20190809_162807.jpgWelcome to my stop on the The Chocolate Maker’s Wife blog tour sponsored by TLC Book Tours! Thanks to TLC for the invitation!

My Thoughts:

In 1600s England, Rosamund Tompkins is the “illegitimate” daughter of a nobleman working as a servant in a country inn. Her stepfather is abusive, and she works under him at the inn, so when the Restoration under Charles II is happening, it’s not on her day-to-day radar. 

Sir Everard offers her a way out and into a new life, one where she will be part of a luxurious London chocolate house where only the wealthiest men come to eat sweets and drink.

Rosamund thrives in this environment. She is talked about, desired, and respected. 

There are secrets tied into her new role, and with the threat of them being exposed, Rosamund may lose everything. With a backdrop of the Plague and London’s Great Fire, Rosamund is fighting for her life. There’s revenge and darkness to behold…and chocolate!

Much happened during Rosamund’s life.  It was a busy time in history and provided for lots of intrigue and interest. I enjoyed Rosamund as a character, and the role chocolate played in the story was fascinating. 

Overall, The Chocolate Maker’s Wife was an engaging story set during an interesting time during history with charming characters. It was a lovely historical fiction read! 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

About The Chocolate Maker’s Wife

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (August 20, 2019)

Australian bestselling novelist Karen Brooks rewrites women back into history with this breathtaking novel set in 17th century London—a lush, fascinating story of the beautiful woman who is drawn into a world of riches, power, intrigue…and chocolate.

Damnation has never been so sweet…

Rosamund Tomkins, the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman, spends most of her young life in drudgery at a country inn. To her, the Restoration under Charles II, is but a distant threat as she works under the watchful eye of her brutal, abusive stepfather . . . until the day she is nearly run over by the coach of Sir Everard Blithman.

Sir Everard, a canny merchant, offers Rosamund an “opportunity like no other,” allowing her to escape into a very different life, becoming the linchpin that will drive the success of his fledgling business: a luxurious London chocolate house where wealthy and well-connected men come to see and be seen, to gossip and plot, while indulging in the sweet and heady drink.

Rosamund adapts and thrives in her new surroundings, quickly becoming the most talked-about woman in society, desired and respected in equal measure.

But Sir Everard’s plans for Rosamund and the chocolate house involve family secrets that span the Atlantic Ocean, and which have already brought death and dishonor to the Blithman name. Rosamund knows nothing of the mortal peril that comes with her new title, nor of the forces spinning a web of conspiracy buried in the past, until she meets a man whose return tightens their grip upon her, threatening to destroy everything she loves and damn her to a dire fate.

As she fights for her life and those she loves through the ravages of the Plague and London’s Great Fire, Rosamund’s breathtaking tale is one marked by cruelty and revenge; passion and redemption—and the sinfully sweet temptation of chocolate.

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Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo by Stephen Brooks

About Karen Brooks

Karen Brooks is the author of twelve books, an academic of more than twenty years’ experience, a newspaper columnist and social commentator, and has appeared regularly on national TV and radio. Before turning to academia, she was an army officer for five years, and prior to that dabbled in acting.

She lives in Hobart, Tasmania, in a beautiful stone house with its own marvellous history. When she’s not writing, she’s helping her husband Stephen in his brewery, Captain Bligh’s Ale and Cider, or cooking for family and friends, travelling, cuddling and walking her dogs, stroking her cats, or curled up with a great book and dreaming of more stories.

Find out more about Karen at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you read The Chocolate Maker’s Wife, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR