Chocolate Books

cute story, cute pics.....loved it and so did the kids. Buy it for Easter and give to someone you love with some chocolate eggs.

I thought this story was very touching. It is cute without being overly sentimental and seems to be left wide open for a sequel! Pretty drawings, too.

I'm a busy, working dad, I can relate to this guy. Wish I could find a magic chocolate rabbit, and not just for my kids, but for me too! The kids loved this book, it would make a great Easter present.

Great story, gorgeous colour drawings. My family thought this was a great kid's story even though we didn't read it at Easter time. It has meaning and a moral for anytime of the year. Just great!!!

What a lovely, warm story about family and the gift of giving and sharing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story to my 2 little ones and they loved the beautiful illustrations and the descriptive, roller-coaster business trip of the redoubtable Mr. Hare. An important story which teaches children how much their parents love them and the lengths they will go to make them happy...just wonderful!!!

The book was very informative. The pictures were clear and in color, which actually showed and told you what you were looking at. Out of 3 books I've bought on Shar-pei, this one was not a waste of my money.

I think this book is just awesome

I really agree with one of the previous reviews. This book has very little information that is specific to the shar pei breed. It contains info about the history of the shar pei and the characteristics of the breed, but that is all stuff that you can find for free just from shar pei sites. The other information is general to practically all dogs, such as housebreaking, dental care, and finding a lost dog. I would not reccommend this book if you are really looking for information specific to the shar pei.

I bought this book after getting our first shar pei and now three years later after getting our second I still find myself going to the book as a reference. I would recommend new owners buy the book prior to finding a breeder and making a purchase because it gives really good advice on what to look for and even whether or not the breed is right for you. The book takes you through step by step everything you need to know the breed from health, care, temperament, etc. I highly recommend this book.

I ordered this book when I knew I was getting 2 Shar Pei's for Christmas. I am not familiar with the breed so did a ton of surfing on the net about them. This book received high ratings, so I ordered it.

I did not think that this book offered enough information regarding health problems specific to the Shar Pei breed. It generally would reference anything that a dog could contract, but did not discuss what the Shar Pei breed could run into. I found that to be lacking.

Also, it spent many pages about training for Sport which you may or may not choose (beyond sit, stay, etc.) To tought yourself as a Shar Pei book, I did not find that it discussed Shar Pei specific topics. I would not recommend buying this book if you are familar with dogs in general, and are buying a Shar Pei.

If you have never lived/raised a dog, this is a short book to read for general ideals about dogs.

Vestanen has done a great job of providing practical, useful advice for women travelers. From luggage tags to museums in New Orleans to fabrics that are out of style, this travel book has something for everyone. Easy to read, concise, and well organized.

"Travel Tips for the Sophistocated Woman" is a really great resource book for anyone who travels....women and men alike. While Laura's focus is on international travel, you don't need to be a globtrotter to find value in this guide. I travel a great deal domestically for my job and have had a multitude of occasions to apply her travel saavy tips.

I usually travel alone so I have been particularly appreciative of the safety tips she shares. The easy-to-follow, common sense tips for packing and even chosing what to wear have saved me a lot of time and effort at my hotel when I'm unpacking and preparing my clothes for the next day. Her packing tips are really valuable for people traveling with kids as they tend to require so many items to make them feel at home on the road.

I have recommended this book to a few of my co-workers who are now applying Laura's recommendations on their business trips. I continue to hear many compliments for the golden tidbits she provides.

I look forward to being able to apply my newly acquired travel skills to a trip overseas...alas, that will have to wait for a later date. I will soon be using all that I've learned from Laura when I travel to Guatemala in July to bring home my children. You can be sure I'll spend an hour or so reviewing all of the efficiency tips and the advise she provides on settling into foreign cultures with that adventure.

If you're new to travel, I think this book is a must have. It will make you feel more confident and relaxed about your trip and allow you to enjoy the experience more fully. If you're a travel veteran, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you will glean from this little gem.

If you haven't already, check out Laura's website. She continues to collect and share travel tips with anyone who wants to improve their travel experience.

