基本信息出版社：Thomas Dunne Books
页码：320 页
出版日期：2008年02月
ISBN：0312376669
International Standard Book Number：0312376669
条形码：9780312376666
EAN：9780312376666
装帧：精装
正文语种：英语
内容简介 Forget diamonds, chocolate is a girl’s best friend
Some women are addicted to shopping, others can’t get enough of champagne.
Some like to curl up with a good book, and others want a night out on the town.
But there’s just one thing Lucy Lombard can’t live without, and that’s chocolate—rich, creamy, sweet, delicious chocolate.
For her there’s no substitute. There’s nothing it won’t cure, from heartache to a headache, and she’s not alone. Sharing her passion are her three best friends and fellow addicts: sweet, peace-loving Autumn, harried mom Nadia, and sex kitten Chantal. Together they form a select group known as the Chocolate Lovers’ Club. Whenever there’s a crisis, they meet in their sanctuary, a café called Chocolate Heaven, and with a cheating boyfriend who promises he’ll change, a flirtatious boss, a gambling husband, and a loveless marriage, there’s always plenty to discuss….
By turns hilarious and heartrending, The Chocolate Lovers’ Club brings together four unforgettable women from totally different worlds united in their passion for chocolate.
作者简介
CAROLE MATTHEWS is an international bestselling author of hugely successful romantic-comedy novels. Her unique sense of humor has won her legions of fans and critical acclaim all over the world. In the U.K., her books are consistent bestsellers. The hilarious For Better, for Worse was selected by “Reading with Ripa” on Live with Regis and Kelly as their book of the month, and consequently, it hit the USA Today and New York Times Extended bestseller lists. Carole is currently published in twenty-four countries. Carole has appeared on television and is a regular radio guest. When she is not writing novels or television scripts, she manages to find time to trek in the Himalayas, Rollerblade in Central Park, take tea in China, and snooze in her garden shed in Milton Keynes, England.
If you share Carole Matthews’s passion for chocolate, visit www.thechocolateloversclub.com and read some fascinating facts about chocolate and try out Carole’s tasty chocolate recipes. or visit www.carolematthews.com to read her delicious short stories and monthly newsletter. You can also chat with Carole on MySpace or Facebook.
媒体推荐
Praise for Carole Matthews and The Chocolate Lovers’ Club:
“Matthews’ latest is a delicious confection—a guilty pleasure to be savored.” --People Magazine
"This chick-lit read is a yummy Valentine’s treat! Four pals are addicted to discussing their lives while indulging at Chocolate Heaven café.” --OK magazine
"Carole Matthews writes with true heart! Readers will lap up every delicious, delectable word!"--Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen of Babble
"The Chocolate Lovers’ Club is the Rocky Road of novels. It has all the good stuff: romance, friendship, humor, and intrigue. Enjoy! It's a delicious treat." --Sarah Mlynowski, bestselling author of Milkrun
"What a rich and satisfying novel about love, life and friendship, and of course, chocolate. With one of the best breakup revenge scenes I've ever gleefully read!"--Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date and Love You To Death
"The Chocolate Lovers' Club is so delicious I couldn't put it down. Matthews has crafted a lovely, touching novel of female friendship, full of drama and unexpected turns."--Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club
"The Chocolate Lovers’ Club has all the pleasure of the perfect box of chocolates…decadent, delightful, and always gone too quickly, with a little something for every palate...An extremely well-crafted and human tale of life, love, and the need for both good friends and good chocolate, it satisfies completely." --Stacey Ballis, author of The Spinster Sisters
“The writing is snappy and fast-paced, and there’s quite a bit of humor, along with some creative antics and mouth-watering descriptions of luscious chocolate concoctions…The Chocolate Lovers’ Club is a Hershey bar of a book: a yummy indulgence….” --The Wichita Eagle
--Chatanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
专业书评 From Publishers Weekly
Chocolate is the glue that holds together a disparate group of London ladies in British writer Matthews's frothy latest. When secretary-aspiring-to-be-an-executive Lucy Lombard discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she convenes an emergency meeting of the Chocolate Lovers' Club at upscale chocolatier Chocolate Heaven. But Lucy isn't the only one with a problem: Nadia, a stay-at-home Indo-Brit mom, has a husband with a gambling problem; Chantal, an American transplant journalist, has married into money and a loveless marriage; and old-money do-gooder Autumn's shifty brother moves in with her, causing plenty of disruption to Autumn's tranquil abode. As the dramas play out, Chantal gets the worst of it: her extramarital lover makes off with some of her expensive jewelry. Other romances alternately fizzle and sizzle as the chocoholics chow down on their confections and concoct a plot to get back Chantal's jewelry. Though the narrative's chocolate crutch can get tedious (sometimes very), the Brit humor and unexpected subplots are rewarding. (Feb.)
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文摘 Chapter 1
“Hit me again,” I say.
Eyebrows are raised. “Are you sure?”
“I can handle it.”
“You can overdose on this,” he warns. “Even you, a hardened user.”
“Never.”
In times of crisis, my drug of choice is single plantation Madagascar. There is nothing—absolutely nothing—that it fails to cure. This is the remedy for anything from a broken heart to a headache—and I’ve had plenty of both in my time, I can tell you.
“Bring it on, boy.” I nod solemnly and my dealer hands over my drugs, making me sigh with relief. Chocolate. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm! Lovely, lovely, creamy, sweet, delicious chocolate. I just can’t get enough of it.
Taking my first bite, I feel its warm, comforting taste start to edge through my pain. There are times when chocolate really is the answer to all of your prayers.
“Better?”
“Getting there,” I say with a wan smile.
“The posse will be here soon and then you’ll be okay.”
“I know. Thanks, Clive. You’re a savior.”
“All part of the service, dear.” He high-fives me in a very camp way—but then he’s gay, so he’s allowed.
Taking my stash, I find a sofa in the corner and sink into it. My weary bones start to relax and, breathing in the strong vanilla scent, I feel my head starting to clear too.
I’m not alone in my desires. Oh no. I’m part of a small but perfectly formed sect that we’ve christened the Chocolate Lovers’ Club. We have just four members in our guilty gang, and we meet here at Chocolate Heaven as often as we can. This place is an addict’s paradise—the equivalent of the opium den for the chocoholic. It’s tucked away in a cobbled back street in a smart area of London, but I’m
……