the scenes of some of that research as well as recommendations for US chocolate, make sure to check out her website: www.lauraflorand.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 793 reviews
September 19, 2014
Stacia loses it in 5...
4...
3...
2...
1...
4.5 stars. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I probably over-gushed in my status updates but I don't care. I still feel like gushing. Let me have this. I don't do it very often.
I've never been a huge fan of most chick flicks but there's something about the feeling that I got while reading The Chocolate Thief which made me want to curl up on my couch and watch the couple from inside this book come to life, while starring in a pretty, magical world on my television. Note : this book is romance, not chick lit. If you've known me at all, you'll already know that I don't always have the best relationship with chick lit, which is probably why I waited so long to read The Chocolate Thief, even with all of the glowing recommendations. The cover had me thinking I would be picking up chick lit - which the book is not.
I honestly couldn't stop smiling while reading Chocolate Thief. Just as soon as I thought I was done being giddy, the feeling would come back again. And again. And again.
~ There were silly antics aplenty.
~ The ridiculous arguing actually added to the story instead of detracting from it.
~ The chocolate descriptions were so wonderful, I wanted to sample every single creation.
~ The balance of humor, plot, and steam had me glued to every page.
~ Sylvain was divine. I'm not sure how the author managed to write him so I was able to read into his passion, insecurity, arrogance, sensitivity, and romantic vulnerability without making him come across as anything less than wimpy or a jerk (it truly could have gone either way). But somehow, he managed to be all of these things and it worked. Seeing his point of view helped instead of hurt the cause in this (rare) instance.
Cade (yes, this is the chick) thinks : He was so delicious. How unfortunate that he was such a jerk.
Our French hero was a pain in the ass but it was in the most amusing way. I wanted to see the look of horror on his face every time he was presented with the offer to sell his chocolate recipes. I would have been just as indignant as he was, and probably just as arrogant. IT'S GRADE A CHOCOLATE, PEOPLE. IT SIMPLY CAN'T GO ON A WAL-MART SHELF.
Sylvain's response: He gritted his teeth on a surge of fury. What did they teach people in that country?
Is this where the hashtag of first world problems is supposed to be inserted? Because our lead female probably got tired of being lumped in with the stereotypical wealthy American. It was kind of nice to read about a person who wasn't down on her luck or dragging tons of baggage with her. She was just a silly, driven, slightly odd duck, trying to make her way in the world. Her stalking and thieving antics were hilarious.
I mentioned the chocolate descriptions earlier, but let me address the fantastic imagery in the book as a whole. *cue wistful sigh*
All around her, the sorcerer lurked, in every darkest shadow. He was not there, of course. Logic told her he was home asleep. But logic had little to do with the feel of him. He was here. She felt him here. Watching her explore his lair - his eyes gleaming in the shadows.
The descriptions continue, setting a mood which is delicious and spine-tingling at times in a good way. When the story comes to a head with Cade becoming The Chocolate Thief, you want Sylvain to appear from the shadows, and hope and wait until he makes his appearance.
In case you missed my status updates, there was a FABULOUS scene with steam that is now on my list of "favorite book scenes ever." No joke. Every so often, I want to high five an author. This is one of those times. The staircase scene = perfection.
The "fast fall" aspect was handled well. Not all speedy romances translate quite as smoothly without looking too desperate or needy. I found the pace believable for this particular couple. These two people had such a strong connection through their passion for chocolate that it made sense how they would be so drawn to each other in a whirlwind of strong emotion.
Do I have complaints? This is not really a spoiler but if someone doesn't want to know about when the steam happens/doesn't happen in the book, don't click on this tag. For those not reading the spoiler - it was a VERY minor complaint, and nothing that detracted much from my enjoyment of the story.
Romance readers - read this book! It's funny, cute, sweet, and sensual. So many romances only hit a few pleasure points, but Chocolate Thief swept the board with its magical setting and offbeat characters. Just like Sylvain's chocolate, the recipe for this book is divine.
November 17, 2016
4.5 Stars.
Reading (listening to) the The Chocolate Thief was a heady and sensual experience. Laura Florand completely bewitched me with her decadent descriptions of chocolate: making, tasting, and consuming and thoroughly swept me off my feet with a romance to die for. Oh my heart, Sylvain!!
Cade Corey’s family is famous for their Corey Chocolate Bars sold all over the world making her family worth billions. However, it’s been Cade’s dream to make a premium line of chocolate rather than her mass produced family’s bar. To make this dream come true she hunts down the number one chocolatier in Paris, Sylvain Marquis, in hopes of hiring him to develop this line for Corey Chocolate. Cade is already half in love with Sylvain before she meets him because of his ability to turn chocolate into culinary masterpieces. She doesn’t count on him being quite so darkly handsome as well! Unfortunately their meeting is a disaster. Sylvain is insulted that Cade would ever think he’d put his name on a mass produced line. He’s rude and arrogant when he rejects her offer, and Cade is humiliated and hurt! Harebrained ideas and the bad influence of a loving, but mischievous grandfather have Cade cooking up a plan to break into Sylvain’s laboratroire and steal his chocolate. And this is where things get interesting!
This story was a pure delight. The romance completely seduced me. Sylvain and Cade start off hating each other, but we all know that line between love and hate is so very thin!
It excited the hell out of him when she looked at him like that, all silk and luxury and control but her blue eyes bubbling with the desire to strangle him. Go ahead, he thought. Launch yourself across that table and go for my throat. We can grapple together anytime you like.
Sylvain hates the idea that Cade thinks she can buy anything, including him with money, yet the fact that she’s so seemingly obsessed with him and his chocolate draws him to her. Sylvain does come off as an arrogant jerk, and he is arrogant—about his chocolate, but underneath the surface his vulnerability shows through. The story gives insights into his thinking and his vulnerabilities. When he utters the most offensive things and puts his foot in it with Cade, we immediately see how he wants to kick himself. In some ways he’s still the awkward, gangly teenager trying to get the girl, and getting his heart broken which completely endeared me to him. This quote totally won me over:
He wanted to find that one person and just give her all of him, his heart, his head, his body. He wanted the sound and scent of her in their apartment, he wanted to be cooking with her in the kitchen, he wanted babies eventually, waking them up every two hours and leaving toys for him to trip over.
Cade in turn is enthralled by Sylvain, his way of life, his talent, but he infuriates her with his arrogance. She does see the other side of him, though, with gestures that melt her heart. These two are intensely drawn to each other and it’s not long that they can resist the pull. Oh, I loved it when they didn’t resist! Aside from all of that, Cade wants to live a life like Sylvain, passionately, and leaving her corporate life behind before it sucks the light out of her.
The prose in The Chocolate Thief was gorgeous. Chocolate is a huge part of this story and the descriptions of it and the romance, a lot of the times simultaneously, brought a dreamy, sensual feel to the story. Plus, the setting of Paris was sublime making me feel like I was there. I used my Google Translate App, on my phone, frequently to translate phrases in the book, and I highly recommend doing that. It brought so much to the story. You can even have the phrases read back to you on your phone after typing them in. I listened to the audio version, but I would switch back and forth between the e-book and audio frequently, especially when I wanted to look up the phrases in French. I took my time getting through The Chocolate Thief, re-reading passages I had just listened to on the way home, because I loved this story so much. Like I said, it bewitched me entirely! Teri Clark Linden’s narration and pronunciation of French was lovely. The only bits I wasn’t entirely won over with was Sylvain’s talking parts. The cadence was a little slow, but everything else was superb.
I must thank Keertana @Ivy Book Bindings for her amazing review! If not for her I wouldn't have picked this book up.
This review is also posted on The Readers Den
Loved it just as much the 2nd time around! Re-read November 16th 2016.
Reading (listening to) the The Chocolate Thief was a heady and sensual experience. Laura Florand completely bewitched me with her decadent descriptions of chocolate: making, tasting, and consuming and thoroughly swept me off my feet with a romance to die for. Oh my heart, Sylvain!!
Cade Corey’s family is famous for their Corey Chocolate Bars sold all over the world making her family worth billions. However, it’s been Cade’s dream to make a premium line of chocolate rather than her mass produced family’s bar. To make this dream come true she hunts down the number one chocolatier in Paris, Sylvain Marquis, in hopes of hiring him to develop this line for Corey Chocolate. Cade is already half in love with Sylvain before she meets him because of his ability to turn chocolate into culinary masterpieces. She doesn’t count on him being quite so darkly handsome as well! Unfortunately their meeting is a disaster. Sylvain is insulted that Cade would ever think he’d put his name on a mass produced line. He’s rude and arrogant when he rejects her offer, and Cade is humiliated and hurt! Harebrained ideas and the bad influence of a loving, but mischievous grandfather have Cade cooking up a plan to break into Sylvain’s laboratroire and steal his chocolate. And this is where things get interesting!
This story was a pure delight. The romance completely seduced me. Sylvain and Cade start off hating each other, but we all know that line between love and hate is so very thin!
It excited the hell out of him when she looked at him like that, all silk and luxury and control but her blue eyes bubbling with the desire to strangle him. Go ahead, he thought. Launch yourself across that table and go for my throat. We can grapple together anytime you like.
Sylvain hates the idea that Cade thinks she can buy anything, including him with money, yet the fact that she’s so seemingly obsessed with him and his chocolate draws him to her. Sylvain does come off as an arrogant jerk, and he is arrogant—about his chocolate, but underneath the surface his vulnerability shows through. The story gives insights into his thinking and his vulnerabilities. When he utters the most offensive things and puts his foot in it with Cade, we immediately see how he wants to kick himself. In some ways he’s still the awkward, gangly teenager trying to get the girl, and getting his heart broken which completely endeared me to him. This quote totally won me over:
He wanted to find that one person and just give her all of him, his heart, his head, his body. He wanted the sound and scent of her in their apartment, he wanted to be cooking with her in the kitchen, he wanted babies eventually, waking them up every two hours and leaving toys for him to trip over.
Cade in turn is enthralled by Sylvain, his way of life, his talent, but he infuriates her with his arrogance. She does see the other side of him, though, with gestures that melt her heart. These two are intensely drawn to each other and it’s not long that they can resist the pull. Oh, I loved it when they didn’t resist! Aside from all of that, Cade wants to live a life like Sylvain, passionately, and leaving her corporate life behind before it sucks the light out of her.
The prose in The Chocolate Thief was gorgeous. Chocolate is a huge part of this story and the descriptions of it and the romance, a lot of the times simultaneously, brought a dreamy, sensual feel to the story. Plus, the setting of Paris was sublime making me feel like I was there. I used my Google Translate App, on my phone, frequently to translate phrases in the book, and I highly recommend doing that. It brought so much to the story. You can even have the phrases read back to you on your phone after typing them in. I listened to the audio version, but I would switch back and forth between the e-book and audio frequently, especially when I wanted to look up the phrases in French. I took my time getting through The Chocolate Thief, re-reading passages I had just listened to on the way home, because I loved this story so much. Like I said, it bewitched me entirely! Teri Clark Linden’s narration and pronunciation of French was lovely. The only bits I wasn’t entirely won over with was Sylvain’s talking parts. The cadence was a little slow, but everything else was superb.
I must thank Keertana @Ivy Book Bindings for her amazing review! If not for her I wouldn't have picked this book up.
This review is also posted on The Readers Den
Loved it just as much the 2nd time around! Re-read November 16th 2016.