"Travel Tips for the Sophisticated Woman" lives up to its title. As an experienced traveler who has been all over the world--both for pleasure and business, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is set apart from other guides by information that goes beyond the usual travel tips. Suggestions and advice for social situations, etiquette, art, clothes,and shopping are just some of the things included. The folding and packing techniques outlined are truly unique and I will definitely try out the author's suggestions on my next adventure. This is also the only travel book I have read that reviews chocolate--a must for the true chocoholic!

I purchased this book before traveling to Europe alone. Although I didn't "backpack" across Europe - I am not old enough to find the suggestions in this book useful. If you are under 50 years old - don't bother.

I guess I don't need tips dressing, packing, nor do I need makeup tips. I can't eat chocolate. There is nothing in this travel book that is new or different. I would recommend a more professionally published book by Fodor's or Rick Steves.

I have to admit, I only made it to Section 4 because this book is in terrible need of a professional copy edit. I got too frustrated.

Christine McFadden and Christine France have presented a stunning book that is both encyclopedia and cookbook. "The History of Chocolate," "Cultivation and Processing," and "Taste, Quality and Presentation" are all lushly illustrated. "A World of Chocolate" takes us around the globe with a historical tour of the major chocolate producers. After we've returned to the U.S., we're treated to a discussion of the physiology and psychology of chocolate. (If you haven't already gone and gotten a piece to munch on as you read through this, your will is a lot stronger than mine!)

Or you can just skip to the recipes! Each is accompanied by a full-color photograph of the finished treat. Categories range from "chilled chocolate desserts" to "hot cakes," from "novelty cakes" to "tarts, pies, and cheesecakes." My favorite recipes for brownies are in this book under "little cakes, slices and bars." There are even a few vegan recipes! If you are a chocoholic or know someone who is, you need this book even more than you need a bar of 75% Swiss dark!

You can find this and other cookbook reviews at www.theculturedcook.com.

I was not happy when I started reading this book. The key to this book is the word "encyclopedia", and the absence of the word "cookbook" in the title. As a glossy coffee table book, it is barely adequate; as a cookbook full of chocolate recipes, it is worthless. Much of the material in this book has been recycled from an equally reprehensible book "Chocolate Ecstasy".

The first part of this book is a rather standard (and forgettable) regurgitation about chocolate: history, processing, taste, commercial brands, and physiology. By and large, this is standard material cribbed mostly from other books. It only has value if you have not read other books about chocolate.

If you approach this book as a coffee table book full of glossy, beautiful pictures, it is not all that good. Many pictures (perhaps up to 1/3, but I did not really count) are of poor quality and have a rust-colored tinge to them (whether this is from the printing, badly lit photos, or whatever, I do not know).

The recipes are so short and inadequate as to be laughable. Many complex, difficult recipes are casually tossed off in half a dozen sentences. The recipe instructions seemed to have been carefully edited down to make sure that each recipe plus photos takes up exactly one page (heaven forbid should a recipe occupy 2 pages). The mistakes, errors, and editorial inconsistencies are so numerous as to be not worth listing here (for example, there is no such thing as a "33 x 13 x 9-inch jelly roll pan", or a "30 x 12 x 8 inch jelly roll pan"). The recipes clearly have not been through a test kitchen, and the author uses a bewildering array of non-standard baking pans (unless these, too, are typographical errors; with this book, it is hard to be sure).

If you are curious about how those elegant chocolate desserts are created, then this book will satisfy your curiosity. Every recipe starts with a picture (something I wish more cookbooks about chocolate would emulate), gives you the ingredients, and a rough description about the steps involved to make it.

If you want good recipes that you can do in your home kitchen, look elsewhere. The rating I give is as a coffee table book, not as a cookbook; as a cookbook, I would give a much lower rating. The kindest thing I can think of to say about this book is that it is a fairly interesting collection of recipes that will have you rifling through your other chocolate cookbooks, looking for a similar recipe.

This book contains a myriad of scrumptious recipes that work. It is also full of fascinating information on chocolate and its history. Moreover, it is delightful (and delicious) to just look at.

