Women’s Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE by Amy E. Reichert

August 27, 2015

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One of my favorite movies is You’ve Got Mail, the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan romcom written by Nora & Delia Ephron that is set around NYC bookstores. Much as You’ve Got Mail was a love letter to New York City, Coconut Cake is a love letter to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Reichert did an amazing job – I want to go! The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is the foodie equivalent of Mail, and that completely worked for me.

Lou is a talented chef who is sweating away trying to make a success of her small French restaurant, Luella’s, named after her beloved grandmother. She has a core group of regulars, and is just making ends meet. Her personal life is a little bit better; her fiancé is successful but not entirely supportive of her endeavors. And then everything falls apart.

Lou walks in on her fiancé with another woman and she dumps him. She’s off to work, heartbroken, humiliated and angry, not the best way to cook. She alienates most of her staff, and the food suffers terribly.

Of course this is the night that the new food critic in town visits the restaurant. Al is quite acerbic in his reviews and is building a nice following. One meal at Luella’s is all that he needs to eviscerate the restaurant, sounding the death knoll for the struggling restaurant.

Meanwhile, Lou and Al literally run into each other and she decides to show him around Milwaukee, a city he is sorry he landed in. By the time she’s through with him, he loves the city and Lou – but it takes a while before he realizes who she is and she finds out who he is. Fireworks ensue, but it is the journey that is so delicious.

This was a fast moving story with warm, likeable characters and a fun plot.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE COINCIDENCE OF COCONUT CAKE by Amy E. Reichert. Gallery Books (July 21, 2015). ISBN 978-1501100710. 336p.

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2 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Tagged: Book Discussion, Food | Permalink
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WHO DO YOU LOVE by Jennifer Weiner

August 11, 2015

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Two reviews…first up: Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

I have loved Jennifer Weiner since her first book, Good in Bed, and she has grown since then, graduating from smart chick-lit to smart women’s fiction, and this new one is a coming of age/contemporary romance at its best – and it’s still smart.

Rachel Blum is a sickly child, born with a heart condition that requires constant monitoring and many surgeries. During one hospitalization, she wanders into the ER, bored and looking for a story. She meets Andy Landis, a biracial young boy with a broken arm and a missing mother. She keeps him company, tells him a story and gives him a stuffed animal. Eventually his mother shows up and Rachel is sent back to her room.

Fast forward to college and Rachel is on a trip to Atlanta for a charitable organization. A good looking young man catches her eye, and yes, it is Andy. Thus begins a life-long love affair that survives different socio-economic classes, geographical separations, breakups, other relationships, a scandal, and so much more.

Weiner makes us wonder, is there such a thing as a one-and-only love? Can you meet your soulmate as a child and love them forever? Can a spoiled Jewish princess find happiness with an Olympic runner from the Philadelphia projects?

These characters are complex and real, and this is a beautiful coming of age story in addition to a sweeping romance. Best of all, the book is totally unputdownable – I couldn’t stop turning the pages and when I finished it, I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters, and that is the highest praise I can give. Don’t miss it.

From Becky LeJeune:

Eight-year-old Rachel Blum is recovering from her latest heart surgery when she meets Andy Landis. He’s brought into the emergency room with a broken arm, his mother nowhere to be found, so Rachel decides to keep him company.

As teens they cross paths again, this time on a volunteer trip to Atlanta. Andy remembers the girl who sat with him in the waiting room – Rachel Blum. Bloom like flower… For Rachel it’s love at first sight but for Andy, the trip marks the first time he really sees the differences that stand in their way.

For years, the two connect and part ways, date and break up, and fall in and out of love. Only time will tell, though, whether Rachel and Andy are truly meant for one another or if their fate lies elsewhere.

Weiner’s latest is a sweet but very realistic love story. Rachel and Andy grow and change as the years pass and face a lot of things most people never will – a life threatening heart condition, the pressure of being an Olympic athlete – but they also face a lot of things the average reader can relate to. They learn from one another, they make mistakes, and they piss each other off. Royally. It lends an air of believability and realism that I think most stories of this kind are missing. And it’s exactly this realism that ultimately pulls the reader in: Rachel and Andy could be your best friends, your sister, your brother, or even you… You’ll laugh with them, cry with them, and root for them all the way through the final pages.

