Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Love and Chocolate by Linda Shenton Matchett

Book: Love and Chocolate

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: September 13, 2024

She just needs a job. He wants a career. Is there room in their hearts for love?

Ilsa Krause and her siblings are stunned to discover their father left massive debt behind upon his death. To help pay off their creditors and save the farm, she takes a job at Beck’s Chocolates, the company her father despised and refused to supply with milk. Then she discovers her boss is Ernst Webber, her high school love who unceremoniously dumped her via letter from college. Could life get any more difficult?

A freshly-minted university diploma in his hand, Ernst Webber lands his dream job at Beck’s Chocolates. His plans to work his way up the ladder don’t include romantic entanglements, then Ilsa Krause walks back into his life resurrecting feelings he thought long dead. However, her animosity makes it clear she has no interest in giving him a second chance. Can he get her to change her mind? Does he want to?

 

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I have become a fan of Linda Shenton Matchett and I truly love her Christian Historcial Romance books. Love and Chocolate is her most recent book that I had the opportunity to read. 

WOW this storyline starts out strong and captivated me from the first few pages. The setting is in Wisconsin in the early 20 century. Lisa Krause and Ernst Webber are the 2 main characters in this book. Lisa Krause and her siblings recently lost their Dad and Lisa must find a way to keep the family together on their farm. Lisa is hired at a loca Chocolate factory and discovers her boss is Ernst Webber, the man who broke her heart  years ago. I really LOVE that Ernst realizes that he put himself before others and especially before God for so many years. Seeing Lisa he really wants to get right with his God and his faith and explain things to Lisa on his actions years ago. I LOVED that Lisa has a forgiving heart and listened to Ernst and all that happened to him in the years since she saw him. The book is one of Faith, Forgiveness, Second Chances and Romance. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Chrsitian Historcial Romance. WONDERFUL BOOK!

 

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. She now lives in central New Hampshire where she explores the history of this great state and immerses herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

 

More from Linda

A couple of years ago while I was planning my upcoming writing projects, I knew I wanted to write a series of books about siblings but couldn’t decide where or went to set the stories. Lots of research later, I discovered the 1898 Columbian Exposition here in the United States and the various inventions associated with that event. Further study led me to Milton Hershey who attended that World’s Fair and was so enamored with the concept of chocolate production for the masses that he sold his caramel company to enter the chocolate business – a risky proposition at that time. As I read more about Milton and his wife Catherine “Kitty” Sweeney-Hershey, I knew I had the beginnings of a story.

The owner of Beck’s Chocolates in my latest release Love and Chocolate is inspired by Milton Hershey, and I enjoyed creating my own “company town,” Cocoaville in which to set the story. Taking place in 1914 prior to the beginning of World War I, the story explores the mixed feelings about German Americans that were prevalent at the time as well as themes of second chances and forgiveness.

In the early days of my career, I worked in a printed circuit board factory, but I knew nothing about chocolate or how to manufacture it. Research for Love and Chocolate included interviewing a close friend who is a chocolatier and trying various brands of chocolate to understand the difference in flavor and texture. Here are a few fun facts I learned about chocolate along the way:

• The Aztecs and the Mayans were the first to realize the benefits of cacao beans, ground and soaked in water approximately 5,000 years ago.
• Switzerland has the highest per capita chocolate consumption.
• The smell of chocolate can help relax and reduce stress.
• It takes two to four days to produce a single serving chocolate bar.
• Cote d’Ivoire is the single largest producer of cocoa, providing roughly 40 percent of the world’s supply.
• The world’s largest chocolate bar weighed over 12,000 pounds.
• It takes about 400 cacao beans to make a pound of chocolate.
• Cacao trees can live up to 100 years.

Vicky Sluiter, February 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 15

lakesidelivingsite, February 16

Book Looks by Lisa, February 16

Texas Book-aholic, February 17

She Lives To Read, February 18

Pause for Tales, February 18

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 19

Devoted To Hope, February 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 21

Leslie’s Library Escape, February 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 22

Sylvan Musings, February 23

Books You Can Feel Good About, February 24

Connie’s History Classroom, February 25

For Him and My Family, February 26

Holly’s Book Corner, February 27

Mary Hake, February 27

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Visa Gift Card and a signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54156

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Love and Chocolate by Linda Shenton Matchett

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