TBR Challenge 2013: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

I made it! Cut it close, but nothing matters because at the end of the day, I made it!! Woohoo!! Just been a long while :) Now, if I can only keep it up... Anyway, let's forget my blogging blues and talk about the book. What Happened to Goodbye has been in my TBR pile ever since it was released. Why didn't I read it before as I usually enjoy Ms Dessen's books, I have no idea. However, now that I have her newest The Moon and More in my TBR pile, I thought it was a good time to pick up What Happened to Goodbye :)


What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
published by Penguin (Viking Juvenile) in May 2011

Who is the real McLean?

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Series: None

The Story: For as far as McLean Sweet can remember, university basketball has always been a passion in her family, most especially the local team from Defriese University for which her father played. After all, McLean is named after one of the DB's most successful coach. However, three years ago, everything changed for McLean when her mother who was having an affair with the new DB coach demanded a divorce because she was pregnant... with twins. And because of the coach's status, the affair became very public and it resulted in a lot of gossips and talking from everyone - the neighbors, sportswriters, classmates, etc.

When her father sold their restaurant and took a job as a consultant, McLean chose to live with him, even if it meant traveling and not staying in the same town for long. In fact, she has embraced those new starts, creating a new persona each time, trying to leave her problems behind. She's been Eliza the cheerleader, Lizbeth the drama queen and Beth the perfect student. In Lakeview, their newest home, McLean intends to become Liz, but before she can put her plans in place, people are already addressing her as McLean. However, she is not sure who McLean is any longer... and in that case, how to be herself?

My Opinion: Ms Dessen is one of the favorite contemporary YA authors in blogland and after reading good reviews after good reviews, I finally caved and picked up her books. What I enjoy most about Ms Dessen's books is that her stories are never about high school drama. Instead, they are about her characters having real emotional issues and figuring things out... and What Happened to Goodbye is not exception :)

In What Happened to Goodbye, a good part of the book deals with the aftermath of the divorce, McLean's feelings and her relationships with her parents. I thought Ms Dessen did a remarkable job with that aspect of the story. It was indeed very believable. My parents have never divorced, so I've never been through what McLean was going through, but had it been me in place of McLean, I think I'd be feeling the same way. It wasn't only about the divorce either which was hard enough, but the betrayal of her mother having an affair and getting pregnant. As such, I really understand why McLean chose to live with her father. It wasn't just the hurt and betrayal, but also the sense of loyalty she felt for her him. I also think that McLean's mother handled it badly by not answering McLean's questions or talk about it with her. Even if her answers had been mundane or cliches such as "we've grown apart," it would have helped, established a connection instead of closing it. Pushing for a relationship also wasn't the best move she could have done, not when McLean needed time and distance which is one of the reasons why she chose to live with her father. Even McLean's confused feelings about not recognizing her mother since she "traded-up" were spot on. Longing for something that didn't exist anymore :( This whole part of the story was very emotional and very well-written.

Something else that I really liked about What Happened to Goodbye was McLean's parents. They definitively weren't absent parents and actually were a big presence in McLean's life. From the beginning of the book, you can see that McLean is a daddy's girl. She has a connection with him and she's trying to take care of him and while her father did miss some things, he did his best with McLean as well. Also, as strained as her relationship was with her mother, at least, McLean had one. And the reason it was so strained was because they were so close to each other before the divorce. You don't often see such closeness with both parents in contemporary YA from my experience and that's why I thought it was refreshing.

As for the rest of What happened to Goodbye, it was pretty typical Sarah Dessen in my opinion. The heroine has her issues and figure things out as she meets interesting people among which is a love interest. Let's take it in reverse order :) First, the love interest is her neighbor Dave. He's a genius boy, the son of two college professors, who wants to experience the normal life of a high schooler... which kind of landed him in trouble. I liked what I saw of David - he was a nice guy; however, he won't make the top of the list of favorite Sarah Dessen's heroes, mostly because he didn't leave a deep impression in my opinion. I feel David`s character wasn't develop enough and everything we got from him was on the surface only :(  Second was McLean's new friends. They were a pleasant cast of characters, pretty normal people and that's what McLean probably need. Normalcy. There was one among them that stood out, Deb. I wonder if she has a story and if she does, I wouldn't mind reading :) Finally, McLean's issues. Obviously, they were closely tied to her parents' divorce. I think that at any given time, everyone wants to forget their problems and start fresh... and in McLean's case, she had that opportunity three times and used it. Yes, she was running away, but at the same time, I don't think there was anything wrong with it as long as she would eventually face her problems, which she did. The only unfortunate thing about making up new personas was that McLean didn't have any real friends, nobody she let in close in the time when she really needed someone to talk to :( The thing though with What Happened to Goodbye is that readers aren't witnesses to McLean's personas. For us, this is all after the fact and what we get in the story is McLean dealing with being herself again. It was interesting, but not very exciting or engaging.

