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Amour et Chocolat #5
The Chocolate Heart
Kalau ada daftar hal yang paling kubenci di dunia ini, aku akan menyebut Paris dan makanan manis! Kini aku harus menghadapi keduanya. Kembali ke Paris untuk merasakan mimpi buruk, mengurusi kerajaan bisnis hotel ayahku. Aku terpaksa melakukannya. Ini semua demi perjanjian maha penting yang telah kami sepakati.
Dengan semua keenggananku, masih ditambah lagi kesalahpahaman yang tidak ada ujungnya dengan dia. Pria dingin yang semula memperlakukanku dengan buruk, lalu terus-terusan menyuguhiku dengan makanan manis buatannya. Apa perlu kubilang lagi? Aku tersiksa melihat tegaknya menara Eiffel setiap hari. Aku mual melihat tatanan makanan manis yang tidak akan pernah sesuai dengan lidahku.
“Pembaca akan melahap buku yang menggiurkan ini sampai habis.”
—Booklist
“Serius, buku ini mesti dibeli. Terima kasihnya nanti saja, setelah kalian membersihkan cokelat lumer dari tangan ....”
—Donna Kauffman,penulis buku terlaris versi USA Today
“Meledak-ledak, sensual ... dan teramat manis.” —NPR Books
“Cerita yang ditulis dengan sangat indah.” —Random Book Muses
Dengan semua keenggananku, masih ditambah lagi kesalahpahaman yang tidak ada ujungnya dengan dia. Pria dingin yang semula memperlakukanku dengan buruk, lalu terus-terusan menyuguhiku dengan makanan manis buatannya. Apa perlu kubilang lagi? Aku tersiksa melihat tegaknya menara Eiffel setiap hari. Aku mual melihat tatanan makanan manis yang tidak akan pernah sesuai dengan lidahku.
“Pembaca akan melahap buku yang menggiurkan ini sampai habis.”
—Booklist
“Serius, buku ini mesti dibeli. Terima kasihnya nanti saja, setelah kalian membersihkan cokelat lumer dari tangan ....”
—Donna Kauffman,penulis buku terlaris versi USA Today
“Meledak-ledak, sensual ... dan teramat manis.” —NPR Books
“Cerita yang ditulis dengan sangat indah.” —Random Book Muses
468 pages, Unknown Binding
First published November 26, 2013
39 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Laura Florand
30 books909 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
November 26, 2013
I’m addicted to Laura Florand’s Chocolate series. Her beautiful prose and descriptions of fine chocolate, food (mostly desserts!) and of Paris, a city so enchanting which comes through beautifully in her stories. But most of all it’s her crafting of romances that has completely won me over. With that said The Chocolate Heart was a bit difficult for me.
Summer Corey is back in her personal hell: Paris. Paris is where her parents dumped her off in boarding school when she became too old to cart around the globe for whatever business deal or entertainment that consumed them. Summer spent the last four years living simply and teaching children on a small island away from most civilization. She’s back in Paris coerced by her father’s promise to provide satellite communications to the island if she agreed to manage the hotel he bought her for three months. Putting aside her past, Summer agrees for the good of the island people she has come to love.
Luc Leroi has worked his way up from a life of performing and basically begging for money with his father in the metros of Paris as a young boy. At the age of ten social services puts Luc into foster care, and under the strict tutelage of his foster father and chef, Bernard. From Bernard he learned strict control was the key to success in life and profession. Luc has since become one of the most sought after chefs in Paris and has brought the hotel where he currently works its crowning glory: three Michelin stars. The hotel that Summer is now currently owner. Upon first meeting Summer, he’s immediately attracted to her, but she inadvertently insults him making for a very rocky start between these two.
Both Summer and Luc were starved for love growing up. Luc had it in cycles of love and then abuse from his real father. After he was put into foster care, Luc was provided for physically and no longer subjected to abuse, but his upbringing didn’t include affection. Summer was starved of love, affection, and attention by her parents. They would cart her along to all their luxury hotels, but always with a nanny, freeing them up to do whatever they wished without the annoyance of a child.
My heart went out to both Luc and Summer and you can see why they have so many shields up, but this didn’t make for a happy read for a good portion of the story. There were misunderstandings and miscommunications putting Summer and Luc at each other’s throats for about 60% of the book. I was getting extremely frustrated with the back and forth which was largely Summer’s fault, in my opinion. I seriously wanted to pull my hair out! I knew the reasons behind Summer’s behavior but Luc didn’t, and she really did come off as a spoiled brat if you didn’t know her motivations. To me Luc kept trying and trying with her. Yes, at first more for his pride and to teach her a lesson, but still he would send the olive branch and she would reject it. Time after time!
I was at my limit when FINALLY the ice begins to thaw. Their sparks turn into a romance where they begin to understand the needs and wants of the other, finding the love and affection they both have so desperately craved. This is the point where the story completely turned around going from frustrating to utterly blissful! I love that both Luc and Summer found it so easy and immensely fulfilling to make the other happy. My heart filled to bursting reading the epilogue which was sheer perfection!
I was also thrilled to catch up with Sylvain and Cade and Dominique and Jaime, my favorite couples of the series so far who pop in and out of the story.
While the latter portion of The Chocolate Heart was a solid touchdown for me I can’t forget the torture of the first 60% of the book which greatly affects my overall rating. The first 60% is no more than 2 stars while the final 35-40% felt like a 5 star read for me bringing my overall rating to around 3 stars. In spite of my issues with this installment I plan on going back and reading The Chocolate Kiss (book 2) and The Chocolate Rose (book 3). Laura Florand’s beautiful prose and mesmerizing romances hold an attraction that I can’t resist.
A copy was provided by Kensington through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
Summer Corey is back in her personal hell: Paris. Paris is where her parents dumped her off in boarding school when she became too old to cart around the globe for whatever business deal or entertainment that consumed them. Summer spent the last four years living simply and teaching children on a small island away from most civilization. She’s back in Paris coerced by her father’s promise to provide satellite communications to the island if she agreed to manage the hotel he bought her for three months. Putting aside her past, Summer agrees for the good of the island people she has come to love.
Luc Leroi has worked his way up from a life of performing and basically begging for money with his father in the metros of Paris as a young boy. At the age of ten social services puts Luc into foster care, and under the strict tutelage of his foster father and chef, Bernard. From Bernard he learned strict control was the key to success in life and profession. Luc has since become one of the most sought after chefs in Paris and has brought the hotel where he currently works its crowning glory: three Michelin stars. The hotel that Summer is now currently owner. Upon first meeting Summer, he’s immediately attracted to her, but she inadvertently insults him making for a very rocky start between these two.
Both Summer and Luc were starved for love growing up. Luc had it in cycles of love and then abuse from his real father. After he was put into foster care, Luc was provided for physically and no longer subjected to abuse, but his upbringing didn’t include affection. Summer was starved of love, affection, and attention by her parents. They would cart her along to all their luxury hotels, but always with a nanny, freeing them up to do whatever they wished without the annoyance of a child.
My heart went out to both Luc and Summer and you can see why they have so many shields up, but this didn’t make for a happy read for a good portion of the story. There were misunderstandings and miscommunications putting Summer and Luc at each other’s throats for about 60% of the book. I was getting extremely frustrated with the back and forth which was largely Summer’s fault, in my opinion. I seriously wanted to pull my hair out! I knew the reasons behind Summer’s behavior but Luc didn’t, and she really did come off as a spoiled brat if you didn’t know her motivations. To me Luc kept trying and trying with her. Yes, at first more for his pride and to teach her a lesson, but still he would send the olive branch and she would reject it. Time after time!
I was at my limit when FINALLY the ice begins to thaw. Their sparks turn into a romance where they begin to understand the needs and wants of the other, finding the love and affection they both have so desperately craved. This is the point where the story completely turned around going from frustrating to utterly blissful! I love that both Luc and Summer found it so easy and immensely fulfilling to make the other happy. My heart filled to bursting reading the epilogue which was sheer perfection!
I was also thrilled to catch up with Sylvain and Cade and Dominique and Jaime, my favorite couples of the series so far who pop in and out of the story.
While the latter portion of The Chocolate Heart was a solid touchdown for me I can’t forget the torture of the first 60% of the book which greatly affects my overall rating. The first 60% is no more than 2 stars while the final 35-40% felt like a 5 star read for me bringing my overall rating to around 3 stars. In spite of my issues with this installment I plan on going back and reading The Chocolate Kiss (book 2) and The Chocolate Rose (book 3). Laura Florand’s beautiful prose and mesmerizing romances hold an attraction that I can’t resist.
A copy was provided by Kensington through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
You can read this review and more at The Readers Den.
February 3, 2018
Was this book over the top saccharine? Too much? Just enough?
I can't quite decide. I have lots of highlights. I enjoyed Laura Florand's writing, as usual. She's researched, and she is detailed. (In fact, it sounds like part of her research for this was in the late Laurent Jeannin's kitchen) I believe this level of detail really throws you into her books, and at the very least they don't feel lazy or shortcut. Her books are very sensuous, and this was no exception. I remember when I read the first (I think) in this series and how long it takes for the hero and heroine to actually meet and yet it was somehow still sexy as all hell.
