Review of The Chocolate Rose by Laura Florand

And yet more contemporary romance! Laura Florand's Amour et Chocolate books are a bit like quiet, modern fairytales set in Paris, where food artists make impossibly brilliant and delicious things with chocolate. They aren't books to read if you're on a diet, because you will want chocolate, and if you're like me you will eat all of the chocolate.

Jolie is trying to talk pastry chef Gabriel Delange out of suing her father, who used an image of a lovely pastry rose on the cover of his new cook book--a rose that he has been passing off as his own work, despite the fact that it was Gabriel's personal creation. Jolie argues that he father's health is fragile and that Gabriel should not be a bully. Gabriel has a serious grudge against her father, though, and is determined not to let up. Taking advantage of the situation, Gabriel concocts a scheme that will force Jolie to work with him in writing a cookbook. After all, Gabriel has a hard time in the dating pull, and Jolie is more than a little attractive.

The second book was so magical that somehow, I expected the same sort of tone from this one. What I got instead was a more petty seeming drama and a tone of conflict similar to the first book. It works alright in it's own way, but it's just not what I prefer. I got impatient with Jolie constantly defending and protecting her father, who's deflated ego seemed to rule her life and actions. I found her very smart and enthusiastic, but her motivations were to irritating to keep her relatable.

Gabriel was charming but far more forgettable than the heroes of the previous books. I finished this book at the end of May, and already his character has faded to almost nothing. I know that he's meant as the "beast" of the piece, that he roars and throws things and traps Jolie into staying with him, because that's the only way he can hold onto a woman long enough to woo her.

As I said, this book lacked some to the enchanting qualities of the previous installment, but it's nonetheless an appetite inducing indulgence. If not perfectly memorable, it is at least perfectly readable and quite tasty. 3.5 stars.

Most Anticipated

It's time once again to comment a bit on the books we're most looking forward to in the next year. Here we go...

May

A Prior Engagement by Karina Bliss: Yeah, the more I think about the premise of this book, the more excited I get to read it. It's a back-from-the-dead fake engagement fake amnesia type of thing, and if anyone can make that work it's Karina Bliss.

Dare You To by Katie McGarry: Pushing the Limits was a well loved book, and not just by me but in general. It was on the Dabwaha bracket (though it dropped off in round one), and I believe it's also a RITA nominee. So I can't be the only one looking forward to the second book like it's my birthday and Christmas and National Free Chocolate Day.

July

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews: This book needs to be in my hands like now. This is probably my favorite ongoing UF series and I am too impatient to wait.

Saga, Vol.2, by Brian K. Vaughan: Saga is weird and wonderful, bizarre sci-fi goodness. I know it's not for everyone, and certainly not for my usual fan base, but I can't wait for it.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep: What I'm most hoping for with this one is a more epic scale and more progression in the overall plot. Of course, I'm also just looking forward to more Gwen and hopefully more Logan.

Macrieve by Kresley Cole: This one seems promising to me, not only because Kresley Cole has amused me more often than she's disappointed me (though she did disappoint me in style), but also because I find that I generally like her Lykaes. Historically, those have been the heroes that I found the sexiest and most appealing, so I really don't see how this one could go badly.

The Chocolate Touch by Laura Florand: I liked the second book--and I'll admit, that kind of surprised me. It'll be nice to revisit Paris and gourmet chocolate.

September

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins: You know, I don't really know whether I liked or disliked Josh when he was introduced in Anna...I know I like his name! But yeah, let's hope he makes a good hero.

Destiny's Surrender by Beverly Jenkins: So we continue the theme set by the first one with a fairly old-school looking romance cover. I kind of like that, I'm not going to lie. Although, I'm collecting these in ebook format, so in the grand scheme I guess it doesn't matter anyway.

October

Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh: The first thing I though when I saw this cover art was BOOBS. She has boobs. But, yeah, I guess she does look tough as well as sexy, so that's a plus. I like that she's so close to how I picture Elena when I'm reading (though I envision less cleavage). I also don't mind the monochromatic city scene behind her, and the overall tone leans to UF over PNR.

Eyrie by Emma Michaels: Well, as time goes on my enthusiasm for this book's release steadily wanes as I forget more details, particularly positive details. But, I don't know, I'll still probably read it. After all, it might improve on the first one.

