The Chocolate Touch (Amour et Chocolat #4) by Laura Florand

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In romantic Paris, we meet Dominique Richards, famous artisanal chocolatier whose creations carry within them a note of darkness and bitterness from the world he came from. Jaime Corey has been coming to this particular chocolate shop for the last few weeks.  In this place, she finds the warmth and sustenance her body has needed for the last 3 months.  Two people with pasts they would rather forget.  In chocolates, they communicate their wishes and wants and their desire to be able to keep one another despite feeling they are on borrowed time.   

Coming off from my first Laura Florand novel, The Chocolate Thief, I was expecting The Chocolate Touch to be of similar vein. Surprisingly it was not. The author's unique style of writing in vivid imagery was still very much present. The sensual touch of each word transports you to Paris and the delightful world of artisanal chocolates. Dominic and Jaime are both well written characters, broken but in their own way survivors despite  each ones traumatic pasts.  Although part of a series, this one can definitely stand alone.  The secondary characters are familiar although if you haven't read the other books it would not really detract from the story.  The setting of Paris, the description of the background and the main characters have been done in such a way that as readers, one almost feels a part of the story that is unfolding.  The dialogue is so different, almost minimal.  Its mostly internal, what Dom or Jaime were thinking.  Here, you can definitely feel the hesitancy, the urge to control what Dom wanted to do.  He felt overwhelmed with Jaime and suddenly you have a character that seems crude almost brutish on the outside but so insecure of who he was he felt undeserving of her.  Jaime, at first appears frail almost fragile inside and out. But as the story progresses she appears the stronger one, despite the fact she feels so weak.  I love this book, it had this quiet tone to it but nevertheless its impact is still very much felt. Each written word was to be savored, lingered on and absorbed. The same way that both characters do, Jaime with the way she seems to absorb Dominic's chocolates and later on Dominic himself and same goes for him with the way he treasures each encounter with Jaime. The ending was skillfully done as well, not totally an HEA but still a very romantic and a very real Happily Every Single Day. A must read for readers of contemporary romance.  Laura Florand truly shines as a writer with The Chocolate Touch.



Summary:

La Vie en Chocolat

Dominique Richard's reputation says it all--wild past, wilder flavors, black leather and smoldering heat. Jaime Corey is hardly the first woman to be drawn to all that dark, delicious danger. Sitting in Dom's opulent chocolaterie in Paris day after day, she lets his decadent creations restore her weary body and spirit, understanding that the man himself is entirely beyond her grasp.

Until he touches her. . .
Chocolate, Dominique understands--from the biting tang of lime-caramel to the most complex infusions of jasmine, lemon-thyme, and cayenne. But this shy, freckled American who sits alone in his salon, quietly sampling his exquisite confections as if she can't get enough of them--enough of him--is something else. She has secrets too, he can tell. Of course if she really knew him, she would run.

Yet once you have spotted your heart's true craving, simply looking is no longer enough. . .


Author: Laura Florand
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Kensington 
Rating: ♨♨♨♨♨ 5 of 5( Good character development, Paris, romance and one of the most romantically written books about strong people with traumatic pasts.  There is no sadness only love and hope and chocolates)

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