Bo Benitez doesn't hold a grudge. She is currently visiting the planet Zant, which is home to the aliens who recently tried to eat Bo. But she's a holo-(television)-star and this is great for her image, even if it's really hard for her to do.

But things only get harder for Bo as she learns that Earth has been exported bad chocolate while at the same time getting the rest of the galaxy hooked on the sweetened, refined cacao. Should she go public with the news? She's already in the hot seat with so many different people and companies. Or should she just keep smiling and play the game she's paid to play? But when a new threat appears she doesn't have much choice as to what she must do next.

This is the second book in a series and I was only mildly interested in the first book. This volume, however, steps it up a notch with the characters and action.

The characters were a little more clear to me, and the relationships stronger. And while it only bothered me a little bit in the first book, I thought the blending of English and Spanish was better here. And I still really love the fact that this is a Latina protagonist - it just makes a lot of sense.

Like the first book, there is a lot of 'out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire' action here. It's non-stop, which is what you would expect with a space opera.

And still ... there's something here that doesn't connect with me. I want to like this. I live the general concept and the characters, but I still don't feel drawn in to the story. it's getting better, but still not there.

Looking for a good book? <em>Pure Chocolate</em> by Amber Royer is the second book in the Chocoverse series and better than the first, but still not quite sweet enough for my palette.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out strong and I really wanted to like it, but it just lost my attention in the middle. I stopped caring about what would happen next. Poor pacing and a mystery like feel that just lacked that extra level of good drama. I think some additional editing would have helped ratchet up the tension. Also, not enough character development to really care about them or even the fate of the earth of this book. A bit blah.

Pure Chocolate brings us back to the brilliance of Amber Royer’s Chocoverse, filled with all of the enticing drama, danger, and epicness of a space opera. We’re immediately thrown into the action and it never slows down. Our favorite holo-star finds herself caught up in any number of telenovela-style dramatics, including, but not limited to, a squid riding fiasco, an assassination attempt, the disappearance of a close friend, and the never-ending shadiness of the villainous HGB corporation. Prepare to gasp, laugh, and devour every page of this endlessly entertaining read.

In the first book, Free Chocolate, we were introduced to wonderful characters, intense aliens, and a universe obsessed with Chocolate. In this second addition to the series, we see Bo and Brill still making it work as they fly between planets intent on making their lives difficult. This series is so much fun. As I’ve said many times before, I’m a HUGE fan of space operas and Royer is an expert at dramatic timing and flash-bang plot incursions that excite and fuel a fast-moving narrative. There are always new developments and they’re as fun as they are bizarre and unexpected.

The series really shines in terms of character development and settings. We get to see a lot of this universe, traveling to new planets filled with wonders and dangers alike. Drama and hardship has brought Bo’s friend group closer together and we get to know them better. We see Brill at his most vulnerable, and we get a sense of just how much Bo means to him. We see Chestla in her element, stalking around her terrifying planet and protecting Bo at all costs. We spend a lot of time with the Zantites which, if you’ve read the first book, is a terrifying premise. It’s character growth I was excited to see.

Above all, Pure Chocolate shows us how exciting and adventurous space can be. There are dramatics and near-death experiences aplenty and, after all of the mayhem and international incidents, we’re left with a group of closely-knit characters you want to root for.