The Chocolate Thief - Laura Florand

The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand
Series: Amour et Chocolat #1
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: July 21, 3012
Source/Format: Borrowed from Chachic || e-book

The Parisian sorcerer of artisan chocolate, handsome Frenchman Sylvain Marquis, and the American empress of chocolate bars, Cade Corey, play a decadent game of seduction and subterfuge that causes them both to melt with desire. (from Goodreads)

If you're in search of a delightful contemporary romance, then I suggest you try reading The Chocolate Thief. Thanks to Chachic's glowing review and constant endorsement of this series, I finally gave it a try -- and I loved what I found! The book is filled to the brim with fun, sass and romance. As if that wasn't enough, the heroine and hero are pretty awesome and it's set in Paris, one of the cities I want most to visit in the world! And the clincher? It revolves around chocolate.

Cade and Sylvain are pretty great, which was key in getting me interested in their story. Cade is confident, tenacious and also a little self-absorbed. The way she thinks, the passion she has for creating chocolate, her loyalty to her family - each of these qualities made it easy to love her. And Sylvain had awkward beginnings, but made something of himself as a master of chocolate, who was handsome, intelligent and cautious with his feelings. He was a bit arrogant and standoffish initially, but eventually, readers will see his heart beneath all of that bluster and fall for him too. 

As individuals, they're already good characters; in a romantic entanglement, they're even more fun to read about! There's a lot of banter, mostly because there is quite a bit of misinterpretation and miscommunication between these two. There was a lot of tension too, which resulted in a steamy kiss or two (or possibly more...). I thought their romance was light an fun! It wasn't precisely my favorite relationship ever, but it sure made me smile a lot.

And can we talk about two more elements of this book that I adored -- the chocolate and Paris? The chocolate is a given, as I'm obsessed with sweets. I love the way it was described, flavors and scents and processes. I would love to take a workshop like some tourists do in this book, just to learn how chocolatiers make their amazing desserts. And to have the chocolate set against the backdrop of Paris? That's just delightful. 

The Chocolate Thief was the perfect read for me when I needed something light and easy. With charming characters, an excellent setting, a sweet romance and a dash of chocolate, it's no wonder I ended up enjoying this. Laura Florand is certainly an authoryou should check out, particularly if you like any of the elements mentioned in this review. Her book will definitely not disappoint!