Summer Corey hates desserts. Luc Leroi is a perfectionist who creates them. He puts pieces of his heart into those desserts, serving himself up on the platter. What resulted was a somewhat awkward, painful and ultimately kind of delicious story. Luc is a very controlled man, but we come to understand that is not the case around Summer. And Lord knows I love a hero who doesn't just take a quick fuck for his insta-love or insta-lust (both are apparent here, but they don't bother me). Luc is a made-from-nothing man with a steady foster parent and absentee, incompetent parents. He just wants love, and puts all his focus and passion into his craft. And dear lord, he tries. Which is lovely. He didn't let Summer get away because he makes little stumbles, reiterating that he'll try until he's perfect for her.
The issue of the story is with Summer. she is a big-hearted, seemingly spoiled brat who has suffered neglect and often comes off as emotionally immature. When Luc rejects her advances, her offers to buy a yacht upon first meeting, she's a bit bitter about it. She continually rejects his heart-on-a-plate desserts because "she doesn't eat desserts." She argues with her (clearly neglectful even if well-meaning) parents about giving her the hotel in a 3 month trial run to connect the island she lives and loves teaching at with a satellite for better connectivity. I don't know, I get it and it's manipulative but she's so indignant at the prospect of having to try something for her parents in exchange for something for her livelihood it comes across as...bratty...and entitled. And holy hell, she's frustratingly tone deaf in the neighborhood of Luc, which was aggravating. When he rejects her after she first kisses him (again he deserves more than a sliver of her time, according to him) she storms into the kitchen to publicly fire him, ultimately resulting in her threatening to fire two others who tell her she's out of line. This is not an ok scenario by any stretch, for any sex. Luc absolutely shrugs her off, and despite my anger and complete misgivings I continued to read. I mean, she embarrassed herself badly. He wasn't threatened, and I guess that's the only reason I could keep on.
In the end, the book was incredibly (maybe OTT) romantic, and despite trying to hate it for that plot point, I couldn't. The tenderness that followed did me in. There's a scene where she realizes he has been living on junk food that and she cooks for him. It was heartbreaking and so sweet when he realized she was and what it meant to him. Ultimately, it's the little things like this that make this book. While I can't quite get on board with Summer, someone who didn't understand her love and privilege in many ways, Luc's desire to have the love light up his life and his willingness to stubbornly pursue just that really made this book. He's not perfect, he's an arrogant, prideful sort, but I loved him.
3.5, rounded up because I appreciated the hurdles and the difficulties getting to coupledom despite the insta-lust/love. Not to mention what seems to be meticulous research.
I can't quite decide. I have lots of highlights. I enjoyed Laura Florand's writing, as usual. She's researched, and she is detailed. (In fact, it sounds like part of her research for this was in the late Laurent Jeannin's kitchen) I believe this level of detail really throws you into her books, and at the very least they don't feel lazy or shortcut. Her books are very sensuous, and this was no exception. I remember when I read the first (I think) in this series and how long it takes for the hero and heroine to actually meet and yet it was somehow still sexy as all hell.
Summer Corey hates desserts. Luc Leroi is a perfectionist who creates them. He puts pieces of his heart into those desserts, serving himself up on the platter. What resulted was a somewhat awkward, painful and ultimately kind of delicious story. Luc is a very controlled man, but we come to understand that is not the case around Summer. And Lord knows I love a hero who doesn't just take a quick fuck for his insta-love or insta-lust (both are apparent here, but they don't bother me). Luc is a made-from-nothing man with a steady foster parent and absentee, incompetent parents. He just wants love, and puts all his focus and passion into his craft. And dear lord, he tries. Which is lovely. He didn't let Summer get away because he makes little stumbles, reiterating that he'll try until he's perfect for her.
The issue of the story is with Summer. she is a big-hearted, seemingly spoiled brat who has suffered neglect and often comes off as emotionally immature. When Luc rejects her advances, her offers to buy a yacht upon first meeting, she's a bit bitter about it. She continually rejects his heart-on-a-plate desserts because "she doesn't eat desserts." She argues with her (clearly neglectful even if well-meaning) parents about giving her the hotel in a 3 month trial run to connect the island she lives and loves teaching at with a satellite for better connectivity. I don't know, I get it and it's manipulative but she's so indignant at the prospect of having to try something for her parents in exchange for something for her livelihood it comes across as...bratty...and entitled. And holy hell, she's frustratingly tone deaf in the neighborhood of Luc, which was aggravating. When he rejects her after she first kisses him (again he deserves more than a sliver of her time, according to him) she storms into the kitchen to publicly fire him, ultimately resulting in her threatening to fire two others who tell her she's out of line. This is not an ok scenario by any stretch, for any sex. Luc absolutely shrugs her off, and despite my anger and complete misgivings I continued to read. I mean, she embarrassed herself badly. He wasn't threatened, and I guess that's the only reason I could keep on.
In the end, the book was incredibly (maybe OTT) romantic, and despite trying to hate it for that plot point, I couldn't. The tenderness that followed did me in. There's a scene where she realizes he has been living on junk food that and she cooks for him. It was heartbreaking and so sweet when he realized she was and what it meant to him. Ultimately, it's the little things like this that make this book. While I can't quite get on board with Summer, someone who didn't understand her love and privilege in many ways, Luc's desire to have the love light up his life and his willingness to stubbornly pursue just that really made this book. He's not perfect, he's an arrogant, prideful sort, but I loved him.
3.5, rounded up because I appreciated the hurdles and the difficulties getting to coupledom despite the insta-lust/love. Not to mention what seems to be meticulous research.
November 18, 2025
reread november 2025 : the pain and raw emotions in this one are beautiful but heart wrenching
reread march 2020: perfect reread during this weird time... currently feeling opressed and anxious and i find an echo of those feelings in this romance as well as an escape to them with dreams of the pacific, of delightful times in a luxury parisian hotel, of a beautiful romance story. laura florand softens my heart and put dreams in it as well as sunshine in my days.
2016 : it was so different from the others of the chocolate heart series (which are often very light and funny with just a touch of drama). this one has so many background stories that set a very different mood. i really liked how harsh and bitter it was. it was honestly like being tempted by a very dark and rich chocolate, not feeling the love at first and the more you learn to like it, the more you fall in love with it. i already want to reread it and discover all those little details that you only see with multiple readings!!! definitely my favorite in the Amour Chocolat after the one of Philippe Magalie!!
reread march 2020: perfect reread during this weird time... currently feeling opressed and anxious and i find an echo of those feelings in this romance as well as an escape to them with dreams of the pacific, of delightful times in a luxury parisian hotel, of a beautiful romance story. laura florand softens my heart and put dreams in it as well as sunshine in my days.
2016 : it was so different from the others of the chocolate heart series (which are often very light and funny with just a touch of drama). this one has so many background stories that set a very different mood. i really liked how harsh and bitter it was. it was honestly like being tempted by a very dark and rich chocolate, not feeling the love at first and the more you learn to like it, the more you fall in love with it. i already want to reread it and discover all those little details that you only see with multiple readings!!! definitely my favorite in the Amour Chocolat after the one of Philippe Magalie!!
December 4, 2013
Happy sigh....a wonderful read!
***
Cover Art: looks like Florand has been screwed again by the Bad Cover Art Fairy
BTW, Publishers and Cover Artists: Any 'hero' on the cover who immediately makes me think of Nicolas Sarkozy makes me go 'Bletch and Glrgh!' NOT 'Yum!'. I don't think that was your intention?!?
***
Cover Art: looks like Florand has been screwed again by the Bad Cover Art Fairy
BTW, Publishers and Cover Artists: Any 'hero' on the cover who immediately makes me think of Nicolas Sarkozy makes me go 'Bletch and Glrgh!' NOT 'Yum!'. I don't think that was your intention?!?
August 2, 2015
This is finely written angsty romance where two fairly tortured souls fall in love. The baggage each of the them carries is weighty and Florand does a lovely job allowing the heroine and the hero to remain themselves as they fall in love.
The second half of the book is very fulfilling and there is a simply divine and heartfelt epilogue. Again, I am always impressed by the lilting psychology of this series and the romance tucked into the very realism of what it means to be human and what love really is. Oh and Paris, chocolate, and sexy chefs.
The first part of the book hurts a bit in both good and bad ways. Luc and Summer have a terrible time really seeing each. It is hard to believe in the love at first sight that is part and parcel of this series because of the blindness that goes on for far too many chapters. They are both cruel to each other and themselves.
There are well founded reasons for how each of them behaves but I would have liked more true seeing than we get or at least an obsession that didn't seem just physical at first.
All the details of who they each are captivate but there are several threads left dangling for me that I would have liked traced out (his father, her mother in detail, the nanny, the seducer).
However, the book swings up and up and up until its wonderful closing making it a very good read.
May I say one more time Yea! Epilogue!
The second half of the book is very fulfilling and there is a simply divine and heartfelt epilogue. Again, I am always impressed by the lilting psychology of this series and the romance tucked into the very realism of what it means to be human and what love really is. Oh and Paris, chocolate, and sexy chefs.
The first part of the book hurts a bit in both good and bad ways. Luc and Summer have a terrible time really seeing each. It is hard to believe in the love at first sight that is part and parcel of this series because of the blindness that goes on for far too many chapters. They are both cruel to each other and themselves.
There are well founded reasons for how each of them behaves but I would have liked more true seeing than we get or at least an obsession that didn't seem just physical at first.
All the details of who they each are captivate but there are several threads left dangling for me that I would have liked traced out (his father, her mother in detail, the nanny, the seducer).
However, the book swings up and up and up until its wonderful closing making it a very good read.
May I say one more time Yea! Epilogue!
