Friday, September 13, 2013

[Double Review]: "The Chocolate Touch" + Giveaway!

Today Kame and Pat both review Laura Florand's newest, THE CHOCOLATE TOUCH! At the end of this post there is a great giveaway for ecopies of book 1 in this series.... Good Luck!



The Chocolate Touch by Laura Florand
Publisher: Kensington (July 30, 2013)
Series: Amour et Chocolat, 4

Genre: Contemporary Romance

La Vie en Chocolat
Dominique Richard's reputation says it all--wild past, wilder flavors, black leather and smoldering heat. Jaime Corey is hardly the first woman to be drawn to all that dark, delicious danger. Sitting in Dom's opulent chocolaterie in Paris day after day, she lets his decadent creations restore her weary body and spirit, understanding that the man himself is entirely beyond her grasp.

Until he touches her. . .

Chocolate, Dominique understands--from the biting tang of lime-caramel to the most complex infusions of jasmine, lemon-thyme, and cayenne. But this shy, freckled American who sits alone in his salon, quietly sampling his exquisite confections as if she can't get enough of them--enough of him--is something else. She has secrets too, he can tell. Of course if she really knew him, she would run.

Yet once you have spotted your heart's true craving, simply looking is no longer enough. .


Where to Buy*:
More Info:



Kame's Review:





“Dominique Richard was the only man a woman’s tongue could get truly excited
about.”


Dom watched her from above for a week now, twice a day, sitting at the same table in his salon de chocolat. She was unlike other tourists, she seemed to think of nothing but the taste of his chocolate in her mouth, and experience it with every part of her being. She was not a model, some might think of her as plain, but Dom was drawn to her and waited, no needed her visits. When her draw became more than he could bear Dom approached her table.


I read many books, but it is rare to read one that the minute I finish I am pulled to want to read it again. The Chocolate Touch is so much more than a romance set in Paris. It tells of a story of two people trying to find their value in the world. Dom’s journey of personal growth kept me turning the page furiously. I was in awe of him. Often a hero who must travel such a dark road redeems himself by saving the world, or by using his physical strength to push away the pain; we often see these heroes in military settings, an athlete or even a cowboy out on the range, never before have I read a book where a man who is dealing with such pain in his core chooses to combat that pain by making mouthwatering creations in chocolate.  


“My worth – the things I’ve been good at – I can’t do right now. I don’t want to. I
might never do them again. And that’s–that’s what is good about me. Without it…
there’s only me.”

His eyebrows drew together. “That sounds like a good place to start over. With only
you. Putain, I would love to have a base like that.”


The setting of this book was just breath taking. Paris has never been on my bucket list of places to venture, but now all I want to do is go to Paris and each chocolate! This book is the fourth in the series (with a sample of book five at the end), but could be read as a stand-alone. I myself have not read any other books in this series. I plan on fixing that issue soon and reading the other books in Laura Florand’s Amour et Chocolat series. This is one of the best books I have read this year, and honestly it goes on the short list of one of the best books I have ever read.


5 STARS! 



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Kame received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for her honest opinion.


*Note: The quotes used belong to Laura Florand; Kame and TBQ's Book Palace do not claim them. 


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Meet Kame:

Kame is part of a family of readers; one day she picked up the Nook she purchased for her husband and discovered her love of e-books. A few months later he purchased one for her so he could have his back! Kame’s Nook is never far, and she is hard pressed to pick a favorite book, genre or author. As long as there are characters that make her want to sit down and have a chat and a plot keeps the pages turning, she’ll read it.

Kame's GoodReads 





Pat's Review:


I don't usually give a lot of five star reviews, but it seems in the last month or so, I've given several. This is one of those novels. It's interesting that three of my five star reviews are works by this author! 


While reading The Chocolate Touch, the fairytale Beauty and the Beast came to mind. Our hero Dominique Richard is hardly a beast, he just thinks of himself that way. He is big, very big and he has huge scarred hands earned by working in a slaughterhouse as a young man.  Now he designs the most intricate and fragile chocolates for his own shop. He is a Chocolatier. 


