I stumbled across Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley through the recommendation from another Twitter user. I like to ask people I’m following what they liked best of their reading in the last year. I’m going to admit that I don’t remember who recommended Ashley’s book, but after reading the sample I’d downloaded, I was sold. The title itself is sweet and attractive. I like the way it refers directly back to the heroine’s business—she actually makes chocolate confections and stuffs them with wishes.
I bought this book after reading and enjoying Ms. Ashley’s writing style. Unlike many books these days, it doesn’t start with a bang, but with a gentle, seductive induction into Chloe Lyon’s life. The heroine lives in a family filled with unusual, lifelike characters. Her grandfather practices and writes books about witchcraft, but not the dark kind. Even though he’s an unusual guy, he’s a grandfather you feel you’ve probably known. Ashley intersperses her story with gawky teens and a rock star turned minister. None of this should work, but it does.
Ashley has a very readable style and clearly writes her characters with affection. If I were going to recommend this book to a friend, I’d say Trisha Ashley’s Chocolate Wishes is a fun read that brings readers into a world with challenges that are both relatable and satisfyingly resolved.