The main character, Whitney, is very one-dimensional and painful to read about. She’s like a hyper Golden Retriever puppy. 1/4 of the way into the book and there still wasn’t any tension or obstacles to overcome.

What a fun and delicious read! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the advance reader's copy. Whitney is spending a semester in Paris to study theater at a prestigious international high school. I loved her exploration of the city, relationship with Thierry and everything about
Josephine Baker. Whitney and her roommates and friends were all written in a fun, authentic way. I love Paris so I really enjoyed this book. A fun YA romance. Worth a read, especially for Emily in Paris fans.

This is such a cute love story! The only struggle I had during the book was trying to figure out the French based on the context of what was happening in the book. I would highly recommend this book to any young adult as the romance is very clean and just perfect for any high schooler dealing with their first love (even if they can’t relate to being in love with someone in a different country). I also relate so much to Whitney as I love having a plan in life but sometimes you need someone who shows you that the best parts of life are sometimes things you cannot plan for.

I so wanted to like this book. I have this book three different chances but the main character is insufferable.
She is awful and self-absorbed. I cannot read another minute of her.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Love Requires Chocolate's e-arc. Unfortunately, I ended up dnf'ing because the mc and love interest just shouldn't have been love interests. There was no spark and they didn't treat each other well at all. The MC also put a lot of weight in what parts of her comes from her mother or grandma, which maybe by the end she learns that what matters is who she is regardless of them and their life choices, but it made the mc really hard to read through a first person perspective. The mc also held more of an Emily in Paris view of Paris, which isn't a good thing.

DNF at 30%. I can tell that this is a book I would like, but it’s is not keeping my attention. I feel like I’m at the point where I would get sucked into the story, and it’s not happening.

I also don’t like the main character is a stereotypic clueless American. Since she has done all this research on black Americans who fled to France, actively pursued a position at this school, and lived in D.C., she shouldn’t be in that stereotype.

I really liked the idea of this book. However I just couldn’t love it. I really wanted to but even with her falling for the tutor and the whole grump sunshine trope, which I’m a sucker for, I just could get into it. I think the main problem was for me that the FMC annoyed me, a good read but I probably wouldn’t read it again.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Random House Children for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book and struggled to get through the story.

This was a short, ya romance read about Whitney Curry, an aspiring actress who goes to an international arts school for a semester abroad in Paris to pursue her dreams. Whitney seems to be researching and writing a one-woman play on the late singer/dancer, Josephine Baker, and while she’s there, she’s given a French tutor who she eventually falls for, Thierry Magnon.

Although the entire plot of the book seems to revolve around her play and her dreams of it succeeding, a lot of it focuses on her bucket list for Paris that Thierry helps her with. But while they’re venturing around France, I couldn’t connect with the characters at all and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. Sure, there were some cute moments, but their relationship only ever seemed to skim the surface.

And I usually live for grumpy x sunshine tropes, but honestly, I thought the fmc was so annoying. Maybe it’s because she’s young, but she seemed so self-absorbed and self-centered throughout the book and her interactions with the other characters, and I couldn’t stand it. Thierry was also just giving ✨ nothing ✨ other than being a grump and a chocolatier.

Not only that, but her play is hardly ever discussed other than it being said that it’s her school project. The plot fell flat for me since it never seemed like it dove into anything it talked about 🫠

Love Requires Chocolate is a wonderful journey through being a teenager, finding love, and of course, Paris. As someone who took three years of french throughout high school and college and was a theater kid, I absolutely LOVED Whitney. She is kind and charismatic, and unapologetically herself. She accomplishes so much during her semester in Paris and I was rooting for her the entire time. Thierry seemed stoic and rude at first, but there is so much under the surface that he reveals to Whitney as her French tutor and her friend. This book immersed me in French culture, specifically, in pastries and chocolate. There is an entire paragraph dedicated to describing the perfection that is a true croissant, and it was 100% necessary. I enjoyed that I also learned about a historical figure I had never heard about. Josephine Baker. She is a propelling force in Whitney's story and after completing the book, I did some of my own research into her life and music. It makes me sad that in my French and Theater classes, her name did not come up. I always love listening and learning about other's life experiences and their passions. And reading allows me to do that. This YA Romance is an easy 5 star read. I hope you enjoy!

I feel like I keep searching through so many anticipated releases, waiting for something that will break the reading slump. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't the one to do it. I just felt bored.

Love Requires Chocolate is an enchanting young adult love story set against the picturesque backdrop of Paris. Ravynn K. Stringfield's vivid descriptions of the city make the reader feel as though they are strolling through the charming streets of Paris, even if they've never been there.

