I loved this series, it is warm, sweet, romantic, and this one was all of those things.  Elena was a beautiful character with scares and Laura didn't lose site of even the smallest details with this character from start to finish.  Elena truly couldn't understand the concept of someone choosing her, based on her history of always being left behind or discarded.  Lucien had his own scars and I loved watching him reunite with his cousins, come to accept that he is still part of the family regardless of blood, and his reunion with his father was poignant. How he ended up choosing Elena up in the lavender fields was the perfect touch at the end of the story.  The only thing I wanted to see happen was to find out how Antoine was connected to the family, and that wasn't revealed. I don't know if there is going to be another book or not, I hope Antoine gets his own story, but other than that detail I enjoyed this story and the whole series.  It was refreshing and sweet and still had passion (which is a must) :-).  If you are looking for a classic romantic story with passion and just enough drama to keep you turning the pages, plus characters that jump off the page (love Tonte Collette and the grandfather SO much), I highly recommend this series.

Weddings Ink by USA Today–bestselling author Christie Ridgway
Luke Harper was the last man wedding planner Charlotte Bond would ever date again. Then, her latest client demands Charlotte get up-close and personal with the whole bridal party—including best man Luke! But soon, business-only meetings turn to sultry nights, and suddenly Charlotte’s “never’ is coming dangerously close to “I do.”
 
All’s Fair In Love And Chocolate by international-bestelling author Laura Florand
Going undercover as a bride-to-be, food blogger Eloise Layne is determined to learn charismatic French chocolatier Simon Casset’s famously guarded secrets. But her investigation soon spins completely out of control—and somehow her man of mystery is succeeding in uncovering her every desire, one smoldering kiss at a time . . .
 
So save the date and get ready to fall in love with these three romantic tales that are all worth celebrating 

Tristan is the youngest of the Rosiers and he is known as the fun loving guy, always ready with a smile and to brighten people's day. Malorie is from a rival perfume family that is almost extinct and she has come back to France to handle her recently deceased grandmother's property. Malorie and Tristan have known each other since they were in grade school together. Tristan has had feelings for her his whole life but when she up and disappeared after graduation he wasn’t sure he would ever see her again. She has made something of her life and has tried to put her family’s shame behind her but now being home is bringing back dreams she didn’t realize she had - to resurrect her family’s legacy in the perfume world. When Tristan walks back into her life things are a bit rocky but Tristan sees it as the opportunity to finally win her. She finds it hard to believe Tristan’s sincerity because of her family’s history, but he is persistent and works his way back into her heart. The problem lies with the fact that he is keeping a pretty big secret from her and when she finds out she can’t help but think of how her father treated her mother. I enjoyed their story a lot, it was sweet and romantic, steady, and well-developed.  Tristan is such an easy kind of guy to like; his personality really jumps off the page. The cousins are such fun male-leads and the setting is romance personified. Great books, easy to get engrossed in, and I like that there are more in the series. So delicious.

The second book in the La Vie en Rose series focuses on the business savvy Damien. The one known for being cold and ruthless when it comes to protecting his family’s business interests. Six months ago he met a woman that didn’t treat him like the wealthy, connection-rich business man he is known as around the world. They met at a perfume launch party and he thought they hit it off, but the next morning she was gone before he awoke. He discovered she was part owner of a new perfume business that he just took over, and anytime he reached out to her she treated him like she couldn’t care less about him. Six months later she is in Grasse, France and just inherited his family's original perfume shoppe thanks to his Tante Collete, the same woman who gave away part of Matt’s valley in book one. He is resentful and cold and angry with her from the moment he walks into the shop.