October 20, 2013
I am glad I read The Chocolate Touch before this one because I enjoyed it much more and I am not sure this book would have kept me reading the series. The good parts of this book are the lovely Paris setting and all kinds of chocolate in the book. I had trouble connecting with this heroine and her actions and motivations were just somewhat strange. The hero was kind of confusing too, sometimes he was commanding and confident and others he seemed like a boy with low self-esteem. Overall a decent story but I liked The Chocolate Touch (the only other book I read by her) more.
March 29, 2015
HOLY HOTNESS. I picked up The Chocolate Thief while taking a quick study break, but I didn't set it back down until I had devoured the entire novel. Frankly speaking, I am surprised no one has tried this combination before: chocolate and romance, all set against the backdrop of Paris? What's NOT to love? Although its cover just screams chick-lit, The Chocolate Thief is quite thankfully a little more sensual and deeper than that. While it may lack the depth most readers - including myself - crave, Sylvain it captured me heart and soul. (And made my parents turn their nose up and the number of chocolate wrappers strewn around my bed, not to mention the discarded textbooks on my desk, but no matter. Sylvain Marquis is worth it. *melts*)
What makes The Chocolate Thief so unique and different from all other romances out there is, quite simply, the presence of chocolate. Cade Corey heads out to Paris to fulfill a childhood dream of introducing a sophisticated European line of chocolate into her multimillionaire dollar family-owned company. Corey Bars are all the rage in America, but in Paris, Cade is unable to find a single chocolatier willing to join her on her venture and have their name stamped on her chocolates. Sylvain Marquis, rated the best chocolatier in Paris, is the first person Cade approaches - and is rudely refused by. But neither Sylvain nor Cade can get each other out of their head and their accidental meetings only increase the unspoken sexual tension between them. Until, that is, Cade breaks into Sylvain's store and, overnight, becomes the chocolate thief...and potentially the thief of his heart as well.
Where do I start with this romantic masterpiece? For one, there is something so beautiful about the French language and culture. I may sit bored out of my mind in French class every week, but that can be blamed on my ninety+ instructor and her strange immunity to old-age ailments that keeps her hired. Yet, French truly is the language of romance and the city is bursting with life - all of which is so palpably felt through this love story. We witness the unfolding of this romance through the alternating third-person perspectives of both Sylvain and Cade which enables us to witness their misunderstanding and understand both their point of views. Although Sylvain comes across as a rude snob at first, we see his hidden layers and insecurities as the novel wears on. Cade, too, becomes much more self-actualized from the corporate businesswoman she appears to be as she embarks on a subtle, but significant, journey of self-realization. Moreover, I found myself appreciating the attention given to Cade's wealthy status. Granted, there could have been a more in-depth analysis of so much in the lives of these two, but it maintained a steady balance between romance and depth which worked out surprisingly well.
And yet, perhaps the reason I am so forgiving of the minimal depth in this novel is because the sexual tension fries your brain. I never thought it was possible to become so hot and bothered by reading about the process of making chocolate, but with Sylvain Marquis (and his hands!) making the chocolate, it is guaranteed. Furthermore, the biting remarks and witty banter between these two only added to the aura of the novel, making it melt my heart and turn my feet to jelly. It may not seem like the type of novel capable of such feats, but it is. Unfortunately, after the first-half, the novel seemed to lose a bit of its charm with the back-and-forth insecurities of both Cade and Sylvain, neither of them knowing how to define their relationship or its future. Nevertheless, despite that small qualm, The Chocolate Thief is one of the most gripping, witty, and steamy romantic novels I have read in a really long time. It ends wrapped up quite nicely and the uncovering of the true Sylvain and Cade beneath their sexy personas is deftly written. Not only do these characters mold their way into your heart, but antics of the thievery in this book will keep you grinning and swooning in equal parts. If there is but one major flaw with the novel, it lies in its ability to make you crave chocolate, Paris, and a smoldering chocolatier of your own. Anyone know where I can order one?
What makes The Chocolate Thief so unique and different from all other romances out there is, quite simply, the presence of chocolate. Cade Corey heads out to Paris to fulfill a childhood dream of introducing a sophisticated European line of chocolate into her multimillionaire dollar family-owned company. Corey Bars are all the rage in America, but in Paris, Cade is unable to find a single chocolatier willing to join her on her venture and have their name stamped on her chocolates. Sylvain Marquis, rated the best chocolatier in Paris, is the first person Cade approaches - and is rudely refused by. But neither Sylvain nor Cade can get each other out of their head and their accidental meetings only increase the unspoken sexual tension between them. Until, that is, Cade breaks into Sylvain's store and, overnight, becomes the chocolate thief...and potentially the thief of his heart as well.
Where do I start with this romantic masterpiece? For one, there is something so beautiful about the French language and culture. I may sit bored out of my mind in French class every week, but that can be blamed on my ninety+ instructor and her strange immunity to old-age ailments that keeps her hired. Yet, French truly is the language of romance and the city is bursting with life - all of which is so palpably felt through this love story. We witness the unfolding of this romance through the alternating third-person perspectives of both Sylvain and Cade which enables us to witness their misunderstanding and understand both their point of views. Although Sylvain comes across as a rude snob at first, we see his hidden layers and insecurities as the novel wears on. Cade, too, becomes much more self-actualized from the corporate businesswoman she appears to be as she embarks on a subtle, but significant, journey of self-realization. Moreover, I found myself appreciating the attention given to Cade's wealthy status. Granted, there could have been a more in-depth analysis of so much in the lives of these two, but it maintained a steady balance between romance and depth which worked out surprisingly well.
And yet, perhaps the reason I am so forgiving of the minimal depth in this novel is because the sexual tension fries your brain. I never thought it was possible to become so hot and bothered by reading about the process of making chocolate, but with Sylvain Marquis (and his hands!) making the chocolate, it is guaranteed. Furthermore, the biting remarks and witty banter between these two only added to the aura of the novel, making it melt my heart and turn my feet to jelly. It may not seem like the type of novel capable of such feats, but it is. Unfortunately, after the first-half, the novel seemed to lose a bit of its charm with the back-and-forth insecurities of both Cade and Sylvain, neither of them knowing how to define their relationship or its future. Nevertheless, despite that small qualm, The Chocolate Thief is one of the most gripping, witty, and steamy romantic novels I have read in a really long time. It ends wrapped up quite nicely and the uncovering of the true Sylvain and Cade beneath their sexy personas is deftly written. Not only do these characters mold their way into your heart, but antics of the thievery in this book will keep you grinning and swooning in equal parts. If there is but one major flaw with the novel, it lies in its ability to make you crave chocolate, Paris, and a smoldering chocolatier of your own. Anyone know where I can order one?
February 17, 2017
An enjoyable light romance with delicious chocolate thrown in. Well narrated which added to the enjoyment of the book.
March 14, 2013
Originally posted here.
Laura Florand is one of those authors whose books I really want to like, but never seem to work for me. Yet I keep buying them and giving her second and third chances. I can see why people like her books, but I’m never fully engaged. The problem is that she has great ideas and a lot of potential, but the execution is not quite there.
The Chocolate Thief is the story of Cade Corey. She’s the heiress of a Hershey's-like chocolate corporation, and she’s very passionate about it. However, as successful as her brand is, no one could ever accuse it of being sophisticated, and Cade dreams with changing that. In order to do so, she travels to Paris to hire Sylvain Marquis, the most famous chocolatier in France and probably even the world. Her plan is to offer him a ton of money to make his name and creations part of the Corey brand. Needless to say, he feels insulted. But she won’t take no for an answer as she will prove over and over again.
If I were to name all the elements that make the book, we would end up with a very compelling list: the heroine is ambitious, hardworking and makes things happen; the hero is French, makes chocolate and has an interesting vulnerability that promises depth; they both come from loving, supportive families, so there’s no angst or daddy/mommy issues; the big misunderstanding takes on the form of a direct confrontation, avoiding clichés and, well, misunderstandings; and the setting and premise are original and very close to the universal idea or romance. The problem is that as good as all the parts sound, the sum of them doesn’t amount to much. When all the pieces come together, the result is a bland, long and boring story.
I found the romance lacking. Cade is driven and self-assured; Sylvain is confident and cocky. They are attracted to each other and ultimately fall in love, but I couldn’t see why. She’s obsessed with what he represents, but that obsession doesn’t get a real transition into love. It was as if she loved the idea of him instead of the actual person, and falling for him was her way of getting his talent by proxy. His attraction was just as hard to believe, considering how she spends most of the story annoying him and unwilling to accept his constant rejection even when he’s rude and insulting. He suffers from that almost supernatural sexual attraction that some heroes seem to get, but his feelings were never that deep.
For a setting that promises so much passion and sensuality, the chemistry between the leads was nowhere to be found. The sensuous imagery is exclusive to the chocolates, but it never reflects on the actual romance, which left me cold. Cade wants Sylvain, but her reaction to his rejection is childish at best. He is equal parts annoyed and aroused by her behavior, so they end up in bed. And to top it all off, the ending negates all the hard work and ambition that Cade had throughout the book.
And honestly, the book is too long. Granted, long means nothing when you’re enjoying a story, but it means a lot when the romance is flat and the story only has a superficial conflict used for comedy and little else.
Ms. Florand is talented and has great ideas, but unfortunately her books fail to engage me. Also, I don’t even like chocolate that much.
Laura Florand is one of those authors whose books I really want to like, but never seem to work for me. Yet I keep buying them and giving her second and third chances. I can see why people like her books, but I’m never fully engaged. The problem is that she has great ideas and a lot of potential, but the execution is not quite there.
The Chocolate Thief is the story of Cade Corey. She’s the heiress of a Hershey's-like chocolate corporation, and she’s very passionate about it. However, as successful as her brand is, no one could ever accuse it of being sophisticated, and Cade dreams with changing that. In order to do so, she travels to Paris to hire Sylvain Marquis, the most famous chocolatier in France and probably even the world. Her plan is to offer him a ton of money to make his name and creations part of the Corey brand. Needless to say, he feels insulted. But she won’t take no for an answer as she will prove over and over again.
If I were to name all the elements that make the book, we would end up with a very compelling list: the heroine is ambitious, hardworking and makes things happen; the hero is French, makes chocolate and has an interesting vulnerability that promises depth; they both come from loving, supportive families, so there’s no angst or daddy/mommy issues; the big misunderstanding takes on the form of a direct confrontation, avoiding clichés and, well, misunderstandings; and the setting and premise are original and very close to the universal idea or romance. The problem is that as good as all the parts sound, the sum of them doesn’t amount to much. When all the pieces come together, the result is a bland, long and boring story.
I found the romance lacking. Cade is driven and self-assured; Sylvain is confident and cocky. They are attracted to each other and ultimately fall in love, but I couldn’t see why. She’s obsessed with what he represents, but that obsession doesn’t get a real transition into love. It was as if she loved the idea of him instead of the actual person, and falling for him was her way of getting his talent by proxy. His attraction was just as hard to believe, considering how she spends most of the story annoying him and unwilling to accept his constant rejection even when he’s rude and insulting. He suffers from that almost supernatural sexual attraction that some heroes seem to get, but his feelings were never that deep.
For a setting that promises so much passion and sensuality, the chemistry between the leads was nowhere to be found. The sensuous imagery is exclusive to the chocolates, but it never reflects on the actual romance, which left me cold. Cade wants Sylvain, but her reaction to his rejection is childish at best. He is equal parts annoyed and aroused by her behavior, so they end up in bed. And to top it all off, the ending negates all the hard work and ambition that Cade had throughout the book.
