Step into Rare Confectionery on New Bond Street, where three talented sisters create treats as delectable to the tongue as they are appealing to the eye. One taste is all it takes to be captivated… never had a customer quite like the duke. In status, he’s far above ordinary men, yet he is one of the friendliest, funniest, and most engaging males she has ever met.
As the duke enters the scrumptious world of confectionery, he discovers the chocolate-maker is as delightful—and tempting—as her creations. While Amity designs the perfect proposal chocolate, her heart begins to wish the duke could be her very own mouthwatering reward.
Join Amity and her duke on a chocolate-filled romance in the heart of Mayfair, where nobility often acts in a less-than noble fashion. Will the upper-echelon of society sour their happiness and keep them from the sweetest of endings?
Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and heartfelt romance — you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling author of historical romance, Sydney Jane Baily.
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I love chocolate, so the leading lady being a Chocolatier grabbed my interest. I really enjoy reading a romance story where the main characters are NOT stereotypical, this book delivered just that, and more!
It was a different twist. I found it refreshing. I couldn’t put it down. Enjoyed it Immensely.
Recommend this book to anyone who loves historial novels. Great story line about shop keeper and nobility becoming friends. She makes chocolates for special occasions and an Earl contacted her to make a special chocolate to service at a dinner party where he had planned to ask a Lady to marry him. Friendship develops and leads to a wonderful story.
The characters are cute. This is a book you can relax with
I read the whole series. There are three books each about one of the three sisters working in the family chocolate shoppe win a whimsical twist. They were all very enjoyable
I enjoyed this book but was unable to get the epilog. I usually don’t read books later by the same author because of this annoyance.
I really enjoyed this from beginning to the end.
Great world building.
Wonderful characters.
Love the details.
Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I liked being kept in suspense — will they, won’t they — what fun!
It is amazing how much I learned about chocolate and the process of creating chocolate edibles while enjoying an original, entertaining plot.
The Story was okay, the plot was predictable. The Story hit a huge bump in chapter 23 when it started being cheesy.
Here is a couple of paragraphs from the chapter;
“We have made coffee,” Henry told them all. “Good coffee. I invite you to add milk and sugar, as you like.” Having worked up an appetite, he filled a plate for himself, piled high with the good country breakfast, and took the seat next to Amity’s chair, which Charlotte had been sitting in before she stood up to get her own plate. When the sisters returned, they both paused. Charlotte took another seat, saying nothing, while Amity shot him a sidelong glance, pursing her lips.
The game was on!
Really a Duke saying the last sentence just turned me off & I couldn’t read any more. When he arrived & heard Amity was engaged it just fell from there.
I do not recommend this Book. Sorry
For chocolate fans, this series is a huge temptation, making you want to eat chocolate all the time.
Armand Foure made a fortune with sugar and now, his three daughters – Amity, Beatrice and Charlotte – were responsible for a chocolate shop in the best street of London.
And it was there that Henry Westbrook, duke of Pelham, went to look for Amity, Armand’s eldest daughter, to ask her to create an exclusive chocolate to be introduced at the party where he would propose Lady Madeleine Brayson.
During the time of creating this wonderful chocolate – which was decided to have the taste of lavender and vanilla – Henry visited Amity several times and, in fact, this made the two feel the attraction grow.
But besides Henry being courting Madeleine, Amity had Jeremy in her life, a cold solicitor who had already made it clear to Amity that if she married him, she would no longer work as a chocolatier (which deeply upset Amity’s mother, Felicity Rare).
On the day of the big party, a misunderstanding makes Henry’s propose a disaster, and shows him who he really was in love with. However, the bad publicity caused the Rare-Foure to close the store for three weeks and travel to Essex.
Henry would then have little time – before Amity accepted Jeremy’s marriage proposal – to convince her that she would be much happier being The Chocolate Duchess.
The book is filled with historical references and information on the manufacture of chocolate. Everything is very interesting… and it looks delicious.