This is an overpriced book of untested recipes that are shamelessly recycled/exchanged from many other books by writers France, and McFadden without even changing the same dreary photo or bad recipe. Such books by this duo include:
1. The cook's Encyclopedia of Chocolate
2. Chocolate Fantasies
3. Chocolate Ecstacy
4. Chocolate Cooking with the Worlds Best

This would not be such a bad thing, except the recipes in these author's books will rarely look as good as the pictures, and with the untested mishmash of ingredients, will not taste anywhere as good as they look.

The creations are made by professional food stylists, who sometimes add a bit more than is in the recipes...that's your first warning.

If you go so far as to bake or otherwise create these, you will have your 2nd and last warning...and then it's too late...

Keep looking on Amazon, and buy a book from someone who isn't out to make 20 books from the same 200 barely tested or completely untested recipes.

Be happy with your cooking, and try instead such goodies as:

Art of Chocolate by Gonzalez
Truffles, Candies, and Confections by Carole Bloom
Chocolate Obsession by Michael Recchiuti
Pure Chocolate: Divine Desserts by Fran Bigelow
Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate by Alice Medrich

This book is, far and away, the best comprehensive chocolate reference. The depth of information on such esoterica as different bean varieties and different national confectioners is far greater than its competition and a testament to thorough research. Quibbles? The recipes, although good, and different (a definite plus) in general, seem to have a leaning for alcohol, especially in the more decadent desserts. Having *some* alcoholic dessert entries is fine, but geez, a dessert doesn't *have* to have alcohol in it to be sinful! Particularly with chocolate, where alcohol is indeed a tricky mix and most desserts do better without it. Of more serious concern is the ubiquity of self-rising flour. This makes it very hard to tune the recipe, especially, if, like me, you consider using self-rising flour a travesty to "real" baking. However, these are minor picks and overall the book is a must-buy.

I really like this book because it has very practical recipes. There is something for everyone in this book & not everything is made with chocolate. There are a lot of fruit desserts.

This is a great book,full of many yummy treats and surprises!!! From old fashion chocolate chip cookies to chocolate moose!! Some for the hoildays or just for fun!!! :-) So gets yours NOW!!!!!!

A really beautiful picture book of recipes I wish all cookbooks provided. But as others have said, it is NOT all chocolate. Title should read "1000 Chocolate, Baking and Dessert Recipes." Notice the comma after chocolate. To be honest I knew this before I bought the book. Looked inside the book at a local bookstore before buying. But I didn't look closely at the recipe ingredients before buying.

This cookbook is definitely a compilation of recipes "From Around the World". You will need to have a conversion chart for quantities and volumes. You will also need a translation for ingredient names or a convenient World Market type shopping area to find the ingredients. To be fair, not all recipes require all the work of conversion and translation. Just more than I would like.

The cookbook's content is ALL recipes. No instructions on techniques etc are included except in the recipes themselves. There is a small four page intro and basic recipe discussion but nothing you can call in-depth coverage.

All in all, I would still recommend the cookbook for its cost/value ratio. A thousand recipes with pictures and over one thousand pages should make it worthwhile. Size warning and shipping. Shipping cost is NOT free on this book and it is quite heavy.

This book is absolutely wonderful!!! As soon as my mother received it as a christmas present, we perused through the pages and were amazed to find that EVERY recipe had thorough directions as well as a colorful glossy picture to show you what your dessert should look like. There is even a quide at the bottom to suggest different replacement of certain ingredients and recommendations.

There are plenty of recipes and styles from different ethnic backgrounds for you to generously try and tips on how to create great decorative accents to your dessert. It has everything from cookies, cakes, pastries, puddings, pies, candies, and even ice cream and drinks. Its amazing to find out how many ways you can use or cook certain foods to come up with a myriad of tasteful treats.

The only thing that may be a bit misleading is the fact that not every recipe uses or has chocolate as an ingredient. And I personally did try the peanut butter cookie recipe and it turned out not so great tasting while following the exact directions in the book.

