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The Empress of Ice Cream by Anthony Capella (Sphere)
It's France 1670 and Carlo DeMirco has made quite the name for himself as a master of creating ice cream. Confectioner to Louis XIV, his extraordinary talent and ice cream recipes are both kept a closely guarded secret - the results of which only the most royal of royals get to sample.
Life in the courts of Louis XIV seems blissful. He has wealth, looks and women at his beck and call. And then he meets Louise de Keroualle, a young, poor lady-in-waiting to the sister of King Charles II.
When Charles's sister dies, Louise and Carlo's lives become entwined and changed irrevocably when King Louis sends them to England.
When it becomes apparent that King Charles would like nothing more than to have Louise as one of his many mistresses, Carlo has to where his loyalty lies. For he too, has become enchanted by the acerbic and proud young French woman.
The only question remains: How do you compete with a king when you only have the power to create exquisite ice-cream treats?
Firstly, how gorgeous is this cover? When I first received the press release promoting this book, my first instinct was to take the book based on its cover alone. Of course, when I noticed that the author was Anthony Capella, I let out a little scream of joy.
I first fell in love with Anthony Capella when I stumbled across The Food of Love at my local library. He's got this marvellous capacity for creating characters that are so endearing and glaringly different to the standard fare, that it is impossible to remain indifferent to them.
This time around we meet the incredibly likeable, if somewhat naive Carlo DeMirco whose skill lies in the art of making ice-cream. I daresay that you'll love the romantic hero of this novel far more than the young Louise, who I found to be altogether dislikeable (she's proud and far too taken with the idea of making her mark in the courts of England for my liking).
The settings of Empress of Ice-Cream are incredibly beautiful and luscious; and Anthony once again shows his phenomenal skills as an expert in the matter of all things culinary related.
You'll marvel at the phenomenal ice-cream recipes and delight in the mouth-watering descriptions of the flavours, infusions and different types of ices that can be found within the book.
And if you're a fan of historical fiction, you'll absolutely revel in the sheer grandiose splendour and royal court intrigue that plays itself out so artfully, effortlessly and beautifully.
You should get a copy. It will make your toes curl with delight.
Keen on reading this book? Click here to either review the book or purchase your own copy.
Have you read any of Anthony Capella's novels before? Which of his books do you consider your favourite?
Sign up for women24's book club newsletter and stand a chance to win our top ten books from Kalahari.com.
It's France 1670 and Carlo DeMirco has made quite the name for himself as a master of creating ice cream. Confectioner to Louis XIV, his extraordinary talent and ice cream recipes are both kept a closely guarded secret - the results of which only the most royal of royals get to sample.
Life in the courts of Louis XIV seems blissful. He has wealth, looks and women at his beck and call. And then he meets Louise de Keroualle, a young, poor lady-in-waiting to the sister of King Charles II.
When Charles's sister dies, Louise and Carlo's lives become entwined and changed irrevocably when King Louis sends them to England.
When it becomes apparent that King Charles would like nothing more than to have Louise as one of his many mistresses, Carlo has to where his loyalty lies. For he too, has become enchanted by the acerbic and proud young French woman.
The only question remains: How do you compete with a king when you only have the power to create exquisite ice-cream treats?
Firstly, how gorgeous is this cover? When I first received the press release promoting this book, my first instinct was to take the book based on its cover alone. Of course, when I noticed that the author was Anthony Capella, I let out a little scream of joy.
I first fell in love with Anthony Capella when I stumbled across The Food of Love at my local library. He's got this marvellous capacity for creating characters that are so endearing and glaringly different to the standard fare, that it is impossible to remain indifferent to them.
This time around we meet the incredibly likeable, if somewhat naive Carlo DeMirco whose skill lies in the art of making ice-cream. I daresay that you'll love the romantic hero of this novel far more than the young Louise, who I found to be altogether dislikeable (she's proud and far too taken with the idea of making her mark in the courts of England for my liking).
The settings of Empress of Ice-Cream are incredibly beautiful and luscious; and Anthony once again shows his phenomenal skills as an expert in the matter of all things culinary related.
You'll marvel at the phenomenal ice-cream recipes and delight in the mouth-watering descriptions of the flavours, infusions and different types of ices that can be found within the book.
And if you're a fan of historical fiction, you'll absolutely revel in the sheer grandiose splendour and royal court intrigue that plays itself out so artfully, effortlessly and beautifully.
You should get a copy. It will make your toes curl with delight.
Keen on reading this book? Click here to either review the book or purchase your own copy.
Have you read any of Anthony Capella's novels before? Which of his books do you consider your favourite?
Sign up for women24's book club newsletter and stand a chance to win our top ten books from Kalahari.com.
