Cindy Lynn Speer - The Chocolatier's Wife

ROMANCE, MAGIC, MYSTERY…. AND CHOCOLATE
When Tasmin’s bethrothed, William, is accused of murder, she gathers her wind sprites and rushes to his home town to investigate. She doesn’t have a shred of doubt about his innocence. But as she settles in his chocolate shop, she finds more in store than she bargained for. Facing suspicious townsfolk, gossiping neighbors, and William’s own family, who all resent her kind – the sorcerer folk from the North -- she must also learn to tell friend from foe, and fast. For the real killer is still on the loose – and he is intent on ruining William’s family at all cost.
The Chocolatier’s Wife is a truly original, spellbinding love story, featuring vivid characters in a highly realistic historical setting.

Comment: Yet another book I saw recommended and a few choice words by the person who did it convinced me. I was hoping to have a sweet and cozy fantasy romance but it wasn't as engaging as I imagined...

In this fantasy world, people are matched up with their future spouse by a spell. There is magic everywhere and to avoid ill fitted matches, now witches perform spells once someone is born and the perfect pair is found. Young William had to wait seven years to find out who his intended would be and his family despairs that it is a girl born in the North, known for its heavier use of magic and often not very well received by those in the South. Tasmin, his future wife, is a practical and clever girl, and throughout the years until they would of age, they write to each other and that helps them to establish a bond. 

When it's finally time for them to meet and marry, Tasmin is about to travel, when word is sent to let her know William had been arrested for murder. Although she could say no to the marriage now, she believes in William's innocence and decides to go, trusting the spell and what she feels is a mutual respect between them. As she tries to help him, new information comes to light... will there be any hope for them?

At first, as I was turning the first pages I was seduced by the world and the magical use in this world, as well as the apparent coziness of the world and simple pace of the story. The beginning really felt like this was a fairy tale type of story and I was curious to see how the main characters would meet and how their relationship would develop, especially since there would be chocolate involved.. at least according to the title!

Things were progressing well and while the main characters were meant to be a couple from the start, they would only know each other as adults - after all, they were from different regions - but they exchanged letters and I found this to be so cute, not that we have all of them, but there are are enough to make us see they started to care for one another even before they met. The ingredients were all there for me to like this book, but then, when it seemed time was finally right for Tasmin to travel and meet William, he is accused of murder. She ignores the advice of those who told her to not agree to this match anymore and travels to help William.

At this point, I was all in, and I was so eager to see how Tasmin, a young woman from a different region would come and be so clever that along with magic, she would immediately guess who was the actual murdered and William would be rescued and their life could begin. I was very ready to get to that part.

Well, I suppose I could write my own books if I had the diligence and talent, because the plot did not go the way I assumed (and hoped).

Instead of my idea or any other sweet/cute option, the story turned into a complicated mess of people doing things behind others' backs, of people deceiving others and of secrets being uncovered all the time, of one situation turning out to be very different than what was expected and everyone, except for William and Tasmin being disappointingly one dimensional. I thought Tasmin would win over her new in-laws but the focus was not even on that exactly, but instead in the investigation of what happened that caused William to be accused.

I would not mind this was actually a cozy mystery if the rest was, indeed, cozy. But it felt as if the purpose was to showcase how everyone else was hiding something, and while certain twists were cleverly done and surprised me, I can't say I was enjoying myself that much because the part this story would be about William and Tasmin marrying and selling chocolate seemed to have been forgotten by the author and I wished things would speed up to that.

Well, let's say I was disappointed with the choices made for this novel, the title and the beginning led me to believe this would be different type of plot and while I can accept artistic choices, the ones used weren't always... how to say it.... important. I mean, who cares about all those secrets and revenge plans or whatever, where was the romance on the page, the obvious development of these two as a couple and their life together? If the rest had been that captivating, i'd not mind it but there were several chapters where it felt nothing was happening to interest me.

All things considered, this isn't a bad book but it was definitely not what I thought it would be. The romance was not as urgent as I assumed and the mystery still baffles me as how the characters got to certain knowledge... besides, most characters came to be very unlikable and that certainly ruined my interest in them or in what they were doing.

I see there's a second one but I confess I don't feel like trying it.

Grade: 6/10