Love Requires Chocolate

Starred review from May 20, 2024
In a devourable debut, Stringfield cooks up a decadent romance between an ambitious Black American drama student and the pragmatic son of a Parisian chocolatier. Whitney Curry arrives in Paris for her semester at an international arts high school with a plan: complete her one-woman musical about legendary vaudeville performer and activist Josephine Baker and check off every item on her “Epic Parisian Bucket List.” Unfortunately, Whitney’s French tutor, “grouchy smart-ass” Thierry Magnon, proves distracting. Thierry reluctantly agrees to help her navigate the city, but his perspective of Paris challenges both Whitney’s list of essential experiences and her idealized version of the place that offered Baker and other Black American artists refuge. As she warms to Thierry, Whitney must decide whether to cling to her plans or embrace the real Paris—and the complicated boy introducing her to it. Conversational first-person narration and sometimes reckless yet entertaining antics from Whitney form the bedrock of this rom-com, which incorporates expected genre tropes without relying on them for sustained interest. Though romance drives the plot, Stringfield enriches the novel via Whitney’s broadening experience of global Black culture. Ages 12–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary.

June 1, 2024
A 17-year-old Black American girl is determined to have the best love-free semester in Paris possible with the help of her extensive bucket list and a grudging tour guide. Aspiring triple threat Whitney Curry is finally living her dreams in Paris. Despite the city's reputation for romance, she's determined to eschew love in favor of sightseeing and doing research for her senior thesis, a one-woman play about the life of her idol, Josephine Baker. But the perfect start she imagined is immediately derailed. Whitney alienates her roommates, Belgian Nora and Swiss Sophie, clashes with her (unfairly) handsome and grumpy French tutor, Thierry, and finds her classes more intimidating than expected. So when Thierry rescues her from a sticky situation, Whitney sees her chance to salvage her semester with a deal: If he guides her around Paris, she'll write the good tutoring review he needs to end his suspension from his soccer team. The added bonus? His grumpiness will make it easy to keep him at arm's length--or so she thinks. Whitney and Thierry are easy to root for: Their romance is sweet, and the story is suitably escapist, reminiscent of '90s rom-coms. But the imbalance in time devoted to their relationship versus Whitney's project, combined with various underdeveloped themes, all results in a final act that feels rushed, confusing, and unearned. Several main characters are Black, including Thierry; Sophie is implied to be queer. A sweet, escapist romance that stumbles due to some inconsistencies. (Romance. 12-18)

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Starred review from August 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Whitney is super-excited to be spending a semester of her junior year of high school in Paris. Her first day in Paris isn't going well, however: Whitney's roommates are not happy to see her, and she breaks an antique door handle. Every foreign student has an assigned French language tutor, and Whitney has a terrible first meeting with her tutor-a very handsome boy named Thierry. She isn't in Paris for romance, though; she's so excited to soak up the city that she has a list of things not to miss while there. But she has a terrible habit of getting lost. After getting off to a rocky start with her roommates, the only other person she knows in Paris is Thierry. Whitney and Thierry come to an agreement. He will take her around Paris to see the sights and for her research project. She in turn will give him a glowing review. Whitney has a lot of stops planned for her project. For her theater track dissertation, she's performing a one-woman show about Josephine Baker. She'll be dancing, singing, and sharing her idol's life story. The more time she spends in Paris, the more she feels at home. Sure, she misses her friends and family, but she's having the time of her life. Whitney and Thierry have a whirlwind romance where they share secrets, hopes, and dreams. The main characters are Black. VERDICT This generation's Anna and the French Kiss, give it to fans of Emily in Paris. Highly recommended.-Jennifer Rummel

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