Overall this book is exactly what the dessert loving person who lacks creative ideas needs. This is a lovely full color book and about 6 inches thick (no joke). Just a quick hint of advice: experiment with the recipe before you bring it out to friends and family members...just in case.

If there were a truth in advertising law for cookbooks, this one would be in jail; more than half of the recipes do not contain any chocolate. I give it a very low mark because the title is deceiving and extremely dishonest; chocolate lovers will find slim pickings. In general, I was more impressed with the quantity rather than the quality of the recipes; I would recommend it mainly for fans of British desserts. In spite of the tremendous number of recipes, there are not that many truly useful recipes. The caliber of the recipes was aimed at the average home cook. Even so, one must be careful in choosing recipes, since they are of variable quality. Note that this book was written in Britain, so you have to work your way through things like superfine sugar, palm sugar, whole wheat self-rising flour, Set honey, gelozone, Quark, Ogen melons, elderflower cordial, fruit malt loaf, caster sugar, curd cheese, chopped suet, no-soak dried apricots, ready-to-eat dried apricots, fruits of the forest, dessert apples, smetana, light muscovado sugar, and canned cream rice. The subtitle is "From Around the World", but all of the recipes are certifiably British.

The format of the book was outstanding. Each recipe has its own page, meaning that this weighty tome has more than 1000 pages. Each recipe has a difficulty rating (I disagree with many of them, but at least it has them), execution times, and a picture. The pages are glossy, 4 color affairs. The table of contents is barely there, which is a significant failing in a book where some of the chapters are more than 200 pages long. The index is of no help either, as it is not properly cross referenced, and only lists the full recipe names. One good point, however, is that the photos appear to be genuine attempts to execute the recipes; some have mistakes that probably should have be re-done (the Pithiviers and Creme Brulee are burned; the pictures for Chocolate Shortcake Towers and Tiramisu Layers have an odd, greenish tinge; the meringue for Satsuma & Pecan Pavlova is broken).

In the cookie chapter, a substantial portion of the recipes contain oats. The cake chapter for the most part reflects British fondness for adding fruit (juice, dried, fresh, canned, jam, marmalade) and/or spices (often in excessive amounts) to baked cakes. Typical recipe: Eggless Sponge ("This is a healthy, but still absolutely delicious, variation of the classic sponge layer cake and is suitable for vegans"). This chapter has a few dozen recipes for fruitcake and its cousins. The chapter on Crepes, Loaves, and Pastries is over-laden with fruit-stuffed crepes, fruit-stuffed tea breads, and fruit-stuffed tarts (not to mention the cheesecakes made with tofu). It is especially useless unless you are serving an English High Tea, and virtually devoid of chocolate to boot. The Hot Desserts chapter is mainly for aficionados of fried, boiled, grilled (how many fruit kabob recipes do you really need, anyway?), or baked fruit (yuck; what is wrong with just eating fresh fruit?), and is also devoid of chocolate (from this chapter I conclude that the quality of British fruit is frighteningly low; I live in California, where the fruit quality is some of the best in the world; good quality fruit does not need cooking). This chapter also features a full panoply of rice and British puddings (double yuck), and disappointingly few souffles; the editor could learn a thing or two about fruit crumbles from American cookbooks. The quality of the recipes in the chapter on Cold Desserts is appallingly low and features several trifles; it is also devoid of chocolate. Confusingly, some recipes from this chapter are not served cold out of the refrigerator or freezer, but to be served "cold" at room temperature after cooling off, as opposed to hot out of the oven. The last chapter on confectionery and beverages is the best of the lot.

The results were variable. Some worked perfectly, whereas in others the liquid/flour balance was clearly off. There is no indication as to what measuring method was used for the flour, nor are equivalent weights listed. The instructions to the recipes were a mixed lot: some were OK, while others were clearly wrong. There did not seem to be much testing of the recipes. In general, the instructions were brief and not very helpful. The recipe for Pains au Chocolate is laughably short (similar comment applies to the Pithiviers recipe). The recipe for Spun Sugar Pears is downright dangerous; it recommends making caramelized sugar in the microwave, a big safety no-no.