And honestly, the book is too long. Granted, long means nothing when you’re enjoying a story, but it means a lot when the romance is flat and the story only has a superficial conflict used for comedy and little else.
Ms. Florand is talented and has great ideas, but unfortunately her books fail to engage me. Also, I don’t even like chocolate that much.
February 8, 2015
4.5 stars I've been told to read this author for years--why did I wait? The chocolate making and eating is to die for--and the chemistry is electric, too.
April 23, 2013
Originally reviewed here @ Angieville
When one of your very good friends wholeheartedly recommends a book or series as one of her favorite contemporary romance series, you pay attention, yes? Which is why I didn't last long before picking up Laura Florand's THE CHOCOLATE THIEF after Chachic brought it to my attention a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if I would have discovered Florand otherwise, and I am just really happy that I did because this book is delicious. That cute cover doesn't hurt it either. In fact, I am currently wallowing in reading purgatory waiting for a paperback copy of the second Amour et Chocolat novel to show up in my mailbox, because even though I could download the ebook in the blink of an eye, I just really need the cute matching covers on my shelf. This surprises none of you, I am sure. Make no mistake, though. The minute it does arrive, I am diving right in. Because this delightful little treat reads like a chocolate-drenched Anna and the French Kiss for adults. Are you telling me you want to miss that little slice of heaven? No. I didn't think so.
Cade Corey has finally made it to Paris. Growing up the daughter of an American chocolate baron, she's dreamt her whole life of traveling to the city of lights and immersing herself in the world of chocolate masters. Now that she's here, she has a full-blown agenda. Track down Sylvain Marquis, make him an offer he can't refuse, and nail down a line of luxury chocolates to elevate Corey Chocolate's mainstream image. And Cade is absolutely sure she can do it. She's a savvy businesswoman who's spent her entire life surrounded by chocolate. She can have this deal in the bag by the end of the day and spend the rest of her unprecedented "time off" exploring Paris and soaking it all up. What she doesn't factor in is Sylvain Marquis' raging disdain for all things mundane. And Corey Chocolates are at the top of the list. The thought of putting his name on a Corey product fills him with actual physical pain. And so the battle of wills begins. Cade can't fathom giving up at this point. Not when she's come this far and invested so much of herself in this one dream. But Sylvain has traveled a long, difficult road himself. And he's not about to reduce all that hard work and mastery to a mere four-ounce bar of mediocre chocolate sold in Walmarts around the world. The divide between these two seems insurmountable. Until Cade has an idea, a dangerously game-changing idea.
THE CHOCOLATE THIEF surprised me on several levels. I went in expecting cute chick lit and wound up getting something entirely different. Which is not to say it isn't cute. It is! It's just quite a bit more than that, too. In the same way that the cover is a bit deceptively light, concealing rather deeper and darker waters within. Much of it has to do with Florand's writing, which continued to catch me unawares with its expressive nuances. Each time I thought I had its number and dared to let my mind wander, the writing would reel me in again with its quiet and perceptive weight. Cade's observations on Paris, the color, the sound, and the taste of it, charmed me and reminded me why I fell in love with it as well on my first visit. The characterization, particularly of Sylvain, carefully built upon this foundation. I loved that he was such an unexpected blend of uncertainty and bravado. I thought he might be too much to begin with, too rich for my blood in a way. But Florand wisely filled him out with a history, full of longing and failed attempts with the women in his life. Placed next to Cade's innate confidence their relationship made for pleasurable reading indeed. Here is one of my very favorite interactions early on:
Passages like this are exactly why I loved THE CHOCOLATE THIEF, for the effortless blend of light and dark with which Laura Florand crafted it. The protagonists are passionate about everything they do and love. And what they do and love is chocolate. This appreciation shines through in every heady, lingering description. This is a romance, to be sure. If you like yours dipped in the finest chocolate money can buy, then I suggest you seek it out immediately.
When one of your very good friends wholeheartedly recommends a book or series as one of her favorite contemporary romance series, you pay attention, yes? Which is why I didn't last long before picking up Laura Florand's THE CHOCOLATE THIEF after Chachic brought it to my attention a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if I would have discovered Florand otherwise, and I am just really happy that I did because this book is delicious. That cute cover doesn't hurt it either. In fact, I am currently wallowing in reading purgatory waiting for a paperback copy of the second Amour et Chocolat novel to show up in my mailbox, because even though I could download the ebook in the blink of an eye, I just really need the cute matching covers on my shelf. This surprises none of you, I am sure. Make no mistake, though. The minute it does arrive, I am diving right in. Because this delightful little treat reads like a chocolate-drenched Anna and the French Kiss for adults. Are you telling me you want to miss that little slice of heaven? No. I didn't think so.
Cade Corey has finally made it to Paris. Growing up the daughter of an American chocolate baron, she's dreamt her whole life of traveling to the city of lights and immersing herself in the world of chocolate masters. Now that she's here, she has a full-blown agenda. Track down Sylvain Marquis, make him an offer he can't refuse, and nail down a line of luxury chocolates to elevate Corey Chocolate's mainstream image. And Cade is absolutely sure she can do it. She's a savvy businesswoman who's spent her entire life surrounded by chocolate. She can have this deal in the bag by the end of the day and spend the rest of her unprecedented "time off" exploring Paris and soaking it all up. What she doesn't factor in is Sylvain Marquis' raging disdain for all things mundane. And Corey Chocolates are at the top of the list. The thought of putting his name on a Corey product fills him with actual physical pain. And so the battle of wills begins. Cade can't fathom giving up at this point. Not when she's come this far and invested so much of herself in this one dream. But Sylvain has traveled a long, difficult road himself. And he's not about to reduce all that hard work and mastery to a mere four-ounce bar of mediocre chocolate sold in Walmarts around the world. The divide between these two seems insurmountable. Until Cade has an idea, a dangerously game-changing idea.
THE CHOCOLATE THIEF surprised me on several levels. I went in expecting cute chick lit and wound up getting something entirely different. Which is not to say it isn't cute. It is! It's just quite a bit more than that, too. In the same way that the cover is a bit deceptively light, concealing rather deeper and darker waters within. Much of it has to do with Florand's writing, which continued to catch me unawares with its expressive nuances. Each time I thought I had its number and dared to let my mind wander, the writing would reel me in again with its quiet and perceptive weight. Cade's observations on Paris, the color, the sound, and the taste of it, charmed me and reminded me why I fell in love with it as well on my first visit. The characterization, particularly of Sylvain, carefully built upon this foundation. I loved that he was such an unexpected blend of uncertainty and bravado. I thought he might be too much to begin with, too rich for my blood in a way. But Florand wisely filled him out with a history, full of longing and failed attempts with the women in his life. Placed next to Cade's innate confidence their relationship made for pleasurable reading indeed. Here is one of my very favorite interactions early on:
She looked at him as if he had hit her. Or, worse, stripped her naked in a pretense of seduction and then smirked and turned her around to see a thousand ridiculing eyes.
She stared at him, something rising in her with a powerful force. His pulse quickened as he prepared for anything, anything--
She turned abruptly and strode toward the entryway. Without a word. Without letting him find out what that powerful force rising in her was.
He found himself following, hoping she would say a word. He was kicking himself already. He hadn't really wanted her to leave.
He just . . . thought it would be in his own best interest to make sure she did.
"I believe you still have our coat, mademoiselle," he mentioned as she reached for the doorknob, trying to pry that word he wanted out of her.
Her flush deepened furhter, her jaw as tense as it was possible for her to hold it. Her hands trembled so much on the buttons, she couldn't get them undone.
"Tenez," he said, troubled, his own hands lifting. He was an idiot. There was more than one way to be an idiot, and he had just proven it. He had just cut off his own nose to spite his face. "May I help?"
"Don't. You. Touch. Me." So much anger vibrated through her voice that he dropped his hands, that fourteen-year-old teenager waking in him, the kind girls didn't want to be touched by.
So he stood there as she struggled with button after button, making her slow, miserable way down the coat, everyone watching them, her cheeks deeply red now. He wondered why she didn't just destroy it--rip it off, pop the buttons, drop it on the floor, and maybe drop a few bills on it to cover the damage as she stalked out. It seemed like something an American billionaire would do.
At last she got it off, to reveal the most ridiculous enormous sweatshirt. He started to smile despite himself. "What are you wearing? Did you come to my workshop in your pajamas?" Americans. All the money in the world and not a gram of taste.
She gave him a look like a slap, thrust the coat at him, and strode out.
Passages like this are exactly why I loved THE CHOCOLATE THIEF, for the effortless blend of light and dark with which Laura Florand crafted it. The protagonists are passionate about everything they do and love. And what they do and love is chocolate. This appreciation shines through in every heady, lingering description. This is a romance, to be sure. If you like yours dipped in the finest chocolate money can buy, then I suggest you seek it out immediately.
February 22, 2016
I shouldn’t have made the mistake of reading The Chocolate Kiss (which was pretty mediocre compared to this) before reading The Chocolate Thief. This has beautiful writing, accompanied by amazing, likable characters in Cade Corey and Sylvain Marquis, who are both so strong and memorable. Their chemistry is just out of this world. I think The Amour et chocolat series is THE go-to series for anyone in the mood for a fuzzy, toe-curling romance.
My review of The Chocolate Kiss (BOOK 2)
October 18, 2012
I actually liked this book more than I thought I would but it was silly. I guess I just couldn't buy each character's motivation. He was all 'I'm gonna make her love me through my chocolate' and she was all 'I'm going to break into his shop and be creepy' and then he was like 'she's stealing my stuff, that's so hot' and she was like 'breaking in is so intoxicating, I'm so turned on' and then he was like 'I caught you red-handed, you're mine' and so on and so forth. The sex scenes were pretty hot though, especially the first one. And now I want chocolate.
January 16, 2015
Billionaire heiress, Cade Corey is on a mission to stamp the name of the most prolific chocalatier on their brand. Getting Sylvain Marquis to agree, however, will prove to be a challenge. Negotiations fell apart; bribery only cost her, her self-respect. So when she can't get him to give her the time of day, she resorts to thievery. Awkwardness and so-so chemistry ensue.
Truth be told, I am not a fan of these two. Sylvain instantly gives credence to the stigma that the French people are snobs when it comes to their food. His disdain for anything mass produced did not make him all that appealing. In fact, he was downright insulting. While his conviction may be alluring to some, I found that he incites a completely different feeling in me. He was, for the most part, an obnoxious romantic interest. I was not a fan.
Cade Corey is hardly any better. I can commend her for sticking through what she believes in, but at times, I found her exhausting. It's as if she has blinders when it comes to Sylvain. While it may be true that Sylvain did not insult her personally, the way he looked down on her family's source of fortune was, to me, an extension of her own person.
I love the French language. I think it's romantic. It's right up there with Italian and Spanish. What I didn't like, however, is the gratuitous insertion of French that more often, was not translated so the non-speaking reader can understand. It lent to some annoyance, and worst, choppy narration.
This first book lacked a couple of key ingredients: likeable characters and conflict. Sylvain was a conundrum. He has moments of self doubt unheard of for someone who oozes a magnanimous male ego. So much so that he sounded like every other Mary Sue who don't think of themselves worthy enough. Cade for her part, has questionable intentions. I can't decide whether she likes Sylvain for the person that he was, or for what he represents from a business stand point.