Six months ago, Jasmine was a well sought after perfumer who attempted to start her own company, fell in love with a man she met at a party not realizing who he truly was until the next morning, and was dealing with her father slowly dying, all at the same time. To say she didn’t handle Damien well is an understatement. Now she is in Grasse and suddenly finds him coming into her shop and challenging her to come up with his own personal sent, and if she can, she can keep the shop otherwise he will take her to court to get it back. Along the way, his anger with how things played out plays a pivotal role in how their relationship develops this time around. I think his anger was a bit extreme, especially once he finds out what she was dealing with at the time and how she saw him buying her company. I think he held onto that resentment a bit too long and let’s face it, they had one night together in New York and for both of them it was more than a one night stand, but neither communicated well and she really should have heard him out, so they were both in the wrong with how things were handled. I’m not sure his anger was truly justified. Not when he discovers everything about her and who she is as a person and how she handles tough situations, which is poorly.

With that said, I loved how much he loved her and I loved how she tried to tell him she loved him without actually saying the words. It was romantic, passionate, sweet, and overall a feel good romance story. I’m so happy they ended up together and they learned how to communicate with each other when words weren’t always easy for either of them. A beautiful story.

Was this book over the top saccharine? Too much? Just enough?

I can't quite decide. I have lots of highlights. I enjoyed Laura Florand's writing, as usual. She's researched, and she is detailed. (In fact, it sounds like part of her research for this was in the late Laurent Jeannin's kitchen) I believe this level of detail really throws you into her books, and at the very least they don't feel lazy or shortcut. Her books are very sensuous, and this was no exception. I remember when I read the first (I think) in this series and how long it takes for the hero and heroine to actually meet and yet it was somehow still sexy as all hell.

Summer Corey hates desserts. Luc Leroi is a perfectionist who creates them. He puts pieces of his heart into those desserts, serving himself up on the platter. What resulted was a somewhat awkward, painful and ultimately kind of delicious story. Luc is a very controlled man, but we come to understand that is not the case around Summer. And Lord knows I love a hero who doesn't just take a quick fuck for his insta-love or insta-lust (both are apparent here, but they don't bother me). Luc is a made-from-nothing man with a steady foster parent and absentee, incompetent parents. He just wants love, and puts all his focus and passion into his craft. And dear lord, he tries. Which is lovely. He didn't let Summer get away because he makes little stumbles, reiterating that he'll try until he's perfect for her.

The issue of the story is with Summer. she is a big-hearted, seemingly spoiled brat who has suffered neglect and often comes off as emotionally immature. When Luc rejects her advances, her offers to buy a yacht upon first meeting, she's a bit bitter about it. She continually rejects his heart-on-a-plate desserts because "she doesn't eat desserts." She argues with her (clearly neglectful even if well-meaning) parents about giving her the hotel in a 3 month trial run to connect the island she lives and loves teaching at with a satellite for better connectivity. I don't know, I get it and it's manipulative but she's so indignant at the prospect of having to try something for her parents in exchange for something for her livelihood it comes across as...bratty...and entitled. And holy hell, she's frustratingly tone deaf in the neighborhood of Luc, which was aggravating. When he rejects her after she first kisses him (again he deserves more than a sliver of her time, according to him) she storms into the kitchen to publicly fire him, ultimately resulting in her threatening to fire two others who tell her she's out of line. This is not an ok scenario by any stretch, for any sex. Luc absolutely shrugs her off, and despite my anger and complete misgivings I continued to read. I mean, she embarrassed herself badly. He wasn't threatened, and I guess that's the only reason I could keep on.

In the end, the book was incredibly (maybe OTT) romantic, and despite trying to hate it for that plot point, I couldn't. The tenderness that followed did me in. There's a scene where she realizes he has been living on junk food that and she cooks for him. It was heartbreaking and so sweet when he realized she was and what it meant to him. Ultimately, it's the little things like this that make this book. While I can't quite get on board with Summer, someone who didn't understand her love and privilege in many ways, Luc's desire to have the love light up his life and his willingness to stubbornly pursue just that really made this book. He's not perfect, he's an arrogant, prideful sort, but I loved him.

3.5, rounded up because I appreciated the hurdles and the difficulties getting to coupledom despite the insta-lust/love. Not to mention what seems to be meticulous research.