I bought this book freshman year of college and have used it well into my senior year. It's a great book to keep for reference and contains information covered in all the biology classes I have taken. Pictures of mechanisms are easy to understand and very helpful.

This text does not go into enough depth. I found myself going to other sources in order to further grasp required concepts. There is also an error in figure 45.17.

I utilized this book for my college biology classes. It was very complete and had great details on photosynthesis, Krebs cycle, glycolysis. I even liked the chapters on animal structure and function, quite interesting. However, the chapter on genetics was the hardest to read. I had to re-read pages over again to understand what Raven was trying to teach. If you want to know what is the best study guides for college biology to study from, get the following by Patrick Leonardi--
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 1)
Topics: Organziation of Living Things and Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of the Cell and Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics.

The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 2)
Topics: Evolution, Ecology, Kingdom Bacteria, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Viruses, Plant Form and Function

The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Vol 3)
Topics: Kingdom Animalia, Organization of the Animal Body, Animal Form and Function, Animal Reproduction, Development and Behavior.

The last three study guides prepared me for the kind of questions that were asked on my college exams. This helped me cut a lot of time in my studying because now I new what to focus on. Raven's book is a also a must buy.

The graphs summarize lots of important information in a clear and easy to understand format.

Some part of the text is wordy, not very concise. It helps to develop the breadth and depth of the text but meanwhile it's quite distracting and sometimes confusing for grasping the key concepts.

I absolutely love this book. The explanations are thorough and understandable and the pictures and diagrams cannot be beat. Truly a great read. The book goes into enough detail, but not too much that you get confused. Thank you Purdue bio department for choosing this book!! Highly recommended!

As the cover says it's definitely a lighthearted novel. I was looking forward to enjoying this novel based on the reviews and the books description. I think the concept was a good idea however, it fell short. The novel was entirely too brief to give an interesting and detailed aspect of interracial relationships. I think if Mrs. Hubbard would have added a little more detail and depth to the characters and the plot she could have pulled off a much more engaging and interesting read. Having said all that I will still read the sequel...always willing to give an author a second chance...and as I said it was a good concept. And I am interested to see what happens to Chantel next.

I loved Chocolate Burnout! I liked how Vicki made me feel apart of the story. I found myself talking to the book! I have a busy life and I dont have time to read a long drawn out story. Chocolate Burnout was not the case. I cant wait for the sequel!!! I hope it will be as funny as the first one. Vicki lets the reader know there is only one race the human race and we are all human mistakes and all! I just read her first full length novel "Black Butterflies : Secrets Of The Past " It was wonderful this author has talent I have not read a book that good since "The Color Purple" keep up the good work because you have got a fan for life!

Mrs. Vicki Hubbard, let me just start by saying that I really liked Chocolate Burnout! No it is not a very long book, but it is ideal for summer reading. Just like any good author you left your readers wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel to come out. Yes there were a few typos in the book, but because I wasn't looking for them and I am not gradingyouI say good job. Though I will have to agree that it is a very nice back cover picture of you

I thought that the book "Chocolate Burnout" was a good book, for various reason. It was quick and to the point. Too many writers now a days feel the need write drawn out stories explaining the same plot over and over again! This did not happen with "Chocolate Burnout" The story moved in a good pace in which I was able to absorb within an hour. I read alot and most books I'v read for hours and end up not understanding the plot and not caring about the people. "Chocolate Burnout" Is diffrent. The chracter Chantel Reed was real! I think Vicki L. Hubbard captured the inner thoughts of most women in todays society ! Most of us are looking for Mr. Right and we want him NOW! Even if means looking else where to find him! And as some woman are known to do will seek advice from anyone or anything to avoid the lonely bug! In this case Chantel seeks the advice of Imari a Physcotheripst.Which leads her in the wrong direction! I have two teen age daughters and I have them both reading "Chocolate Burnout" & Mrs Hubbard's latest novel "Stories From The Heart" Because both books deal with today's issues and perhaps if they read about young women fighting the wars of todays trials & tribulations they can avoid some of the obstacles that might get in the way of blocking there God given values in life! I enjoyed this book! Chantel Reed is a young woman like most young women subjected trouble and trying desperatley to maintain a normal life. However life is not easy to figure out and this book does not mislead you into thinking that it is. It has a surprise ending that leaves you hungry for the sequel! And desperate for structure in the chracter's life. I enjoyed the book and can't wait for the sequel!

