Title: The Chocolate Works
Author: Geoffrey Knight
Series: Standalone
Genre: Gay Romance
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Romantic Comedy, Foodie Romance
Release Date: July 10, 2020
Formats Available: Ebook, Paperback, Kindle Unlimited
Henry Dawson lives a quiet life of perfect order and routine. His job as a cross-checker at a Chicago-based risk assessment firm means there’s no detail unmissed, no error unfixed and no room in his world for curve balls. That is until the day he loses his job, finds out his apartment building has been condemned, and receives an inheritance from an uncle he never even knew he had.
Now with no job, no home and no hope for the future, Henry suddenly finds himself in the tiny dead-end town of Los Encantado in the middle of the New Mexico desert, ready to sell the small roadside diner bequeathed to him by the uncle he never met. Given the circumstances, what choice does he have but to offload the diner—operated by waffle-loving Doris Day fan, Gracie Garcia—in an effort to try and fund his way back to his old life in Chicago?
But Henry was never planning on the arrival of wild, passionate and incredibly sexy Levi Jones. Nor was he ready for Levi’s crazy plan to turn Gracie’s Diner into the greatest Chocolate Works the world has ever known. For Levi claims to be the country’s finest chocolatier… or is he?
Before he knows it, Henry is pulled into Levi’s plan to create the most delicious, irresistible, mouth-watering, knee-buckling chocolates the world has ever imagined. At the same time Henry finds himself falling head over heels for the reckless, romantic allure of a man who is the complete opposite of everything Henry holds sacred.
Will Henry succumb to the charms of a handsome stranger despite every instinct warning him that Levi is nothing but a snake oil salesman? Will the secrets of Levi’s past destroy Henry’s hopes of ever finding true romance?
Or is Levi destined to melt Henry’s heart as he discovers that chocolate truly is the food of love?
The Chocolate Works is a mouth-watering 85K-word standalone opposites-attract gay romantic comedy. Warning: Reading this book WILL make you crave your absolute favorite chocolates and demand you indulge in them while you read… one delicious, delectable, discipline-crushing mouthful at a time.
My Rating - 4.5 Stars!
The Chocolate Works is a powerful book by Geoffrey Knight. It's slow going but it's meaningful and packs a punch in the end.
The New Mexico setting is extremely well written. One can feel the town, with it's good and bad, as if they are there. The natives, traditions, beliefs, and culture are all well illustrated as well.
Henry's a man who's driven to NM out of desperation. Instead of finding the land he inherited and selling it, he finds the meaning to life, great friends, and love.
Levi's a drifter. At first, he comes off as just strange, with a simplistic speech pattern and a unique way of looking at life. In the end, he's a fascinating character who fully comes to life.
This is a tale full of surprises and a rare gift of making amazing chocolate. There are some serious twists and turns that I never saw coming.
The beginning of this story took me while to get through. The pace, the oddness of Levi, and the way Levi spoke all turned me off a bit. But then, wow, the story starts to set in and the things we discover made me more intrigued. I knew this book would remind me of the author's profound The Pearl.
The life lessons that are told in this story are extraordinary, and the story is beautiful in the way it unfolds.
In other words, The Chocolate Works is another magnificent book by Geoffrey Knight. He once again impresses me with the depth of the life lessons in this tale.
It must be sweet and delicate, yet knowing of the power—and sometimes the balance—that its own darkness and bitterness can bring;
It must grant us the illusion, if only for a moment, that we are made wealthy by its richness, wicked by its decadence, and forgiven of all our sins in its utter purity;
It must be solid and firm, yet versatile enough to soften its edges and melt with grace when the moment is right;
It must bring comfort in hard times, abundance in lean times, and happiness in lonely times;
It must be made with hands that are strong yet gentle with their touch, watched over by eyes that are observant and careful in their measurement, and created by souls that have known and will never forget a need that must be fulfilled.
But most important of all—chocolate must be made with love.
For chocolate is love.
And love conquers all.
These are the things I learned from Levi Jones, a man as reckless and wild as he was passionate and kind; a man whose creative genius was matched only by his mystery; a man who added the dash of hope, the dollop of love and the sprinkling of surprises that would change my life forever.
stories, ranging in genre from gay adventure, gay romance, gay suspense and gay comedies.
The heroes of Geoffrey's books love to spend their time jumping off the page, seeking lost treasures, unraveling mysteries or falling in love.
Geoffrey is the recipient of two Rainbow Awards including Best Mystery Winner and Best Overall Gay Fiction Runner-up. His work has been featured in several anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2013, and he appeared as Guest of Honor at the inaugural Rainbow Con in Florida, 2014.
Geoffrey has worked in advertising, politics, journalism and event management, but nothing is as fun as telling stories. He lives with his partner, their young daughter and their small furry family in a rambling old house in North Queensland, Australia, where the paint is fraying and life is good.
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