January

Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan: So, we don't know anything about this book yet, except that it's taking an excessively long time to come out, and I'm concerned all my interest will have drains out by January. I'll try to keep the excitement alive.

February

Drachomachia by Rachel Hartman: Now this one, I do think is worth waiting for. I loved Seraphina, and it's the sort of book I may buy and revisit before the sequel comes out.

Cress by Melissa Meyer: Oh my goodness, will I survive until February? I freaking love this series. Cinder was my #1 in 2012, I loved Scarlet, and Cress is just to far away.

March

The King by J.R. Ward: Ward is returning to Wrath and Beth, the couple that started it all. Beth made a big freaking deal about wanting to have a baby in Lover At Last, so that will obviously be among the conflicts. I confess, I am intrigued.

On Window Displays: A Review of The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand

I have to admit, when I read The Chocolate Thief my primary reaction was "meh". I didn't see the charm or the romance, and I honestly found both protagonists somewhat unappealing. This book, however, was a lot closer to what I had hoped the series would be.

Magalie is happy to have a place in her aunts' tea shop, serving up hot chocolate and sincere wishes to the patrons of the witch themed establishment. So when famous pastry chef Phillipe Lyonnais opens a new shop just down the street, it's only natural that she feel threatened. What's more disturbing, however, is the interest that Phillipe has taken in Magalie--sending her hand crafted pastries to express his growing affections.

The setting  is so very, very charming. The tea shop is a quirky haven for those in need of one, and it's exactly the sort of place I could see myself visiting time and time again. The elaborate edible window displays drew me in by themselves, but what really got me was the magic. Both Magalie and her aunts pour wishes, curses, and magic into their work. It's done in such a way that it's left up to the reader to decide whether the magic is real or only pretend. Magalie constantly tells herself that she's just pretending, but at the same time she takes her wishes seriously. That's what got me to like her as a character--the fact that she genuinely wants the best for people, and that she's found this sense of self worth in the simple act of wishing happiness.

Magalie is, in general, both well written and likeable. He unstable childhood has left her desperate to carve out a home for herself. She's been so busy digging in roots in the tea shop that she's forgotten to branch out and let new things into her life, and that is where Phillipe comes in. Even beside the romantic development, however, Magalie, undergoes a great deal of personal growth--learning to make the city her own and feel comfortable outside her little corner of the world.

Phillipe undergoes a lot less development, and he is not as well written, but he is still likeable in many ways. I liked that he kept trying to communicate with Magalie via his pastries. His primary character flaws are arrogance and overbearingness, which I could totally buy. He's very much the type A personality you'd expect a top ranking Parisian chef to be. The biggest flaw in the book was his initial inability to understand or communicate with Magalie at the most basic level. So many negative feelings could have easily been resolved through two minutes of conversation and Phillipe taking half a minute to think before he acts.

Overall this is a very sexy, very appetizing read. It will make you want hot chocolate and pastries, and it will make you long to visit Paris. While book 1 didn't have much to recommend it, this is one that I hope more readers will discover and enjoy. 4 stars.

Happy April!

Hi! Yeah, I'm still alive. It's been shockingly difficult to  get my brain in gear to blog lately, but I'm nevertheless here, on a new shiny non-sucky laptop no less. This one has, like, working keys and a screen and everything--all the amenities. Hopefully April will see more posts as a result.

First things first, let's crown the best book of March!

On Cinnamon: A Review of The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand

If I had to sum up my thoughts on this book in one sentence, it would be: Delicious book, terribly sub-par romance. Let me explain.

Our heroine, Cade Corey, is the heiress to America's biggest chocolate company (I believe Corey is meant to be analogous to Hershey). She's very involved in the family's business, but it's always been her dream to branch out from that and see some of the world--namely, Paris. She has this idea to create a line of gourmet chocolates for her company, and to associate the line with one of France's most beloved small chocolate shops. She's shocked when her top choice, Sylvain Marquis, turns her down flat. But he is as tempting as his chocolate is, and she finds herself obsessed with him.

 The chocolate in this book is described in such a way that even someone who doesn't love chocolate will end up craving it. The hero seduces women with chocolate. He uses chocolate to relate to Cade, to lure her in, and to keep her captivated. I could easily see why Cade would want to sneak into his shop and revel in his chocolate convection.