The lack of conflict also aided in the low rating for this book. It was boring. There were no ups and downs, so more often, I was left feeling apathetic. They hardly even fought, and even with the temporary separation, I felt nary a twinge of anticipation for their eventual reunion.
So far, we're not off to a good start. But I'm crossing my fingers that the next one will be better.
Truth be told, I am not a fan of these two. Sylvain instantly gives credence to the stigma that the French people are snobs when it comes to their food. His disdain for anything mass produced did not make him all that appealing. In fact, he was downright insulting. While his conviction may be alluring to some, I found that he incites a completely different feeling in me. He was, for the most part, an obnoxious romantic interest. I was not a fan.
Cade Corey is hardly any better. I can commend her for sticking through what she believes in, but at times, I found her exhausting. It's as if she has blinders when it comes to Sylvain. While it may be true that Sylvain did not insult her personally, the way he looked down on her family's source of fortune was, to me, an extension of her own person.
I love the French language. I think it's romantic. It's right up there with Italian and Spanish. What I didn't like, however, is the gratuitous insertion of French that more often, was not translated so the non-speaking reader can understand. It lent to some annoyance, and worst, choppy narration.
This first book lacked a couple of key ingredients: likeable characters and conflict. Sylvain was a conundrum. He has moments of self doubt unheard of for someone who oozes a magnanimous male ego. So much so that he sounded like every other Mary Sue who don't think of themselves worthy enough. Cade for her part, has questionable intentions. I can't decide whether she likes Sylvain for the person that he was, or for what he represents from a business stand point.
The lack of conflict also aided in the low rating for this book. It was boring. There were no ups and downs, so more often, I was left feeling apathetic. They hardly even fought, and even with the temporary separation, I felt nary a twinge of anticipation for their eventual reunion.
So far, we're not off to a good start. But I'm crossing my fingers that the next one will be better.
January 8, 2013
The first four to five chapters made me think this book was going to be an utter waste of space, but both characters got significantly less annoying once they started sleeping together. There were still a lot of moments where I wanted to chuck it at a wall for being sexist though.
Also, if you're curious what some of the earlier stuff is like, I've summarized it for you here:
"And then he used his manly sex hands to chop sexy chocolate like sex. The sexy curls of dark chocolate sexily dropped to the sexy marble counter of sex. He smoldered sexily at her, his sexy dark hair perfect around his sexy face.
'Sex,' he said to her, 'sex sex sex.'
And then they did it. On the floor. Next to the sexy unprocessed chocolate."
I think that's it. This is not to dissuade people exactly -- I enjoyed it -- but of course it's frivolous and ridiculous. SUPER ridiculous.
I liked that she included L.A. Burdick's at the end of chocolates she loves! Way to represent, Boston. And also, their chocolate is delicious, and so is their restaurant in Walpole, NH. I have a little box of Burdick's chocolates waiting for me at home right now.
Also, if you're curious what some of the earlier stuff is like, I've summarized it for you here:
"And then he used his manly sex hands to chop sexy chocolate like sex. The sexy curls of dark chocolate sexily dropped to the sexy marble counter of sex. He smoldered sexily at her, his sexy dark hair perfect around his sexy face.
'Sex,' he said to her, 'sex sex sex.'
And then they did it. On the floor. Next to the sexy unprocessed chocolate."
I think that's it. This is not to dissuade people exactly -- I enjoyed it -- but of course it's frivolous and ridiculous. SUPER ridiculous.
I liked that she included L.A. Burdick's at the end of chocolates she loves! Way to represent, Boston. And also, their chocolate is delicious, and so is their restaurant in Walpole, NH. I have a little box of Burdick's chocolates waiting for me at home right now.
November 2, 2018
5 delicious stars
I'm feeling a bit lazy, so I'll be short, but I liked the book so much that I just had to share my love. :-)
Anyway, this book combines two to things that I simply adore:
1. Paris - the city of light
I love Paris, and seeing it through the eyes of the main characters was a true pleasure - Cade, an American, a stranger to the city, and Sylvain, a Frenchman, the way I imagine a true Parisian would be like - arrogant, snobby, but charming. Reading about all the places imagining I was there, walking through the streets of Paris.
2. Chocolate
Who doesn't like chocolate? And I can assure you, after reading this book you will feel a deep craving for them. Especially if they come from a guy like Sylvain. I mean, that guy...
---
And I truly, truly adore both Cade and Sylvain, and their relationship. The flirting, the seduction (by chocolate) - all of it. Amazing. :-)
I'm feeling a bit lazy, so I'll be short, but I liked the book so much that I just had to share my love. :-)
Anyway, this book combines two to things that I simply adore:
1. Paris - the city of light
I love Paris, and seeing it through the eyes of the main characters was a true pleasure - Cade, an American, a stranger to the city, and Sylvain, a Frenchman, the way I imagine a true Parisian would be like - arrogant, snobby, but charming. Reading about all the places imagining I was there, walking through the streets of Paris.
2. Chocolate
Who doesn't like chocolate? And I can assure you, after reading this book you will feel a deep craving for them. Especially if they come from a guy like Sylvain. I mean, that guy...
---
And I truly, truly adore both Cade and Sylvain, and their relationship. The flirting, the seduction (by chocolate) - all of it. Amazing. :-)
January 10, 2015
Super cute story high on romance and zero angst!
What's not to like?!
You've got the city of love...
Chocolate...
and Romance...
I loved the chemistry between Cade and Sylvain! It was immediate..they despised each other - sorta :) - and wanted to jump each other at the same time. Sylvain had the secret to the most scrumptious chocolate on earth and Cade wanted it. He wasn't about to give it up.. and she wasn't about to let it go..
I really enjoyed this sweet easy romance.. I love to read books like this occasionally that are just full of romance with no drama or angst. Just pure fun...
What's not to like?!
You've got the city of love...
Chocolate...
and Romance...
I loved the chemistry between Cade and Sylvain! It was immediate..they despised each other - sorta :) - and wanted to jump each other at the same time. Sylvain had the secret to the most scrumptious chocolate on earth and Cade wanted it. He wasn't about to give it up.. and she wasn't about to let it go..
I really enjoyed this sweet easy romance.. I love to read books like this occasionally that are just full of romance with no drama or angst. Just pure fun...
October 3, 2015
I didn't dislike the book, but I think I would've liked this a lot more if some things were changed.
One of my favourite trope-y things is the male and female protagonists hating one another! I liked that in this one, they dislike one another for quite some time. I really hate it when the synopsis plays it out to be that the two characters dislike one another...and then it's resolved after one or two scenes. I also liked the setting, plot and the characters (at times). So...where do I feel it went wrong?
Before Cade and Sylvain get together, there is so much innuendo in almost everything. It was amusing to read the first time...but then the author just kept throwing it in scene after scene, action after action...and it just got frustrating. I liked that it was toned down (I don't think I really noticed any, actually) after we're halfway through, but I hated that half the book was innuendo-filled nonsense.
The other thing that annoyed me, however, persisted throughout the entire novel, and that was the usage of French. (The paragraph below is rather tame compared to some I came across.)
I don't mind when books use foreign words--actually, I rather like it. In this book, though, the author just keeps using it everywhere in both words and full sentences. It went from a fun addition in the book, to a frustrating element. It lost its charm to me after the first chapter or two because it's just not fun having to use the French Dictionary on my e-reader or just skip it, altogether. It's like cooking -- a light seasoning of it is wonderful, but an over usage of it just takes away from the entire experience.
I also hated the persistence of the author's stereotypes of the French. Sure, there may be some snobs...but to the degree that the author had written it? Where practically every stranger Cade encountered was too highbrow for her? Ugh. She had a damn homeless man being an uppity snob! Like...come on.
This also plays into Cade's character, as well. In a good portion of the beginning, Cade acts like such an English-speaking tourist. She's so insecure about being American in Paris -- going on about how people treat her with disdain because she's American, they're doing this to her because she's American, they should speak to me in French instead of their terrible English. It's all American this, American that, American blah blah blah. She's both funny and ironic that she goes on about the "snobbish" French people all around her, when, really, she's the one with the snobbish attitude. She consistently laments all the reasons as to why these French people don't treat her like a native--which, newsflash: you're not one!--and it was just so annoying to read.
Sylvain also proved to be a big annoyance through a lot of it. At times, I did like him -- and that was when he wasn't being a jerk. I got why he wouldn't sell his name and that was cool with me. What wasn't cool, though, was his constant need to be a condescending ass and take potshots at Cade and Corey Chocolate. Like, I get that he produces higher quality chocolate than what Cade's mass-producing company does. However, a love interest shouldn't be insulting you constantly and making you feel embarrassed and the lowest of lows.
On top of that, it bothered me so much that, even when he treated her this way, she still constantly thought charitably about him. Even when he's looking at her with superiority and scorn, she doesn't think of it just as him looking at her that way. Instead, it's written as "the disdain on that handsome face." Like...what?? I wouldn't be thinking the man is handsome if he's constantly saying things to humiliate me on purpose, looking down his nose at me like me and what I represent is worthless. Oh, and I definitely wouldn't be thinking sexual thoughts towards someone like that.
Cade,
I can get him being unhappy about comparisons of his chocolate to Corey Bars. What especially annoyed me about him, more so than him having to say a rude remark practically all the time, is that he sometimes does it when it's really not even called for.
Seriously, man? Seriously? Like...was that even necessary...? It's like he can't even have a conversation without getting at least one potshot in and show how superior his brand is. Oh, and this is three-quarters of the way through the book and he's still doing this.
Oh, and when he hints at wanting her to come to his shop, he's upset the next morning because she hadn't shown up the previous night because he'd waited all night. So, what does he do the next day? He acts condescending and he humiliates her -- he practically makes a campaign of it, too. After his interviews (in which he calls her both "desperate" and the "poor little rich girl of chocolate"), they're sitting in a cafe (Sylvain followed her) with Christophe and he's taking potshot after potshot and it's only because she didn't show up the previous night.
This entire scene in the cafe, it honestly just screamed so juvenile to me. It reminded me of those boys that tell a girl she's pretty in order to ask her out. When she says no? Well, then they turn around and tell her she's ugly, anyway, and follows it by calling her a slut or something else misogynistic. Why does he do that? Because he feels the girl deserves to suffer for rejecting him. Why does Sylvain act like an immature child in this scene? Because he feels Cade deserves to suffer for rejecting him.
He recalled the feeling of rejection from the previous night and, without even asking her why she hadn't come, he immediately decided to put her in her place because she deserved what she got.
That's why I'm like...how can you think charitable thoughts for this man? Like how?? Why would you want someone in your life who constantly puts you down? And it is her life, because Corey Chocolate is what she does for a living. So, I gotta say it again...
Cade...
I was honestly waiting for her to deliver one hellva blistering set-down that would put him in his place. I think that the author felt it was self-explanatory and chalked it up to being a snobby Frenchman...or something. But, enough was enough, and I thought it was well deserved after how he treated her over and over and over again. And...it never came. In fact...in the end, it was Cade, not Sylvain, who gave up her position at Corey Chocolate (not him) and moved on over to France (not him moving to Corey). I hated that she, as the woman, had to give up her life to fit herself into his. I know it was written out as her not wanting to be in the family business anyway...but that just seems like a convenient excuse to me.
One of my favourite trope-y things is the male and female protagonists hating one another! I liked that in this one, they dislike one another for quite some time. I really hate it when the synopsis plays it out to be that the two characters dislike one another...and then it's resolved after one or two scenes. I also liked the setting, plot and the characters (at times). So...where do I feel it went wrong?
