In "The Chocolate Run", Dorothy Koomson brings us a bubbly, charming and romantic light read, perfect for relaxing and having a good laugh.
Amber Salpone is a successsful woman, who has been best friens with known "ladies man" Greg walterson for a couple years, and someone who knows him better than most, all his secrets and adventures, Or so she thought.
All the while sharing her passion for choclate, and how she compares people with th different types of her favourite snack, Dorothy Koomson shows us how difficult and complicated turning frienship into something more can be, and how we might not really ever truly know our own friends.
A book for those who enjoy being curled up reading a story so relatable, with characters just as well, that one just simply can't dislike.

Amber finds herself in bed with her best friend Greg. She didn't intend to - the relationship was totally platonic, as far as she was concerned, and Greg is highly promiscuous. But suddenly, attraction strikes. She doesn't know what to do because they spend a lot of time together with another couple... and don't intend to tell them.

I really wasn't sure what to make of this book at first; it seemed like chick-lit at its worst. But the character of Amber - who narrates the book - is very well-drawn. She is surprisingly insecure: worried about what people will think, and phobic about any kind of commitment. Greg, too, turns out to be a much better-rounded person than seemed apparent at first.

It's character-based, and while there's a lot of sex, it's neither explicit nor embarrassing. There are, naturally, misunderstandings and muddles along the way before the inevitable but satisfactory conclusion. It was well worth continuing after my initial uncertainty as I found myself increasingly warming to Amber and Greg as well as to Amber's temperamental colleagues. ( )

I read this book yesterday in 1 day. I was sick (again) so lying on my bed I decided to pick this book. It did take me a little bit to get into it, but not too long. Once I got into it I thought this was a refreshing read. not all the cliches. Yes an enjoyable read. ( )

I really liked this book. I LOVE Dorothy Koomson and so this definitely lived up to my expectations. There were so many twists and turns and I was actually shocked to the point that my jaw practically dropped on many occasions. Lol. At times I felt like banging a head against a brick wall when certain characters did certain things. I thought all the characters; Amber, Jen, Greg and Matt as well as all the surrounding elements were really great and I really felt that Dorothy Koomson managed to get me to love or hate them accordingly. Her books are always so easy to read and have that feel good factor as well as not being too sickly sweet like some books can be. I always manage to feel so bonded to her characters and once I start reading, the story pulls me in and I just cant put it down until I have read it cover to cover. A really good read =) ( )

The Chocolate Run was another of my Borders Wheelock (Singapore) 3 for 2 purchases. With the Aussie dollar doing very well against the Singapore dollar at the time, how could I resist books at cheap prices? (Not to mention that Borders Wheelock is one of my favourite bookstores in the world).

I had never heard of Dorothy Koomson before I saw her books at Borders. It seems that she was quite popular in the UK but hadn’t made it to Australia yet. Funnily enough, when I returned home I found her books everywhere- which is great, as I’d like to read more.

At first, I thought this book was a bit one-dimensional- about Amber, her best friend now boyfriend Greg and a couple of cardboard characters in the shape of workmates and best friends. It took a while, but those workmates eventually became plotlines and the best friends started getting devious. Please persevere beyond the first one hundred or so pages!

The title of the book refers to Amber’s love of chocolate and need to go on frequent chocolate ‘runs’ to satisfy her cravings. Surprisingly, she doesn’t actually do that much of this, although there are frequent references to people as chocolates.

Yes, the ending is kind of predictable but it’s pretty fun getting there. I still found the character of Jen as rather superficial, but I think that’s more about Jen than the author’s portrayal.

I’ve been told that this is not the author’s best, so I’ll be on the lookout for another book by Dorothy- any recommendations? ( )