Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: August 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Life is sweet in this heartwarming tale of a little chocolate shop in Paris, by the bestselling author of Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams and Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe.
Mouth-watering recipes inside!
As dawn breaks over the Pont Neuf, and the cobbled alleyways of Paris come to life, Anna Trent is already awake and at work; mixing and stirring the finest, smoothest, richest chocolate; made entirely by hand, it is sold to the grandes dames of Paris.
It's a huge shift from the chocolate factory she worked in at home in the north of England. But when an accident changed everything, Anna was thrown back in touch with her French teacher, Claire, who offered her the chance of a lifetime - to work in Paris with her former sweetheart, Thierry, a master chocolatier.
With old wounds about to be uncovered and healed, Anna is set to discover more about real chocolate - and herself - than she ever dreamed.
My Thoughts: Jenny Colgan writes the kinds of books that tempt the reader so subtly, like a whisper, drawing the reader ever closer with thoughts of cupcakes, bakeries and chocolate that before the reader realizes what has happened, they are drawn into the story and completely mesmerized by their surroundings. Having a major sweet tooth and sugar craving, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris captured all of my senses, the sights, sounds and scents of Paris and the elite Le Chapeau Chocolat where the chocolate is made daily and by hand and is sought out by the entire city of Paris, it seems.
As Anna Trent learns, once you have tried the chocolate made by Thierry Girard, no other chocolate will ever come close and she knows first-hand, having worked in a chocolate factory in England. She also knows that what she thought she knew about making chocolate doesn’t even come close to what she witnesses in Paris. After a tragic accident finds her out of a job and recuperating, she crosses paths with her old French teacher, Claire, who not only helps Anna improve her French but puts her on a path of self-discovery and an opportunity to learn from the best.
This story is really two stories with Anna’s story told in the present and Claire’s story told in the past. Though these women lead very different lives and walk different paths, fate brings these women together at a time when they needed one another, with Anna recuperating from her accident and Claire battling cancer.
I really liked that these characters are flawed humans, not perfect, living lives that are far from perfect, filled with daily challenges that so many of us take for granted. I felt a deep connection with both of these amazing women. I could relate to Anna as she takes her first steps, moving to another country, trying to fit in and find her place. I empathized with her on her accommodations leaving a lot to be desired, but the view of the Eiffel Tower from her tiny balcony is breathtaking. I could also relate to Claire and the lifetime of opportunities that were missed and the regret she carries with her, which is probably just as painful as the cancer ravaging her body.
The secondary characters are just as vibrant, breathing additional life into this story. Thierry, his son, Laurent, Thierry’s partner, Alice, Claire’s ex-husband, Richard, Anna’s eccentric roommate, Sami were all interesting to varying degrees. The detail the author gives for the intricate process of making the chocolate was fascinating.
This story made me laugh and made me cry and made me catch my breath when events come full circle, as life usually does.
My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story for the charm and excitement of Paris, for the melt in your mouth chocolate, but most especially for the opportunity to meet two characters who live life on their own terms even if it pulls them out of their comfort zone.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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