Review : The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan

Title : The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris

Author : Jenny Colgan

Publication date :  March 14th 2013 by Sphere

Hello everyone, nice to see you again! So, this is the first book I have read that related to a certain food. Chocolate. Gosh, I bet many of you love this sweet indulgence. From the title, this book is clearly about chocolate and the romantic city, Paris.

Anna Trent is a thirty-something woman, who works in a local chocolate factory. Accident happens, she quits job and while hospitalized, she met her high-school French teacher, Clare. The then teachers and pupil are now friends and the kindhearted Clare teaches Anna a more advanced French. Anna never knows that the fact that she's being hospitalized opens a new door for a life changing experience in Paris.

My first impressions of The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris is that it is a typical chicklit book plot with typical chicklit book narration. But, judging for the thickness, it sure must have more depths in it otherwise, what a waste! Well, until I reached the last page, my first impressions remains. Despite of the catchy sweet title, this book doesn't have something special to offer.

Anna is a so so character. I don't love her, I don't hate her either. It's like I kind of "tolerate" her in this book. Oh, I almost forgot. This book is told by two different point of view, Anna and young Clare and I find young Clare's story to be more interesting. Anna's in the other hand, well, not that much. I know she tried to do her best, but still she doesn't impress me.

Clare's story, on the other hand is not bad at the beginning. She's a strong woman, I have to admit that, but there's a cowardice inside her that makes me lose my sympathy. To sum it up, none of this two story is great enough to be turned into 400 something pages long novel. Oh, don't get me stared with the dialogue. Very few of the narration/conversation give me food for thought. Most of them are like daily conversational thing, none of them really matters. This one is the best I could find, though. Not that it's so awesomely good:

"When you are young," he said, "you think you will get lots of chances at love. You are careless, you spend your youth and your freedom and your love because you think you will be rich with all these things forever. But they do not last. You spend it all, then you see if you have spent wisely"

2 rating for The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris. Such a waste of 400 pages because this book has a potential of being one of the touchiest book ever. But too bad it couldn't pull it off. Will I read Colgan's other novels? Maybe I would. She has written many books, maybe this is not her best work, after all. So, how about you? Have you ever read a food themed novel? Was it any good?