Member Reviews
Oh my goodness, what a beautiful story! Chocolate, love, friendships and Christmas what's not to love? Clara and Gabriel trying to work out their lives and loves amongst the crisp air of Switzerland, it also made me very hungry especially when cheese was added! A wonderful, heartwarming read
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for my ARC copy.
As soon as I saw Jo Thomas had a new christmas book coming out I knew I had to request a copy, And it really did not disappoint. I really enjoyed every last part of this book (Minus Daniel). It was such a sweet story and I love the friendships that built throughout. I will 100% be buying a physical copy to add to my collection.
This book was excellent and I could not put it down. The setting was beautiful and so Christmasy and Jo’s descriptive writing made me feel like I was sitting there having a hot Chocolate, trying a Tartiflette (which sounded amazing )or raclette in the snowy alps.
The characters were brilliant and I loved Clara and the journey she goes through. The friendships she makes are so heartwarming and the ending was just perfect and had me in tears.
My only complaint was that I kept wanting to eat chocolate and cheese as all the dishes sounded amazing.
Another fantastic 5 star Christmas story from
Jo Thomas which I would recommend to everyone.
Thanks to NetGalley, Jo Thomas and Random House UK Transworld Publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Is there anything more Christmassy than chocolates in a snowy Switzerland. The setting was beautiful and I could picture myself there breathing in the fresh air. It’s a classic Jo Thomas book with a slightly predictable romance story but it definitely doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. A perfect book for a cosy Christmas read.
I absolutely love Jo Thomas so anytime she has a book available I’m so ready! I loved this beautiful and heartfelt Christmas themed story. I loved watching Clara and her journey and all the delicious food/pastries talk made my mouth water. I also loved Gabriel’s character as well and how beautifully the story was laid out. I’ll be anxiously awaiting her next book!
this is my first time getting to read an arc, and i was really excited. unfortunately, the book wasn't as good as i'd hoped it would be. i generally love christmas romances, but the book didn't have much of a christmas vibe. it’s more so surrounding chocolate and switzerland, but that wasn’t why i didn’t love the book. honestly, the idea for the plot was amazing. but the execution could have been done better. (there are spoilers down below, so if u plan to read the book, don’t continue)
there were too many exclamation marks in the book to my liking. (even more than the first book of tog) i don’t think anyone speaks or thinks with that much enthusiasm, 24/7. that made it hard for me to sympathise with the fmc :( i thought it was really clever how the mmc lost his sense of taste, and how the fmc found out about it. but how she confronted him about it, how they got into an argument, and how he apologised - i found those parts quite dull. and i don’t really understand the fmc. it was obvious she felt nothing for daniel after breaking up with him for the first time. but then, she went back to him and had twelve dates with him? okay, i know it was for the chocolates that she had to create, but couldn’t she have gone on dates with gabriel instead? if she wants to feel inspired by the dates, it wouldn’t be with her ex that belittles her and dated other ppl while being broken up with her (he was also begging her to get back with him)
i think the best parts of the book was the friendship that grew between the other students in the class. how they went from hating clara, to making the last piece of chocolate for her, so that she would be able to get her certificate. if the book focused more on this area and the dynamics between them, i would probably have enjoyed it a lot more.
3 ⭐️
This was a really warm-hearted read set in a wonderful location and better still contains much chocolate. After taking voluntary redundancy Clara takes a leap of faith by joining her fairly new boyfriend Daniel in Geneva where he has been offered a new job. Whilst Clara finds her feet she embarks on a 6 week chocolate making course where she find herself totally out of her depth and with nothing in common with the other students who are half her age. There’s some brilliant characters and each has their own story to tell, there’s some fantastic history in the location and some (mostly) delicious sounding chocolates. Clara herself was a far stronger person than she gave herself credit for and I loved the impact she had on others, there’s some challenges in this for her but overall it’s a deliciously enjoyable and uplifting read, best enjoyed with a good portion of chocolate.