The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris: A Novel in Recipes

Jenny Colgan

Feb 2014 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

"...a book which should be devoured in one sitting, along with a box of chocolates"—Sophie Kinsella, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Award-winning author Jenny Colgan takes her charming romances to Paris in this heartwarming, bittersweet story of life, love and chocolate.

Anna Trent may be a supervisor in a chocolate factory...but that doesn't necessarily mean she knows how to make chocolate. So when a fateful accident gives her the opportunity to work at the most elite chocolatier in Paris—Le Chapeau Chocolat—Anna expects to be outed as a fraud.

After all, there is a world of difference between chalky, mass-produced English chocolate and the gourmet confections Anna's new boss creates. While she may never match him in the kitchen, Anna thinks she might be able to give him a second chance at love.

And with a bit of luck and a lot of patience, Anna's learning that the sweetest things in life are always worth working for.

Fans of British chick-lit authors Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner and Jill Mansell will be craving sweets along with this light-hearted rom-com of love lost and found.

Also by Jenny Colgan:

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café

The Sweetshop of Dreams

Praise for The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris:

"[B]oth believable and funny, while the Parisian setting makes this story practically irresistible."—Shelf Awareness Reader

"This cross-generational story is as irresistible as Colgan's portrayal of Paris itself—and all things chocolate."—Publishers Weekly

"Heartwarming and funny..."—Booklist

"A tale of two Englishwomen in Paris, of love lost and found... Gently and lovingly done."—Dear Author

Ratings and reviews

Although Anna seems to be the main character, it feels more like it's Claire's "what might have been". Their stories are written parallel until it is time for the older, ill Claire to reconnect with the man she never forgot in the city no one can ever forget. Anna escapes herself in Paris with Claire's help after learning what it is like to have a disability that few can see. Written with sensitivity and understanding.

Lighthearted fun with a touch of romance, set mostly in Paris and with frequent references (and recipes) with chocolate: it is hard to go wrong! Jenny Colgan introduces us to Anna, a supervisor in a chocolate factory in England. When she has an accident and loses two toes, she finds her roommate at the hospital is her French Teacher Claire. When Claire uses her influence to give Anna a chance at a change in scenery and a new opportunity, the story really takes hold and thrusts the reader into Paris and the kitchen of a famous chocolatier. Thierry is a master chocolatier and his shop, Le Chapeau Chocolat is a favorite of many. He also found his muse in Claire and her reminiscences run through the story to correlate Anna’s journey and discoveries, to the moments that informed her own life. What emerges is a lovely story that brings a woman, perhaps squandering her potential in favor of security and the known and by adjusting her living situation, she learns to find the potential in herself. She is faced with several challenges in her new city, but rather than allowing them to defeat her, she is enchanted by the differences, and finds potential and reconnects with her own dreams, long dormant. Clearly the correlation of Claire’s relationship with Thierry and Anna’s to his son bring a touch of romance and fancy to the whole story: as one is losing a dream, others are gaining one. First person narration from Anna, and the third person reminiscences and reflections from Claire provide lovely description, feel and definition to the city and the story. Seeing Paris through Anna’s eyes is a lovely technique, bringing areas and elements of the city to light that perhaps are missed, or unseen by those more familiar. Also, the story is liberally peppered with hints and tips for handling chocolate, as well as some recipes for home-crafted treats – who can resist good chocolate? Quick reading, fun and funny with a light touch of romance, this is a lovely story. I enjoyed this second (ok - probably fifth) re-read of the title as much as the first. And, it is Paris after all. I received an eGalley copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

I wanted more! will there be more? I want to hear more about father and son. Making the chocolate

About the author

A former columnist for The Guardian, Jenny Colgan contributes regularly to national BBC radio and is the author of more than eleven bestselling novels, including her recent international bestsellers The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris published in 2014 and Welcome To Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams, which won the 2013 Romantic Novel of the Year award from the Romantic Novelists Association. She is married with three children and lives in London and France.