The Chocolate Maker's Wife

Title:  The Chocolate Maker's Wife

Author: Karen Brooks

Publisher: 18th February 2019 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 352 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4 crowns

Synopsis:

Australian author Karen Brooks rewrites women back into history with this sweeping, breathtakingly researched tale of 17th century London. Set against the backdrop of Restoration London, the plague and the Great Fire, this is a tale of cruelty, revenge, redemption, love and hope, and the sweet, sinister temptation of chocolate.

Damnation has never been so sweet...

When Rosamund Tomkins enters the world she is so different, with her darkling eyes and strange laughter, that the midwives are afraid, believing her a changeling. But Rosamund's life is set to be anything but enchanted...

Born into poverty, brutalised and ignored by her family, it is only when she is married off to a nobleman that her life undergoes a wondrous transformation, as he recognises that Rosamund infuses magic she does not know she possesses into everything she touches.

Clever, quick and irrepressible, Rosamund soon becomes the darling of the haute ton, and presides over her luxurious chocolate house where the rich go to be seen and indulge in their favourite pastime, drinking the sweet and heady drink to which they've become oddly addicted.

But Rosamund stands on the brink of losing all she has worked so hard to achieve and will be forced to make a choice: walk away from all she knows and has grown to love with her soul intact, or make a deal with the devil?

My Thoughts

Having read Karen’s, ‘The Locksmith’s Daughter’, I was eager to see what her latest novel would cover. With a somewhat different approach, Karen takes you on a marvellous journey to 17th century Restoration London. This book is absolutely laden with historical detail! What I found here is that research dominates as Karen deftly weaves a tale of fiction around a mass of London history of the time.

What is not covered in this book is the question (apart from the history of chocolate obviously)? You will learn of the Restoration period, the Great Fire of London, English wars, the plague, Chocolate Houses, slavery and the first attempts of journalism! Phew! What a list! As the author herself states in a fabulous epilogue: “fiction interweaves, diverges from or collides with fact in the novel”.

“One is never really aware of the world turning. Not until it suddenly stops. Then you forget to breathe, fall to the earth and grip for dear life else you careen right over the edge into a great void.”

On top of that, you have a story of full of cruelty and revenge, loyalty and love. There is a cast of many, real and fictional that lend their influence to the story. Once again, Karen’s epilogue reveals fiction versus fact. But much like her previous novel, we have a strong female lead who is forced to confront some horrible events and defend those she loves.

“... we worked together to save a chocolate house —’ began Jacopo. ‘And we did,’ said Rosamund. ‘Only this time the stakes are higher. We work to save ourselves.”

The history of chocolate is fascinating and I just loved learning of Karen’s inspiration for this book. Simultaneously, she provides us with evocative writing that rounds out a thoroughly researched and engaging read of that period.

“The important thing is not to get swallowed by the darkness. To remember, even when the shadows grow long and you fear they will consume you, there is still light in the world. You just need to find it.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release