My Grade: B. I think What Happened to Goodbye could have been more powerful, but at least, all the emotions related to the divorce were spot on and lent a very realistic aspect to the book :) While it  had some flaws and was not the most memorable book by Ms Dessen, What Happened to Goodbye was a nonetheless very solid and enjoyable read :)

Review: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Wow, another week that goes by without a post ^_^; Let's hope I put an end to this right now with this review! Yes, finally a review! LOL. And you won't believe how long it took me to write this one ^_^; However, I'm glad that I've finally managed to finish it because The Rising is a book I've really wanted to share with everyone :) Beware, it's not my best review. I think I'm a bit rusty...

By the way, in case you guys are wondering, no new books this week, so no Hauling Sunday post. Now, ready? Because here we go! :P


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
published by Harpercollins in April 2013

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Series: Darkness Rising, Book #3

The Story: The Rising basically picks up where The Calling left off. Maya, Daniel and Corey are on their own and trying to figure things out - where to go, what to do, whom to contact... and to trust, all the while staying ahead of the Cabals hunting for them. With most of their companions captive and the world thinking they have died in a helicopter crash, their options are scarce. One thing they know for sure; they cannot keep running all their lives nor do they want to... Is there a possibility that life could go back to the way it was? If there is, Maya and her friends will do everything and reach the necessary people for it to happen.

My Opinion: I love Ms Armstrong's writing, but to be honest, the Darkness Rising trilogy hasn't been my favorite work of hers so far. So when I got The Rising, my initial intent was to take a peek and put it aside for later. However, once I took that peek, I was completely hooked - simply couldn't put it down and ended up reading the whole thing LOL.

My enjoyment of The Rising is in large part due to Maya's gang finally meeting up with Chloe's group from the Darkest Powers trilogy. This is something I've been hoping for throughout the trilogy and it finally happening, well it made my day :) I just enjoyed the interactions between the two groups as their circumstances differed a lot. On one hand, you have Maya's gang who all grew in this community of experiment subjects, being monitored without really knowing it. Now on the run, they have to rely on themselves. While most of Chloe's group has been aware of being experiment subjects and have been trying to learn and control their powers. In addition, they can rely on Chloe's aunt and Derek and Simon's father. The contrasting idea between the two projects was also interesting to me. Project Genesis which Chloe stems from was to genetically enhance powers of supernaturals while Project Phoenix which includes Maya was  to revive supernatural beings that have been extincted. But quite honestly, at the end of the day, I just wanted updates of Chloe's group as I personally preferred them to Maya's ^_^; And LOL, let just say Derek's reaction didn't disappoint :)

What I also really liked in The Rising was the resolution at the end. Maya and Chloe's groups have been on the run for a while... Is that all their future holds for them? The answer is no :) I personally really wished that they had gone to the supernatural council. I think Paige and company need to know about them, about these projects... However, as they hadn't gone to the council, I think the person they went to make the best sense: Sean Nast. With Lucas and Sean taking leading positions in the Cabal clans and the emergence of the supernatural council, you can see that things are starting to change... and it's quite exciting to actually see Sean's position in the Cabals solidifying :) Perhaps I'm biased, but I feel Sean is someone that Maya and Chloe can trust. He's the one that going to be the most upfront with them. In any case, as I said, I liked the resolution at the end. Yes, they are still dependent on the Cabals, but at least, they are no longer on the run. They can live a "normal" life with their families. Also, they are now aware of their powers and the choices they will have to make in the future. It's not perfect, but it's better than what they could hope for at the beginning of The Rising.

Now, what about the story of The Rising itself? It was okay. To me, the scenes where Maya and her friends were on the run were a bit draggy. There were also some events that I felt were a bit too convenient such as Maya's twin Ash appearance. Still, there were some good twists and those kept the story going :) And finally, Maya realized her feelings for Daniel! Finally! I've been rooting for Daniel since the beginning and seriously, he's such a good guy... How could Maya not like him? This is one thing that Ms Armstrong hasn't handled really well in my opinion in both trilogies: love triangles. There haven't really been any in her adult books and I know YA books need a bit of drama, but she's just not very good at them ^_^; Perhaps because there is such an unbalance between the two potential love interests. In the Darkest Powers trilogy, she did a better job because Simon and Derek started on an equal footing - they both met Chloe at the same time and as brothers, they knew each other so well. But in Darkness Rising? I think everyone was rooting for Daniel.

