Truffles by the Sea

Remember the Bug Bunny cartoon Wabbit Season? Elmer Fudd wants to shoot Bugs, but Bugs tricks him into shooting Daffy Duck (repeatedly) by making Daffy mix up his words. A couple of scenes end with Daffy shouting, "So shoot me now, shoot me now!" That's a little bit how I'm feeling today. Yesterday I was able to take it easy, because Mia was home from school with a high fever (again). She's better today, so I took her to school and went into work. The pain was already unbearable before eight am. I don't know if it's the cold weather, or a flare up, or if I caught Mia's virus. I could use a few prayers today. I'm putting on a conference at work tomorrow, and I need to feel much better than I do today.

Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini is the sequel to the book Chocolate Beach. This story focuses on Gaby who has just about hit bottom in her life. Her apartment house burned to the ground taking all of her belongings. While picking through the rubble, her flower shop was robbed by an employee. She's running out of money and faith when Livi, one of her best friends, finds her a place to live in the loft of a seaside home. The landlord, an entrepreneurial chef named Jake, is often absent. Livi and Gaby's friend Bri (from the first book) hooks Gaby up with businessman Max. So with two blossoming romances, things should be looking up, but instead Gaby gets slapped with a lawsuit! Where is God when Gaby needs him most? There are several different storylines flowing through this book, and Carobini tackles them all with ease. Gaby gradually grows and begins to open her eyes to the world around her. Max's multiple about-faces were a little abrupt, and while Jake's true nature is obvious to the reader, I was completely caught off guard when Gaby started looking at him with new eyes. In fact, I had put the book down for bed at night, and when I picked it up the next morning, it felt a bit as if I had missed a chapter somewhere. Her sudden attraction to Jake was that abrupt. That said, Gaby, Bri, and Livi are great friends to read about, and Carobini's many descriptions of the chocolate that binds their friendship are mouthwatering.

If you'd like to get your hands on some yummy truffles like in the book's title, head on over to Julie's blog and leave a comment along with a way for her to contact you in case you win. Good luck!