Review: The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris

I was expecting a super sweet and fun read when I started The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan. What I got was a chick lit story with much more depth than expected and a story that will make you think about the choices you make in life and living every day to the fullest.

Here's the synopsis:

As dawn breaks over the Pont Neuf, and the cobbled alleyways of Paris come to life, Anna Trent is already awake and at work; mixing and stirring the finest, smoothest, richest chocolate; made entirely by hand, it is sold to the grandes dames of Paris.
It's a huge shift from the chocolate factory she worked in at home in the north of England. But when an accident changed everything, Anna was thrown back in touch with her French teacher, Claire, who offered her the chance of a lifetime - to work in Paris with her former sweetheart, Thierry, a master chocolatier.
With old wounds about to be uncovered and healed, Anna is set to discover more about real chocolate - and herself - than she ever dreamed.

It took me ages to finish this novel. That was, in part, due to the fact that I was glued to my TV watching the Olympics and out visiting friends over the couple of days it took me to read the book. It was also because I couldn't bring myself to read the book because I wasn't totally into it. I wanted to finish it so I could move on to my next read but I had no real desire to finish it. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong. I think many people would love it much more than I did. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for this story. It could also be because I really was expecting a typical Brit chick lit story and there were more serious issues discussed than I anticipated. 

I do think the novel should have been shorter. Goodreads tells me it's 416 pages, my eARC said it was 384. I did a quick look at the chick lit novels I've read this year and can see that most of them are between 200 and 300 pages. More pages means more story which is usually awesome...except when it seems to be unnecessary. I think there should have been some trimming done - especially at the beginning, which I found to be very slow. 

The story was told in two perspectives, which I both liked and disliked. The majority of the story was told in first person, through Anna's eyes. We also got to see Claire's perspective in the present, in third person, and her past, also in third person and italicized and set apart from the rest of the story (if that makes sense...). It was a little jarring but I really did like Claire's story. In fact, I think it could be a lovely historical story in its own right. 

My favourite part of the entire book was the setting. I've never been to Paris (someday, maybe) but I felt like the book really showed what the city is really like. The people who live there, not the tourists. The shops. The buildings. It was all so clear and I loved reading the scenes where Claire experiences the secrets Paris has to offer. And, of course, I loved every single scene that took place in the chocolate shop. Yum.

I liked that the romance kept me on my toes. It wasn't exactly typical. I found myself wondering if what I thought was going to happen actually would happen. It wasn't super romantic either. The male love interest was a little...brash, I suppose, and you never really know where he stands. I'm not usually a huge fan of epilogues or final chapters that totally and perfectly wrap things up but I was glad that the last chapter in this book let me know exactly how the characters were doing after the traumatic event that occurs near the end of the novel. And I don't just mean that I was glad to know if there was a romantic Happily Ever After or not. I really did need to know if the characters were all ok. I may not have loved them all but I wanted to see them do well.

I'll say it again: I may not have been thrilled by Jenny Colgan's novel The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris but that doesn't mean you won't be. If you like your chick lit with a lot of depth, read this one. If you want to read about the real Paris, read this one. I hope you enjoy it!

*An advanced ecopy of this novel was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

July Chick Lit Review #2: Men, Money, and Chocolate

This is my second review this month for the Chick Lit Plus Challenge. I decided to do two because I had actually already read the book I originally chose for July. No idea when but I did. Bizarre! So, I chose Men, Money, and Chocolate by Menna van Praag. I saw it at the library and the title, cover, and synopsis pulled me in. Unfortunately, the rest of the novel didn't thrill me. Let's start with the synopsis from Goodreads and then I'll get into my thoughts of the book.

Maya spends each day in her café, dreaming of a perfect life: one filled with love, wealth, and beauty. But she can’t create the life she longs for. She tries to find fulfillment in the pursuit of men and money, and when that doesn’t work, she seeks comfort in chocolate. This just leaves her empty and lost. Then Maya meets a magical stranger who sets her on a path to create the life of her dreams. . .  This sweet and touching true-life tale about love, success, weight loss, and enlightenment will show you what is possible when you listen to your heart, believe in yourself, and take inspired action in the direction of your dreams. Based on the author’s actual experiences, this is a tale of transformation that teaches you how to love another without losing yourself, find work that fills your heart, and embrace the beauty of your body.

The main reason I didn't like this book was because it was too inspirational and self-help-y. (Yes, I just made up the word self-help-y.) I was expecting a novel that had a protagonist that went on a personal journey and eventually found a man. What I got was a novel that read like a self help book with lots of life lessons and so on. I am realizing that I really can't express the reason I didn't like this aspect of the book and I'm sorry for that! It's sort of hard to explain but if it was a true story (and it was very heavily based on Menna's own journey) it would have been found in the self help section of your local bookstore. Does that help at all? Hopefully!

That being said - I didn't dislike Maya, surprisingly enough. I could understand how she was feeling a little stuck and just didn't know what to do about it. She started off being almost skeptical of the New Age stuff her cousin recommends but she eventually is quite immersed in that lifestyle. I guess since I don't really believe in psychics etc. I didn't appreciate this part of the novel but I'm sure others would.

I think it's great that Maya took charge of her life and did something that scared her - closing the cafe she was running after her mother passed away and taking that time to write. Not everyone has the guts to do that and she should be commended for that. However, I really didn't like that the book Maya wrote is titled the same as the novel, Men, Money, and Chocolate. Does that seem weird to anyone else?

Overall, I didn't love the book and can't really bring myself to really recommend it. If you're the kind of person who loves browsing the self help books at the store, I think you'd enjoy this one, at least a little bit. For everyone else? Unfortunately, I'd have to give it a pass. Can't love 'em all, right?