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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I was provided with an ARC of this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Xanthe is a time spinner on a quest. She needs to right the wrongs of the past and save a man from being mistakenly hung for treason. A man she is convinced will always hold her heart.
Xanthe's trips back and forth between her time and the seventeenth century are clandestine and perilous. In this second installment in the series that began with The Little Shop of Found Things, Xanthe walks a tightrope to keep everyone guessing. She is attracted to two very different men in two very different times, is being stalked and pressures by a master manipulator and villain, and learning a new trade.
This was an intriguing glimpse into the political unrest of seventeenth century England and the intellectual wrangling that engulfed places such as chocolate houses.
Recommended if you enjoy complex plots, conflicted characters and diverse eras.
Xanthe is a time spinner on a quest. She needs to right the wrongs of the past and save a man from being mistakenly hung for treason. A man she is convinced will always hold her heart.
Xanthe's trips back and forth between her time and the seventeenth century are clandestine and perilous. In this second installment in the series that began with The Little Shop of Found Things, Xanthe walks a tightrope to keep everyone guessing. She is attracted to two very different men in two very different times, is being stalked and pressures by a master manipulator and villain, and learning a new trade.
This was an intriguing glimpse into the political unrest of seventeenth century England and the intellectual wrangling that engulfed places such as chocolate houses.
Recommended if you enjoy complex plots, conflicted characters and diverse eras.
Many secrets were revealed in Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston. Xanthe, the time traveling antique seller introduced in The Little Shop of Found Things is back. Xanthe can hear the objects she finds singing to her. This time it’s a chocolate pot that she uses to transport her to the seventeenth century to help her lost love, Samuel Appleby. Villain Benedict Fairfax, who we discover is a fellow time traveler who has escaped the hangman’s noose, is threatening Samuel and his family. Helped by Chocolate House proprietor, Mistress Flyte, who also is a time traveler, or Spinner, as we find out they’re called, Xanthe discovers more about this supernatural power she possesses, and how she can use it to ensure Samuel’s safety.
I was very hopeful after reading The Little Shop of Found Things. That story had all the elements of stories I love: time travel, history, and romance. But Secrets of the Chocolate Shop didn’t live up to the potential that it had. Yes, there is still all those elements, but the story, for me, just was not that exciting. Xanthe and Samuel could not make their love connect in this story. The history, for me, was not that exciting, and I didn’t really care about the villain at all. That being said, I’m willing to stick with this series because I still think that once the kinks are worked out, it has potential to be a good story.
I received an advanced e-copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you! #netgalley #secretsofthechocolatehouse
I was very hopeful after reading The Little Shop of Found Things. That story had all the elements of stories I love: time travel, history, and romance. But Secrets of the Chocolate Shop didn’t live up to the potential that it had. Yes, there is still all those elements, but the story, for me, just was not that exciting. Xanthe and Samuel could not make their love connect in this story. The history, for me, was not that exciting, and I didn’t really care about the villain at all. That being said, I’m willing to stick with this series because I still think that once the kinks are worked out, it has potential to be a good story.
I received an advanced e-copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. Thank you! #netgalley #secretsofthechocolatehouse
I love these books so much. I'm happy I found them. They are perfect, in their way, some of the best exemplars of the time travel genre.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once again, Paula transported me to a dangerous time in the past that I couldn't get enough of. I would read a 10-book series about Xanthe and her travels! Lovely, enthralling, heartbreaking... all the necessary ingredients, blended well, and simmered properly. Well done!
This is a fabulous time-travelling series! It isn't too heavy and the character development is spot on! The author shows her skill in being able to write about multiple eras with such aplomb. Quick, easy read that will keep you enchanted all the way through.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.