November 20, 2013
Usually, after the initial honeymoon period wears off – generally around the third or fourth book in a series – I begin to become wary. Whether it be Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson, there always comes a time when my stomach churns, my mind imagines all the worst case scenarios, and I settle down to read a book with crossed fingers, toes, and hair strands. When it comes to Laura Florand, however, whose Amour et Chocolat series is made up of companion novels, my trust is never shaken. It’s a comfort to know that even if – by some strange chance of fate – I don’t fall head-over-heels for the love stories Florand writes, I always walk away besotted and impressed by her languid, graceful prose. Of course the setting of Paris, the chocolate-making heroes, and deeply complex heroines draw me in – but Florand’s writing always, always, clinches the deal.
At this point in the series, it is of no surprise to see that Florand’s heroes share many similarities, whether it is their insecurities, vulnerabilities, or just their backgrounds. And yet, this device only adds to the complexity of Florand’s characters for, despite the similarities, each of these heroes possesses distinct differences. Luc, a world-renown chocolatier whose culinary presence has helped make the hotel where he works a 5 Star establishment, cannot be mistaken for Dominque Richard or Sylvain Marquis, although all three have grown up in the outskirts of Paris. Florand’s dual perspectives work effortlessly in creating well-rounded characters who seek to fit in, in more ways than their profession. I find that the more I read her work, the more I recognize qualities to praise. After all, Luc is living the dream in Paris, making food for famous guests and running his own kitchen, but there still remains so much unsatisfaction in his life.
Enter: Summer Corey. It isn’t so much that Summer is beautiful or that she is able to able to fill up the blank spaces in Luc’s life, but rather the fact that he can add color to her existence that makes him pursue her with such determination. From the beginning itself, their attraction is selfless, seeking to understand one another and create a better world for themselves – together. Of course, the journey is slow, arduous, wrought with misunderstandings and an almost irritating back-and-forth banter, equal in wit, charm, and action. The Chocolate Heart isn’t my favorite of Florand’s love stories – that’s a definite tie between The Chocolate Thief and The Chocolate Kiss - but it contains other qualities that make it such a worthwhile read.
Summer, for one, is a heroine whose plight I sympathized with. Not only is her beauty a detriment, isolating her from female companionship, but it also dampens her self-esteem. While everyone sees a pretty face in Summer, not to mention wealth, status, and power thanks to her father, they rarely ever see her. Summer is constantly admonished by her family, downtrodden and put-down, made only to carry out the wishes of her parents and marry the richest hunk they throw at her. Thus, Summer takes off for years, living on an island with no technology, no communication to the outside, and living with the locals, teaching them English and making a happy, sunny community for herself. When Summer is forced back to Paris by her father, whose gift is the hotel where Luc works, it is Summer’s worst nightmare. For one, her parents – though constantly complaining about her absence – don’t stick around long enough to see her and for another, Summer is intensely unhappy.
An unhappy protagonist isn’t exactly likeable, but I loved Summer. Florand writes Summer’s insecurities with genuine feeling. It doesn’t seem contrived in the least that Summer thinks so lowly of herself, her abilities, and what she’s accomplished in life. It takes others to see the beauty in her – past the physical perfection – and Summer’s self-growth is slow, but realistically paced. I particularly love that, despite the happily-ever-after we all know and expect, Florand treats this fragile love story with a healthy dose of realism. For the first time, Florand has written an epilogue, but it is an authentic one, highlighting the truth of the bond Summer and Luc share in a way that is both bittersweet and romantic. It becomes harder and harder to write about this series with time. It only gets better – deeper, more complicated, and far messier. And yet, it is such a wonderful capsule of life. Even in the most romantic city in the world, life and its troubles never cease or escape you. Instead, you just learn to handle them…all with a healthy dose of chocolate, morning, noon, and night.
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
At this point in the series, it is of no surprise to see that Florand’s heroes share many similarities, whether it is their insecurities, vulnerabilities, or just their backgrounds. And yet, this device only adds to the complexity of Florand’s characters for, despite the similarities, each of these heroes possesses distinct differences. Luc, a world-renown chocolatier whose culinary presence has helped make the hotel where he works a 5 Star establishment, cannot be mistaken for Dominque Richard or Sylvain Marquis, although all three have grown up in the outskirts of Paris. Florand’s dual perspectives work effortlessly in creating well-rounded characters who seek to fit in, in more ways than their profession. I find that the more I read her work, the more I recognize qualities to praise. After all, Luc is living the dream in Paris, making food for famous guests and running his own kitchen, but there still remains so much unsatisfaction in his life.
Enter: Summer Corey. It isn’t so much that Summer is beautiful or that she is able to able to fill up the blank spaces in Luc’s life, but rather the fact that he can add color to her existence that makes him pursue her with such determination. From the beginning itself, their attraction is selfless, seeking to understand one another and create a better world for themselves – together. Of course, the journey is slow, arduous, wrought with misunderstandings and an almost irritating back-and-forth banter, equal in wit, charm, and action. The Chocolate Heart isn’t my favorite of Florand’s love stories – that’s a definite tie between The Chocolate Thief and The Chocolate Kiss - but it contains other qualities that make it such a worthwhile read.
Summer, for one, is a heroine whose plight I sympathized with. Not only is her beauty a detriment, isolating her from female companionship, but it also dampens her self-esteem. While everyone sees a pretty face in Summer, not to mention wealth, status, and power thanks to her father, they rarely ever see her. Summer is constantly admonished by her family, downtrodden and put-down, made only to carry out the wishes of her parents and marry the richest hunk they throw at her. Thus, Summer takes off for years, living on an island with no technology, no communication to the outside, and living with the locals, teaching them English and making a happy, sunny community for herself. When Summer is forced back to Paris by her father, whose gift is the hotel where Luc works, it is Summer’s worst nightmare. For one, her parents – though constantly complaining about her absence – don’t stick around long enough to see her and for another, Summer is intensely unhappy.
An unhappy protagonist isn’t exactly likeable, but I loved Summer. Florand writes Summer’s insecurities with genuine feeling. It doesn’t seem contrived in the least that Summer thinks so lowly of herself, her abilities, and what she’s accomplished in life. It takes others to see the beauty in her – past the physical perfection – and Summer’s self-growth is slow, but realistically paced. I particularly love that, despite the happily-ever-after we all know and expect, Florand treats this fragile love story with a healthy dose of realism. For the first time, Florand has written an epilogue, but it is an authentic one, highlighting the truth of the bond Summer and Luc share in a way that is both bittersweet and romantic. It becomes harder and harder to write about this series with time. It only gets better – deeper, more complicated, and far messier. And yet, it is such a wonderful capsule of life. Even in the most romantic city in the world, life and its troubles never cease or escape you. Instead, you just learn to handle them…all with a healthy dose of chocolate, morning, noon, and night.
You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
April 12, 2015
"Welcome to my kingdom, Summer Corey."
Luc Leroi, the most coveted chef in Paris, used to panhandle on the Metro with his father. His days of dancing and doing tricks are in the past. Now people clamor for a taste of him, but not Summer. She refuses his exquisite confections.
Like some sweet little beauty had stroked her hand down his body, curled it around his dick, and then slapped the fucking hell out of him.
Summer Corey, the only child of jet-setting parents, found some self-worth on a remote island far from the taint of father's wealth and condemnation. It's her refuge and source of happiness until her father emotionally blackmails her into 'managing' a luxurious Paris hotel. Her first mistake is insulting the hotel's chef by mistaking him for a bellboy. Her second mistake is propositioning him and all he sees is a 'spoiled little rich girl.'
There's more to Luc and Summer than meets the eye. Their pasts have shaped them and hardened their hearts. Will his confections melt her heart? Will she share a 'real' smile just for him? It'll be a battle of the heart, mind and soul.
The Chocolate Heart may now be my favorite in the series...or it may be a tie with The Chocolate Touch. Spoiled little rich girls are not easy to pull off, but Summer has a viciousness that's balanced by her vulnerability. Her character is perfectly constructed. I understand her. Luc is another delectable Florand hero - passionate, artistic, and unable to hold up his defenses against his heroine. There's also a touch of fate involved in this romance, and there's something that I wish would have been in the book, but maybe the author thought it would have been too sentimental to include. Either way, the ending came too quick and the epilogue tied-up everything with too perfect a bow. Still, Ms. Florand makes me want to fly to France, troll restaurants and pâtisseries for sexy chefs, and gorge my American-self.
Grade: B - Hot chef, take me away!
October 24, 2015
(reviewed from an e-arc provided by NetGalley. A long time ago. Better late than never!)
If you've read other books in the "Amour et Chocolat" series, this is in some ways a familiar dance: an American heiress in Paris, and the French patissier who woos her with unbelievable desserts. But there's a bit of a twist here: Summer Corey's childhood love for both Paris and desserts have been twisted into hate. (Rather than Florand's usual fairy tale source, this story draws on Greek mythology, with Paris as Summer's Hades.)
Summer and Luc Leroi basically fall in love at first sight, each seeing warmth and comfort in the other. But their public images and private pasts work against them, and they constantly misunderstand each other. Both were deprived of love as children, but while Luc aims for constant perfection, Summer wears her spoiled bad girl rep as a shield. (Come to think of it, they are interesting representatives of two classic aspects of a dysfunctional family: "The Hero" and "The Scapegoat.") Every time Luc unwittingly hurts her, she tries even harder to live down to his expectations.