WHO DO YOU LOVE by Jennifer Weiner. Atria Books (August 11, 2015). ISBN 978-1451617818. 400p.

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8/15

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EVER AFTER by Jude Deveraux

August 10, 2015

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Nantucket Brides Trilogy, Book 3

According to her publisher, Jude Deveraux is the author of more than forty New York Times bestsellers and has more than sixty million copies of her books in print worldwide. And I’ve never read her. This book arrived at my front door and I loved the cover – that is one gorgeous dress – but it is the third book of a trilogy that I haven’t started. I contacted the publicist to see if the books stand alone or need to be read in order, and like most romances, she said go for it, you won’t even notice, and she was right.

This is a contemporary romance set mostly on Nantucket, but the setting is pretty much irrelevant to the story. Hallie Hartley lost her mother very young, and her father remarried, and when he and her stepmother die, Hallie is left to care for Shelly, her much younger stepsister. Shelly is gorgeous and spoiled, and Hallie has her hands full. She has just graduated as a physical therapist when things come to a boiling point.

Hallie inherits a house on Nantucket from a relative she’s never even heard of, and the house is seemingly haunted, which she learns after she gets there. She is offered the opportunity to work with just one patient, Jamie Taggert, who has severely injured his knee in a skiing accident. Hallie figures Jamie to be the ultimate rich playboy but a job is a job and she escapes to the island. There is an immediate attraction between them but Hallie is determined to keep things professional. She slowly realizes that there is more to this rich playboy than he or anyone from his enormous family is letting on.

The ghosts are amusing, not scary, and all the family drama adds complexity to this romance. I can see why Deveraux is so popular. Guess I’m going to have to go back and read the first two books in this trilogy.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EVER AFTER by Jude Deveraux. Ballantine Books (June 23, 2015). ISBN 978-0345541857. 368p.

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ANA OF CALIFORNIA by Andi Teran

July 31, 2015

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One of my favorite books is Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I read it as a child, and then again when I was in library school taking “History of Children’s Literature.” It was an even better read as an adult, or at least it felt that way to me. So when I heard about this modern retelling, I must admit I was skeptical. But I braved it out and started Ana…and was immediately hooked. I loved how Teran brought this story into the 21st century and kept the charm and spunk of the original.

If you haven’t read the Montgomery book, I urge you to do so. I recently watched the movie and was startled to see that the actress playing Anne was named Anne Shirley, the same name as the character. That caused me to do some digging and apparently she was moved enough by the story (or the studio) to legally change her name to that of this most beloved character. The movie was okay but I would recommend the book over it any day.

Back to Ana…it is absolutely not necessary to have read Anne to enjoy this book. Ana is a 15 year old Mexican American, and a product of the foster care system. Eventually she gets thrown out of one too many homes and is offered a last chance; to work as an intern on a farm further up the California coast. If she can manage to hang on until she turns 16, she will be old enough to become emancipated.

Garber Farm is run by brother and sister Abbie and Emmett. Emmett is all in favor of an intern, but he’s expecting a boy and grudgingly decides to give Ana a one month trial period. Abbie is delighted to have a girl around the house, and Ana quickly finds that she enjoys life on the farm. Things get a little more difficult when school starts and there is boy trouble, friends and drug trouble, and other road blocks to happiness thrown in her path. But slowly she starts making a difference in the lives of those around her.

For fans of Anne, all I can say is some of the most memorable scenes are updated here. Ana has a run in with a neighbor, her best friend’s accidental drunkenness is now a psilocybin mushroom trip, there is a major hair mishap, and so forth. Every one of these scenes felt like finding a little nugget of happiness.

Ana is a charmer and this is a warm, wonderful coming of age story that should appeal to adults and young adults too. Great for book discussions – check out the Reading Group Guide

7/15 Stacy Alesi

ANA OF CALIFORNIA by Andi Teran. Penguin Books (June 30, 2015). ISBN 978-0143126492. 368p.