Before Cade and Sylvain get together, there is so much innuendo in almost everything. It was amusing to read the first time...but then the author just kept throwing it in scene after scene, action after action...and it just got frustrating. I liked that it was toned down (I don't think I really noticed any, actually) after we're halfway through, but I hated that half the book was innuendo-filled nonsense.
The other thing that annoyed me, however, persisted throughout the entire novel, and that was the usage of French. (The paragraph below is rather tame compared to some I came across.)
And now, finally, here she was. Speaking. About to put la cerise sur le gâteau of the whole new line she was planning for the company. The cherry on the cake... maybe they could do something with La Cerise as one of the new line’s products....
I don't mind when books use foreign words--actually, I rather like it. In this book, though, the author just keeps using it everywhere in both words and full sentences. It went from a fun addition in the book, to a frustrating element. It lost its charm to me after the first chapter or two because it's just not fun having to use the French Dictionary on my e-reader or just skip it, altogether. It's like cooking -- a light seasoning of it is wonderful, but an over usage of it just takes away from the entire experience.
I also hated the persistence of the author's stereotypes of the French. Sure, there may be some snobs...but to the degree that the author had written it? Where practically every stranger Cade encountered was too highbrow for her? Ugh. She had a damn homeless man being an uppity snob! Like...come on.
This also plays into Cade's character, as well. In a good portion of the beginning, Cade acts like such an English-speaking tourist. She's so insecure about being American in Paris -- going on about how people treat her with disdain because she's American, they're doing this to her because she's American, they should speak to me in French instead of their terrible English. It's all American this, American that, American blah blah blah. She's both funny and ironic that she goes on about the "snobbish" French people all around her, when, really, she's the one with the snobbish attitude. She consistently laments all the reasons as to why these French people don't treat her like a native--which, newsflash: you're not one!--and it was just so annoying to read.
Sylvain also proved to be a big annoyance through a lot of it. At times, I did like him -- and that was when he wasn't being a jerk. I got why he wouldn't sell his name and that was cool with me. What wasn't cool, though, was his constant need to be a condescending ass and take potshots at Cade and Corey Chocolate. Like, I get that he produces higher quality chocolate than what Cade's mass-producing company does. However, a love interest shouldn't be insulting you constantly and making you feel embarrassed and the lowest of lows.
On top of that, it bothered me so much that, even when he treated her this way, she still constantly thought charitably about him. Even when he's looking at her with superiority and scorn, she doesn't think of it just as him looking at her that way. Instead, it's written as "the disdain on that handsome face." Like...what?? I wouldn't be thinking the man is handsome if he's constantly saying things to humiliate me on purpose, looking down his nose at me like me and what I represent is worthless. Oh, and I definitely wouldn't be thinking sexual thoughts towards someone like that.
Cade,
I can get him being unhappy about comparisons of his chocolate to Corey Bars. What especially annoyed me about him, more so than him having to say a rude remark practically all the time, is that he sometimes does it when it's really not even called for.
Seriously, man? Seriously? Like...was that even necessary...? It's like he can't even have a conversation without getting at least one potshot in and show how superior his brand is. Oh, and this is three-quarters of the way through the book and he's still doing this.
Oh, and when he hints at wanting her to come to his shop, he's upset the next morning because she hadn't shown up the previous night because he'd waited all night. So, what does he do the next day? He acts condescending and he humiliates her -- he practically makes a campaign of it, too. After his interviews (in which he calls her both "desperate" and the "poor little rich girl of chocolate"), they're sitting in a cafe (Sylvain followed her) with Christophe and he's taking potshot after potshot and it's only because she didn't show up the previous night.
This entire scene in the cafe, it honestly just screamed so juvenile to me. It reminded me of those boys that tell a girl she's pretty in order to ask her out. When she says no? Well, then they turn around and tell her she's ugly, anyway, and follows it by calling her a slut or something else misogynistic. Why does he do that? Because he feels the girl deserves to suffer for rejecting him. Why does Sylvain act like an immature child in this scene? Because he feels Cade deserves to suffer for rejecting him.
He recalled the feeling of rejection from the previous night and, without even asking her why she hadn't come, he immediately decided to put her in her place because she deserved what she got.
That's why I'm like...how can you think charitable thoughts for this man? Like how?? Why would you want someone in your life who constantly puts you down? And it is her life, because Corey Chocolate is what she does for a living. So, I gotta say it again...
Cade...
I was honestly waiting for her to deliver one hellva blistering set-down that would put him in his place. I think that the author felt it was self-explanatory and chalked it up to being a snobby Frenchman...or something. But, enough was enough, and I thought it was well deserved after how he treated her over and over and over again. And...it never came. In fact...in the end, it was Cade, not Sylvain, who gave up her position at Corey Chocolate (not him) and moved on over to France (not him moving to Corey). I hated that she, as the woman, had to give up her life to fit herself into his. I know it was written out as her not wanting to be in the family business anyway...but that just seems like a convenient excuse to me.
May 5, 2014
May 5, 2014 comments: I felt like rereading after I've been to Paris because I wanted to see what it felt like now that I'm more familiar with the setting. The writing is just as good as I remembered and the reading experience is even better because of the little details that I could relate to.
_____________________
March 29, 2013 review:
Originally posted here.
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.
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:
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! :)
_____________________
March 29, 2013 review:
Originally posted here.
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.
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! :)
March 29, 2015
I wish Goodreads had a better way to signify the number of times one re-reads a book because, yes, I re-read this again. I felt far too nostalgic about leaving Seoul that I decided I needed Paris and, if it isn't already clear, The Chocolate Thief is my favorite Florand read. It's ideal for a re-read because it's both hilarious and sexy and though Florand does teary-eyed brilliantly, it's the kind of heavy that I can't handle more than once. But this book? I keep picking up on minor details upon every re-read and just when I think I can't fall in love with Sylvain any more, I DO!
If I ever wind up studying abroad in Paris, I think it's safe to blame it all on Laura Florand and these books. ;)
If I ever wind up studying abroad in Paris, I think it's safe to blame it all on Laura Florand and these books. ;)
June 19, 2018
ETA on 6/19: This was just so dang cute, even the second time around. And exactly what I needed on a crappy Monday when nothing was going right. A book about chocolate doesn't quite beat the real thing, but it's a close second.
*****
Oh, this story was so cute! I legit cannot believe I started reading it right after I started trying to eat healthier, though, and prohibited all chocolate from passing my lips. Why would I torture myself like that? Also, HO-LY HELL! THAT SCENE ON THE STAIRS!!! That has got to be the hottest scene I've ever read, and I've been reading quite a bit of romance recently. Loved this one...it was perfectly awkward and perfectly adorable.
*****
Oh, this story was so cute! I legit cannot believe I started reading it right after I started trying to eat healthier, though, and prohibited all chocolate from passing my lips. Why would I torture myself like that? Also, HO-LY HELL! THAT SCENE ON THE STAIRS!!! That has got to be the hottest scene I've ever read, and I've been reading quite a bit of romance recently. Loved this one...it was perfectly awkward and perfectly adorable.
January 12, 2016
Loved this light-hearted romance! And it's quite impossible to not love the book when it has lots of fluffy romance, and also chocolates.
July 13, 2019
Oh lord. I was volun-told to read this by ANDREA. So, yeah.. thanks for making me suffer through this weird ass book.
The Chocolate Thief is a book that is about someone stealing chocolate recipes. I don't know why they thought this was a good plan..but they did. It was weird from the start and I just kind of sat down for the ride. In it you will meet Cade and Sylvain, Cade is very successful in the chocolate world and now has her sights on Sylvain's magical chocolate skills.
These two were way beyond weird. One, I don't know why Cade never learned to take a hint. When someone says no, you just kind of take it. Yet, she wants to sneak into his shop just to get the recipes? Okay, I don't want to call you crazy.. but you are crazy girl. Then there's Slyvain.. who was just in his own weird element. I just didn't get anything about this book and kind of went along with it all.
Besides these two weirdos being weird, there was some weird ass romance going on. It was, again, weird and I just didn't care for it. I liked them to a point but other than that I just wanted this book over, quickly.
Overall, I'm glad it was set in Paris.. and that's basically just it.
The Chocolate Thief is a book that is about someone stealing chocolate recipes. I don't know why they thought this was a good plan..but they did. It was weird from the start and I just kind of sat down for the ride. In it you will meet Cade and Sylvain, Cade is very successful in the chocolate world and now has her sights on Sylvain's magical chocolate skills.
These two were way beyond weird. One, I don't know why Cade never learned to take a hint. When someone says no, you just kind of take it. Yet, she wants to sneak into his shop just to get the recipes? Okay, I don't want to call you crazy.. but you are crazy girl. Then there's Slyvain.. who was just in his own weird element. I just didn't get anything about this book and kind of went along with it all.
Besides these two weirdos being weird, there was some weird ass romance going on. It was, again, weird and I just didn't care for it. I liked them to a point but other than that I just wanted this book over, quickly.
Overall, I'm glad it was set in Paris.. and that's basically just it.
November 2, 2012
Cade Corey and her family own Corey Chocolate, the biggest chocolate distributor in the United States. Their chocolate bars sell at Walmart for $.33 and those coins have brought a billion dollars to her family. Always looking for something new, Cade decides she wants Parisian chocolatier, Sylvain Marquis’s name on a new line of their chocolate. Cade thinks it will be the perfect fit for Sylvain and it will bring her company more money. So off to Paris she goes.
What she doesn’t expect is for Sylvain to be 100% against her proposal. He actually gets angry she would ask such a thing of his precious chocolate. His hand-crafted chocolate wonders sell for hundreds of dollars. He puts his entire life into his chocolate, and would never sell out his name for some measly US dollars.
This frustrates Cade to no end, demanding he show her chocolate bars some respect. She starts to get consumed with his chocolate making process, breaking into his kitchens in the middle of the night to see what type of ingredients and types of tools he uses. Sylvain knows very well she is breaking in, and is amused by the whole thing. He finds her very attractive, and he wants to understand what her motives are. A food blog catches onto her midnight thievery, naming her ‘The Chocolate Thief.’
First let me say that I love the setting of this story – in Paris with chocolate being made and consumed on every page. I think the author captures the intimate process Sylvain goes through to make his chocolate quite well.
“This is one of my favorite moments,” Sylvain murmured to her, his voice a brush of sound, too low to interfere with Pascal’s lesson, too low for anyone but her. “The chocolate is untouched, virgin.” Chocolat, he said. Not that clumsy, cute English work chok-lat but a caress, a mystery, sho-co-la. “I choose it. It is beautiful as it is, perfect; anyone could eat it forever. Yet I bring something else to it, blend it with another flavor that makes people encounter it in a new way, a richer way.”
His voice burred over her skin. All the fine hairs on her arms rose to that voice and to the words that seemed to talk about more than chocolate. Made her want to be his chocolate.
At the beginning of the story, Sylvan is attracted to Cade which makes him blush. I found that a very likable character trait. It is also hinted at that he has had problems in the past for falling for women quite quick, only to get his heart broken on more than one occasion. For as much as Cade infuriates him with her business offer, he is still attracted to her. I wish his shy blushes would have played out more. Before you know it, he becomes this alpha, predatory male who claims his woman (in the chocolate shop. That was fun.). We don’t really see his bashful side nor do we learn the full history of why his heart was broken so many times. I kind of wish things with him were explored more. There are times where he acts very unsure of himself:
She lusted after everything he produced and owned so intensely and sinfully. Surely she must lust after him.