As you might expect from the inspiration, this is dark in tone -- not because anything overtly awful happens, though Summer has had more ugly experiences than the world would guess, but because both characters have so much pain in their lives. The story does a beautiful job of showing how two people who seem to have it all can still be so lost and justifiably unhappy. They're perfect for each other because at heart they have the same need: to give love to someone who needs them and would never let them go.
There was a bit too much repetition of phrases, but the prose is gorgeous. I love the way Florand extends the metaphor beyond its original inspiration:
"That's what makes it so incredible. What you do. You're just a man. A human mortal man. And you do--what you do."
There was a long silence. "Merci, soleil", he said softly. "After all those people who call me a god, I never realized you could give me a promotion."
I also liked the realism in the "baby epilogue." Neither character is completely fixed by true love, and their happy ending requires commitment and care. (There's also a sequel, Shadowed Heart: A Luc and Summer Novel, which expands on this.)
You don't have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one, although several characters do recur. Just open your heart to a prickly couple who need love, and some astonishing desserts that need to be eaten.
If you've read other books in the "Amour et Chocolat" series, this is in some ways a familiar dance: an American heiress in Paris, and the French patissier who woos her with unbelievable desserts. But there's a bit of a twist here: Summer Corey's childhood love for both Paris and desserts have been twisted into hate. (Rather than Florand's usual fairy tale source, this story draws on Greek mythology, with Paris as Summer's Hades.)
Summer and Luc Leroi basically fall in love at first sight, each seeing warmth and comfort in the other. But their public images and private pasts work against them, and they constantly misunderstand each other. Both were deprived of love as children, but while Luc aims for constant perfection, Summer wears her spoiled bad girl rep as a shield. (Come to think of it, they are interesting representatives of two classic aspects of a dysfunctional family: "The Hero" and "The Scapegoat.") Every time Luc unwittingly hurts her, she tries even harder to live down to his expectations.
As you might expect from the inspiration, this is dark in tone -- not because anything overtly awful happens, though Summer has had more ugly experiences than the world would guess, but because both characters have so much pain in their lives. The story does a beautiful job of showing how two people who seem to have it all can still be so lost and justifiably unhappy. They're perfect for each other because at heart they have the same need: to give love to someone who needs them and would never let them go.
There was a bit too much repetition of phrases, but the prose is gorgeous. I love the way Florand extends the metaphor beyond its original inspiration:
"That's what makes it so incredible. What you do. You're just a man. A human mortal man. And you do--what you do."
There was a long silence. "Merci, soleil", he said softly. "After all those people who call me a god, I never realized you could give me a promotion."
I also liked the realism in the "baby epilogue." Neither character is completely fixed by true love, and their happy ending requires commitment and care. (There's also a sequel, Shadowed Heart: A Luc and Summer Novel, which expands on this.)
You don't have to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one, although several characters do recur. Just open your heart to a prickly couple who need love, and some astonishing desserts that need to be eaten.
May 30, 2021
First read: May 2017
I couldn't sleep last night so I ended up reading this one, and it's way overdue too
and wow, this is different. I was used to the easygoing and lighthearted tone in all the other books and it's like Laura did a 180 with this one. I put off reading this forever because the first 1/4 was hard to get into; there's something about Summer that makes it difficult to like her at first, but then I passed the mark and she turned out into somebody different and more interesting.
I'm not a fan of miscommunication in books, but this one somehow was an exception. Sure, it was frustrating as hell. All I wanted to do is to knock Luc's and Summer's heads together or yell at them to talk to each other!!! before locking them in a room to have it out. However, the miscommunication is understandable to me given Summer's plethora of issues and Luc's inability to convey his emotions beyond the desserts he makes.
I hurt so bad for Summer. She takes I just wanna be loved to a new level. She's built a fortress around herself because she's been hurt so many times by people who are supposed to love her unconditionally, and that also makes her distrustful of joy and attention. I remember reading Mack's book and him saying that Summer's parents did a number on her, and now that I read this I understood now the emotional abuse Summer's went through. I recognized the depression she has and even a sliver of PTSD? to a point.
Now chocolates and desserts have been the main thing in this series, but in this book the desserts Luc made for Summer are a whole other league of important to me. I thought Dom and Sylvain feeding Jaime chocolates to heal her was intense, but Luc just knocked them all out of the game with what he kept trying to do for Summer.
The epilogue had me by the heartstrings. I'm so appreciative of the HEA; Summer deserved every little happiness she can get.
Reread: May 2021
I've reread every book in this series except for this one, and now I remember why I didn't - I have chest pains now and it won't go away :(
I couldn't sleep last night so I ended up reading this one, and it's way overdue too
and wow, this is different. I was used to the easygoing and lighthearted tone in all the other books and it's like Laura did a 180 with this one. I put off reading this forever because the first 1/4 was hard to get into; there's something about Summer that makes it difficult to like her at first, but then I passed the mark and she turned out into somebody different and more interesting.
I'm not a fan of miscommunication in books, but this one somehow was an exception. Sure, it was frustrating as hell. All I wanted to do is to knock Luc's and Summer's heads together or yell at them to talk to each other!!! before locking them in a room to have it out. However, the miscommunication is understandable to me given Summer's plethora of issues and Luc's inability to convey his emotions beyond the desserts he makes.
I hurt so bad for Summer. She takes I just wanna be loved to a new level. She's built a fortress around herself because she's been hurt so many times by people who are supposed to love her unconditionally, and that also makes her distrustful of joy and attention. I remember reading Mack's book and him saying that Summer's parents did a number on her, and now that I read this I understood now the emotional abuse Summer's went through. I recognized the depression she has and even a sliver of PTSD? to a point.
Now chocolates and desserts have been the main thing in this series, but in this book the desserts Luc made for Summer are a whole other league of important to me. I thought Dom and Sylvain feeding Jaime chocolates to heal her was intense, but Luc just knocked them all out of the game with what he kept trying to do for Summer.
The epilogue had me by the heartstrings. I'm so appreciative of the HEA; Summer deserved every little happiness she can get.
Reread: May 2021
I've reread every book in this series except for this one, and now I remember why I didn't - I have chest pains now and it won't go away :(
November 26, 2013
THIS BOOK.
Okay, so the angst fest of the last one has nothing on this, because Summer's pain was just so much more to me than either Dom's or Jaime's, much as I got them. Daddy issues, what can I say, they transcend boundaries.
But the way that she and Luc just kept misunderstanding each other, what the other one wanted and was offering, and the siege he warred without even really understanding what he was up against, it was just painful in all the right kinds of ways for me. The scene at the end, when he goes after her dad for all of the things that he did to Summer, it was perfect. Just perfect.
I'm also sort of in love with Patrick right now, which works well since he's the subject of January's release. God, he was a wonderful secondary character.
I also enjoyed the drop in on the Corey sisters and their men, but I miss Magalie and Philippe. I know it's not as easy to work them in since there's not a close connection, but come on, give me something, pretty please? These books make the rest of my dreams come true, it seems the least that Laura Florand could do to work that one little thing in.
Will be reading again as soon as humanly possible.
Okay, so the angst fest of the last one has nothing on this, because Summer's pain was just so much more to me than either Dom's or Jaime's, much as I got them. Daddy issues, what can I say, they transcend boundaries.
But the way that she and Luc just kept misunderstanding each other, what the other one wanted and was offering, and the siege he warred without even really understanding what he was up against, it was just painful in all the right kinds of ways for me. The scene at the end, when he goes after her dad for all of the things that he did to Summer, it was perfect. Just perfect.
I'm also sort of in love with Patrick right now, which works well since he's the subject of January's release. God, he was a wonderful secondary character.
I also enjoyed the drop in on the Corey sisters and their men, but I miss Magalie and Philippe. I know it's not as easy to work them in since there's not a close connection, but come on, give me something, pretty please? These books make the rest of my dreams come true, it seems the least that Laura Florand could do to work that one little thing in.
Will be reading again as soon as humanly possible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2014
Don't be fooled by the cover! I was excited when I found this author because the covers for this series look sweet and romantic.
I did not expect the sex to be so rough and dominating. The blurb certainly didn't give any indication that it would be, and the cover is at odds with the actual content. The hero is constantly grabbing at the heroine and shoving her and restraining her. Their intimate scenes are all about control and domination. He's the one in charge, and she's passive and helpless in his hands. I found him to be the very typical alpha male, possessive, poor boundaries, and his behavior outside of bed is just the same.
Full disclosure: DNF at page 256, but I skimmed the rest. Previewed some of the others in this series and looks like all of them have similar rough sex. If this is not your cup of tea, I would recommend avoiding the Amour et Chocolat books by Laura Florand.
I did not expect the sex to be so rough and dominating. The blurb certainly didn't give any indication that it would be, and the cover is at odds with the actual content. The hero is constantly grabbing at the heroine and shoving her and restraining her. Their intimate scenes are all about control and domination. He's the one in charge, and she's passive and helpless in his hands. I found him to be the very typical alpha male, possessive, poor boundaries, and his behavior outside of bed is just the same.
Full disclosure: DNF at page 256, but I skimmed the rest. Previewed some of the others in this series and looks like all of them have similar rough sex. If this is not your cup of tea, I would recommend avoiding the Amour et Chocolat books by Laura Florand.
August 13, 2014
I adore Laura Florand's Amour et Chocolate series, and that's all there is to it. But this installment, unfortunately, stalled out for me. It certainly wasn't for a lack of intensity or emotion, as Ms. Florand always comes through in spades on both fronts. Rather, it was because the intensity of Luc and Summer's emotions grew so hateful and dark (and did so so quickly) that I struggled to catch up with them and then to care about them being together at all. They seemed utterly mismatched. They both desperately needed someone, but the almost cruel way they handled each other made me doubtful that what little they had was worth fighting for. In the end, their story arc just asked too much of me. While this installment disappointed, it doesn't diminish my love for the series.
