Member Review

Charlie Moore needs a miracle to save the home he shares with his parents and disabled grandparents. He finds it in an Amorina Chocolate bar that invites him to enter a global competition where five lucky contestants get an all-expenses-paid trip to a luxury Italian villa for a chance at becoming the heir's lawfully wedded spouse. You see, Dario Cotogna just found out that his grandfather's will states that the only way he inherits the family's chocolate empire is by being married by his thirty-second birthday. Dario's intense agoraphobia keeps him locked in his few safe spaces, so the only option left is to bring potential suitors to him. Although Charlie arrives with only thoughts of saving his family, he quickly finds himself attracted to the brilliant heir, and it's obviously mutual. Will their feelings survive all the pressures they'll face, or will they melt under the hot Italian sun?

This is the best kind of retelling possible. It has the bones of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, but it's a complete story that can stand on its own. I loved both Charlie and Dario as individual characters, but even more so as a couple. They're perfect for each other, and you know it even as the other characters get in their way without it really feeling like competition. Every character has a distinct personality and brings something to the story, reminiscent of the kids in the original, but brought to the modern age and adapted into an unconventional love story.

I deeply appreciate how Janovsky presents Dario's mental health issues and that his agoraphobia doesn't magically heal itself with love. The fact that Dario has to work hard to be able to do what he needs to in order to win Charlie is a breath of fresh air after so many romances that pretend love is a magical thing that can cure anything. It is magical, but it won't make the anxiety and panic attacks go away without some hard work and strong support from loved ones.

Delighted thanks to Afterglow Books by Harlequin for the sweet romance read!