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KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal

July 28, 2015

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Let me start by saying this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It has everything; great characters, terrific setting, a creative premise and mouthwatering meals.

Cynthia and Lars have a baby, she freaks out, has an affair with a sommelier at the restaurant where she works and they run off together. Lars brings up Eva by himself, with the help of some friends.

Eva is an unusual child; really a savant, and her gift is her palate. She will try anything, and as a child grows her own chilies, selling them to neighborhood restaurants. She grows up to become a celebrity chef extraordinaire, opening a pop up restaurant that moves around the country from one spectacular location to another. Foodies pay thousands of dollars for one her meals, and wait years to get an invite.

Eva’s journey is documented chapter by chapter, each focusing on a different dish and a different character, from lutefisk to cookie bars. Eventually all the strings are tied together, in a memorable meal.

This is a story about fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, and community. It’s always about the Midwest and the foodie culture that has pervaded America. There are a lot of laughs, poignant moments that brought me to tears, and everything in between. The prose is beautiful, almost poetic at times, but it is the characters that completely stole my heart.

It is a book that begs to be read slowly and savored, and book that craves to be discussed. Don’t miss it.

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

KITCHENS OF THE GREAT MIDWEST by J. Ryan Stradal. Pamela Dorman Books (July 28, 2015). ISBN 978-0525429142. 320p.

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MADAME PRESIDENT by Nicolle Wallace

July 26, 2015

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Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

I read Nicolle’s first two books in this series years ago, and enjoyed them. So when I heard about this new one, I tried the audiobook. The reader was good, but didn’t really add much to the story.

The premise is that there is a female Republican president in her second term, with a newish vice president, another woman who is a Democrat. Did I mention this is fiction? It goes from the ridiculous to fairytale; one of the White House staff had a two year affair with the President’s husband. They broke up, the President knew about it and promoted the mistress to Press Secretary. Spoiler alert: The White House Chief of Staff, probably the second most powerful person in Washington after the President (yes, I watched The West Wing) is leaking information to the press. Does he get fired? Of course not. He is just trusted not to do it anymore. Call me a cynic but I just couldn’t get past any of this stuff. Especially the press secretary. Would Hilary make Monica Lewinsky her press secretary? Not on a bet. ‘Nuff said.

The story is centered around a 9/11 style attack on five cities concurrently. Lots of deaths, lots of sadness, but that’s just the beginning and ending of the book. The middle was just ridiculous.

I like Nicolle on The View. I think she is a smart Republican, and that is not something that often comes out of my mouth. I don’t agree with her politics, or many of her opinions, but I respect her. I am at the point in my life where if I don’t like a book for any reason, I generally put it down and move on. But I kept on going, hoping it would get better, hoping for some kind of reasonable explanation for the unexplainable, but never got it. I stayed with it until the bitter end, and I’m sorry I did.

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MADAME PRESIDENT by Nicolle Wallace. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (April 28, 2015). ISBN 978-1476756899. 352 p.

Audio Book: Listening Length: 9 hours and 18 minutes

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IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume

July 23, 2015

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Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

I had seen the Judy Blume interviews on TV and knew that this was a book set in the early 1950s, when Blume was a teenager in Elizabeth, New Jersey, when three airplanes crashed in her town within 58 days. But I wasn’t thinking about that on my five hour flight from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco, until the first plane crash (in the book!) As my oh-so-smooth Virgin America flight (thanks, guys!) was an hour or so in, I decided maybe listening to this book wasn’t the best idea I ever had. I set it aside and didn’t finish it until I got home.

Right up front I have to say that I didn’t love this narrator, mostly because of her pronunciation, from the main character, Miri Ammerman, who I heard as “Mary” and couldn’t understand at all – I’ve never met a Jew named Mary – to the synagogue, B’Nai something or other, which after hearing B’Nai pronounced as “Buh Nye” when it has always been “Buh Nay” in New York and Florida, and a few other mispronunciation of Jewish phrases all just sort of confused me and frankly, pissed me off. Someone is supposed to check these things.

