The Spanish Daughter served with Mexican Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Muffins

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes served with Mexican Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Muffins. 

I've been wanting to try one of those book boxes that comes with little gifts related to the story.  So, I decided to try one of the backlist from "Once Upon a Book Club " and I ordered the Spanish Daughter box.   You get a cool box, the book, an author book plate, some questions and information on the book and 4 gifts to open as you read.  They are numbered with the page and the book also has post- it's telling you when to open.   Cool idea. 

The book was good.  It is the story of Puri who is traveling from Spain to Ecuador.  Her father has died and she is to inherit part of a cocoa estate.  During the ocean crossing, she is attacked by someone who wants to prevent her from arriving.  Her husband defends her and is killed in the process.  (this all happens in the first chapter so not giving anything away)    Because she knows someone wants her dead, she assumes her husbands identity and tells her Ecuadorian family that she died on the ship and that she, Cristobal, is here to get her inheritance.   We meet her new family and others from the small town.  The story is a bit of a mystery of who wants her dead and part family saga.   

I liked this story but didn't love it.   Here is what I liked- super interesting to learn about cocoa and it was fascinating that those working on the estate had never tried chocolate!  I liked the family drama and would have liked more about the sisters.   What I didn't like- I had a hard time believing her fake beard and clothes fooled people for so long.  I also felt like the end was really rushed.  Something happens that changes everyone's future and it is wrapped up in the last chapter.  what the heck! 

The box gifts included a fan, some earrings, a hat and a chocolate mold for making Chocolate balls.  I really like the gift box idea but not sure it was worth the money.    

I'd give the book and the box ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 5. 

I made Mexican Hot Chocolate and chocolate muffins.  The muffins came out just okay so I'm going to skip over those!  but the Hot Chocolate was sooooo  good.   I found the recipe on Pinterest but didn't save it and now I can't find it.  So, here is what I did... 

half a can of sweetened condense milk, 1 cup of regular milk, 6 oz of chocolate chips, a dash of vanilla and a few pinches of cayenne pepper.    I heated the milks and then added the chocolate chips. then the vanilla and pepper.   This is the kind of chocolate you want to drink in a sipping cup.  For the photo I did a big mug but I could drink all of that.  Much too rich.  I used one of my sipping cups and the batch I made lasted me all week.   It as a nice treat each evening.  Enjoy!