Book Review: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Summary (author's website)

YOU’VE GOT MAIL meets HOW TO EAT A CUPCAKE in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.

In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancé…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.

Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.

The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?

Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book, I'll start by saying that. It was such a comforting read even though Lou was going through some stressful things, the Coincidence of Coconut Cake was full of warmth and sweetness and just positive things.

I loved how much Lou loved her job and that she was good at it. And how she loved food in all it's many expressions - I loved all the festivals she went to with Al. This is definitely not a book to read when you are hungry or have no access to food immediately because the food it describes is amazing.

I liked Al once I got to know him, he was very stand offish and a bit of a snob at the beginning, but being around Lou definitely chilled him out - while he remained essentially the same, just enjoying himself more. His friendship with the style editor - whose name just flew out of my head -was awesome. He was one of my favorite secondary characters. 

There is a lot of hart in the story, and I think that falls mostly in the Lou side of the equation, but she pulled it off. She is an optimist and real at the same time, and in the end she just wanted to do her own thing with her food, which I respected. 

I would have liked a longer conclusion - I'm big about seeing the characters happy once I stuck to them for n-number of pages - but it was a lovely conclusion anyway. 

I highly recommend this book, is one of the sweetest offerings of the year so far. 

 

Book Review: The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen

Summary (sarinabowen.com)

She's hiding something big. He's hiding someone small.

Scarlet Crowley’s life was torn apart the day father was arrested for unspeakable crimes. Now the shock has worn off, but not the horror. 

It’s a safe bet that Scarlet is the only first year at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. But college will be Scarlet’s fresh start. Clutching a shiny new student ID — with a newly minted name on it — she leaves it all behind. Even if it means lying to the boy she’s falling for.

Bridger McCaulley is a varsity hockey star known for being a player both on and off the ice. But a sobering family crisis takes that all away. Protecting his sister means a precarious living arrangement and constant deception. The only bright spot in his week is the few stolen hours he spends with Scarlet.

The two form a tentative relationship based on the understanding that some things must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it alone just won’t work anymore. And if they can’t learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they’ve struggled to keep.

My Thoughts:

I officially LOVE the Ivy Years Series and this book!!

First let me paint you a picture: I was busy! I had a ton of work, papers to grade and a tight deadline but I was suffering from a bit of burnout so I decided to pick up this book... and it worked like a charm soothing my fried brain. 

I love the style of writing that Sarina Bowen has, she just pulls me right into her stories. 

Other than that? Well, I already knew and liked Bridger from The Year We Fell Down and I was happy to get to know him better this time around, get inside to see what his deal was. He was an excellent brother for his sister Lucy and worked so hard to keep things looking like normal. 

It even made sense, the secrets he kept and why - I'm usually frustrated when people don't ask for help when they need it, but in his case, it made sense and it was for a rather unselfish reason, even if it complicated things a lot.

As for Scarlet, her story was heavy and scary and I thought she was pretty brave, even when she didn't react the way I wanted her to. She was pretty clear on rights and wrongs, but wasn't above stepping on grey areas.

Plus, I really liked Bridger and Scarlet together and how they interact and build a relationship even with the little time they have to spend together due to the secrets each keeps.

All in all, I think I liked The Year We Hid Away even more than The Year We Fell Down and I liked that one a lot.
 

Book Review: The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen

Summary (GoodReads)

She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.

Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.

Also, he’s taken.

Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.

They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.

But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

My Thoughts:

All of last year I was hearing pretty amazing things about Sarina Bowwen's books, and I was surprised to find that I had actually been collecting them without noticing - like I snagged a few of them when they went on sale, because apparently that's what I do - but after reading about from Holly and Rowena @Book Binge, I was ready to take the plunge. 

And I was very happy to fall down this rabbit hole, I have to say. 

I like the world of the Ivy Years, and I thought The Year We Fell Down was an excellent way to be introduced to the Harkness College. 

Corey was such a good protagonist, how she mourned her all life yet never came across as wimpy or whiny. She was fully aware of what she had lost though, and felt bad and was embarrassed about some of the exercises she had to do in Physical Therapy, and was so very human. It was easy to root for her and want her to do well. 

