Keen for more chocolate treats? We’ve got you covered

In The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris, Jenny Colgan’s lovable Anna Trent finds herself in the midst of a bittersweet tale of lost love after a freak accident at her job in an English chocolate factory.

Anna, resigned to a routine life, finds herself in hospital with her now cancer-stricken French teacher, Claire, who formulates a new Parisian life for Anna and her improving French. While dealing with the loss of some of her toes, Anna flees to work at Thierry Girard famed Paris confectionary shop – who is incidentally Claire’s former sweetheart.

A bittersweet tale of lost love after a freak accident

The story of Claire’s change from a sheltered teenager to the elegant Parisian of Anna’s schooldays is revealed in parallel to Anna’s blossoming in the City of Love with her quirky party-loving flatmate, Sami, and Thierry’s estranged son, Laurent.

The story may be somewhat predictable, but is full of charm. The accurate descriptions of the magic but confusing Parisian cobbled streets and Anna’s determination to belie the odds by creating treats worthy of Colgan’s lip-smacking descriptions, will enchant any reader.

The accurate descriptions of the magic but confusing Parisian cobbled streets will enchant any reader

But, be warned, the fascinating and mouth-watering chocolate-making process may give you a craving for some yourself.

As much as you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, the front of The Gü Chocolate Cookbook (2012), with melted chocolate on a striking black background, was what first caught my eye. A quick flick through the pages and glance at the photos was enough to convince me that this book would have everything that someone with a sweet tooth could want, and much more.

The recipes range from classics, such as brownies and choc chip pancakes, to more elaborate desserts, such as melting chocolate bombe and white chocolate parfait with salted caramel.

This book has everything that someone with a sweet tooth could want, and much more

Then, there is the downright surprising, such as whole cooked chicken in a cocoa crust and “Gü-lash”. The recipes are explained clearly, and there is a section explaining how to work with chocolate, so this recipe book really does seem to have everything anyone could want in a book based on the sweet stuff!