Tag Archives: contemporary

Review: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

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The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
by Amy E. Reichert
4 stars

This book made my epicurean heart drool while also prompting me to scour Airbnb for fun finds in Milwaukee for a weekend getaway.  The Coincidence of Coconut Cake was exactly the book that I needed to read when I picked it up.  I needed a light, happy book; a book that makes you want to curl up with your favorite pint of ice cream and devour all in one sitting.  Fair warning: the pint of ice cream may not satisfy because Amy Reichert, a self-described amateur chef, described the food with so much love it had me salivating throughout the book.

The Milwaukee born and raised Elizabeth, or “Lou” to her friends, has nothing but love for the city and its food culture.  Lou is the owner and chef of Louella’s, a French restaurant that is just starting to get noticed.  She breaks up with her boyfriend on the day that a food critic from the local paper chooses to patronize the restaurant.  Understandably distracted, she does not prepare the food up to par and thus receives a scathing review. On the same day a handsome English journalist, Al, sees a girl on the street carrying a coconut cake. He gets one whiff of the tantalizing smell of vanilla and coconut and thinks about the cake and the girl carrying it for days.  They run into each other again and since work isn’t going well for Lou after the horrible review and Al writes under a pseudonym to keep his work identity separate, they choose to keep the conversation light and away from work.  They continue to see each other, her showing the Englishman the best of Milwaukee culture and food while falling in love over cheese curds.  And then it happens, they find out that each other is known by a different name and things look like they may be beyond redemption for Lou and Al.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake reads like it belongs on the Hallmark Channel.  It is a classic rom-com and perfect for those who just want a book as light as Lou’s frosting of her famed coconut cake.

Read-alikes

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5 stars

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors that I just discovered last year.  She has written five books, with the most recent being this one.  Reid writes unique fiction that sucks you right in and has you feeling all kinds of emotions. There’s some romance, some mystery, and always some drama.  This book centers around Evelyn Hugo, a bombshell movie actress, and more importantly, her marriage to seven different men.  Monique Grant, a writer for a magazine, is hired by Evelyn to write an article, but soon discovers that Evelyn wants her, and only her, to tell her life story.  This book had so many surprises and twists and always kept me guessing.  The big question is: who was really Evelyn’s “one true love?”

Reid did an excellent job with capturing the allure of show business as well as describing the different time periods that the book takes us through.  Evelyn is written as such a complex and interesting character, she feels so real.  My feelings about her fluctuated throughout the book.  She was not exactly a good person, but yet I rooted for her and understood her reasoning for her actions.  I highly recommend this book, as well as Reid’s other books.

Read-alikes

A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott

Lucky Stars by Jane Heller

Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker

Review: The Last Time We Say Goodbye

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The Last Time We Say Goodbye
by Cynthia Hand
4 stars

Lex is a math genius and a high school senior who has worked very hard to get into MIT.  She’s a sister, a daughter, and a girlfriend. She has friends she loves and a bright future in front of her.  And her brother is dead.  The future that was so bright seems lonely and unsure.  Everything changed in one moment, with one text.  Everything.  And it haunts Lex.  He haunts Lex.

I had absolutely no expectations with this book.  To be honest, it’s one I would normally shy away from – the loss of a sibling plot line overwhelms our shelves at the library, and it’s not really one of my favorite types of stories.  But without anything waiting in my audiobook queue I thought I’d give it a chance.

And I loved it.  It was thoughtful, sincere, and genuine in its depiction of loss and regret.  There was no aptly timed romance to pull Lex out of her depression, no overly preachy therapist bashing ideas into her head.  The Last Time We Say Goodbye is  just a story about a girl who is sad, and refreshingly there wasn’t someone telling her she shouldn’t be.  Lex was a fully developed character, and through her you also get a full picture of her brother Tyler and their relationship.  Her healing takes time and patience, but it pays off with a gradual understanding and appreciation for life, both her own and her brother’s.

I didn’t dissolve in a pool of tears with this one, but I did appreciate Lex’s journey and her tenacity.

Read-alikes

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen