Christmas Livingstone has 10 rules for happiness, the most important of which is ‘absolutely no romantic relationships’.
In The Chocolate Apothecary, her enchanting artisan store in Tasmania, she tempers chocolate and creates handmade delicacies. Surrounded by gifts for the senses, in this shop chocolate isn’t just good for you, it’s medicine.
Until one day, a stranger arrives at her front door – a dishevelled botanist seeking her help. She really doesn’t need Lincoln van Luc to walk into her life, even if he does have the nicest blue eyes, the loveliest meddling grandmother and a gorgeous newly rescued dog. She really doesn’t need any of it.
Or does she?
Set across Tasmania, Paris and Provence, this is a glorious novel of a creative woman about to find out how far in life a list of rules will take her, with an enticing tangle of freshly picked herbs, pots of flowers and lashings of chocolate scenting the air.
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Praise for The Chocolate Promise / The Chocolate Apothecary
- “a Tasmanian twist on the movie Chocolat… relatable, easy read that successfully balances cleverness and cuteness..the story is inspiring and life-affirming… Dealing with issues of independence and maturity, family and connection, as well as romance, desire, food and travel, The Chocolate Promise is a fun addition to contemporary women’s fiction. ” (Books+Publishing)
- Finished the book this morning and LOVED it!!! Didn’t want to put it down or for it to end. Can’t wait to start selling it to our customers.” (Emma Gillard, bookseller, NZ)
- “Just as fantastic as The Tea Chest! Perfect little love story with a great bit of chocolate history thrown in.” (Hayley, bookseller, NZ)
- “Your book has touched, inspired and challenged me on a lot of different levels. I thought it was just a novel, but it’s not and for that I also thank you.” (Wendy, Sydney reader)
- “Moon handles this romance like tempered chocolate – heating and cooling it in all the right places to keep the reader engrossed, and literally salivating for more… But make no mistake, this is not a sacharine-sweet romance. Like the highest quality dark chocolate, there’s a wonderful hint of bitterness that manages to ground this story in a type of heightened reality… While the romance is undoubtedly the creamy centre of this tale, it is wrapped up in a type of rocky-road shell, with supporting characters and secondary plot lines that provide a satisfying chewiness and crunch over the book’s 384 pages.” (Book Birdy)Overall, The Chocolate Promise is a feast for the senses and a salve for the heart. Devour it as you would a whole bar of chocolate. This book is a guilty pleasure.
Josephine Moon 