Cade is the big downside of this book. I was quickly irritated with her entitled rich girl attitude and her belief that she can literally buy anything. When the Parisians refuse to sell to her, they come off as a bit snobby, but I was mostly in their corner--this heroine needed to learn a big lesson and be put in her place.  It just takes such a long time for that lesson to sink in, for her to get the idea that money can't buy her happiness, and after a point I really couldn't sympathize with her on any level.

The sexual chemistry between Cade and Sylvain is smoking, but the romantic chemistry is somewhat lacking. I have to give the author points for the scene or two where they did show a level of mutual understanding, but over all I've read much better matches.

Overall, while I was reading this book I absolutely had to have chocolate--good, dark chocolate that completed the sensory experience of this book for me. That aside, however, I was really unimpressed with the plot and frustrated with the character development. I plan to read more of Laura Florand's books, and I'm hoping that with different characters I will like them better. 3.5 stars for this one.

Movie Review: Oz The Great and Powerful (And Adjusted Posting Schedule)

Attentive readers will no doubt notice that this is not the review of Hitched! that I promised. In fact, I ended up DNFing that particular book 20 pages in after enumerable false starts, so I won't be reviewing it any time soon. Furthermore, life and work have kind of forcibly stalled my reading, and I'm no longer ahead in my posts as I was all February. Rather than rush to push out some crappy content while ignoring my other commitments, I'm going to take the weekend off and work on next weeks posts. Here's our adjusted schedule, which hopefully shall not have to be adjusted again.

March 11: Misc. Monday: Top 10 Authors on RtP (no genre restrictions)

March 12: Review of The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand

March 13: Watch This Wednesday: Sweeney Todd

March 15: Review of Requiem by Lauren Oliver

March 16: Review of Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

March 18: Top 10 Most Annoying Songs

March 17: St. Patrick's Day Post

March 19: Review of Wanderlust by Eleba Levine

March 20: Watch This Wednesday: Rent

March 25: Misc. Monday: The Dowsides of Blogging

March 27: Watch This Wednesday: Anastasia

March 28: Review of The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand

March 30: Review of Lover At Last by J.R. Ward

March 31: Easter Post

Now, if I can get ahead enough, I would really like to do another theme month in April--Young Adult Month. But that's still very much in the planning stages, and may or may not happen in reality.

Also, I saw a movie last night!

Oz The Great and Powerful

If you don't already know, this is a prequel story of sorts to the iconic Wizard of Oz movie. It tells the origin story of the actual wizard, and how he came to do what he does.Oz is a magician in a traveling circus--he's a conman, he uses women, and he has no real friends to speak of. He's blown away in a hot air balloon through a tornado to the land of Oz, where everyone believes that he's a real wizard with the power to save their land.

We wanted to see this movie because it looked so pretty, and it is. It's a very visually appealing movie. Oz is bright and colorful, and in 3D everything just popped and sparkled.

Oz was a charming character, and the story itself was more than passable. Oz has always obsesses over becoming famous, rich, and admired, but his journey teaches him the importance of being decent and helping others. James Franco was surprisingly good in the part. Where in the past I've found his performances fake and hammy, in this case his acting style worked perfectly. He, and the entire movie, are over the top in the best possible way. I liked the fact that he uses his natural proclivity for lying to his advantage, and the movie doesn't force him to "learn a lesson" on that score.

Fans of the original movie will appreciate all of the nods to that story, though somethings are noticeable absent.The ruby slippers, for example, were not allowed to be used for legal reasons. I personally wasn't thrilled with the way the wicked witch appeared, but I think I was distracted by the fact that it was different from the original (again, for legal reasons) As for connectivity with the books...to be honest, I wouldn't know. I never even tried to read them. I had one friend who was obsessed with them, but apparently I didn't osmotically absorb any of her knowledge the way I usually do. If you've seen this movie and you know more than I, please feel free to comment and tell us about it.

Husband was impressed with the direction of the movie, Sam Raimi being one of his all time favorite directors. Fans of his work will notice his style seeping in is shots where characters run from the camera, in the sudden and disorienting use of dutch angles, and in the general humorous tone. If you like Evil Dead, you'll notice he also manages to slip a deadite in there. Yeah.

Overall, if you like whimsy and have at least a passing fondness for The Wizard of Oz, I think you'll enjoy this movie.