Hartley and I had a few ups and downs though, he is dating someone else for most of the story and that complicated things - though I thought Ms Bowen handled that whole situation really well - but he was also very likable, he was there for Corey when she needed him and tried to do the decent thing as often as he could. 

I also loved that both of them had a life apart from hanging together. Corey had her roommate - who was great! - and slowly gets involved in campus life. Hartley had his friends from the hockey team, particularly Bridger and he was so sweet to his mom. Also, Corey and him got a chance to become very good friends: they shared interests and talked about all sorts of things. 

I read The Year We Fell Down all in one sitting and I absolutely loved it. 

1/2 

Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 No Normal by Wilson and Alphona

Summary (GoodReads)

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! 

When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York! 

It's history in the making from acclaimed writer G. Willow Wilson (Air, Cairo) and beloved artist Adrian Alphona (RUNAWAYS)! Collecting MS. MARVEL (2014) #1-5 and material from ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW! POINT ONE #1.

My Thoughts:

I've said often enough that I don't particularly enjoy reading comics, and I'm far more inclined to reading Manga.  And a lot of it had to do with the style, so I was happily surprised to see a change in the art direction of Marvel's with Ms Marvel. And that it was something that I could get behind.

In this newest incarnation, Kamala Khan, a high school student obsessed with superheroes, gets to become her own idol, Ms Marvel, due to some strange happenings hitting her town. She quickly gets in over her head as she learns to navigate her new powers (which are a form of shape-shifting as far as I understand from the first volume No Normal - which compiles the first 5 issues of the series).

I really like Kamala, who struggles to be a good friend and a good daughter, and also live her superhero dreams. I loved the person she confessed her secret identity to, it made so much sense that she would go to that person for help. I really liked her relationship with her friends, it felt very real.

All in all, I'm really excited to keep reading Ms Marvel.

The Misselthwaite Archives is Awesome

Confession time: I love The Secret Garden!!!!

I just do, it's one of my favorite stories and I'm kind of sad I don't re-read the book more often. I love the movie, in fact, it's currently playing on my TV. I just love the story - and in my head, Mary and Dickon end up together, you can't tell me they don't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- and, so, I was super happy when I discovered The Misselthwaite Archives a few weeks ago. 

And after the painful disappointments I have suffered at the hands of Frankenstein M.D. - Victoria gives us women of science such a bad rep! - and The March Family Letters - Urgh, no, just NO - I'm so happy to say that, in my book, Misselthwaite Archives is getting it right. 

We meet Mary Lennox as a 17 year old who is forced to move to her absentee's uncle Art's place after her mom and dad die in a car crash (her Mom was a beautiful model, by the way), and we get to see her in all of her snarky glory as she sends video-letters to her former therapist Dr. Burnett. 

But that's only part of the story, the self-aware part per se, where Mary talks straight to the camera; but we also get the other part, where we are looking into her life without her knowing (like you would do with a movie) and I LOVE those parts, they add so much dimension to the story, giving it a sense of time and place.

Another thing I love? Even though this is also a trans-media story (with tumblr posts and twitter involved), we are not asked to interact with the characters the way we did with Emma or Lizzie, like they are Real People. 

Mary talks straight to the camera sometimes, but she's not 'posting the videos to youtube', they are personal letters to the only adult she trusts. She is not catering to a fan base and we are not expected to act like we don't know what's coming next. I LOVE this. Seriously. 

With other trans-media stories I often feel like I'm faking it each time I have to pretend I don't know exactly who the characters are and what's going to happen. But maybe that's just me. 

Anyway, don't miss The Misselthwaite Archives (by Pencil Ink Productions) which updates Wednesdays and Fridays.  And yes, this is a Personal Favorite already   (because I know y'all had missed Kissy Bear)

Review and Giveaway: A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Devi (Book Tour)

At First Sight: Mili Rathod has been married for as long as she can remember, to a man she hasn't seen since said wedding 20 years ago when she was only 4 years old. And there is no sign that she will be seeing her husband any time soon, but at least being married has given her certain opportunities that would have escaped her otherwise, like going to University and then to study abroad to America, all in the effort to become a well-educated modern wife.

