Review: Love and Lists (#1, Chocoholics) by Tara Sivec - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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Review: Love and Lists (#1, Chocoholics) by Tara Sivec

My Thoughts

Tara Sivec delivers again. Packed with all the irreverent, laugh-out-loud humor we’ve come to expect. This book does not disappoint.

4halfstars

Synopsis

love and list coverLove and Lists is the first book in the Chocolate Lovers spinoff – Chocoholics: The foul-mouthed offspring tell their stories.

Twenty-five-year-old Gavin Ellis has always had the love and support of his family ever since he was a little boy and couldn’t stop talking about his penis. He’s also always had their unsolicited advice and uncanny knack of embarrassing him at all costs. Now that he’s an adult and trying to convince the love of his life to love him back, things haven’t changed very much from when he was younger.

When Gavin’s best friend Tyler suggests he make a to-do list of items that will ensure he wins the girl, Gavin is one-hundred-percent on board: after a few six packs.

After puking in the shrubs, a bad experience with Viagra, a Sex-Ed course gone wrong, and a slew of other mishaps courtesy of his family and friends, Gavin is pretty sure this list will be the death of him.

Sometimes, trying to make someone love you with a list isn’t always the best idea. Especially when “Show her your penis” is the first “to-do” item…

My Review

I had sooooo missed these characters! I loved jumping back into a funny Tara Sivec book. To me, this is her at her best! She’s truly one of the masters of funny. I still don’t know how effortlessly she seems to pack so many hilarious moments, so many maniacal mishaps into one story. Her books are honestly a joy to read — a feel-good experience that each time puts a smile on my face from beginning to end. So where do we start with this first book in the Chocoholics series?

Gavin Ellis. He’s 25 now.

“You’re probably… wondering how in the hell I can possibly be twenty-five years old when just yesterday I was four. I know, it’s a tough pill to swallow. I’m not a foul-mouthed cute little kid anymore. I’m now a foul-mouthed, cute adult.”

If you recall, Gavin is the dirty-mouthed, snarky, impossibly cute 4-year-old from the Chocolate Lovers series who consistently talks about his penis and spouts a slew of other inappropriate, but brilliantly funny comments. Now, all grown up, we get to see he is head-over-heels in love with his best friend, Charlotte…the daughter of Liz and Jim. Charlotte is beautiful, funny and they have been inseparable since they were kids. They are totally perfect for each other. The problem? She’s got a boyfriend. Rocco (who happens to adore Barba Streisand and shoe shopping… hmmm). Charlotte, however, is completely clueless that Gavin harbors these feelings for her.

“She has no idea that every time I’m within three feet of her my penis perks up like a meerkat when it hears a noise. It’s fucking Meerkat Manor in my pants.”

So what does he do? He solicits the assistance of an absolutely freaking hilarious new character, Tyler. They make a list of things Gavin must do to get the girl. And oh lord this list!

“Okay, I’ve got a better idea for number one. Go shopping with her… Bro, chicks love shopping. If you go and ooh and ahh over every pair of shoes she picks up, you’ll be in her pants by the time you get to Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.”

Hilarity ensues during the development and execution of this list, with of course, things not going exactly to plan. Add in our regular cast of characters that we know and love, Claire and Carter, Liz and Jim, Jenny and Drew, and it’s the perfect recipe for a laugh-out-loud good time. Especially Drew and Jenny… I could not stop laughing at everything they said as they try to add their own input into the list.

“Do you have ‘tell her she has moist folds’ on the list?”

The entire book is simply great and I think if you are a fan of the first books (and who isn’t?!) you will love it! My favorite thing about reading these books is feeling so happy and uplifted during the process. It’s a delightful diversion, a true escape into reading. I love it! This is the first book in the series and I can’t wait to read more!

addtogoodreads

Chocoholic Series

Chocolate Lovers Series

About The Author

Headshot2Tara Sivec is a wife, mom, chauffeur, cheerleading coach, soccer coach, babysitter, short­order cook, genius and albino squirrel hunter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two kids. In her spare time she likes read, write and cover things in chocolate. Most of her material comes from real life experiences with family and friends.

Lucky for them, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (aka, drunk). Tara also writes under the pen name T.E. Sivec where she can be serious, suspenseful and not at all funny.

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