5 stars
As sweet as the chocolate that is wonderfully described throughout the story, this romance is delicately tempered and shaped. The characters are multilayered and deep, with subtle favors and complexity. A really delightful book, that makes the reader crave the next book in the series almost as much as the confections we read about in this one.
Henry, Duke of Pelham is intending to to ask the most beautiful woman to be his duchess and wants something special to help his cause. There is a shop in New Bond Street that make special confectionery. He will have an original sweet made for his proposal.
Amity makes the most divine chocolates, and along with the other confections that her sisters make have made their shop very successful. So when the Duke asks for a chocolate to be created just for his ladylove she knows she’s capable if she can find out what they lady likes.
This is a fascinating story that is very different to most historical romance. The characters are lots of fun. I really enjoyed every page and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
An absolutely charming story about Amity, a chocolatier who makes mouthwatering confections that everyone from the aristocracy to everyday people rave about. A duke named Harry comes to the shop to ask Amity to make a special candy for a party he is having so he can propose to what he thinks is the perfect duchess material. As he stops by daily to taste her creations they enjoy friendly talks. Henry comes to realize he doesn’t know much about the woman he wants to propose to. At the party he finds out what an awful person she is when she insults Amity and tries to ruin her family’s business. Henry realizes he made a terrible mistake and he will need to make things right with Amity.
From the moment Amity and Henry met I was hooked. Henry came to the shop looking for a special chocolate, and found a special lady. Their story is fun. The easy-going (slightly arrogant), friendly duke and the sweet, smart, caring chocolatier spend time together, laugh, learn from each other, and enjoy each other’s company. Will a match between them work? Not everyone thinks it should.
The characters in this lovely story are awesome. Henry and Amity are perfect together; meant for each other. Both come from close-knit, supportive families. The sisters, hers and his, are delightful. Their mothers are each and together a force to be reckoned with. Chocolate and romance, delicious! The Duchess of Chocolate is, quite simply put, a valentine. Beatrice is up next, and I can’t wait.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
This is a very yummy book! You will learn a lot about chocolate that you never knew! Great story and interesting and complex characters. This story is about a chocolatier and all the fun that goes with that. A really interesting and fun read!
What could be better? Chocolate and a delectable historical romance!! My two favorite things in the world! Combine it with the wonderful writing of Sydney Jane Baily and it is perfection!
“Miss Rare-Foure? He waited for her to respond. Henry, the Duke of Pelham had a request of her and had her enter his carriage. “I have heard what you are doing in your little shop. I’ve been told you have a magical way of making chocolate confectionery so delicious, one cannot help consume it, eyes closed, raving over the quality, under an enchantment of ecstasy. Very Impressive.” Her high cheekbones blushed.”Thank you, my lord. Have you tasted my confectionery?”
“Sadly, no, not yet. But I hope to remedy that soon. It is the reason I wish to speak with you. For you see, Miss Rare=Foure, I am in need of a wife.”
Sound promising? An eligible, handsome, good natured Duke wants wife. Amity could barely breath, but of course he wanted a special chocolate for the lady he hoped to wed. He was having A party in two weeks when he would ask her (her being the perfect toast of the ton for the season. You will get to know her a little too..grr) to marry him.
Thus the journey began as Henry called on Amity at her chocolate shop to discuss how “they” would create the perfect, special chocolate that would be unique for his lady Madeleine.
But sometimes the least expected meetings could bring about an awareness and not just of chocolate!
I want to just tell you the whole story, but of course you will need to read to find out. I adored these two! Henry was lighthearted but he seemed to be floating at times, thinking everything would be perfect when he wed the delectable Madeleine. Amity, was a delight, working with her sisters and Mother at their shop and truly a master at making the chocolates!
I could not wait to find out what would happen and once I started, I could not stop until the last page! A wonderful start to this new series and anxious for the next book to arrive. Trust me, you do not want to miss this scrumptious “sweet” story!
This is my first book by Sydney Jane Baily and I was asked to read an ARC of this story.
As I love chocolate and Recency Romance how could I say no… am very glad I didn’t.
This was a fun, charming , informative story.