At the end of the day, I'm glad the Darkness Rising trilogy is over. Ms Armstrong did her best with this trilogy; however, I think the odds were stacked against her... There were technically two huge flaws to this series. The first one is that being an avid fan of Ms Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, I knew so much more than the characters themselves... So waiting for the blocks to fall into place and the characters to figure things out was just agonizing! The second flaw was the similarities of what Maya and her friends were going through to the events from the Darkness Powers trilogy. Yes, circumstances were different, but in both cases, the heroines found out she was a supernatural and ended up being on the run, having to figure things out. It just took a lot of the thrills out. However, I'm really excited to see what Ms Armstrong has in store for Maya and Chloe in the future! The Women of the Otherworld series is now going on hiatus and so are the characters for these two trilogies... but I would love Ms Armstrong to pick up this world again in a few years and show us what have become of Maya and Chloe and mix them with our beloved characters from the Women of the Otherworld series :) That is going to be really exciting :)

My Grade: B+. This grade is a bit on the high side, but keep in mind that I'm really a fan of the Women of the Otherworld series :) For me, The Rising was definitively the best installment out of three books in this trilogy and it was in large part due to the cross-over and the resolution :) As I mentioned earlier, once I started the book, I was hooked and that deserves recognition, hence the B+. As a whole, the Darkness Rising trilogy might not have been Ms Armstrong's best work, but the doors it opens... I can't wait to explore that!

Hauling Sunday CXIV

Okay... so this was not how I planned my come-back to blogging after my blogiversary post ^_^; My excuses are the usual: busy and my blogging muse is still on vacation, sigh. However, it's high time I stop complaining and just blog! Warning though, my reviews might come out a bit incoherent LOL.  

Before getting to my new books though, I thought I'd share pictures of what I've been up to lately :) Seriously, I don't know what it is this year, but it feels like my calendar is really full! A bit part is fun like curling, trips and gatherings... but I've got several grown-up appointments as well and that got me running. 

So a couple of weeks ago, we went horseback riding :) It was my first time!

LOL, it was a fun experience and I'll definitively try it again :) Although I have to say, I'm such a city girl!

Then last week-end was a long one so we took the opportunity to get away :P We went to a chalet about an hour away. 

We BBQ-ed... a lot of food LOL. We also did some canoe, played some games, told stories, built a fire, made cookies, chilled in a hot tub and on the side of a pool :) Another experience that I'd repeat, but if we had to go again, I'd love it for a tad longer :)

And yesterday, we went to pick berries! We got lucky and found a place that had both strawberries and raspberries ready for picking at the same time :) However, next year, we probably should go on separate occasions, because it was the first day for raspberries and they weren't as bountiful and sweet as if we've waited one more week. 

We were a bit concerned about the weather initially, but it turned out to be a beautiful day... although a bit warm. And the strawberries were oh so sweet! :)

And here are my constant in life, my new precious from the last couple of weeks :)

 

These were all books I was looking forward to which is why I pre-ordered them LOL. What the Duke Desires is the first book in Ms Jeffries' new series, The Duke's Men. I'm hoping this series hits me better than The Hellions of Halstead Hall. The Newcomer is the newest release by Ms Carr and one I've been really looking forward. I really enjoy the feel of Thunder Point and can't wait to read more about it :) I've enjoyed The Reckless Brides series so far and hope it will continue on with Scandal in the Night... although I don't think there isn't any cross-dressing from the heroine in this one LOL. One of my favorite debut author for 2013 has been Kasie West and she had another book out, this time a contemporary YA. Not my favorite genre, but definitively willing to give The Distance Between Us a try :) And finally but not least, Fifth Grave Past the Light, the newest installment in the Charley Davidson series! Yay! Can't wait to see what Charley is up to!

What about you? Got any good books lately?

Seven years of blogging!!...

Hi everyone :)

Yes, I'm alive LOL. Still plagued by the blogging blues ^_^; However, today is a special day and blues or not, I had to put up a post... because it's my blogiversary! Yay! Hard to believe it, but I have been blogging for seven years! Seven!! Jeez, how time flies :P

There's definitively been ups and downs in the past seven years, but that's to be expected. That's life :) What blogging has brought to me - friendships, a sense of accomplishments, sharing my love of books - is invaluable and had made my life richer :) And that's why despite a miserable year, I'm not ready to give it up :) And I know what I need to do! Just stop complaining and plow through the blues! LOL.