September 20, 2021
3 to 3.5. Lovely setting in the world of Paris and chocolate and fine food and sexy French chefs. I liked both Luc and Summer. But not my fav Florand book overall. It was little too angsty. Summer's parents were simply horrible. Also, at times the writing was a little intense and it was a bit difficult to work out exactly how Luc or Summer were feeling. But still, love the setting and this world Ms Florand has created.
November 26, 2013
Luc and Summer
Loved this one. Loved it. So emotional and the angst about killed me. It was perfect. Everyone should be reading this series. Heart is the best yet. Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
Summer Corey, heir to the Corey hotel fortune, has been given a hotel. She doesn’t want it but in order for her kids to receive the technology they need her father has bribed her. He gave her a Parisian hotel to run for three months in exchange for the satellite her school children so badly need. It also allows her to be in a place where her father can throw potential husbands her way.
Luc Leroi is chef pâtissier in her hotel and he reigns supreme. He is a perfectionist and owns the world around him. When Summer stumbles into the hotel and mistakes him for a bellboy he vows that she will never mistake him for anything but what he is, again. He will show her he is the best at what he does and the best for her.
In about fifteen more minutes he would set before her a golden heart held gently in a dark hand, and her eyes would light like a child’s, and her mouth would melt as she looked from it to him. That would be how he started, training her, until she couldn’t even hear his name without melting, without wanting.
Too bad Summer doesn’t eat sweets and that is the one perfect thing Luc can do. Luc will not rest until he can get it right and she sees him in each creation he lovingly crafts for her.
Summer is a very interesting character and one I have not run across in Ms. Florand’s books. She comes off spoiled, unlikable and at times very fake. She has this smile that she bestows on everyone but that’s just it, everyone gets it. There is nothing real or genuine about it. She was a character that was hard to wrap myself around and I started out thinking she was unworthy of a hero like Luc. She wouldn’t eat all the beautiful creations he made just for her! She had to be a cold monster! But then slowly, so slowly, the story plays out and we see there is so much more to Summer. She is desperate for real, honest emotion from someone.
”I just- you weren’t looking at me,” she said and bit her lip too late to catch the words back.
No, you weren’t looking at me. “I’m looking at you now.”
Luc is the first person that has tried to work himself under the shell Summer has wrapped herself in, a shell that is a product of people constantly telling her how spoiled and unworthy she is.
When the pair finally give into the inevitability of a relationship things do not get much easier. Even the sexual side of their relationship while smoking hot and so sensual, doesn’t go well at first.
She gasped, and he took advantage of the parting of her lips instantly, rubbing them softer and more open with his, tasting her with his tongue as if they had kissed a hundred times, as if he owned her mouth.
It takes them several times to get things right and it is all based upon miscommunications. Summer wants Luc to lose control for her, something he never, ever does, and Luc wants to stay in control so everything will be just perfect for her. They both want the same thing but they struggle with how to find it neither one realizing the answer is so simple.
For most of the book Summer is focused on making it through each day so she can mark it off on her countdown to return to her island. All she wants to do is be away from the source of her misery, Paris and her inattentive family. I knew there was going to be trouble when Daddy dearest showed up and offered Summer the communications technology she needs if she would just leave and be far away from Luc. The fallout from this scene made my chest hurt and it wasn’t because things went how I expected. I wanted to yell at all participants but I knew it had to play out.
I haven’t talked much about Luc because he was a typical Florand hero- perfect. Or at least perfect to me. He was fierce, passionate and so giving of every ounce of emotion he had in him. Ms. Florand warned readers that he is darker than Dom or Sylvain and he was but it did not detract from the pull to him. He was so stubborn but not for a minute did I doubt his feelings for Summer and what he was after.
As usual, my review for one of these books cannot possibly scratch the surface of the emotions Ms. Florand wrings from the reader. This is the most angsty of all her Amour et Chocolat books and no surprise, I think it is the best. Considering she was already an autobuy for me, I am not sure where this puts her. lol If you haven’t been reading this series, well you should. Each book can read as a standalone but I think you will get more out of them if you start from the beginning. Well, what are you waiting for?? Go read them! Final grade- A-
Note: There is one more book listed for this series and can we hope it is Patrick, Luc’s sous-chef?
Favorite Quote:
“But since you’ve got it so desperately bad…go after her yourself, merde, and I won’t.”
“I am,” Luc said between gritted teeth. “Unlike you, I want her to know my name first.
Patrick gave that some thought and finally shook his head. “Well, that’s fucking fastidious. But isn’t that just like you?”
Loved this one. Loved it. So emotional and the angst about killed me. It was perfect. Everyone should be reading this series. Heart is the best yet. Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
Summer Corey, heir to the Corey hotel fortune, has been given a hotel. She doesn’t want it but in order for her kids to receive the technology they need her father has bribed her. He gave her a Parisian hotel to run for three months in exchange for the satellite her school children so badly need. It also allows her to be in a place where her father can throw potential husbands her way.
Luc Leroi is chef pâtissier in her hotel and he reigns supreme. He is a perfectionist and owns the world around him. When Summer stumbles into the hotel and mistakes him for a bellboy he vows that she will never mistake him for anything but what he is, again. He will show her he is the best at what he does and the best for her.
In about fifteen more minutes he would set before her a golden heart held gently in a dark hand, and her eyes would light like a child’s, and her mouth would melt as she looked from it to him. That would be how he started, training her, until she couldn’t even hear his name without melting, without wanting.
Too bad Summer doesn’t eat sweets and that is the one perfect thing Luc can do. Luc will not rest until he can get it right and she sees him in each creation he lovingly crafts for her.
Summer is a very interesting character and one I have not run across in Ms. Florand’s books. She comes off spoiled, unlikable and at times very fake. She has this smile that she bestows on everyone but that’s just it, everyone gets it. There is nothing real or genuine about it. She was a character that was hard to wrap myself around and I started out thinking she was unworthy of a hero like Luc. She wouldn’t eat all the beautiful creations he made just for her! She had to be a cold monster! But then slowly, so slowly, the story plays out and we see there is so much more to Summer. She is desperate for real, honest emotion from someone.
”I just- you weren’t looking at me,” she said and bit her lip too late to catch the words back.
No, you weren’t looking at me. “I’m looking at you now.”
Luc is the first person that has tried to work himself under the shell Summer has wrapped herself in, a shell that is a product of people constantly telling her how spoiled and unworthy she is.
When the pair finally give into the inevitability of a relationship things do not get much easier. Even the sexual side of their relationship while smoking hot and so sensual, doesn’t go well at first.
She gasped, and he took advantage of the parting of her lips instantly, rubbing them softer and more open with his, tasting her with his tongue as if they had kissed a hundred times, as if he owned her mouth.
It takes them several times to get things right and it is all based upon miscommunications. Summer wants Luc to lose control for her, something he never, ever does, and Luc wants to stay in control so everything will be just perfect for her. They both want the same thing but they struggle with how to find it neither one realizing the answer is so simple.
For most of the book Summer is focused on making it through each day so she can mark it off on her countdown to return to her island. All she wants to do is be away from the source of her misery, Paris and her inattentive family. I knew there was going to be trouble when Daddy dearest showed up and offered Summer the communications technology she needs if she would just leave and be far away from Luc. The fallout from this scene made my chest hurt and it wasn’t because things went how I expected. I wanted to yell at all participants but I knew it had to play out.
I haven’t talked much about Luc because he was a typical Florand hero- perfect. Or at least perfect to me. He was fierce, passionate and so giving of every ounce of emotion he had in him. Ms. Florand warned readers that he is darker than Dom or Sylvain and he was but it did not detract from the pull to him. He was so stubborn but not for a minute did I doubt his feelings for Summer and what he was after.
As usual, my review for one of these books cannot possibly scratch the surface of the emotions Ms. Florand wrings from the reader. This is the most angsty of all her Amour et Chocolat books and no surprise, I think it is the best. Considering she was already an autobuy for me, I am not sure where this puts her. lol If you haven’t been reading this series, well you should. Each book can read as a standalone but I think you will get more out of them if you start from the beginning. Well, what are you waiting for?? Go read them! Final grade- A-
Note: There is one more book listed for this series and can we hope it is Patrick, Luc’s sous-chef?
Favorite Quote:
“But since you’ve got it so desperately bad…go after her yourself, merde, and I won’t.”
“I am,” Luc said between gritted teeth. “Unlike you, I want her to know my name first.
Patrick gave that some thought and finally shook his head. “Well, that’s fucking fastidious. But isn’t that just like you?”
November 24, 2013
For those who follow my blog, you know that this is one of the few series that I consistently rave about. The Amour Chocolat series is like a decadent whirlwind trip to Paris from the comfort of my own couch.
Each book in the series has gotten a little darker. The heroes have always been larger than life and arrogant but the last two books in particular have given them an edge. The Chocolate Heart is SUPER angsty. Not something I usually love in my books but I think it works here.
The push and pull, of the spoiled “princess” - hotel heir Summer Corey and Luc Leroi – a survivor who worked his way from the streets up to become one of the top pastry chefs, was heartbreaking and maddening at times.