Our Beauty is Jaime Corey,  a thin wisp of a woman who visits Dom's shop daily with a hooded jacket and hides in a corner.  He is immediately infatuated.  Why is she so thin, what is she hiding from?  He starts to wait for her arrival to make his day. If she doesn't come, he immediately worries. Has she found another shop, is she ill, does she not really like his chocolates?  


"He didn't know why he was looking for her.  She was too thin and too fragile for him, although something about her conversely exuded strength."  


Jaime is a member of the infamous Corey Chocolate  family, but that's one of her secrets.  


Dominique and Jaime are damaged. Dom by his loveless abusive childhood, Jaime after years of trying to save the world, she couldn't be saved from cruel attackers.  She  has recovered from her physical injuries,  but her soul is damaged , and she detests being frightened.  


This novel is a delight to all your senses. The beauty of Paris,  the exquisite chocolates Dom produces, and the slow progression of two people who are falling in love, but aren't really sure how to.  Dom's internal conversations with himself are hysterical.  Jaime becomes Dom's fierce protector with her family.


I highly recommend this novel, especially for readers of The Chocolate Series. This novel is easily read as a stand alone.  It is pure delight. 


5 STARS! 



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Pat received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for her honest opinion.

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Meet Pat:




Hi I'm Pat Fordyce. I am a retired pediatric nurse living in coastal North Carolina. Being retired I get to do one of my favorite things .....READ..... I love to read and talk about books, and my reviews are my voice. I also volunteer at our Public Library a few days a week. So glad to be joining The Book Queen's group of guest reviewers.







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Laura Florand is offering THREE e-copies of book 1 in this series, THE CHOCOLATE THIEF! (Open INT)



How to Enter:


  • Leave a comment on this post, answering Laura's question; please leave a way for us to contact you if you win (Twitter/GR/FB name, email, etc). 



Giveaway ends September 18th. Winners will be picked via Random.org on the 19th and announced on the blog (as well as the blog's various social media sites). Winners will have 48 hours to contact me before a new winner is picked. 

Good Luck!



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Wow, ladies, thanks for the great reviews! If you both loved The Chocolate Touch so much, I must put it on my list for sure! 

Thanks again, Laura, for this wonderful giveaway. Remember to leave a comment, answering Laura's question! Winners will be picked from the comments, so no comment, no entry! 


Laura's Question:

What chocolate would you like to be eating right now? If you where in Paris right now, where would you go?






Enjoy!


Until Next Time,



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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

11 comments :

Pat Egan Fordyce said...

Kame and I love our chocolate! LOL. Thanks to the The Book Queen, as always, lots of fun.

bn100 said...

Hershey bars; Eiffel Tower


bn100candg at hotmail dot com

The_Book_Queen said...

Really, you can never go wrong with Hershey's. It's like comfort chocolate. At least for me it is. :)
Enjoy,
TBQ

Melody May said...

I would go with Lindt chocolate. Awesome stuff. I would visit the Louvre. I think I need some chocolate

Pat Egan Fordyce said...

Hershey's is like Laura's Corey's Chocolate!

Kame said...

Sorry to miss you all - had to attend to family stuff - Love chocolate - but for me its a good cup of hot cocoa! And if I ever go to Paris I will see the hots spots but also look for chocolate!

marypreston said...

I love chocolate with nuts & I'd be sitting at a cafe watching the world stroll by. Sounds delicious!!

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Anna@herding cats said...

Hmm sounds good! Haven't read this author yet but thinking that should change. Very cute cover too! Always a plus :)

The_Book_Queen said...

Congrats--you are one of the winners! I will be sending your email addy to Laura. Thanks for stopping by!
Enjoy,
TBQ

The_Book_Queen said...

Congrats--you are one of the winners! I will be sending your email addy to Laura. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy a bar of Hershey's for me!



Enjoy,

TBQ

The_Book_Queen said...

Congrats--you are one of the winners! I will be sending your email addy to Laura. Also, now I want some Lindt!



Enjoy,

TBQ