Anyway, what I really want to say is thank you to everyone who is following my blog :) You're the one that made this such a big part of my life! Thanks!

Busy week!

Awwww, no review this week :( I'm going to try to write a few this week-end to make it up, but no guarantee ^_^; I really wanted to write a book review the whole week, but just didn't have the time and energy.

It all started last week-end with my sleep pattern being all messed up. I ended up going to bed very late on Friday night, waking up early and therefore napping during the day... which resulted in going to bed even later on Saturday night and repeat the whole process again. In addition, I worked on last Sunday so I could have Wednesday off to attend my sister's convocation day. So yeah, I was just out of juice by the time Monday rolled in... And then, yesterday was the annual event that promotes awareness for men's health. I've talked about this event a few times on this blog because I had to collect samples for our research. Last year was nice because while I did participate, I didn't have to collect... but this year, my new boss decided to do it and she sprung the news on me at the last minute. I was in charge because I had experience, so I had to plan everything out, make sure we had all the equipment and so on. It found it more stressful this year because I wasn't at work on Wednesday - the day before - for last minute preparation and also, because it was new people who would do the processing of the samples. Anyway, long story short, I again did survive. However, let just say that on Monday and Tuesday, I went to bed really early to recharge and store up energy for the event ^_^;

And last but not least, my sister graduated on Wednesday! Yay! This was her second bachelor, this time in administration. It's not every day you graduate so my sister wanted a nice outfit for the day... and so it was shopping time LOL. My sister had a specific idea of a dress in mind, but she couldn't find it. She then lowered her requirements to "dress with pockets" but that's not obvious to find either. In the end, she settled for a cute skirt with pockets... but she didn't have any top to go with it. Funny how when you don't look for something, it abounds in store, but as soon as you have an idea in your mind, you just can't find it! But in the end, she found her cute outfit :) And as usual, convocation turned out to be a nice family day :)

Congrats Emilie!

And so this is why I didn't review anything. Barely read as well! However, I definitively plan to catch up this week-end! What about you, how was your week?

Hauling Sunday CXIII

Hey everyone! how is your week-end going? Mine is rainy and a bit short. This Wednesday, my sister is graduating :) So in order to attend her graduation ceremony, I switched day and am working today. Ah well, it's for a good cause :)

It's hard to believe we're already in June, especially with the weather we've been having here in Montreal. This year, I find I've been a pretty good girl book-buying-wise and I realize my habits have changed. I pre-order a lot of books online nowadays: hardcovers and trades at Indigo online and paperbacks at Book Depository. I just save a lot of money that way and when you buy as much books as we do, it's good to be thrifty :) As a direct consequence though, it means that I don't go to the bookstore as often... at least, not to browse. Nowadays, it's more like a tactical hit: go in the store, locate the target, pick and buy it LOL. However, this week-end finally had the "Buy 3, get the 4th free" promotion that I've been waiting for all year and so, I went and had fun :) And this is what I got:

And because this week was the beginning of the month, I had some very nice goodies coming in the mail:

***

Yep, this is quite the haul! :) It's been such a while since I had such a haul, let me tell you, it feels really good!! LOL.

So let see, some books I had already read, but bought to support the authors such as Once Tempted, Did You Miss Me?, The Chocolate Thief and The Chocolate Kiss. `Til Death and The Emperor's Clothes were on my list to buy whenever such a promotion would be available because I'm a huge fan of both Sharon Sala and Victoria Alexander and strive to have their entire work collections :) I remember seeing Homecoming by Lacey Baker when I was checking out new releases. It slipped my mind, but when I came across it, I decided to pick it up because of the cover and the blurb - looks like a cute book :) It's been a while since I last read Lori Foster, but I remember Bare it All got some good buzz, so decided to give it a try. That Night on Thistle Lane is another book that was kind of on my radar and decided to give a try... I picked up Geek Girl because I thought I should diversify a little my reads and was looking for a YA and this one is the one that caught my eyes :) Finally, the two Jim Butcher books I bought because my copies have a lot of wear and tear and since they're some of my favorites, I want pristine copies :)

As for the books I've received in the mail, well the fact that I pre-ordered them said it all right? :) Heart of Obsidian was a given and I love Ms Thomas' Harmony series :) Oh and I got a new copy of Almost Like Being in Love from my friend V because my original copy got a bit of damage due to water and the humid air of Punta Cana. I'll always have place of keepsafe copies of my favorite books :)

What about you? Got any new books this week?