The Duke of Pelham, is one of the wealthiest man in England, and is doing what is expected of him,
going after the lovely most wanted woman of the season, one Lady Madeleine Brayson. He has asked Amity Rare-Foure the Chocolatier of the famous Chocolate shop, The Rare confectionery to make a special chocolate for him. The chocolate is to help him win Lady Brayson for his wife. As with most in the ton, he doesn’t know a lot about Madeleine, but she is the woman of the season and he is the most sought after also, a young Duke. It should be a perfect match or is it. As he works with Amity to make something special, he finds her open, straight forward way of thinking and speaking refreshing.
The longer they work together the more they are attracted to each other.
Humm how will it all work out, the Wealthy Duke, the Chocolatier who is neither poor or part of the ton. Will he marry the top Lady of the Ton, His Chocolate lady, or lose them both.
Can Amity be a Duchess and give up making her chocolate ? Even for her Duke, what of her finance
There is so much going on in this story, how some of the ton act, the making of chocolate and being true to your heart.
I was disappointed in the ending, as there a link for an Epilogue that did not work.
I would like to thank the author for sending me and ARC, and can’t wait for second book.
I hope you will give it a try.
If you love chocolate in every shape & flavor to share with a handsome, easy going duke & made by a strong, family oriented female chocolatier; then this is the book for you! I not only found this story entertaining with a lovable couple but I also learned some very interesting facts about chocolate.
Henry Cavendish, Duke of Pelham has begun courting Lady Madeleine Brayson, the Season’s most stunning lady to come out & she has taken the bon ton by storm & is planning on proposing to her at a party he is planning. He wants to have special chocolates made especially for Lady Madeleine & present one to her on a tray prior to him proposing. Henry sets off for Rare Confectionery to find the Michelangelo of chocolate making who has gained the reputation of a magical way in making her chocolate creations so enchanting.
Miss Amity Rare-Foure is the Chocolatier at her parents shop, Rare Confectionery, & her sisters, Beatrice, the Treacle-Toffee expert & the youngest, Charlotte, the sculpted Marzipan expert. Amity loves experimenting with different flavors, centers, types & designs of chocolates & has many regular customers of the beau monde, including the Queen.
When the Duke & Amity have their first meeting; they discuss the reason for the chocolates & his proposal to Lady Madeleine, what flavors, shapes, filled or not. He admits he doesn’t really know what she like or dislikes but agrees to find out some of the information. Amity ascertain that the duke really doesn’t care one way or another for chocolate but he has never tasted any of hers. She spends the afternoon with him in her back room of the confectionery giving him samples & he now knows how wonderful her chocolates are.
The daily visits to Amity in her chocolate room are spent getting to know one another, his likes, Lady Madeleine’s likes & dislikes. She teaches Henry facts about chocolate & even puts him to work helping make different samples for his party. Slowly, her outspoken ways toward a duke (which he enjoys), the ease that they can converse, work & laugh together finds them both attracted to the other. This will never work – he is expected to propose to Lady Madeleine as he is courting a respected earl’s daughter & Amity knows the difference in classes would never be accepted in society, let alone the fact that she will not give up making chocolates. What shall they do?
I highly recommend this excellent story with main characters you really love & secondary characters that bring loyalty, family, love & humor to round out a perfect book. Sydney Jane Baily has written another one of her wonderful creations for us, the readers, to enjoy!
I was gifted the Advanced Reader Copy of this book & all opinions are my own & have been voluntarily given.
u202aBeware Chocolate Cravings.u202c
This is the first book I have read by this author. I don’t usually like stories set in this era with a huge class divide but the chocolate element tempted me. I loved finding out tidbits about chocolate making and the descriptions of the chocolates made my mouth water. Whilst the author shows the Duke, Henry Cavendish having decidedly arrogant thoughts on occasion, in manner and speech he is very amiable and unpretentious. If he hadn’t been then the story would not have worked as well as it did because the class divide between them was wide (even for Victorian times) and you have to suspend disbelief on a number of occasions. Having said that I enjoyed the book and would like to read more of this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.