Like all the books in the Chocolate series, Luc sees a damsel in distress and feels it’s his duty to be her knight in shining armor. Summer wants to be rescued and enveloped in the darkness and safety of this strong man. I really thought I wasn’t going to like Summer at first. Just like angst overload, I’m even less of a fan of the damsel in distress. But Summer is a strong, brave woman who has just been beaten down and manipulated by her image conscious family for way too long. She really has to fight her way to the light and the future that she wants.
The food takes center stage in the wooing process as Luc tries to tempt Summer with his elaborate, decadent desserts filled with dark promises.
But….
Summer won’t eat them. Not a one.
This was my favorite part of their story. Summer hates deserts because her parents had always used them as a way to make her behave when she was a child. Summer also hates Paris and what it represents for her. Lack of control over her life. She sees all of Luc’s overtures as a punishment, and a way to control her if she gives in, even though Luc is pouring his heart out to her in the only way he knows how.
There are a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunication with this couple but considering their pasts, which are actually quite similar, I can see how they would mistrust each other and be afraid to take that chance.
Just when it was getting too heavy at times, Patrick, Luc’s Sous Chef, would make an appearance. I LOVED him. He’s completely different than any of the other men in this series. He’s a blond, surfer dude type that pokes fun of Luc and calls him on his bullshit. This books really needed a Patrick type of personality for levity.
I was not only happy to be introduced to Patrick but also touch base with a few of the previous couples. It’s nice to see how the men have softened (although they keep up that competitive spirit when it comes to their careers) and how the women took Summer seriously and not just treat her like a beautiful air headed heiress.
Final thoughts: The Chocolate Kiss still remains my favorite book from the series but I would place this one second, despite all the angst. I liked how Summer and Luc really had to struggle for love and decide how much of themselves to sacrifice in the process.
Also posted on my blog: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2013/11/re...
Each book in the series has gotten a little darker. The heroes have always been larger than life and arrogant but the last two books in particular have given them an edge. The Chocolate Heart is SUPER angsty. Not something I usually love in my books but I think it works here.
The push and pull, of the spoiled “princess” - hotel heir Summer Corey and Luc Leroi – a survivor who worked his way from the streets up to become one of the top pastry chefs, was heartbreaking and maddening at times.
Like all the books in the Chocolate series, Luc sees a damsel in distress and feels it’s his duty to be her knight in shining armor. Summer wants to be rescued and enveloped in the darkness and safety of this strong man. I really thought I wasn’t going to like Summer at first. Just like angst overload, I’m even less of a fan of the damsel in distress. But Summer is a strong, brave woman who has just been beaten down and manipulated by her image conscious family for way too long. She really has to fight her way to the light and the future that she wants.
The food takes center stage in the wooing process as Luc tries to tempt Summer with his elaborate, decadent desserts filled with dark promises.
But….
Summer won’t eat them. Not a one.
This was my favorite part of their story. Summer hates deserts because her parents had always used them as a way to make her behave when she was a child. Summer also hates Paris and what it represents for her. Lack of control over her life. She sees all of Luc’s overtures as a punishment, and a way to control her if she gives in, even though Luc is pouring his heart out to her in the only way he knows how.
There are a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunication with this couple but considering their pasts, which are actually quite similar, I can see how they would mistrust each other and be afraid to take that chance.
Just when it was getting too heavy at times, Patrick, Luc’s Sous Chef, would make an appearance. I LOVED him. He’s completely different than any of the other men in this series. He’s a blond, surfer dude type that pokes fun of Luc and calls him on his bullshit. This books really needed a Patrick type of personality for levity.
I was not only happy to be introduced to Patrick but also touch base with a few of the previous couples. It’s nice to see how the men have softened (although they keep up that competitive spirit when it comes to their careers) and how the women took Summer seriously and not just treat her like a beautiful air headed heiress.
Final thoughts: The Chocolate Kiss still remains my favorite book from the series but I would place this one second, despite all the angst. I liked how Summer and Luc really had to struggle for love and decide how much of themselves to sacrifice in the process.
Also posted on my blog: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2013/11/re...
November 26, 2013
THIS DAMN BOOK.
I WOKE UP AT 6AM TO READ IT STRAIGHT THROUGH AND WOW. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
I've been excited for this book ever since I read the preview for it, and then leading up to it, I've been so ready for it. And nothing in here disappointed me at all. AT ALL. It actually might be a new favorite out of the series? Not that I don't love Book Two something fierce, but wow something about what was handled in this book hit me a lot.
Not to mention, that the quickest way to my heart would be to do an actual Persephone and Hades myth, modernize it, AND DO IT RIGHT. By that I mean there's so much that's quietly hinted at about it, even though her name is "Summer" and his last name literally mean King and then Paris is her Hell, forced there by her TERRIBLE parents. BUT, it's not till he's making her the dessert with the pomegranate seeds that I nearly fell off my bad.
BUT
There's something so much more about Summer's sadness and basic abandonment by her parents, and their cruel treatment of her and labeling her off as being "spoiled" (as if being "spoiled" or wanting love is something terrible), that hit me than the previous books and their sadness. Coupled with Luc's issues of never being loved in the way he wanted and the class differences. Which again, she handled so well, IMO. Also the scene at the end with Luc just basically pointing out how terrible her father is and the damage that he did to her (and will likely never recognize he did at all) was so well done. Realizing the reason that she never ate his desserts and how he couldn't possibly have won against that till he did it in the way he did; all their miscommunication fails were so great.
I loved getting to see Cade and Jaime and Sylvain and Dom. I would have loved to see Magalie and Philippe :( But I can only hope maybe we get to see them next book. WHICH, she did fantastically set up with Patrick and Sarah.
Also don't even get me started on all the fantastic sex that happened in this book. And how intimate and personal it was. And safe.
And I enjoyed that she gave us an epilogue! It was cute. Even though I want all the snippets and stuff of them now being "teenagers" and stealing away to the romantic places in the city. And dealing with her TERRIBLE FUCKING PARENTS.
Basically this book was amazing and I loved it so so much.
ALSO HE CALLS HER HIS SUN. SHUT UP.
I WOKE UP AT 6AM TO READ IT STRAIGHT THROUGH AND WOW. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
I've been excited for this book ever since I read the preview for it, and then leading up to it, I've been so ready for it. And nothing in here disappointed me at all. AT ALL. It actually might be a new favorite out of the series? Not that I don't love Book Two something fierce, but wow something about what was handled in this book hit me a lot.
Not to mention, that the quickest way to my heart would be to do an actual Persephone and Hades myth, modernize it, AND DO IT RIGHT. By that I mean there's so much that's quietly hinted at about it, even though her name is "Summer" and his last name literally mean King and then Paris is her Hell, forced there by her TERRIBLE parents. BUT, it's not till he's making her the dessert with the pomegranate seeds that I nearly fell off my bad.
BUT
There's something so much more about Summer's sadness and basic abandonment by her parents, and their cruel treatment of her and labeling her off as being "spoiled" (as if being "spoiled" or wanting love is something terrible), that hit me than the previous books and their sadness. Coupled with Luc's issues of never being loved in the way he wanted and the class differences. Which again, she handled so well, IMO. Also the scene at the end with Luc just basically pointing out how terrible her father is and the damage that he did to her (and will likely never recognize he did at all) was so well done. Realizing the reason that she never ate his desserts and how he couldn't possibly have won against that till he did it in the way he did; all their miscommunication fails were so great.
I loved getting to see Cade and Jaime and Sylvain and Dom. I would have loved to see Magalie and Philippe :( But I can only hope maybe we get to see them next book. WHICH, she did fantastically set up with Patrick and Sarah.
Also don't even get me started on all the fantastic sex that happened in this book. And how intimate and personal it was. And safe.
And I enjoyed that she gave us an epilogue! It was cute. Even though I want all the snippets and stuff of them now being "teenagers" and stealing away to the romantic places in the city. And dealing with her TERRIBLE FUCKING PARENTS.
Basically this book was amazing and I loved it so so much.
ALSO HE CALLS HER HIS SUN. SHUT UP.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2013
4.5 stars.
I had an e-ARC of this from NetGalley, but I ended up getting a copy out of the library and I read that instead. I love the convenience of e-books, but sometimes I just want to read certain books as paper.
I really, truly, enjoyed this one. It was lyrical and magical, and while normally these types of misunderstanding-driven books irritate the hell out of me, I could get behind this one because I understood it. It was easy to see why the misunderstandings were happening and the emotions behind the immediate emotional responses that triggered said misunderstandings fit the characters. Luc stands out among other heroes because while he is arrogant enough to want to be dominant, he loves fiercely, intensely, and will go beyond his comfort zone to win his lady love. I admit to being a little jealous of Summer, of being the focus of that 'need-to-make-her-happy' love. Luc and Summer aside, all the characters were wonderfully written. No one person was 'bad' or 'evil,' and everyone was well-rounded with personality traits, making them human. I especially loved the epilogue because it underscored the feeling that thousands of miles from where I'm reading the book, Summer and Luc are real, walking around France, living a modern day fairy tale.
The Chocolate Heart is loosely linked to the previous books (all modern-day fairy tales themselves), but it can easily stand-alone. While the book does lack the magical realism that threads through the other Chocolate books, it is definitely a fairy tale. Summer is Snow White, running from the Evil Queen (her father) where she finds safety among the seven dwarfs (the Islanders). Then the Evil Queen (father again) casts a spell (basically blackmails her into returning to Paris) on Snow White (Summer) and she falls into a death-sleep (becomes miserably and desperately unhappy, counting down the days until she is free to return to the island). The Prince (Luc) sees her in the forest (hotel lobby) and becomes determined to rescue her from her plight (make her happy), using true love's kiss (lots and lots of desserts). Florand gives the tale such dimension and goes beyond the fairy tale's archetypes to create warm and flawed characters.