Samir Rathod worked hard to become one of Bollywood's most successful directors, and enjoys living the high life and dating beautiful actresses. However, under that public persona lies a man who would do anything for his family. 

So when Samir's brother Virat finds out that he's still married to Mili, Samir decides he's going to fix this for his brother, hunting down the elusive bride and getting her to sign an annulment, so Virat can keep his life - and his new family - intact.

Once in Michigan, and after meeting Mili under less than auspicious circumstances, all of Samir's plans start to turn upside down, as Mili doesn't turn out to be like anything he imagined. She's smart, kind and beautiful, and before he knows what's going on, he finds himself stepping into Mili's life unable to tell her who he really is. 

Second Glance: There are many words I could use to describe A Bollywood Affair. For one is compulsively readable - once I started I couldn't and I didn't want to put it down! - and its sweet, and the characters are truly unforgettable. 

I kept thinking about Samir and Mili over and over, wondering how their story would unfold, and eager to get back to them. Both of them are very complex individuals. Samir is full of guilt and fear and is a bit damaged, but that doesn't stop him from being a good son and a good brother and generally a very decent human being. He has had lots of darkness in his life, but he is not a dark character.

Mili is stuck between two words and forever in a holding pattern, it seems. She wants to move forward, to start her life, but she can't until her husband comes to claim her; yet she has taken the time in between to make something of herself and take care of her grandmother as best she can and always willing to open her heart to new people. 

They were very interesting and I enjoyed being in their heads. The secondary characters were a little bit less well drawn - with the exception of Virat and his and Samir's mother Lata who seemed more fully formed - but since the story was centrally about the time Samir and Mili spend together I was totally fine with that. 

Even the setting was very interesting - most of the story takes place in Michigan with a little on Mumbai, and there is lots of references to Bollywood and the business, though they don't over power the story -and the food!! Oh, they talk about food so  much in this book.

Bottom Line: I can't recommend A Bollywood Affair enough. It really grabbed me from the start and I was sad to see it end - I kind of wanted to spend more time with Samir and Mili - but it was very satisfying. And you know what? It did have a very Bollywood-esque feel to it, thanks to the turns that the story took, and I mean that in a best posible way.

 

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

This review is part of the A Bollywood Affair Blog Tour @ Tasty Book Tours. For the rest of the tour stops go here.  And to enter the giveaway, just proceed bellow:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Season for Temptation by Theresa Romain

At First Sight: Julia Herrington knows her family is a little unconventional: her stepfather is constantly preoccupied with their livestock and her mother absentmindedly goes along with while taking care of their little children, but they all love each other in her blended family, and she particularly loves her step sister Louisa.

So she's very happy when Louisa gets engaged to Lord Matheson, a young, wealthy viscount Louisa met toward the end of her London season. Julia even likes James - as he insist to be called - when he shows up at their family home to get acquainted with Louisa family.

In fact, she might like him a little too much.

For his part, James wants to be married soon and establish a proper home, so he and his wife can offer support to his recently widowed sister (who had a tangle with scandal as a result of her husband dying while with his mistress); and he thinks proper and elegant Louisa will be a good wife for him, even if she's more of a "head-choice" and his heart isn't really engaged beyond liking her.

But, as his visit to Louisa's home progresses and she avoids all talk of wedding plans, James goes confused, not only by Louisa's behavior but also by his own response to an interest in Julia, who charms him since the moment they first met, putting them all in an impossible situation. 

Second Glance: I loved Season for Temptation, I had been a while since I read such a light-hearted, funny historical romance.

Julia was so very likable, she was funny and often said whatever she thought but she wasn't mean about it or lacked social graces completely, she was just refreshing. James was a very nice guy who rushed into a decision he later regretted but he wasn't a douche about it.

He and Julia fall in love while he's engaged to Louisa, but I could understand them and sympathize, because they both loved Louisa too in their own way, and though I didn't like Louisa for most of the story - mostly because I couldn't understand her or where she was coming from for the longest time - in the end, she proved to love Julia just as much and helped her to be happy.