Never in his life had he felt so positive of that. And yet, driven by some old, stupid weakness of his, he had still held back far too long, just in case she wanted to escape.
He is set-up to lack confidence in his personal life (his confidence in his professional life is off the charts) and yet, I feel like we don’t really dive into this matter in detail.
Cade is an okay heroine. She is very determined and stubborn and refused to give up her fight to win Sylvain’s business. I think breaking in and making a mess of his workspace is unprofessional, but after the first few times, it becomes more of a game, so it didn’t bother me so much. Her father calls a lot on the phone demanding things from her which got old but I love her grandfather who shares her excitement of being in Paris.
Towards the end we meet Sylvain’s family and I enjoyed their interactions and it made me feel like we got to know Sylvan a little better. The romance scenes in this one are on the light side. We get one or two, but they are not super in-depth. I wish more time had been spent there (with dirty details!) because Sylvain is a very, sexy chocolatier indeed.
Rating: C+
What she doesn’t expect is for Sylvain to be 100% against her proposal. He actually gets angry she would ask such a thing of his precious chocolate. His hand-crafted chocolate wonders sell for hundreds of dollars. He puts his entire life into his chocolate, and would never sell out his name for some measly US dollars.
This frustrates Cade to no end, demanding he show her chocolate bars some respect. She starts to get consumed with his chocolate making process, breaking into his kitchens in the middle of the night to see what type of ingredients and types of tools he uses. Sylvain knows very well she is breaking in, and is amused by the whole thing. He finds her very attractive, and he wants to understand what her motives are. A food blog catches onto her midnight thievery, naming her ‘The Chocolate Thief.’
First let me say that I love the setting of this story – in Paris with chocolate being made and consumed on every page. I think the author captures the intimate process Sylvain goes through to make his chocolate quite well.
“This is one of my favorite moments,” Sylvain murmured to her, his voice a brush of sound, too low to interfere with Pascal’s lesson, too low for anyone but her. “The chocolate is untouched, virgin.” Chocolat, he said. Not that clumsy, cute English work chok-lat but a caress, a mystery, sho-co-la. “I choose it. It is beautiful as it is, perfect; anyone could eat it forever. Yet I bring something else to it, blend it with another flavor that makes people encounter it in a new way, a richer way.”
His voice burred over her skin. All the fine hairs on her arms rose to that voice and to the words that seemed to talk about more than chocolate. Made her want to be his chocolate.
At the beginning of the story, Sylvan is attracted to Cade which makes him blush. I found that a very likable character trait. It is also hinted at that he has had problems in the past for falling for women quite quick, only to get his heart broken on more than one occasion. For as much as Cade infuriates him with her business offer, he is still attracted to her. I wish his shy blushes would have played out more. Before you know it, he becomes this alpha, predatory male who claims his woman (in the chocolate shop. That was fun.). We don’t really see his bashful side nor do we learn the full history of why his heart was broken so many times. I kind of wish things with him were explored more. There are times where he acts very unsure of himself:
She lusted after everything he produced and owned so intensely and sinfully. Surely she must lust after him.
Never in his life had he felt so positive of that. And yet, driven by some old, stupid weakness of his, he had still held back far too long, just in case she wanted to escape.
He is set-up to lack confidence in his personal life (his confidence in his professional life is off the charts) and yet, I feel like we don’t really dive into this matter in detail.
Cade is an okay heroine. She is very determined and stubborn and refused to give up her fight to win Sylvain’s business. I think breaking in and making a mess of his workspace is unprofessional, but after the first few times, it becomes more of a game, so it didn’t bother me so much. Her father calls a lot on the phone demanding things from her which got old but I love her grandfather who shares her excitement of being in Paris.
Towards the end we meet Sylvain’s family and I enjoyed their interactions and it made me feel like we got to know Sylvan a little better. The romance scenes in this one are on the light side. We get one or two, but they are not super in-depth. I wish more time had been spent there (with dirty details!) because Sylvain is a very, sexy chocolatier indeed.
Rating: C+
September 25, 2013
The Chocolate Thief Review The Parisian sorcerer of artisan chocolate, handsome Frenchman Sylvain Marquis, and the American empress of chocolate bars, Cade Corey, play a decadent game of seduction and subterfuge that causes them both to melt with desire.
Breathtakingly beautiful, the City of Light seduces the senses, its cobbled streets thrumming with possibility. For American Cade Corey, it's 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's something much more delectable on the table. . .
Stolen Pleasure
Whether confections taken from a locked shop or kisses in the dark, is there anything sweeter?
Review
This is simply a wonderful romance that I know I will read over and over again. It, like chocolate, will be a comfort for the rest of my life. It is such a grand day when a book like this comes along. This writer gets everything right. Her writing is crisp, engaging, real and fantastic, clear, well plotted, sexy, and fun. We have grumpy French chocolate maker hero and a relentless American heroine. The culture clash is great but the longing and layers to these characters are even better. I want you to enjoy the unwrapping so I won't tell you much. There is a celebration here of sexy Frenchness and sexy Americanness that is not to be missed. There are aspects of a madcap romance comedy here but mixed in is such longing and emotional honesty and shyness to reveal that the book becomes that extra something. It is funny, tender, hot as hell, and delicious. And, yes, I wanted to head over to my chocolate bar here in town, Eclipse Chocolate, and indulge. My favorite parts of the book aside from the sensuous chocolate, the French language, and the excellent love story are the little touches. I love that Paris is not perfect. I love that the families are wonderful and supportive and we get ache and not manufactured angst. I love the basic philosophical debate that underlines this story about access to luxury and what quality is--the everyday use debate in chocolate. I love this the most because it shows how smart the hero and heroine are and what excellent thinkers and even though they hold different postions on the issue the see the other's point and adapt. This is real love and real life in the middle of the romantic dream of a book and it makes it sparkle.
Buy this book on Amazon
I included this book on my following lists on Goodreads: Girlie Girls: Romance Heroines who love fashion and may be just a little High Maintenance, MF Romantic Fiction Featuring Interesting/Unusual Jobs, Well Hobbied: Romance Heros and Heroines with Interests, I love your quirks! Best Romance Heroines that are a bit odd in a good way and Best Food Play in Romance MF
Breathtakingly beautiful, the City of Light seduces the senses, its cobbled streets thrumming with possibility. For American Cade Corey, it's 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's something much more delectable on the table. . .
Stolen Pleasure
Whether confections taken from a locked shop or kisses in the dark, is there anything sweeter?
Review
This is simply a wonderful romance that I know I will read over and over again. It, like chocolate, will be a comfort for the rest of my life. It is such a grand day when a book like this comes along. This writer gets everything right. Her writing is crisp, engaging, real and fantastic, clear, well plotted, sexy, and fun. We have grumpy French chocolate maker hero and a relentless American heroine. The culture clash is great but the longing and layers to these characters are even better. I want you to enjoy the unwrapping so I won't tell you much. There is a celebration here of sexy Frenchness and sexy Americanness that is not to be missed. There are aspects of a madcap romance comedy here but mixed in is such longing and emotional honesty and shyness to reveal that the book becomes that extra something. It is funny, tender, hot as hell, and delicious. And, yes, I wanted to head over to my chocolate bar here in town, Eclipse Chocolate, and indulge. My favorite parts of the book aside from the sensuous chocolate, the French language, and the excellent love story are the little touches. I love that Paris is not perfect. I love that the families are wonderful and supportive and we get ache and not manufactured angst. I love the basic philosophical debate that underlines this story about access to luxury and what quality is--the everyday use debate in chocolate. I love this the most because it shows how smart the hero and heroine are and what excellent thinkers and even though they hold different postions on the issue the see the other's point and adapt. This is real love and real life in the middle of the romantic dream of a book and it makes it sparkle.
Buy this book on Amazon
I included this book on my following lists on Goodreads: Girlie Girls: Romance Heroines who love fashion and may be just a little High Maintenance, MF Romantic Fiction Featuring Interesting/Unusual Jobs, Well Hobbied: Romance Heros and Heroines with Interests, I love your quirks! Best Romance Heroines that are a bit odd in a good way and Best Food Play in Romance MF
March 24, 2013
2 ½ stars. Story outline was lovely, but I could not enjoy it because I was repeatedly angry at unknown French words.
I am happy reading French as long as the translation is placed immediately after in parentheses. But that did not happen. Every time I saw a French word, my first thought was will it be translated? A few of them were translated a sentence or two later, but 95% were not. It kept taking me out of the story. The French words occurred about every second or third page. I took a college French class and forgot most of it, but I had a little knowledge, and I did not know these words.
If you are a student taking French, this might be fun, because you can practice and look up what you don’t know.
As to the story. This was a fun idea. I liked the sensuality of creating and eating chocolate. I liked the sensuality between Sylvain and Cade. I liked the story of their relationship and her breaking into his chocolate shop at night. Aside from my problem with the French words, a few times I felt the story dragging. I was curious enough to keep reading, but I wanted the book to be over.
Hygiene alert! When Cade broke into Sylvain’s shop, she ran her hand through sacks of pistachios and almonds, eating some and letting others “slide over her palm back into the crate.” My first thought was I hoped she washed her hands. She had lemon and vanilla on her finger and who knows what else. She touched things that customers will be eating. Sylvain should have thrown out ingredients that may have been touched by a thief. That was not addressed.
There were three sex scenes, one just a couple sentences. They were ok, not the hottest. Eating and describing chocolate were more passionate and sensual than the sex scenes.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle count length: 4,249 (503 KB) 321 pages. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3 (plus 2 referred to, not shown). Setting: current day mostly Paris, France. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance.
I am happy reading French as long as the translation is placed immediately after in parentheses. But that did not happen. Every time I saw a French word, my first thought was will it be translated? A few of them were translated a sentence or two later, but 95% were not. It kept taking me out of the story. The French words occurred about every second or third page. I took a college French class and forgot most of it, but I had a little knowledge, and I did not know these words.
If you are a student taking French, this might be fun, because you can practice and look up what you don’t know.
As to the story. This was a fun idea. I liked the sensuality of creating and eating chocolate. I liked the sensuality between Sylvain and Cade. I liked the story of their relationship and her breaking into his chocolate shop at night. Aside from my problem with the French words, a few times I felt the story dragging. I was curious enough to keep reading, but I wanted the book to be over.
Hygiene alert! When Cade broke into Sylvain’s shop, she ran her hand through sacks of pistachios and almonds, eating some and letting others “slide over her palm back into the crate.” My first thought was I hoped she washed her hands. She had lemon and vanilla on her finger and who knows what else. She touched things that customers will be eating. Sylvain should have thrown out ingredients that may have been touched by a thief. That was not addressed.
There were three sex scenes, one just a couple sentences. They were ok, not the hottest. Eating and describing chocolate were more passionate and sensual than the sex scenes.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle count length: 4,249 (503 KB) 321 pages. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 3 (plus 2 referred to, not shown). Setting: current day mostly Paris, France. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance.
September 21, 2021
Original review 2016: Three and a half stars, because it dragged a bit in the middle. (Otherwise 4 stars). But still, another delightful, sweet romance. I'm on a bit of a Laura Florand kick at the moment. Dusting off my schoolgirl French, and immersing myself in France and those sweet, charming men she writes about.
