LOVE & CHOCOLATE
by Gail Cleare
A foray into the world of online dating leads to unexpected and delicious complications in this contemporary romance.
Sarah Westwood’s life revolves around raising her young son, Devon, and working at her family’s restaurant, The Three Chocolatiers, in Ashford, Massachusetts, alongside her grandfather, renowned chef Emile Dumas, and her cousin, Paisley, a talented pastry chef. Several years earlier, Sarah’s world was turned upside down when she lost her job and her husband, Jim, ran off with another woman. While she reinvented her career, her love life is another matter. She doesn’t date, preferring to indulge her passionate side with her love for chocolate. Paisley creates an online dating profile for her, and she finds harmless fun when she is matched with an enticing man named HotNCold. Blake Harrison, the ice cream supplier for The Three Chocolatiers, is attracted to Sarah, but she keeps the relationship strictly professional. Determined to win her heart, he begins a slow seduction using information collected by his online persona, HotNCold. When Emile suffers a medical emergency, Sarah and Paisley are under pressure to successfully execute a chocolate-themed wedding for wealthy clients. As circumstances draw Blake and Sarah closer, she wonders if she can trust in love again. Cleare’s (The Taste of Air, 2016, etc.) latest is an appealing romance with finely drawn characters and a well-constructed story. Sarah is a likable, sympathetic heroine—a single mother who wants to maintain a solid, stable home for her son. Her connection with Blake accretes slowly, bolstered by playful dialogue and scenes that generate a palpable erotic heat. While most of the action revolves around Sarah and Blake’s relationship, both online and in person, the story includes a strong subplot involving The Three Chocolatiers and the elaborate wedding that could cement the restaurant’s stellar reputation. Chocolate lovers may also enjoy the recipes at the end of the novel.
An engaging, irresistible chocolate-laced romance.