Review: The Chocolate Rose by Laura Florand

Friday?! How did we get to be Friday already?! LOL. Initially, I was going to be smart and start this review during the week-end so I could post it earlier in the week - say Monday... but I got side-track by a certain Star Trek into the Darkness movie. No problem, Wednesday sounded good too... but there was the release of a certain Heart of Obsidian book that got in the way. But alas, I did it! My review of The Chocolate Rose! Enjoy!


The Chocolate Rose by Laura Florand
self-published in April 2013

Her father’s worst enemy...

Top chef Gabriel Delange never forgave his old nemesis Pierre Manon for all the other chef had cost him.

One stolen rose...

And he most certainly couldn’t stand the sight of his own most famous dessert, the legendary Rose, claimed as Pierre’s own on the cover of his new cookbook.

A substitute victim...

But even Gabriel could hardly go through with a lawsuit when he learned the older chef had just had a stroke. Especially not when Pierre had one very cute daughter willing to be Gabriel’s victim instead.

Jolie Manon...

As a child, Jo had seen her family torn apart by her top chef father’s obsession with his work. She had given years of her own adult life to trying to pull him out of depression, after he lost a star. Now a food writer, she might be fascinated with a chef’s work, but she knew how to guard her heart. She would never allow another chef into her life.

Unless he blackmailed her into it...

Welcome to the heat and sun of Provence, where jasmine and roses climb up old colored walls, where fountains play in ancient stone villages, and where even a beast can prove he is a prince at heart…

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: La Vie en Rose, Book #1/Amour et Chocolat (Paris Chocolatiers), Book #2.5

The Story: This being a self-published book, of course the blurb is accurate. However, it sounds a lot more mysterious and dramatic than the story really is. So here is my version of the blurb.

Our hero is Gabriel Delange, a chef pâtissier. In his youth, he was recruited by Pierre Manon to work at the Luxe so the restaurant could obtain a third Michelin star. Gabriel poured all his energy and worked tirelessly, creating fantastic desserts which gained the restaurant the coveted star. However, soon afterward, Pierre and Gabriel's relationship soured when Pierre failed to acknowledge Gabriel's contribution and Gabriel was fired. He returned to Provence where he opened his own restaurant and became the first chef pâtissier to win three stars on his own merits. And when Pierre Manon's cookbook was published using one of Gabriel's most prized creations - the chocolate Rose, Gabriel did what he had warned Pierre he'd do if the latter ever  appropriate Gabriel's work as his own again: he sued.

Our heroine is Jolie Manon, half-French/half-American and the daughter of Pierre Manon. After her parents' divorce, Jolie got to spend the summer with her father and often spent them in his restaurant's office. She always loved food and the bustle of the kitchen. Since she couldn't become a chef, she did the next best thing she could: she wrote about food. She's the one who wrote her father's cookbook, coaxing him out of his depression after he lost his star. Everything is poised for the promotion of the cookbook, but unfortunately, just before the release, Pierre suffered a stroke. Because her father is already in a precarious mood since he lost some of his dexterity due to the stroke, Jolie decides to handle the lawsuit by herself and the first step is to meet Gabriel.

At their first meeting, Gabriel is attracted to Jolie even before knowing her identity. After learning about Pierre's stroke and knowing that 1) he's actually suing Jolie and not Pierre and 2) there's no chance for him to win this case because a recipe cannot be patented, Gabriel agrees to drop the lawsuit. In exchange, he wants Jolie to write his cookbook which means that Jolie will be spending half the week in his company in Provence where he'll have the time to woo her.

Soon, Jolie finds herself shuttling between Paris and Nice, stuck in the middle of two men in her life... will she have the courage to follow her heart?

My Opinion: It's not a secret that I'm a huge fan of Ms Florand and has been ever since her first book, Blame it on Paris. As such, I was really excited when I found out about The Chocolate Rose, especially since the book was kind of unexpected :) In situations like this, self-published books by your favorite authors are really the best surprises LOL. However, as happy as I was about its release and as much as I love Ms Florand's books, I admit I do have mixed feelings about The Chocolate Rose...