I am starting to repeat myself, so I'll stop here, but I think it's clear that I highly, highly recommend this book.
I had an e-ARC of this from NetGalley, but I ended up getting a copy out of the library and I read that instead. I love the convenience of e-books, but sometimes I just want to read certain books as paper.
I really, truly, enjoyed this one. It was lyrical and magical, and while normally these types of misunderstanding-driven books irritate the hell out of me, I could get behind this one because I understood it. It was easy to see why the misunderstandings were happening and the emotions behind the immediate emotional responses that triggered said misunderstandings fit the characters. Luc stands out among other heroes because while he is arrogant enough to want to be dominant, he loves fiercely, intensely, and will go beyond his comfort zone to win his lady love. I admit to being a little jealous of Summer, of being the focus of that 'need-to-make-her-happy' love. Luc and Summer aside, all the characters were wonderfully written. No one person was 'bad' or 'evil,' and everyone was well-rounded with personality traits, making them human. I especially loved the epilogue because it underscored the feeling that thousands of miles from where I'm reading the book, Summer and Luc are real, walking around France, living a modern day fairy tale.
The Chocolate Heart is loosely linked to the previous books (all modern-day fairy tales themselves), but it can easily stand-alone. While the book does lack the magical realism that threads through the other Chocolate books, it is definitely a fairy tale. Summer is Snow White, running from the Evil Queen (her father) where she finds safety among the seven dwarfs (the Islanders). Then the Evil Queen (father again) casts a spell (basically blackmails her into returning to Paris) on Snow White (Summer) and she falls into a death-sleep (becomes miserably and desperately unhappy, counting down the days until she is free to return to the island). The Prince (Luc) sees her in the forest (hotel lobby) and becomes determined to rescue her from her plight (make her happy), using true love's kiss (lots and lots of desserts). Florand gives the tale such dimension and goes beyond the fairy tale's archetypes to create warm and flawed characters.
I am starting to repeat myself, so I'll stop here, but I think it's clear that I highly, highly recommend this book.
July 17, 2016
In this book, Summer Corey (daughter of a famous billionaire) hates Paris more than anything else, which stems from her being sent to a boarding school in Paris when she was younger. She has escaped the media's attention by living on an island in the South Pacific for the past three years teaching school in a rural community. She is lured home by her father with the unwanted gift of a luxury hotel with one promise: spend three months in a city she hates and give running a hotel a try and after three months, her father will make an investment in the kids she loves and she can go back to the island. Sparks fly between Summer and Luc (head pastry chef of the hotel) from the moment she arrives, but she is so broken by being called a spoiled brat her entire life that she’s not willing to relinquish her heart. Luc, meanwhile, must check his ego to win her trust.
This book was so sensually addictive that I could not put it down. It involves Paris and chocolate and romance all in one delicious package. Since these are three of my favorite things, I knew I would love this book and it did not disappoint. Her writing is the kind that makes me want to curl up in bed on a cold day with a cup of hot chocolate . . . or any chocolate, for that matter because her descriptions make me crave it even more than I normally do.
This story was full of emotion and passion and longing. You could feel the longing between these two people and feel the frustration when misunderstanding caused the divide to grow wider. Both of these people had troubled childhoods (for very different reasons) and both of them have trouble believing that the other won't leave. This book was a bit racier and a lot more emotionally charged than the other books I have read, which makes this one my favorite book by her. I actually teared up at certain parts because Laura Florand was making me feel so much for these two characters.
Highly recommend this book!
This book was so sensually addictive that I could not put it down. It involves Paris and chocolate and romance all in one delicious package. Since these are three of my favorite things, I knew I would love this book and it did not disappoint. Her writing is the kind that makes me want to curl up in bed on a cold day with a cup of hot chocolate . . . or any chocolate, for that matter because her descriptions make me crave it even more than I normally do.
This story was full of emotion and passion and longing. You could feel the longing between these two people and feel the frustration when misunderstanding caused the divide to grow wider. Both of these people had troubled childhoods (for very different reasons) and both of them have trouble believing that the other won't leave. This book was a bit racier and a lot more emotionally charged than the other books I have read, which makes this one my favorite book by her. I actually teared up at certain parts because Laura Florand was making me feel so much for these two characters.
Highly recommend this book!
November 28, 2013
It has been a long time since I've found an author whose books I wait for with eager anticipation and plan an entire evening around on the day a new book comes out. It's been even longer since one of those authors has been a writer of adult fiction. BUT THESE BOOKS. They are some of my favorite books of the year, every single book in this series. I love Florand manages to bring a fresh angle to each story even though they have so many similar elements, and each one (except The Chocolate Thief-unless I missed it) she incorporates a fairy tale or myth. I adored what she did with the one she used here. I pretty much adored everything about this story: the interactions between Summer and Luc, both of their characters individually, the glimpse into the workings of a high class hotel, and the themes Florand worked into the story. How real and balanced the characters are in Florand's books has always impressed me. They are not always likable, but the reader is given a clear understanding of WHY they are currently being unlikable. Summer has so many issues and some of her actions spawned by this issues are not at all laudable, but at the same time you can not help but sympathize with her situation. The way both Luc and Summer are worked into their characters in the myth used is also well done here. Luc is a perfect foil for Summer. While he has many issues of his own, his are a good balance for hers. I like the way Florand shows that fitting two lives to gather is difficult and takes work. An added bonus were all the scenes with characters from the other books and the glimpse we get of the couple her next book will focus on. And again, I will be planning an entire evening around it.
April 2, 2016
DNF. There were so many unnecessary misunderstandings in this. Somehow they expected each other to psychically understand the other's internal monologues and DEEP PERSONAL ISSUES stemming from childhood problems that were mentioned on literally every other page, but were barely articulated at all. They were both mad at each other for no significant reason, and tbh if some guy sent me pastries all the time even after I had specifically said I didn't eat them, I would be creeped out. LET IT GO, LUC.
Speaking of dessert... every dessert had five deeper meanings, like can he please make a chocolate mousse without it signifying his deep and unending love for a woman he just met who doesn't even want to eat the metaphor of his melting heart?
Anyway, I found Luc incredibly controlling and reticent as all fuck, and Summer clueless and a bit callous in her treatment of him. Even though she seems fairly friendly, she also apparently doesn't have any female friends because they're jealous of her... (or to cut down on time developing normal human relationships you would hope most adults have). The whole dinner scene at Luc's friends' house where the wife gets incredibly jealous of Summer when her husband barely talked to her felt unreal... please be more secure in your relationship.
I put the book down (okay chucked it onto the floor) when Luc came back for a second round after their first time ended in him storming off in a huff because he couldn't communicate. This time, they were going to go "rough" which meant they needed a safe word, at which point I wanted to scream because a situation where you need a safe word requires way better communication. If you can't have sex the first time because of communication problems, don't go rougher.
The others in the series are supposedly better.
Speaking of dessert... every dessert had five deeper meanings, like can he please make a chocolate mousse without it signifying his deep and unending love for a woman he just met who doesn't even want to eat the metaphor of his melting heart?
Anyway, I found Luc incredibly controlling and reticent as all fuck, and Summer clueless and a bit callous in her treatment of him. Even though she seems fairly friendly, she also apparently doesn't have any female friends because they're jealous of her... (or to cut down on time developing normal human relationships you would hope most adults have). The whole dinner scene at Luc's friends' house where the wife gets incredibly jealous of Summer when her husband barely talked to her felt unreal... please be more secure in your relationship.
I put the book down (okay chucked it onto the floor) when Luc came back for a second round after their first time ended in him storming off in a huff because he couldn't communicate. This time, they were going to go "rough" which meant they needed a safe word, at which point I wanted to scream because a situation where you need a safe word requires way better communication. If you can't have sex the first time because of communication problems, don't go rougher.
The others in the series are supposedly better.
May 31, 2015
Everything HURT and was so beautiful! If I thought Magalie's mother was a bit selfish and didn't really see her daughter outside her self well I had NOTHING on Summer's TERRIBLE PARENTS. They were so incredibly terrible and Summer was so affected by their emotional negligence of her. I loved so much that it wasn't about her suddenly falling in love with Paris, and that in this book the romance didn't fix everything easily. That both Summer and Luc had to look for a compromise of what they both wanted out of life. They were both so willing to GIVE that neither understood that they could take what was being offered by the other. Also the low key Persphone/Hades myth that's interwoven but done so much better and updated very well for modern times was so good. Also did a great job setting up Patrick. OH PATRICK.
February 4, 2017
I struggled with this story a little in the beginning half because of the misunderstandings between the two characters, especially on Summer's behalf, but as the story unfolded I was much more appreciative of the well-crafted characters.
Luc and Summer are lovely
together once they really connected and I also love Luc and Patrick's bond, because they both look out for each other, which I also saw in The Chocolate Temptation. Still impressive descriptions of chocolate and desserts I want to sob because they don't actually exist.
August 25, 2017
Angsty but sweet
Four sweet stars. This is the third book of Laura Florand's that I've read and it's the angstiest by far with both Luc and Summer having childhood emotional scars arising from parental neglect/abandonment. What I loved as always are the beautiful desserts described and the build-up of attraction between the main characters. I deducted points for the re-use of the plot line involving the heroine not eating the hero's delectable creations. I loved it in The Chocolate Kiss, here not so much.
