Drew and Jenny have spent years being the envy of their friends with their out of control sex lives – well, not really. Mostly it makes their friends want to throw up in their mouths a little.
With two little kids and two busy lives, for the first time, Drew and Jenny aren’t on the same page in the bedroom. Drew will stop at nothing to get his previously amorous wife back in the sack, and Jenny will do anything for a full night of sleep.
Carter and Claire, and Jim and Liz are their usual (un)helpful selves and are full of advice for the discontented duo, wanting nothing more than to help restore order to the usually happy couple’s lives.
In the third and final installment of the Chocolate Lovers Series, will Drew and Jenny find the spark that’s been missing in their marriage, or will the trouble they’re having cause a stickier situation than the time Jenny poured honey all over Drew and he fused himself to a tree? (Source: Goodreads)
The Review
In Seduction and Snacks, they all fell in love. In Futures and Frosting, their bonds were forged. In Troubles and Treats, the grass is definitely greener in other people’s bedrooms.
“When was the last time you guys had sex?” Claire asks.
“Um, what day is it today?”
“It’s Saturday,” Claire answers.
“Last year.”
This is the unconventional there’s-trouble-in-paradise story of Jenny and Drew, the wackiest members of our beloved lot, who finally get their own book to star in. We find them married, with two small children in tow and a marriage troubled by intimacy issues. Even though their underlying problems are nothing more than what many young couples face when they start having children, for this couple the effects are unbearable. The intense physical nature of Jenny and Drew’s relationship has always been their main strength and it was also what initially drew them to one another. When suddenly faced with struggling libidos and no activity in the bedroom, they decide to tackle the problem with every single hilariously inappropriate method they can think of. Except the one that could actually help them – open communication.
“It’s like the day the stick turned pink, her lady bits put up a giant “Out of Business” sign. Do not enter, closed for repairs, zombies will eat your face if you try to touch this vagina.”
Through numerous snippets from their life together so far, we are given an insight into what has truly been everything but a traditional romance between them. What started as a perfect match between two equally silly individuals, but true soul mates at heart, eventually gets shaken by childbirth, housework, babies crying at night, hairy vaginas, poorly utilised sex swings, stalking in-laws, shirtless neighbours, and flesh-eating zombies. Their rampant sexual appetites are no longer in sync. While Jenny is afraid that her husband might no longer find her satisfying or sexually attractive after witnessing natural birth, she is also struggling to reconcile her adventurously sexual self with her new role as a mother. Drew, on the other hand, is constantly mourning the loss of their former sex life, frequently reminiscing their past sexcapades, constantly plotting possible solutions to their problems.
“I’m pretty sure I can pinpoint exactly where I went wrong with Jenny. I blame it all on natural childbirth. No man should ever have to see his wife in that position. Somehow, now, I need to convince my wife that I do not fear her vagina. Not anymore at least.”
Drew and Jenny’s story is almost entirely told through a collection of funny sketches, matching perfectly the frivolous personalities of these two already familiar characters. Their presence in the previous books in the series was mostly used as comic relief for the reader, their absurdity and childlike approach to life knowing no boundaries, so it only feels appropriate for that tone to have been kept in a book about their life together. The humour is relentless, sugar-coating every single aspect of their story, but never questioning how uniquely compatible they are.
This is the perfect conclusion to a genuinely feel-good trilogy about real people with real relationship issues to overcome but laced with uncountable instances of snort-inducing laughter and cringe-worthy situations. A must-read for any fan of the ridiculously funny, for anyone looking for an easy but endlessly entertaining reading experience, for anyone seeking ways to spice up their bedroom life.
“No matter how perfect you think someone else’s marriage is, this just goes to show you we can all use a little spark and a little fun in the bedroom to make life more interesting.”
The Interview
NATASHA | Tara, I have to start this by saying that you are single-handedly responsible for people thinking I was a cracked-up wacko during the few months following the release of each one of your previous books. I laughed so hard and in such inopportune places and situations every time I read or even remembered one of the scenes, that people started looking into assisted living options for me. I guess wetting my pants didn’t help…
Please tell us a little but about yourself. How did you become a writer?
Tara | I’m awesome, the end. Let’s see…I married my high school sweetheart and we have 2 little assholes, I mean children and we live in Ohio. I really don’t know how I became a writer. I believe I was punched in the vagina with a writing stick. I’ve always written things – poems, short stories, ransom letters…one day I decided to see if I could write a full-length book and I did it. The friends I don’t pay told me I should try and get it published and since they aren’t getting anything monetary out of speaking to me, I did what they told me.
NATASHA | Your books are not just hilarious while you read them, they leave readers in stitches for days to come. How do you stay sane from writing such hysterical situations? Where do you get your ideas? Please say it’s all autobiographical!
Tara | See, this is my problem. I don’t think I’m funny. At all. When I send something to my beta reader, I always assume she’s going to be like “WTF? That sucks.” And fortunately for me, a lot of what I write about is autobiographical. Or friends and family-graphical. Whatever. There are definitely a lot of real life conversations and events in all of my books.
NATASHA | I felt that although your writing could be described as “humorous contemporary fiction”, each one of your books had very real and very serious threads in the background as well. You dealt with single motherhood, commitment issues, friendships, raising children, intimacy problems – do you see yourself diving into other genres as well or have you found your niche?
Tara | I am definitely diving head first into a cement pond. My next series is going to be romantic suspense. The first book will be out January 3rd and it’s got a lot of sexual tension and hot Navy SEALS. I love writing comedy, but it gets draining after a while. I need a break. And I’m in the mood to make people horny and cry. Not necessarily at the same time. Unless that’s how you roll.
NATASHA | After two incredibly well-received books under your belt and a third one that will undoubtedly meet the same reaction from readers, do you now consider yourself a “writer” first and foremost or do you still see it as a side gig? Would you be happy if writing was all you ever did professionally from now on?
Tara | Well, I just quit my job of 14 years so I hope this isn’t a side gig! At first it really was just going to be an ‘on-the-side’ thing. Then it sort of exploded and turned into a full-time job! This is my first week of doing this full time and I couldn’t be happier. Unless the house cleaned itself. That might make me happier.
NATASHA | Is this the last instalment of the Chocolate Lovers series or are we to expect more from that crazy bunch? What projects are you working on now?
Tara | This is definitely the last instalment of this group. I wouldn’t count Gavin out yet though :) Right now I’m working on the edits for my new romantic suspense series. The first book is called A Beautiful Lie so make sure you check it out on January 3rd!
The Giveaway
To win a signed paperback copy of Troubles and Treats, ENTER HERE (contest open internationally):
Drew and Jenny have spent years being the envy of their friends with their out of control sex lives – well, not really. Mostly it makes their friends want to throw up in their mouths a little.
Tara Sivec is a best selling author, wife, mom, chauffeur, cheerleading coach, soccer coach, babysitter, short-order cook, genius and albino squirrel hunter. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two kids.