In general, I did enjoy The Chocolate Rose. I love Ms Florand's writing style and The Chocolate Rose did not change that. In the past couple of years, cooking shows have become more popular and there seems to be this new awareness about chefs and cuisines... at least in North America. I myself have become a fan of Masterchef Australia and have learned more about international chefs. As such, I've been wanting to read more about chefs characters in romance books, but I found that few authors can pull it out and Ms Florand is one of them. When it comes to the intensity of the culinary world environment, nobody writes it like Ms Florand. The passion, work, dedication, sacrifice and competition are palpable. In Ms Florand's books, you're not simply reading it, you really can feel it how much hard work and how tough being a chef is, but the pride and joy it brings... and The Chocolate Rose is no exception. Also, when it comes to the romance, I feel that Ms Florand has really hit her stride at writing the sexual tension between the H/H. As a result, the romance is always very intense and it works for me :) So on the writing front, I'm happy as a clam LOL.

Where I had issues with The Chocolate Rose was mainly with the characters. As a whole, I actually quite liked Gabriel's character. I felt for him about not getting recognition after all that hard work and admired him for proving his worth to the world. I liked his expressiveness LOL. He definitively wasn't shy to express his opinions and he was also very honest :) Also, I thought his desire to have a girlfriend, to be in a relationship was funny. It was cute that he was jealous of Daniel for having found the woman of his life so young LOL. However at times, this desire of Gabriel to have a girlfriend seemed a bit too exaggerated, felt a bit too juvenile and is actually connected to my issue with Gabriel. So when Gabriel and Jolie first met, he wasn't aware that she was Pierre Manon's daughter. Instead, he thought she was his new employee and immediately put her to work. And then, after the lunch service, he fired her and right away, asked her out on a date. I know he fired her because she was not good enough to work in his kitchen, but the situation still made me quite uncomfortable. The scene was written in a way that it was supposed to be lighthearted and funny; however, it just bothered me. Had she been competent, would he still have fired her and asked her out? And then later, the whole bargain of dropping the lawsuit and her writing his cookbook so they could spend time together so he could convince her to go on a date with him. The whole thing just felt a bit too forced and didn't work for me. I also had some issues with Jolie. Unfortunately, I did not like her as much as I liked Gabriel mainly because of her personality. Oh, she wasn't a bad or anything. Actually, if you think about it, her character was quite realistic and believable. However, I just didn't connect with her. Jolie wasn't weak per se, but she was a bit too conciliatory, trying to please everyone and as a result, didn't seem to have a lot of self-confidence. And as much as I admired her for being there for her father, I really disliked the way she coddled him. Yes, he just recovered from a stroke, but her father is someone with very strong personality. What he needed to get out of his funk was tough love, not someone who would give in his every whim. I would have liked to see her stand up to him more, especially since at times, it was clear he was emotionally manipulating her. Another thing that bothered me as well was the mixed signals she kept sending to Gabriel. She was obviously attracted to him, but whenever Gabriel would ask her out or say/do something, she would get offended. I know she misunderstood his behavior a time or two, thinking he was treating her a bit too casually, but seriously, I didn't see where she got that impressions and as a result, I felt she was a tad too susceptible ^_^; Overall, it feels like Jolie didn't understand the two men in her life... Finally, my last issue with The Chocolate Rose was the timeline. I feel everything happened too quickly, that the timeline of the book was too short for Gabriel and Jolie to really get to know each other, especially with Gabriel who kept pushing for a relationship. I think the romance in The Chocolate Rose would have been better if Jolie had been a bit more self-assured and if the romance had more time to develop.

All in all, as I said, I did enjoy The Chocolate Rose, even if it was flawed :) In addition to everything I've written above, I also enjoyed the cameo appearance of Daniel and Léa Laurier, the H/H of Turning Up the Heat, although I can't help but wish they had a meatier role :P I also liked the change of setting, moving from Paris to Nice. Ms Florand didn't expand as much as she usually does on the setting, but already, you can see the difference as it seems cozier and more serene :) And I fully expect we will discover Nice and Provence more in the future books! Speaking of future books, if I'm not wrong, The Chocolate Rose is supposed to gap Ms Florand's Amour et Chocolat (which I named Paris Chocolatiers series) and La Vie en Rose series and I think it fulfill its role perfectly :) I hope we get to read Raphaël and Matt's books in the future! For now, I know that The Chocolate Touch is coming out in July and I can't wait! I read the excerpt that was at the end of The Chocolate Rose and already, I know we're in for another sweet and intense treat :) Ahhhh, so happy that Ms Florand is back writing romance books!

My Grade: C+.