Four sweet stars. This is the third book of Laura Florand's that I've read and it's the angstiest by far with both Luc and Summer having childhood emotional scars arising from parental neglect/abandonment. What I loved as always are the beautiful desserts described and the build-up of attraction between the main characters. I deducted points for the re-use of the plot line involving the heroine not eating the hero's delectable creations. I loved it in The Chocolate Kiss, here not so much.
November 14, 2013
I loooooove this series. But - the heroine in this one gave me a headache. I understood her actions and why and how and all of that. I think her backstory was very well done and her low self-esteem and her daddy issues were all explained properly.
But I just didn't have fun reading about her. I got exhausted from her.
Luc was super hot and sexy.
I reallllllly hope Patrick's book is next :)
Full review coming
But I just didn't have fun reading about her. I got exhausted from her.
Luc was super hot and sexy.
I reallllllly hope Patrick's book is next :)
Full review coming
December 24, 2013
More like 3.5
This one just missed the mark for me. I'm not entirely sure why because Florand's writing was still as evocative and descriptive as ever, but something about the pairing felt off. And it just seemed like their conflict was treading water for so long without being propelled along as happened in other books of the series.
Honestly, Patrick was the best part of this for me.
This one just missed the mark for me. I'm not entirely sure why because Florand's writing was still as evocative and descriptive as ever, but something about the pairing felt off. And it just seemed like their conflict was treading water for so long without being propelled along as happened in other books of the series.
Honestly, Patrick was the best part of this for me.
August 29, 2017
Very angsty and emotional, not as light as her other books but I still really liked it. I don't usually go for miscommunication plots but this one made sense as the big miscommunication was more.... intimate details you just -wouldn't- share with someone and they kept misinterpreting each other's motivations and personalities until they naturally started to discover each other more.
October 6, 2013
"Their eyes held, one of those moments when they realized that, despite all the surface differences, their souls were exactly matched."
Another lovely installment in the Amour et Chocolat series! Such a good read for the weekend. Review to follow.
Another lovely installment in the Amour et Chocolat series! Such a good read for the weekend. Review to follow.
May 14, 2015
my least favourite addition in an otherwise splendid series.
March 6, 2018
A good solid “meh”...I made it through the whole thing..it was an easy read, but the “romantic parts” were ridiculous with the overuse of “her sex” 🙄 Too simple and cheesy, even for me!
December 1, 2013
http://ripeforreader.blogspot.com/201...
My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️
Spoiled little rich girl, that is how Summer Corey is seen by the world, but nobody has ever bothered to look beyond the surface. After a childhood filled with endless hotels, nannies, boarding schools, buy offs and the inevitable adolescent self-destructive rebellion by Summer, she disappears from the spotlight and her family's control, to find solace with an underprivileged island community. Far from the papperazzi, public opinion and her father's scorn, she is finally free to live her life as she wants, teaching the island's youth and enjoying the the simple but fulfilling life. Until a need in her community forces her to make a deal with her father that puts her in charge of a famous hotel in Paris, the city she loathes.
Son of a gypsy and raised to be a beggar in the Paris Metro, Luc Leroi has climbed his way out of the gutters to become one of the most renowned pastry chefs in Paris and chef pâttisier at a three Michelin star restaurant. Luc loves Paris, he feels he has conquered her, from the depths of her bowels to the heights of the Eiffel Tower. And when a stunningly gorgeous creature, obviously fatigued from travel, falls into his arms in the lobby of his hotel, he thinks he may have hit the proverbial ball out of the park........ That is, until she opens her mouth, and offers him a tip for his services!! He instantly recognizes the attitude if one who has grown up with too many privileges, a spoiled brat!
Despite her long journey and her exhaustion, Summer is instantly drawn to the Greek god of a man who caught her coming into the hotel. Shocked to find out he is working for her as chef, she tries to play off her indecent proposal of their initial meeting when she was barely conscious. Luc, although quite curt with Summer, is nonetheless still very taken with her and finds himself inspired to new culinary creations. Not a man comfortable with expressing in words, he attempts to show Summer through his dessert creations how he feels.
With a mutual attraction growing, Summer's smiles slowly become more genuine and Luc's attempts at wooing her with his desserts more intense. But in order to get Summer to taste Luc's intentions, he must first break through her shields, and find what is real beneath the veneer.
*****
FABULOUS!! A fantastic study in contrast, where one comes from everything and chooses for nothing in order to be free...... The other comes from nothing and struggles to create everything in order to be able to choose freely. And the truth lies somewhere in the middle......
The characters are multi-dimensional and not at all predictable, which is such a refreshing delight. Summer is easily pegged initially as spoiled socialite, but shows herself to have more depth and emotion and social intelligence than anyone gave her credit for. Unfortunately, expectations on her had always been incredibly low, therefore there were many qualities she could not even recognize in herself.
Luc had seen two different levels of upbringing, one full of emotion but with little expectation, and later he was raised with no emotion but expectations were at a maximum and Luc excelled. He thrived professionally, but was emotionally insecure and underdeveloped.
Both had found a certain security in viewing the world in a way that was safest for them, but to each other, they were the catalyst that allowed them to see a broader perspective.
The writing of Laura Florand has such a distinct French flavour to it, and not just because of the occasional use of a French word or sentence here or there. It is the underlying passion in the interaction between people, the way the senses are concurrently engaged, the way I can imagine the hands flying when dialogue is taking place, or the expressive faces that just seem to hold a bit more drama.
I'm not sure what it is that gives Ms. Florand's writing such a distinct French flavour; the passion, the tastes and textures, the humour, the heat....... And before you ask, I am European born, have frequented France and Paris specifically, so have an idea of what a French flavour might be. All I know is, she makes me crave romance and 'pain au chocolat', and I haven't eaten one in at least a decade or more!!!
✨A brilliantly scrumptious, seductive and witty assault on the senses!!✨
**ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington in return for an honest review.**
My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️
Spoiled little rich girl, that is how Summer Corey is seen by the world, but nobody has ever bothered to look beyond the surface. After a childhood filled with endless hotels, nannies, boarding schools, buy offs and the inevitable adolescent self-destructive rebellion by Summer, she disappears from the spotlight and her family's control, to find solace with an underprivileged island community. Far from the papperazzi, public opinion and her father's scorn, she is finally free to live her life as she wants, teaching the island's youth and enjoying the the simple but fulfilling life. Until a need in her community forces her to make a deal with her father that puts her in charge of a famous hotel in Paris, the city she loathes.
Son of a gypsy and raised to be a beggar in the Paris Metro, Luc Leroi has climbed his way out of the gutters to become one of the most renowned pastry chefs in Paris and chef pâttisier at a three Michelin star restaurant. Luc loves Paris, he feels he has conquered her, from the depths of her bowels to the heights of the Eiffel Tower. And when a stunningly gorgeous creature, obviously fatigued from travel, falls into his arms in the lobby of his hotel, he thinks he may have hit the proverbial ball out of the park........ That is, until she opens her mouth, and offers him a tip for his services!! He instantly recognizes the attitude if one who has grown up with too many privileges, a spoiled brat!
Despite her long journey and her exhaustion, Summer is instantly drawn to the Greek god of a man who caught her coming into the hotel. Shocked to find out he is working for her as chef, she tries to play off her indecent proposal of their initial meeting when she was barely conscious. Luc, although quite curt with Summer, is nonetheless still very taken with her and finds himself inspired to new culinary creations. Not a man comfortable with expressing in words, he attempts to show Summer through his dessert creations how he feels.
With a mutual attraction growing, Summer's smiles slowly become more genuine and Luc's attempts at wooing her with his desserts more intense. But in order to get Summer to taste Luc's intentions, he must first break through her shields, and find what is real beneath the veneer.
*****
FABULOUS!! A fantastic study in contrast, where one comes from everything and chooses for nothing in order to be free...... The other comes from nothing and struggles to create everything in order to be able to choose freely. And the truth lies somewhere in the middle......
The characters are multi-dimensional and not at all predictable, which is such a refreshing delight. Summer is easily pegged initially as spoiled socialite, but shows herself to have more depth and emotion and social intelligence than anyone gave her credit for. Unfortunately, expectations on her had always been incredibly low, therefore there were many qualities she could not even recognize in herself.
Luc had seen two different levels of upbringing, one full of emotion but with little expectation, and later he was raised with no emotion but expectations were at a maximum and Luc excelled. He thrived professionally, but was emotionally insecure and underdeveloped.
Both had found a certain security in viewing the world in a way that was safest for them, but to each other, they were the catalyst that allowed them to see a broader perspective.
The writing of Laura Florand has such a distinct French flavour to it, and not just because of the occasional use of a French word or sentence here or there. It is the underlying passion in the interaction between people, the way the senses are concurrently engaged, the way I can imagine the hands flying when dialogue is taking place, or the expressive faces that just seem to hold a bit more drama.
I'm not sure what it is that gives Ms. Florand's writing such a distinct French flavour; the passion, the tastes and textures, the humour, the heat....... And before you ask, I am European born, have frequented France and Paris specifically, so have an idea of what a French flavour might be. All I know is, she makes me crave romance and 'pain au chocolat', and I haven't eaten one in at least a decade or more!!!
✨A brilliantly scrumptious, seductive and witty assault on the senses!!✨
**ARC provided by NetGalley and Kensington in return for an honest review.**
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