October 21, 2018
4 stars
I've seen this series recommended a few times, but for some reason (maybe due to the titles?) I thought/feared it would be too sweet and cheesy for my taste. I ended up pleasantly surprised, the writing is really good.
In the beginning I really didn't like the hero (I ended up liking him once I got to understand him better), I wasn't thrilled by the instant attraction between the leads and I hated that they fantasized about each other despite apparent dislike between them. I actually wasn't sure I'd finish the book. However, from halfway in, once they started pursuing romance, I enjoyed it a lot and couldn't put it down.
The writing was great and I loved the French/Parisian setting. I usually do not like "international" romance as much because European countries and cities just do not seem presented in a genuine way. Here it was apparent that the author really is familiar with Paris and French language. I know some basic French and I loved how it was introduced in the story/dialogue for emphasis, usually without the meaning being repeated all the time with translations. (However, if you do not understand French at all, you might be bothered by that.) The chocolate was delicious even just by reading it and it added a sensual touch to the sexual tension between the leads.
My only gripe (beside the before mentioned instalust and arrogant hero) was with some of heroine's professional decisions in the end. I would have preferred her to keep some more of her old identity / part of her life. I liked her boss self.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series!
--------------
POV: 3rd person
story: 3.5
writing: 4.5
heroine: Cade, mid 20s, part-owner of her family's chocolate company. 4 stars. I liked her a lot, especially her strength, ambition and confidence.
hero: Sylvain, 30y, chocolatier . 3.5 stars. I really didn't like him at first, he was very arrogant, but he grew on me once he showed some vulnerability and care for the heroine. His food snobbery was still annoying, though.
secondary characters: 3.5
couple/romance: 4
instalove? No, but instant attraction/lust. There also isn't much relationship development besides sex, IMO.
steam: Moderate.
angst: Lowish/moderate.
enjoyment: 4
ending:
I've seen this series recommended a few times, but for some reason (maybe due to the titles?) I thought/feared it would be too sweet and cheesy for my taste. I ended up pleasantly surprised, the writing is really good.
In the beginning I really didn't like the hero (I ended up liking him once I got to understand him better), I wasn't thrilled by the instant attraction between the leads and I hated that they fantasized about each other despite apparent dislike between them. I actually wasn't sure I'd finish the book. However, from halfway in, once they started pursuing romance, I enjoyed it a lot and couldn't put it down.
The writing was great and I loved the French/Parisian setting. I usually do not like "international" romance as much because European countries and cities just do not seem presented in a genuine way. Here it was apparent that the author really is familiar with Paris and French language. I know some basic French and I loved how it was introduced in the story/dialogue for emphasis, usually without the meaning being repeated all the time with translations. (However, if you do not understand French at all, you might be bothered by that.) The chocolate was delicious even just by reading it and it added a sensual touch to the sexual tension between the leads.
My only gripe (beside the before mentioned instalust and arrogant hero) was with some of heroine's professional decisions in the end. I would have preferred her to keep some more of her old identity / part of her life. I liked her boss self.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series!
--------------
POV: 3rd person
story: 3.5
writing: 4.5
heroine: Cade, mid 20s, part-owner of her family's chocolate company. 4 stars. I liked her a lot, especially her strength, ambition and confidence.
hero: Sylvain, 30y, chocolatier . 3.5 stars. I really didn't like him at first, he was very arrogant, but he grew on me once he showed some vulnerability and care for the heroine. His food snobbery was still annoying, though.
secondary characters: 3.5
couple/romance: 4
instalove? No, but instant attraction/lust. There also isn't much relationship development besides sex, IMO.
steam: Moderate.
angst: Lowish/moderate.
enjoyment: 4
ending:
November 19, 2013
3.5 stars
I feels like I'm in heaven while reading this book. The detailed description of chocolate making had me drooling over and those French words had me in constant dreamy sigh. Although most of the time I don't know heck about the meaning, they just sounds so sexy. I do tried to get some translated whenever I had access to the wifi.
"Je t'aime".
Our heroine Cade Corey had a rather masculine name that initially I misunderstood as the hero of the book. She is the heiress of the Corey Bars (think something as popular as Mars on the supermarket's shelves) and she had a dream of venturing into premium chocolate line with the help from a certain Parisian chocolatier. She had been anticipating this collaboration and excited to meet her dream chocolatier. However, things turn to shit during their first meeting. Her idol turned into a -
"Bastard. Self-absorbed, arrogant jerk."
Sylvain Marquis, Paris most famous chocolatier was enraged when he found out about Cade's proposal to buy his name and learn about his secrets to chocolate. He had been invested his whole life into perfecting his art of chocolate making and he will not sell his soul to this American evil capitalist.
"You want to put my name on your product? Sylvain Marquis? On Corey Bars?"
They didn't got off on the right footing and both were enrage with each other. So Cade resort to spying, corporate espionage and etc. This woman was totally obsessed with Sylvain's chocolate and will do anything to learn his secrets. Though we didn't get to see them in flesh, but Cade's grandpa was freaking hilarious for an 80 year old and Cade's dad was such a stereotypical of an American's CEO.
Meanwhile, Sylvain was feeling pretty smug and elated that a woman was so obsess with his chocolate. Strong career woman had always been his type and he had been crashed and burnt for too many times, yet he never learn his lesson. He wanted to use his chocolate to seduce his way to Cade.
Although this can be consider as a chick lit, there is some sexiness and some R rated scene that often not found in other chick lit book that I used to read. However, much more page count was actually dedicated to some detailed description of chocolate making and Paris' in general. Oh, how I wish I am in Paris at this time of the year, but I compensate it with eating hell lot of chocolate while reading this.
I feels like I'm in heaven while reading this book. The detailed description of chocolate making had me drooling over and those French words had me in constant dreamy sigh. Although most of the time I don't know heck about the meaning, they just sounds so sexy. I do tried to get some translated whenever I had access to the wifi.
"Je t'aime".
Our heroine Cade Corey had a rather masculine name that initially I misunderstood as the hero of the book. She is the heiress of the Corey Bars (think something as popular as Mars on the supermarket's shelves) and she had a dream of venturing into premium chocolate line with the help from a certain Parisian chocolatier. She had been anticipating this collaboration and excited to meet her dream chocolatier. However, things turn to shit during their first meeting. Her idol turned into a -
"Bastard. Self-absorbed, arrogant jerk."
Sylvain Marquis, Paris most famous chocolatier was enraged when he found out about Cade's proposal to buy his name and learn about his secrets to chocolate. He had been invested his whole life into perfecting his art of chocolate making and he will not sell his soul to this American evil capitalist.
"You want to put my name on your product? Sylvain Marquis? On Corey Bars?"
They didn't got off on the right footing and both were enrage with each other. So Cade resort to spying, corporate espionage and etc. This woman was totally obsessed with Sylvain's chocolate and will do anything to learn his secrets. Though we didn't get to see them in flesh, but Cade's grandpa was freaking hilarious for an 80 year old and Cade's dad was such a stereotypical of an American's CEO.
Meanwhile, Sylvain was feeling pretty smug and elated that a woman was so obsess with his chocolate. Strong career woman had always been his type and he had been crashed and burnt for too many times, yet he never learn his lesson. He wanted to use his chocolate to seduce his way to Cade.
Although this can be consider as a chick lit, there is some sexiness and some R rated scene that often not found in other chick lit book that I used to read. However, much more page count was actually dedicated to some detailed description of chocolate making and Paris' in general. Oh, how I wish I am in Paris at this time of the year, but I compensate it with eating hell lot of chocolate while reading this.
July 23, 2014
This book blends Paris, chocolate, and a love story in one delicious package, as sensual and bitter-sweet as only French chocolate can be. The heroine Cade Corey is the heir to an American chocolate empire, something like Mars. The Coreys’ most popular chocolate bars, factory-produced, cost 33 cents at Walmart. You can imagine their quality, but the tradition has persisted for three generations.
The hero Sylvain is the best artisan chocolatier in Paris. His hand-made, gourmet chocolate serves only the richest on the planet – for $150 a pound.
She wants to buy his name for her company’s premier chocolate line. He is horrified at the suggestion and revolted by the banal taste of Corey bars, but he wants her. How could he seduce her? Of course with his chocolate. How could she seduce him? She tries millions, but they don’t seem to work. Perhaps she could steal his secrets?
When such a comedy of taste buds unfolds on the background of Paris, with its cobbled streets, superb food, and arrogant chocolatiers, the result is predictably adorable.
The romantic and sexual dance Cade and Sylvain perform with each other is accompanied by a symphony of chocolate. The tastes, the smells, the shapes, the wrappings, they all add their notes to the composition. Every time she tries one of his chocolates, I envied her. I wanted it too. I drooled as I read. I think there was a little too much of it in the text, and the overflow damaged the story somewhat, slowed it down. There really can be too much chocolate, in life and in fiction.
Despite this one small hitch, the action is fast and funny. I suppose for a chocolate maker, stealing chocolate secrets might be important, but for the rest of us, it feels like a delightful plot device, a yummy joke worth reading about in a book of love and chocolate.
The sexual tension is unbearably high, and the carnal scenes almost smoking in their intensity. And here lies my first objection to the novel – the instant sexual attraction, as if the heroes are not humans with brains but mindless animals ruled by instincts. I don’t believe it and don’t like it in any romance novel. Especially in this one, where the protagonists are both successful business people, with multiple employees depending on them. They shouldn’t be driven by lust. It’s not true. The novel would’ve read much better if the author took the time and showed a more gradual upslope in their relationship.
Another of my objection concerns the hero and the heroine. Why are they so unsure of themselves, so vulnerable? With their money and their professional achievements, it doesn’t ring true either.
This claim is especially apt for Cade. She is a multimillionaire, but the author draws her as a young woman who constantly doubts herself in both personal and social sphere. Again, I don’t believe it. More, I find it offensive. Cade’s problems are clearly invented for the sake of the plot. Comparing with real problems of real people, they’re a spit in the face, and they forced me to drop the rating one full star.
If I was not a homocentric reviewer, I would take the lead roles in this book away from its human protagonists and assign them to two other entities, much more suitable: Paris and chocolate. These two are the real celebrities of the show and they play their assigned parts to perfection.
The hero Sylvain is the best artisan chocolatier in Paris. His hand-made, gourmet chocolate serves only the richest on the planet – for $150 a pound.
She wants to buy his name for her company’s premier chocolate line. He is horrified at the suggestion and revolted by the banal taste of Corey bars, but he wants her. How could he seduce her? Of course with his chocolate. How could she seduce him? She tries millions, but they don’t seem to work. Perhaps she could steal his secrets?
When such a comedy of taste buds unfolds on the background of Paris, with its cobbled streets, superb food, and arrogant chocolatiers, the result is predictably adorable.
The romantic and sexual dance Cade and Sylvain perform with each other is accompanied by a symphony of chocolate. The tastes, the smells, the shapes, the wrappings, they all add their notes to the composition. Every time she tries one of his chocolates, I envied her. I wanted it too. I drooled as I read. I think there was a little too much of it in the text, and the overflow damaged the story somewhat, slowed it down. There really can be too much chocolate, in life and in fiction.
Despite this one small hitch, the action is fast and funny. I suppose for a chocolate maker, stealing chocolate secrets might be important, but for the rest of us, it feels like a delightful plot device, a yummy joke worth reading about in a book of love and chocolate.