First of all, I must applaud Ms. Hubbard for her effort in writing this book. Not too many authors (black or white) are willing to take on such a controversial topic and Ms. Hubbard does so with style and grace. As the product of an interracial marriage, I was very excited when I first found this book, but was extremely disappointed when I read it. Because the book is so short (98 pages), the author is unable give indepth details and descriptions (show your readers, don't tell them) and, therefore, a lot of information vital to the story is left out. It seems as if the book was thrown together in a very short period in time. I believe the story was definitely worthy of at least 200-300 pages. Not only was the storyline way underdeveloped, I found a few punctuation errors and even a misused word (the use of "your" instead of "you're"). As a writer and editor myself, I couldn't really get past the less than average editing job done on this book. Granted, no publication is error-free, but I saw some glaring mistakes that definitely should have been caught before the book went to press.

On a positive note, the book is fun to read, and as I said above, it is a great story idea. Had I been Ms. Hubbard's editor, I would have suggested she take another six months and develop the plot a little more. With a little more thought and work, she could have had a best seller.

One more thought: The cover art is fabulous and the photo of Ms. Hubbard on the back is wonderful!

This is a great Author and this book allow me to feel that I was not alone in the world. There are other woment that feel the same way. The end of the book she allowed her friends and email people to put their thoughts in writing. Just wonderful to read.

This book is defintly for the chocolate lover. What a witty book, such a joy to read.

Make some brownies and chocolate pie, and dig in to the food and the discussion questions.

Chocolatherapy is not about emotional binge eating or the excess weight that often comes along with it. The author, Karen Linamen, has battled both of these problems, but early on she reminds the reader that other women's cravings in response to stress include shopping, working out, surfing the net, or cleaning-anything that we do to excess to avoid our real problems.

Throughout the book, Ms. Linamen sprinkles nuggets of truth and encouragement regarding her own experiences with parenting, divorce, friendship, adult ADD, body piercing, and worry. Yes, I said body piercing. This book is written from a Christian perspective, but it is definitely not one of those "perfect-Christian woman" type of books that do not address the reality that many of the women (Christian or not) who read them are facing.

One reviewer thought she was "tricked" into buying it and didn't know it was a Christian book. I am a Christian, and there are some books that I would not recommend to someone who does not have a Christian faith or outlook. This is not one of those. I would recommend this one to anyone, because I don't think that she's preachy. When she mentions her faith, she is simply mentioning it as one of the ways that she found to satisfy that real deep craving.

I did not realize that this was a religious book. I bought it for my mom because she loves chocolate. This book came recommended by Amazon when I bought another book, but I'm not sure why. The other book was non-religous and the description on this one does not say anything about it, so I feel I was tricked into buying it!

I really enjoyed Chocolatherapy! Linamen makes the book comically-witty and relatable. This is a good book for women who need guidance or self-assurance in their hectic day to day lives. Linamen also tells some easy ways to avoid the chocolate and junkfood and find a deeper meaning in stressful situations. If searching for an answer, this book will surely help you find out what your craving!

Just finished reading such an inspiring book by Wally Amos. My husband and I have been self employed since we have been married (32 years now). I so thoroughly connected with the wonderful advice Wally spoke of. His personality reminded me so much of my husbands who also is a great one for turning lemons into lemonade. After visiting the "chip and cookie" website I must say Geez I know Christine must be a loving and strong women in her own right. It just would have been nice had she also been African American

This book is just like a bad cookie. The material is stale, bland and crumbles to pieces when the reader searches for an in-depth understanding of the issues that are discussed. Wally is no doubt a good businessman and his cookies do mealt in your mouth, but this book mealts in your hand because it is so bad!