And they have to go through quite a bit to get there, but the book never turned dark and moody. That was another thing I deeply loved about this book: it's lightness, and how Julia and James were always so willing to believe the best of each other, even when circumstances might have suggested otherwise.

I hate when characters jump to the wrong conclusion and have little faith in the person they are supposed to love, Julia and James have their moments of doubt, but their dispositions just incline them to believe the best of one another. 

Bottom Line: If your are looking for something fluffy and sweet and fun, I definitely recommend Season for Temptation. It's a very relaxing, romantic read. And I can't wait to read Season for Surrender. 

1/2 

Book Review: Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux

At First Sight: Courtney has dreamed of following the steps of her mentor and coach Emily into Olympic gold, and she's one half of a competitive figure skating pair with good chances to make it into the Vancouver Olympics... if she and her partner Mark can push themselves a little more during the olympic season.

Emily and her husband Sergei have been coaching her and Mark since they were kids... so they feel a little betrayed when they agree to coach their rival team, brother and sister Josh and Stephanie.

Having Stephanie around is never pleasant, but Josh is another story all together. He's kind and shy and slowly forms a friendship with Courtney that has the potential to turn into so much more...

Second Glance: Crossing the Ice was fun. I always find I have lots of fun with these books from Jennifer Comeaux centered around the world of figure skating.

I really liked Courtney, she was smart and funny and a good competitor, she really worked hard for what she wanted in life and appreciated all the sacrifices her parents made for her. She didn't take skating for granted.

Josh I liked too, he was really nice and I'm all for nice guys, his shyness made lots of sense to me, even though he was rich and attractive, he had never really been allowed to express much of what he was made off.

Also, I liked the fact that the book didn't gloss over what it meant for them to be on rival teams, and where their loyalties laid. The book went there with the jealousy and insecurity I'm sure lots of figure skaters experience.

Aside from that, I really liked all the other characters in the story - except for Stephanie - it was lovely to catch up with Chris and Liza and Emily and Sergei from the Edge Series, I loved how the author incorporated them without letting them overpower the story. And Sergei and Emily's twins, Quinn and Alex, are the MOST ADORABLE kids ever!

And I was left very excited for whats coming next for these two.

Bottom Line: Highly recommend Crossing the Ice, to figure skating fans and just regular people in general looking for a sweet romance. And, as I said, I'm very excited for Courtney and Josh' continued story. 

 

Book Review: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

At First Sight: Josie understands everything in terms of the languages people use to express themselves. She's particularly well versed in the language of her sisters Maggie and Kate, specially Kate with whom she's very, very close.

But now Kate has brought home a guy, Geoff, whom she thinks is the one and can't see how wrong he is for her, in Josie's opinion. And no matter how much Josie protests, no one is listening to her.

So Josie is a bit lost in translation, with a boyfriend whom isn't sure she loves but seems to love her; with Kate who used to be one of the two people who spoke Josie's native tongue; and with her best friend Stu who doesn't say much at all. 

Second Glance: I really enjoyed Love and Other Foreign Words. And I really liked Josie - she's incredibly smart and often unintentionally funny because she marches to her own drum so much. I loved that she's not an outcast and actually has lots of friends and normal-teenage relationships with them.

I loved the relationship with her sisters, Maggie and Kate - I really identified with her in that score, I'm the youngest girl from my mom's side of the family and I'm used to being doted-on by my many, many female cousins and sister and I felt very proprietary about that, kind of like Josie does.

Kate annoyed me a bit, and Geoff too, at the beginning I was like "OMG! I hate you already!!" and could understand Josie, even though I knew she was an unreliable narrator, I was still on board. But maybe he isn't so bad in the end ;)

Also loved Stu and Sophie, they were adorable. You could totally see the love between them even when they were screaming at each other, plus they were really good friends to Josie. 

Bottom Line: Definitely recommend Love and Other Foreign Words, it's a lovely read with lots of humor as Josie went on her quest to break up Kate and Geoff, it's a little crazy and twisted but, then again, so is sisterhood. 

1/2

This review is par to of the Summer Reading / Love and Other Foreign Words Blog Tour.

PS - Sorry for the late posting, was at work all day and my schedule post didn't go up as planned.