The Chocolate Maker’s Wife – TLC Book Tour
The Chocolate Maker’s Wife by Karen Brooks
William Morrow Paperbacks – August 20, 2019
*Advanced Reader Copy provided by TLC Book Tours & publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Hey book lovers, I hope the back to school rush is treating you well! If you’re like me you’re counting the days until fall weather actually arrives, when you can wear cozy sweaters, drink all the hot espresso drinks, and curl up with an immersive book. It may not be fall weather here in SoCal but my brain is ready for all the cozy feels and the chunky historical fiction books.
May I present Karen Brooks’ The Chocolate Maker’s Wife!
Thanks to William Morrow Paperbacks and TLC Book Tours for organizing this book tour!
About The Chocolate Maker’s Wife
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.
My Thoughts
I enjoyed this historical fiction set in 17th century England. I don’t typically read a lot of historical fiction set in this time period but I found the backdrop of Restoration England and the return of King Charles II. Moreover, the inclusion of exotic chocolata added a lovely douse of globalization that I don’t always expect in historical fiction set in England. Clearly, Brooks conducted a lot of research on the time period and the preparation of chocolate drinks for this book. I appreciated the rich details.
Rosamund is an endearing character that you can’t help but root for. Raised from obscurity to the wife of a well to do merchant and member of the upper-class, there’s a rags-to-riches element that I personally love and I’m sure many other readers do as well. She’s sweet, genuine, and values truth. Although I liked Rosamonde as a character at times her goody two shows demeanor seemed unrealistic at times.
My main hang up with the book was plot and pacing. At just over 600 pages this is a hefty book and at times the slowness of the plot made me question why I was still reading the book. Ultimately, I think the book could have been cut down to about 500 pages and still remained a weighty historical fiction. Additionally, some of the events that take place in the book verge on melodramatic. Despite these qualms, I did enjoy the amount of detail put into the setting and descriptions of the chocolate house and the colorful cast of characters. Moreover, the start of the book immediately grabbed my attention and kept me intrigued.
Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction looking for an interesting take on English history. Like I mentioned at the start of this post I think this would be a great fall or winter read! It’ll make you want to sip hot cocoa all day long.
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.
Thank you for being on this tour, I’m so glad this hooked you from the beginning! Sara @ TLC Book Tours