The Cookie Never Crumbles is the manual on how to live an extraordinary, abundant, loving life. What flows from Wally's heart is nothing less than the secret ingredients of living. I keep this book nearby when I need to find my center in courage, joy, compassion and gratitude. I am so blessed to call Wally Amos my friend.

This is a terrific book Wally! I'm moved by your passion and determination to see life at its best and not its worst.

This book will inspire people to look past their challenges and forge forth toward their future. Keep making those cookies for life no matter how many may crumble!

Philippe Matthews
CEO, EmpowerMag.com & HowYouMakeMillions.com

I so enjoyed this book. I read spiritually and emotionally uplifting materials all the time. Some are sooooo heavy. And I must admit that sometimes I need the weight of the information, in the same way that I need and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. But Wally's book is pure dessert, just like his cookies. When I need a quick energy lift I return to his book. I not only found myself vicariously enjoying the honest and fun loving individual, Wally (Famous) Amos, but I felt that I met a soul mate...a lover of life and a believer in the positive powers of the universe.

I have to admit, he should have written the book sooner. He might have saved my marriage. When he speaks of the process and power of his determination and commitment to keeping his marriage in tact inspite of some "infractions" I realized the impact positive, powerful, decisive action can make.

I share excerpts of the book with my graduate students(educators who are stressed). I give them bite size pieces of positive energy at the beginning or ending of the class. That way they can begin the session or end it with a smile.

I do plan to try the recipe for his famous cookies for Christmas. I'll be glad to let you know if they turn out famously.

Chocolate... what could be better? It's still in the unread stack but only because it's a big stack. I truly want to read this book. It's sounds awesome.

Samantha and Richard meet in a unusual way. On New Years Eve Samantha was running out of church to get her purse when she ran into Richard as he was entering the church. Both of them lost their balance, and fell down the steps. When Richard went to the doctor they told him that he broke his foot. Samantha owns a candy shop, and had a room for rent, and Richard needed a place to stay. Samantha rented her room to Richard and they became good friends. Samantha's biseness was in danger. She knew that there was a new mall going in down the street, but she did not know that Richard was the owner of it. Will Samantha and Richard's friendship be reined by the mall?

For a class, I was assigned to read a romance novel and then critique it. Normally, I love reading novels, but this one was excruciating. The characters have no depth. The story line is entirely predictible and cliche. Samantha and Richard are both candy shop owners, and Richard owns the chain store that might put Samantha out of business. Her life is complicated when her dear Granny suffers yet another stroke and then dies. Samantha also comes in contact with her father again, and realizes that he never meant to hurt her, and in fact fought for custody. To top it off, someone tells Samantha who Richard really is, and then she doesn't speak to him for months.

Of course, he goes after her and wins her heart, and the whole town says "aww." While I've included some critical things to the "plot," I'm reluctant to call them spoilers. This book is really bad, and I couldn't read it all the way through because it was too ridiculous. Save your brain cells and choose a book that isn't entirely predictible or cliche, unless you like that sort of thing.

I read this book in one sitting. Ms. Wolverton breathed such life into her characters and settings that I wanted to go to both the stores when I finished the book! Her characterization was so convincing, I could hear the hero and heroine speaking in my mind as I read. Thanks for such a wonderful, feel good story. Great job!

This was the first book I read in the shipment recently received. The cover and title just struck my fancy...

Samantha owns a small local candy store. She loves to make the candies, but, as she is first to point out, she doesn't have a business head. The business was run by her Grandmother (who raised her) until 5 years ago when Grandma had a stroke. Now Sam cares for her grandma and tries to keep the store afloat.

Richard comes to town. His family's international candy company will be opening up a store in, you guessed it, Samantha's town.

This is a delightful book, a fun read. The characters each have their problems. Richard messes up, hides his candy store identity from Sam while his attraction towards her grows. Richard is also on a spiritual journey. He is using this time to get back into a good relationship with God, something he's lost in the past few years of corporate stress. Samantha has her own things to deal with, notably concerning forgiveness. She has to deal with her feeling towards her Dad before she can begin to forgive Richard.

Oh, the ending was fun! How Richard woos Samantha once he sets his mind on it is every woman's dream.

Recommended for a light fun read.