Review by Marlene Engel
The Christmas season used to mean
festive meals and holiday traditions for the Arnaud children. But when their mother passed, so did those
events. And with that came the distance
that their father put between them. Now,
all grown up, they are surprised when they are summoned by their father to
gather as a family under one roof. None
desires to return to Philadelphia, but even as adults, and after all the time that’s
passed, they still know not to deny their father.
Each sibling is dealing with their
own set of issues. And to call the
family dysfunctional is putting it lightly.
But as they come together, they reconnect on events of the past and fill
each other in on the happenings of each of their lives. Emotions will be high during this reunion,
but when their father drops a bomb on them, the true reason behind this
reunion, this difficult situation gets a million times tougher. Just at the siblings start to mend their past,
will their father’s secret be the final nail in the coffin to push them away
for good?
I really enjoyed this book. With a cast of flawed characters, a story
that will move you and delicious recipes, this is the perfect book to get you
into the holiday spirit.
Purchase the book at:
About the author:
Kate Defrise grew up in the United States but spent summers
with her family in Belgium, where she learned that great food was a catalyst to
a great life. She earned her degree in translation in French and Italian from
the Ecole d’Interprètes
Internationaux in
Mons. She worked as a translator and teacher in Belgium before moving to
France, where she did a stint in radio and television. She lives and cooks in
San Diego with her husband, two daughters, and a cat.Christmas Chocolat is her first novel.
Connect with the author at:
Kensington Books is giving 2 lucky winners a print
copy of
Christmas Chocolat by Kate Defrise
US/Canada only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
