TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Chocolate Maker's Wife

About The Chocolate Maker's Wife

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (August 20, 2019) Australian bestselling novelist Karen Brooks rewrites women back into history with this breathtaking novel set in 17th century London—a lush, fascinating story of the beautiful woman who is drawn into a world of riches, power, intrigue…and chocolate. Damnation has never been so sweet... Rosamund Tomkins, the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, spends most of her young life in drudgery at a country inn. To her, the Restoration under Charles II, is but a distant threat as she works under the watchful eye of her brutal, abusive stepfather . . . until the day she is nearly run over by the coach of Sir Everard Blithman. Sir Everard, a canny merchant, offers Rosamund an “opportunity like no other," allowing her to escape into a very different life, becoming the linchpin that will drive the success of his fledgling business: a luxurious London chocolate house where wealthy and well-connected men come to see and be seen, to gossip and plot, while indulging in the sweet and heady drink. Rosamund adapts and thrives in her new surroundings, quickly becoming the most talked-about woman in society, desired and respected in equal measure. But Sir Everard's plans for Rosamund and the chocolate house involve family secrets that span the Atlantic Ocean, and which have already brought death and dishonor to the Blithman name. Rosamund knows nothing of the mortal peril that comes with her new title, nor of the forces spinning a web of conspiracy buried in the past, until she meets a man whose return tightens their grip upon her, threatening to destroy everything she loves and damn her to a dire fate. As she fights for her life and those she loves through the ravages of the Plague and London's Great Fire, Rosamund's breathtaking tale is one marked by cruelty and revenge; passion and redemption—and the sinfully sweet temptation of chocolate.

 

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review: Many people that know me, know I don't usually read chunkers. (Chunkers are books over 400 pages) The cover alone intrigued me for this one, as did the plot summary. 

I'm glad I gave this book a go. It was definitely worth the read, but I really felt that the story could have been just as good at 400 pages rather than nearly 600.

I loved Rosamund. Her's was very much a Cinderella story. The bastard child of a nobleman who is sold into marriage to a much older Lord. That lord is setting up a chocolate house.

Ah sigh.

At first you want to like Sir Evarard, but quickly you know he's not at all like he seems. As the story goes on, you know his whole family isn't what they seem and none of them are nice people. Some are actually pretty sick individuals.

There's so much I want to say about this book, but I'm not sure I can put the words around it. Its beautifully written. The attention to detail is great.  But oh my god is it long and at times the pacing is downright plodding, but even when the story creeps along, you want to know what is going to happen to the characters and the chocolate house. I mean really, you want to know what other tragedies can befall Rosamund.

Lets see..

Wicked step father

check

Abusive half brothers

check

Weird old husband

check

THE PLAGUE!

check

Weird son of husband that is off his nut

check

The burning of London

check

So yeah lots of bad stuff befalls Rosamund, and that's why you keep reading, because you want to find out if she really can triumph over it all.

Its a fine read if you have the patience to get through all those pages.

Rating: 4 flowers

About Karen Brooks

Karen Brooks is the author of twelve books, an academic of more than twenty years' experience, a newspaper columnist and social commentator, and has appeared regularly on national TV and radio. Before turning to academia, she was an army officer for five years, and prior to that dabbled in acting. She lives in Hobart, Tasmania, in a beautiful stone house with its own marvellous history. When she's not writing, she's helping her husband Stephen in his brewery, Captain Bligh's Ale and Cider, or cooking for family and friends, travelling, cuddling and walking her dogs, stroking her cats, or curled up with a great book and dreaming of more stories. Find out more about Karen at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.