The Chocolate Touch by Laura Florand (Amour et Chocolat #4)
Released – July 30, 2013
Contemporary Romance
Kensignton

Reviewed by Mandi

Favorite Quote: “I can’t get enough of you. I’m  like some vampire, I’ll suck  you dry.”

“No.” He stroked her body urgently. “You said I was the sun, and you can’t suck the sun dry. I promise I won’t run out. I promise. You make me feel – “ like I can give out heat and love forever. And never, ever falter.

Dominique Richard is one of Paris’s best chocolatiers. At a young age his father thrust him into a butcher’s shop, but years later Dom escaped that profession, and made his way through elite pastry schools. Dom is a big guy, with an even bigger attitude and often wants to use his fists to solve his problems. One would say grace and patience are not his virtues. With his dark good looks, he has had his fair share of women, but none that have evolved into any type of relationship. Working in his kitchens that are upstairs and overlook his chocolate shop, he has seen the same woman come in every day by herself. She buys chocolates and other treats, eats them and then leaves. This woman fascinates Dom and she has become an obsession. He wants to barge right up to her and demand to know everything about her, but he knows that it is going to take finesse to introduce himself to this woman, and finesse is something Dom is lacking.

Jaime Corey is a heir to the Corey chocolate fortune. Corey Chocolate is a mass market producer of chocolate in America. Jaime spent her youth going a bit wild but as a young adult she got serious about labor reform on cocoa bean farms in the countries her company harvests. This started to consume her life and she was making real changes, until she was seriously assaulted and flown to Paris to recover in the hospital and eventually live with her sister. Now that she is stronger, she wants independence and she wants the very sexy chocolatier.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite and most anticipated series. Laura Florand has a knack for writing such intensely sexy heroes, adorable heroines and wrapping the entire book around Paris and quaint chocolate shops. The heroes personalities so large and fierce, yet they make these delicate, fragile creations. I love the contrast.

Dom starts this book by being completely obsessed with Jaime. Just wanting to pick her up, wrap her up and take her home. But he knows he must proceed with caution.

Merde, but this stuff was complicated. He kept trying to pretend she was chocolate because at least he understood that you could never rush chocolate, but since she persistently resembled a woman instead, it was hard for him to treat her like something he could stir with a spoon.

Unfortunately.

Eventually, his patience pays off, and he gets to spend time with her. Jaime has just as big of a crush on him too, and can’t believe that this sexy famous chef, has eyes for her. After Jaime’s assault, she has a lot of muscle weight to gain back and self confidence. But with the intensity of Dom, he gives her confidence in spades.

It might not be what the doctor had ordered for her, mille-feuilles for breakfast. But the golden flakiness sandwiching intense chocolate cream, fed to her by a rough, wild man who watched her every bite with absorption…it filled her with his caring, as if he could stuff her so full of golden warmth and rich, sweet reassurance that she could be healed down to the marrow of her bones.

Dom is this huge guy, who is ready to punch anyone and everyone constantly (except his staff who constantly give him a hard time and he secretly loves it) and yet when he gets around Jaime, the romantic side of him comes out. He blushes, he says pretty things to her. He wants to be a different man for her. A better man, less scary and more open.

“Can I keep you?” he whispered against her skin. But he was down at the small of her back at that point, and he didn’t think she heard.

She certainly didn’t say yes.

He trailed his jaw and his lips back up the line of her spine, thinking of ways he could get her to say yes. And he licked te nape of her neck until she was all one shivering moan, completely his. For this moment, completely his.

“Can I? he whispered again into her ear…

So sexy, so romantic, and so much fun being in Paris surrounded by chocolate. Another winner from Laura Florand. Highly recommend.

Rating: B+

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