The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris: 04/26/20

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan is a very hard book to listen to. It opens with Anna Trent losing her toes in a chocolate factory accident. The first many chapters are her time in hospital and her recovery. Interspersed with that are the flashback chapters of her former teacher who is now dying of cancer.

Somewhere in the middle of all this very graphic melodrama is the story of Anna Trent going to work for the chocolatier who Claire (the teacher) knows and has a bittersweet (pun intended) history with.

The problem is, the story of a tiny chocolate shop around the corner from Notre Dame is lost in all this nonsense about Anna's toes. I understand that a woman set in her ways and comfortable with a rather boring routine needs jolt in her life to suddenly decide to up and move to Paris.

But the toes plot was over done. To then play it off thematically with a tale of missed love and one last chance to reunite before cancer takes its final toll was too much.

If I had read the book in print, I would have done a ton of skimming. Instead, though, I listened to the audiobook and skimming that way is harder. I admit, though, to speeding up the audio speed.

Three stars

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