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sburgart's review against another edition
2.0
I think the author wanted to write more about the times and environment than the actual story. It's very slow and more attention paid to the historic setting than the characters. The main character, Rosamund, is young, pretty, and has people skills despite years of abuse. She has a nice laugh. I was tired of hearing about her laugh.
I'm not finished with this book, and I'm not sure how there can still be more, as it just keeps going on...Also, I will not give this book more than 2 stars despite what comes because of so much allusion and description of molestation and rape. I understand the world is an awful place, even more so in the 1600s, but no thank you. I don't need the description of a 10 year old child raped by her stepfather and the mother does nothing. Just no.
*finished* it was semi predictable, and dragged. It’s a decent book but I stand by my 2 stars- too much reliving abuse. I get that’s part of the story and her ability to overcome. But
I'm not finished with this book, and I'm not sure how there can still be more, as it just keeps going on...Also, I will not give this book more than 2 stars despite what comes because of so much allusion and description of molestation and rape. I understand the world is an awful place, even more so in the 1600s, but no thank you. I don't need the description of a 10 year old child raped by her stepfather and the mother does nothing. Just no.
*finished* it was semi predictable, and dragged. It’s a decent book but I stand by my 2 stars- too much reliving abuse. I get that’s part of the story and her ability to overcome. But
serennacai's review
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hdbblog's review
3.0
I must confess that I’m still dipping my toes into Historical Fiction and that, at times, I still find it tough to get into. It requires that I constantly remind myself of the fact that there wasn’t always space for women in our world, the way that there is now. Otherwise I’d want to wring the necks of many a male lead. That being said, I was a little wary about The Chocolate Maker’s Wife. This book is quite long. I hoped that the focus on chocolate houses, and my interest in them, would help with that fact. As it stands, I’m still on the fence about this book.
First, the good. It’s obvious that Karen Brooks has done her research on this time period. Set in 17th Century London, this book has quite a variety of historical touch points. The plague, the Great Fire of London, and even the politics of the time are all focused on in great detail. As someone who doesn’t have the familiarity of this time period that I wish I did, all of this was extremely helpful in allowing me to sink into the story. It was such a tumultuous time, and Brooks shows that in vivid strokes.
The biggest problem I had, and here is where we start with the not so good parts, is that there is a lot of repetition in this story. It makes sense that Brooks would want to show off her historical accuracy, but there are points where I just wanted to skim past the thirteenth description of Rosamund’s angelic laughter in the span of three pages. While I thought that maybe this repetition would eventually allow the characters to be fleshed out, they still managed to be really one-dimensional throughout most of the story. There are the angelic beings, like Rosamund, who are perfectly good. There are vile villains who are perfectly bad. Alas, there’s not a whole lot in between. I like some gray area in my characters.
This took me a bit longer than I expected to finish, but I did enjoy the story overall. For that, I’ll give The Chocolate Maker’s Wife a solid three star rating. It might not have been the perfect Historical Fiction book, but it’s pretty solid.
First, the good. It’s obvious that Karen Brooks has done her research on this time period. Set in 17th Century London, this book has quite a variety of historical touch points. The plague, the Great Fire of London, and even the politics of the time are all focused on in great detail. As someone who doesn’t have the familiarity of this time period that I wish I did, all of this was extremely helpful in allowing me to sink into the story. It was such a tumultuous time, and Brooks shows that in vivid strokes.
The biggest problem I had, and here is where we start with the not so good parts, is that there is a lot of repetition in this story. It makes sense that Brooks would want to show off her historical accuracy, but there are points where I just wanted to skim past the thirteenth description of Rosamund’s angelic laughter in the span of three pages. While I thought that maybe this repetition would eventually allow the characters to be fleshed out, they still managed to be really one-dimensional throughout most of the story. There are the angelic beings, like Rosamund, who are perfectly good. There are vile villains who are perfectly bad. Alas, there’s not a whole lot in between. I like some gray area in my characters.
This took me a bit longer than I expected to finish, but I did enjoy the story overall. For that, I’ll give The Chocolate Maker’s Wife a solid three star rating. It might not have been the perfect Historical Fiction book, but it’s pretty solid.
shosh524's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting but took a very long time to get through it.
kalliste's review against another edition
2.0
Wow, I finally made it to the end. This book is so long. It felt never-ending. Just when you thought things were going to wrap up nicely, they didn't. This happened 3 or 4 times. Maybe it would have been better separated into a series because it all feels too much in one mammoth book.
It took 6 chapters to even mention chocolate, though after that it was very focused on chocolate making.
I don't know if I would recommend this to anyone. It wasn't a fun read, or particularly enjoyable. I think I finished it just to see how it would end.
It took 6 chapters to even mention chocolate, though after that it was very focused on chocolate making.
I don't know if I would recommend this to anyone. It wasn't a fun read, or particularly enjoyable. I think I finished it just to see how it would end.
bethsponz's review
4.0
I’ve had my eye on this author, as I’ve been trying to get a hold of another of her books. I settled on this one and I was glad I did! 1660’s London with the events of the plague and The Great Fire embedded in a story of a girl who rose from the ashes to find a home among a chocolate house. A kind of mystery unfolded through out and kept you wondering. I look forward to her other books.
carturnright's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book a lot. I honestly got a copy because of the word "chocolate". Yet, this book is more than just about "chocolate". Ms. Brooks weaves a lovely story about empowerment, equality, enduring loss, survivor, love and a rich history of chocolate. Fans of time period piece books as well as fans of this author's will enjoy reading this book. I know I sure did.
Rosamund needed to go away from her family. They were kind of poison to her. Therefore, it was great that Sir Everard ended up being Rosamund's knight in shining armor. Although, Rosamund would have been fine on her own in the long run. Sir Everard treated Rosamund as an equal.
Ms. Brooks just brought to life this story with great and enjoyable characters. It was a breeze reading this book. The Chocolate Maker's Wife is a delectable read.
Rosamund needed to go away from her family. They were kind of poison to her. Therefore, it was great that Sir Everard ended up being Rosamund's knight in shining armor. Although, Rosamund would have been fine on her own in the long run. Sir Everard treated Rosamund as an equal.
Ms. Brooks just brought to life this story with great and enjoyable characters. It was a breeze reading this book. The Chocolate Maker's Wife is a delectable read.
laceylou10's review
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
blogginboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I adore chocolate, but I've never really thought about its history before. This book delves into that subject, which is a fascinating one. The novel's setting is also intriguing—it covers the vibrant, but terrifying Medieval period in England's history. Both of these elements make THE CHOCOLATE MAKER'S WIFE compelling, as do the novel's likable main characters. Rosamund, especially, is an admirable character—she's smart, capable, kind, and humble. An easy heroine to root for.
The book is a chunkster, stretching to around 550 pages. It's definitely not a page-turner, but it moved at a fast enough pace to keep me interested. The plot isn't anything very original and its big twist is pretty obvious from the get-go, killing some of the intended suspense.
Considering all of the above, I ended up liking this book but not loving it. I'd give it about a B-.
The book is a chunkster, stretching to around 550 pages. It's definitely not a page-turner, but it moved at a fast enough pace to keep me interested. The plot isn't anything very original and its big twist is pretty obvious from the get-go, killing some of the intended suspense.
Considering all of the above, I ended up liking this book but not loving it. I'd give it about a B-.