The story follows Whitney Curry, a determined and organized young woman who has meticulously planned her semester abroad in Paris. However, her plans quickly unravel when she struggles to adapt to her new environment. Enter Thierry Magnon, her grumpy yet alluring French tutor, who opens Whitney's eyes to the true beauty of Paris beyond her to-do lists.

Stringfield excels at crafting an endearing narrative with likable characters and a slow-burn romance that keeps readers hooked. Whitney and her friends' growth is portrayed authentically, with conflicts that feel genuine and not overly dramatized. The minor plot points are well-paced, adding depth to the overall story.

One of the book's highlights is how the author manages to transport readers to Paris with rich and detailed descriptions. Those who have visited the City of Lights will feel nostalgic, while those who haven't will feel as if they have been whisked away to this magical place.

Overall, Love Requires Chocolate is a delightful read that combines the allure of Paris with a heartfelt love story. I recommend it to anyone looking for a charming and immersive young adult romance.

This was cute. I absolutely loved picturing Thierry speaking in a French accent. 😍 I also really appreciated the frank discussions about being Black in France.

Thanks to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC!

thank you to netgalley for this arc!

one of my favorite things in life is a solid YA romance, because there is just something about reading a book that is built on passion and love that makes my soul feel so light and fuzzy.

this book was a sweet journey of whitney trying to navigate her time in paris one list at a time and thierry who was ready to make her forget every list and just fall in love with the city and him.

i adored this book from start to finish and am highly anticipating its release so i can add this one to my shelf!

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! This was a very cute YA romance. Whitney is a student on a study abroad semester in Paris who is trying to soak up the city and complete a project on Josephine Baker. I have to admit, all the info about her idol had me hitting the internet to find out more about her, and I really enjoy reading about a young Black woman falling in love with Paris while in Paris. I can’t say that, growing up and reading YA, I ever read a book with a Black young woman as the main character. Even as an adult, I haven’t read many YA books like that. I am so happy to see visibility and representation becoming more popular and hopefully the norm. I can’t imagine never seeing yourself in a novel. Even as a white adult female, I enjoyed the book and found the story sweet and found the characters likable. I believe teens of all races will enjoy it, too. Although I can’t say the ending was really realistic or that all the characters and reactions/interactions were believable, those weren’t deal breakers for me. Having been to Paris, I also enjoyed reading about some of the places and think young people will be able to picture them well. Overall, clean, sweet, and a story teens will enjoy.

Love Requires Chocolate is a feel good, coming of age romance representing the love in friendship and community, Black culture, and an iconic city.

When Whitney travels from Washington D.C. to Paris, France for a study abroad program, she is bound to her never ending to do lists in an effort to research, write, and star in her one woman show, an ode to Josephine Baker. The first impressions she makes with the school administrator, language tutor, and her roommates were far from what she wrote on her to do list but Whitney soon comes to learn that the only way to do Paris is not by list, but by love.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!! I just cannot say how much I loved this book. I have never been to Paris, but it is on my bucket list and now I have added more things to the list!! Although truth be told, I don't make lists. Or if I do, I forget where I put them!! I had to fall down a rabbit hole and learn more about Josephine Baker, not a bad thing either!! And now I want chocolate!!

This book really was as sweet as chocolate.

Whitney Curry is over the top in all the best ways. A high school senior, she travels to Paris to study abroad and create a one-woman play about her idol Josephine Baker. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for her grumpy French tutor Thierry.

Love Requires Chocolate was an easy, light hearted read and perfect for my life right now. I would put this in the lower YA category. The storyline itself was fun, but I would have loved more than the small tidbits we got about Josephine Baker. Whitney and Thierry’s romance was well paced and made sense. They were really adorable. The side characters were developed just enough that they didn’t take away from the main storyline, but I almost wanted more of them as well.

I can see this book getting a sequel and I would definitely read it!

This book is perfect for fans of the show, "Emily in Paris." And the title resonated with me right away, because DUH LOVE REQUIRES CHOCOLATE. (Just kidding, kind of...) I think this book will be a fan favorite when it comes out and I can see it being popular at my library.

I was instantly excited to read this book when I discovered it was set in Paris! I'm obsessed with all things French, and reading this story felt like I was transported there myself. It was so fun to live vicariously through Whitney as she explored the city and set out to achieve her goals of checking off her to-do list and creating a tribute theater project for Josephine Baker. The romance was very cute, and I enjoyed seeing their friendship progress as well!

This was overall a charming read that I'd recommend to anyone who loves Paris as much as I do. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Reviewed for SLJ:

Verdict: Love Requires Chocolate is this generation’s Anna and the French Kiss. Whitney and Thierry have a whirlwind romance where they spill secrets, their hopes, and their dreams. Texts and lists (about places to visit, to-do lists, and lists about Thierry) break up the story. Whitey’s excitement for fashion, drama, and chocolate shines through and elevates the book. Give this to fans of Emily in Paris.