The sexual tension is unbearably high, and the carnal scenes almost smoking in their intensity. And here lies my first objection to the novel – the instant sexual attraction, as if the heroes are not humans with brains but mindless animals ruled by instincts. I don’t believe it and don’t like it in any romance novel. Especially in this one, where the protagonists are both successful business people, with multiple employees depending on them. They shouldn’t be driven by lust. It’s not true. The novel would’ve read much better if the author took the time and showed a more gradual upslope in their relationship.
Another of my objection concerns the hero and the heroine. Why are they so unsure of themselves, so vulnerable? With their money and their professional achievements, it doesn’t ring true either.
This claim is especially apt for Cade. She is a multimillionaire, but the author draws her as a young woman who constantly doubts herself in both personal and social sphere. Again, I don’t believe it. More, I find it offensive. Cade’s problems are clearly invented for the sake of the plot. Comparing with real problems of real people, they’re a spit in the face, and they forced me to drop the rating one full star.
If I was not a homocentric reviewer, I would take the lead roles in this book away from its human protagonists and assign them to two other entities, much more suitable: Paris and chocolate. These two are the real celebrities of the show and they play their assigned parts to perfection.
May 4, 2015
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Finally!
★Finally a book where Paris doesn't look or sound like Disneyworld.
★Finally an english speaking romance author that gets the French RIGHT!
(I can guarantee there was no use of Google Translate here.)
★Finally a book for all chocolate lovers!
★Finally a book filled with humor and swooning romance!
★Finally a book with a sassy heroine who gets what SHE damn wants!
If I could give a "picky french stamp of approval", I would! Laura Florand is definitely my go to and happy place when in need of swooning romance, alpha heroes and witty heroines. I completely binged on this series after being completely hooked by "The Chocolate Thief", story of a chocolate empire heiress trying to recruit the best chocolatier from Paris to work on their family new chocolate deluxe line.
This would have been a good and easy idea, but Sylvain Marquis, proud and stubborn French man, is not to let a whimsical and temperamental little american heiress associate HIS name to HERS.
Single minded and willing to do anything for chocolate, Cade Corey is going get the best chocolate she wants, Sylvain Marquis' approval be damned!
Cade decides just then to break in the chocolaterie at night, becoming a chocolate thief, (I kinda wish I'd thought of this myself...)... Only once won't be enough, we all know how much chocolate is addictive, right?
Being clueless and not really having stealth skills, Cade is going to leaves clues and traces of her passage in the "laboratoire", and our jeu du chat et de la souris begins!
I loved the enemies to lovers trope, creating a slight angsty feel to their bickering, and creating the most delectable tension between Sylvain and Cade.
You couldn't NOT want these two to be reunited in the end, and I for one, desperately wanted Corey to wipe this arrogant French Chocolatier' smug face off once and for all!
Laura Florand knows her chocolate "sur le bout des doigts" and she had me reaching for anything chocolate remaining in the house. This book was straight chocolate porn. Let me warn you. I bet it could get a non-chocolate lover see reason and come back to the dark side.
I had to get out and buy a new box of chocolate before going on with the following books. #TrueStory.
I highly recommend this author to any romance reader, and bonus, you'll get a real feel of Paris, :)
Finally!
★Finally a book where Paris doesn't look or sound like Disneyworld.
★Finally an english speaking romance author that gets the French RIGHT!
(I can guarantee there was no use of Google Translate here.)
★Finally a book for all chocolate lovers!
★Finally a book filled with humor and swooning romance!
★Finally a book with a sassy heroine who gets what SHE damn wants!
If I could give a "picky french stamp of approval", I would! Laura Florand is definitely my go to and happy place when in need of swooning romance, alpha heroes and witty heroines. I completely binged on this series after being completely hooked by "The Chocolate Thief", story of a chocolate empire heiress trying to recruit the best chocolatier from Paris to work on their family new chocolate deluxe line.
This would have been a good and easy idea, but Sylvain Marquis, proud and stubborn French man, is not to let a whimsical and temperamental little american heiress associate HIS name to HERS.
Single minded and willing to do anything for chocolate, Cade Corey is going get the best chocolate she wants, Sylvain Marquis' approval be damned!
Cade decides just then to break in the chocolaterie at night, becoming a chocolate thief, (I kinda wish I'd thought of this myself...)... Only once won't be enough, we all know how much chocolate is addictive, right?
Being clueless and not really having stealth skills, Cade is going to leaves clues and traces of her passage in the "laboratoire", and our jeu du chat et de la souris begins!
I loved the enemies to lovers trope, creating a slight angsty feel to their bickering, and creating the most delectable tension between Sylvain and Cade.
You couldn't NOT want these two to be reunited in the end, and I for one, desperately wanted Corey to wipe this arrogant French Chocolatier' smug face off once and for all!
Laura Florand knows her chocolate "sur le bout des doigts" and she had me reaching for anything chocolate remaining in the house. This book was straight chocolate porn. Let me warn you. I bet it could get a non-chocolate lover see reason and come back to the dark side.
I had to get out and buy a new box of chocolate before going on with the following books. #TrueStory.
I highly recommend this author to any romance reader, and bonus, you'll get a real feel of Paris, :)
July 12, 2019
2.5/5
Cade Courey does not like being told no. As part of the Courey chocolate family, Cade has been part of the chocolate industry her whole life and has been insanely successful. Her dream is to mass produce a gourmet chocolate bar and she wants Sylvain Marquis's name to do it with. Sylvain Marquis enjoys crafting his chocolate and he would never sell his artisan craft for money, but Cade refuses to take no for an answer.
I had a lot of issues with this book. First off, Cade was so narcissistic and ridiculously selfish. I couldn't believe she was resorting to spying and actually tried to steal Slyvain's recipes. She broke into his shop at night!! Girl, wtf! And then Slyvain was somehow turned on by this??? He said that he didn't want to give her his recipes or craft (cause he's not stupid) but then he falls in love with her because she breaks into his shop and starts stealing stuff?? I don't know this was so strange.
Eventually I did enjoy seeing Cade and Slyvain's relationship progress. However, they were being so stubborn and refused to talk about their relationship at all. They both knew why Cade was in Paris, but it didn't even come up until right before she had to leave. Then there were some of the sex scenes. Most of them were fine, but there was one were he was groping her while she walks up the stairs, and like WHY!?! It was really weird and uncomfortable.
The good things about this book: Paris! Chocolate! The Family Members! This is set in Paris and if Paris isn't the most romantic city then idk what is but I absolutely loved this setting. I have no idea how gourmet chocolate is made, but damn did this book make me crave some. Making chocolate sounds like an amazing career too. Then there were the families of Slyvain and Cade. Cade talks to her father & grandfather several times over this book. Her grandfather was hands down my favorite character. He was slightly crazed, but he was also hilarious! I loved his stories about trying to infiltrate Swiss chocolatiers. Slyvain's family was so much fun too, I loved getting to meet them.
Overall, the main characters were hard for me to understand and I really struggled to like Cade at times. There were still redeemable qualities in this book, so I'm giving book 2 a try.
Cade Courey does not like being told no. As part of the Courey chocolate family, Cade has been part of the chocolate industry her whole life and has been insanely successful. Her dream is to mass produce a gourmet chocolate bar and she wants Sylvain Marquis's name to do it with. Sylvain Marquis enjoys crafting his chocolate and he would never sell his artisan craft for money, but Cade refuses to take no for an answer.
I had a lot of issues with this book. First off, Cade was so narcissistic and ridiculously selfish. I couldn't believe she was resorting to spying and actually tried to steal Slyvain's recipes. She broke into his shop at night!! Girl, wtf! And then Slyvain was somehow turned on by this??? He said that he didn't want to give her his recipes or craft (cause he's not stupid) but then he falls in love with her because she breaks into his shop and starts stealing stuff?? I don't know this was so strange.
Eventually I did enjoy seeing Cade and Slyvain's relationship progress. However, they were being so stubborn and refused to talk about their relationship at all. They both knew why Cade was in Paris, but it didn't even come up until right before she had to leave. Then there were some of the sex scenes. Most of them were fine, but there was one were he was groping her while she walks up the stairs, and like WHY!?! It was really weird and uncomfortable.
The good things about this book: Paris! Chocolate! The Family Members! This is set in Paris and if Paris isn't the most romantic city then idk what is but I absolutely loved this setting. I have no idea how gourmet chocolate is made, but damn did this book make me crave some. Making chocolate sounds like an amazing career too. Then there were the families of Slyvain and Cade. Cade talks to her father & grandfather several times over this book. Her grandfather was hands down my favorite character. He was slightly crazed, but he was also hilarious! I loved his stories about trying to infiltrate Swiss chocolatiers. Slyvain's family was so much fun too, I loved getting to meet them.
Overall, the main characters were hard for me to understand and I really struggled to like Cade at times. There were still redeemable qualities in this book, so I'm giving book 2 a try.
June 7, 2021
Reread: June 2021
I've been in a weird reading funk lately (probably side-effects from work burnout as well). Love going back to comfort authors and re-immerse myself in familiar stories.
Reread: March 2017
STILL GREAT.
Reread: June 2016
Laura Florand is one of my go-to authors whenever I feel like taking a break; something about her writing always makes me feel good. I've skim-read this one a few times but this is my first proper reread, and I still very much enjoyed Cade and Sylvain's story,
so this is going to be just me listing down all the things I love about it:
- I remember finding Sylvain oh so infuriating the first time I read (he still is, that man)
- and I truly love how Cade gives back as good as she gets
- I love how their relationship developed from (sort-of) enemies/rivals to lovers (my fave trope)
- Cade breaking into Sylvain's chocolate lab and stealing all the chocolates yes 10/10 would do the same just bc I could
- while we're at it, I still love the CHOCOLATE DESCRIPTIONS (!!!!) I feel like I gained 3 kilos just by reading
- Cade's determination to make a mark in the world and use her power & wealth for the greater good is inspiring
- Simon Casset mention (!!!)
- I'm also still very much in love with Mack (Sun-Kissed is one of my all-time favourite novellas) and Jack Corey, what a riot #familygoals
ok I'm gonna end this awkwardly because I dunno how to wrap up a review bye
First read: March 2015
SEDUCE ME WITH DESIGNER CHOCOLATES
I've been in a weird reading funk lately (probably side-effects from work burnout as well). Love going back to comfort authors and re-immerse myself in familiar stories.
Reread: March 2017
STILL GREAT.
Reread: June 2016
Laura Florand is one of my go-to authors whenever I feel like taking a break; something about her writing always makes me feel good. I've skim-read this one a few times but this is my first proper reread, and I still very much enjoyed Cade and Sylvain's story,
so this is going to be just me listing down all the things I love about it:
- I remember finding Sylvain oh so infuriating the first time I read (he still is, that man)
- and I truly love how Cade gives back as good as she gets
- I love how their relationship developed from (sort-of) enemies/rivals to lovers (my fave trope)
- Cade breaking into Sylvain's chocolate lab and stealing all the chocolates yes 10/10 would do the same just bc I could
- while we're at it, I still love the CHOCOLATE DESCRIPTIONS (!!!!) I feel like I gained 3 kilos just by reading
- Cade's determination to make a mark in the world and use her power & wealth for the greater good is inspiring
- Simon Casset mention (!!!)
- I'm also still very much in love with Mack (Sun-Kissed is one of my all-time favourite novellas) and Jack Corey, what a riot #familygoals
ok I'm gonna end this awkwardly because I dunno how to wrap up a review bye
First read: March 2015
SEDUCE ME WITH DESIGNER CHOCOLATES
Displaying 1 - 30 of 793 reviews