But the story, the story! It’s wonderful, and not only because it’s Judy Blume and I don’t think she can write a bad book. The beginning sort of sets the tone and time period; women were mostly housewives, kids were respectful and kept in the dark a lot. We meet our main character, Miri, a 15 year old in Elizabeth, NJ who lives with her single mom, Rusty, with her grandmother and her uncle right next door. Mary’s uncle Henry is a newspaper man, and covers the plane crashes in great detail. Her best friend is Natalie, and Miri guiltily fantasizes about her mother marrying Natalie’s father (with nothing too terrible happening to Natalie’s mom) and having that comfortable, upper middle class life. And then the plane crashes start happening.

The plot is out there, you don’t need me to rehash it. Instead, let me tell you about the wonderful characters that Blume creates here, unforgettable people who experience incredible tragedy. The survivors and how they dealt with it all. The brothers who lost their mother and their father is an alcoholic, so they live in a fairly nice orphanage – no foster care tragedy here. The families, some torn apart, with real problems and real solutions. The setting of this New Jersey town and how the people there come together because of these plane crashes is completely relatable to all the tragedies that have been in the news lately. The time period is portrayed in an almost romanticized way, yet it always rings true, from 1950’s Elizabeth, then later on, the new city in the desert, Las Vegas.

I am sorry I didn’t read the print (or Kindle) version and probably will on my next vacation. In the Unlikely Event was a completely fascinating and emotional read and listening to it (albeit briefly) on a plane gave me sharp recognition of where the title came from, even with the Virgin America music video version of the pre-flight safety instructions: “In the unlikely event/ We need to get you outside/ Your exit is equipped/ With an inflatable slide.”

If you like a good character driven story, good writing, and an interesting premise, then you will love this book as much as I did. Just read it, don’t listen to it.

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT by Judy Blume (Audio book.) Random House Audio; Unabridged edition (June 2, 2015). ISBN 978-1101914045. 11 discs.

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BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber

July 12, 2015

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Blossom Street #10

This is the latest entry into this very gentle series. It encompasses everything Debbie Macomber readers expect; women’s friendship, a sweet romance and knitting. The series is set in Seattle and centers around A Good Yarn, a knitting shop.

This time the story centers around Lauren Elliott, who works in a nearby fine jewelry establishment. Lauren and Todd, the handsome and ambitious TV newscaster, have been dating for a few years and Lauren feels like they should be ready to move on to the next step – marriage. But Todd wants to wait until he gets that coveted anchor spot, so Lauren decides to break it off.

Bethanne and her husband Max are separated – not because they don’t get along, but because they are newly married and he owns a business in partnership with Rooster in California; Bethanne’s business is in Seattle. And her ex has decided that maybe he made a mistake and wants her back.

Lauren meets Rooster at A Good Yarn, he’s a biker and totally out of her comfort zone but she decides maybe she needs to make a new list of what she wants in a man.

There is additional intrigue when baskets of yarn are found around town with notes to knit a scarf that will be donated to the homeless shelter, and the knitters are asked to turn in the finished product to A Good Yarn. But the proprietor, Lydia, doesn’t know anything about it, although she is certainly enjoying the good will and increase in business.

These women form a bond with each other and with the men in their lives, leading to a satisfying ending. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was completely captivating and entertaining. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

7/15 Stacy Alesi

BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (March 31, 2015). ISBN 978-0345528865. 432p.

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EIGHT HUNDRED GRAPES by Laura Dave

June 17, 2015

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I like wine. A lot. But I didn’t know that it takes 800 grapes to make one bottle, and that was only one of the tidbits I picked up reading this fast paced, heartwarming novel.

At its heart this is a story about a family, but it happens that this family owns a small, biodynamic vineyard in Sonoma – and were one of the first families to settle there to make wine. The story is told from the viewpoint of the daughter, Georgia, a successful lawyer in southern California, and begins at her last wedding gown fitting. As she looks out the window, she sees her fiancé strolling down the street with a drop dead gorgeous movie star and a little girl. She runs out after them, finds out that the little girl is his daughter and then Georgia makes a beeline for home – the vineyard.

Georgia’s parents are having problems, but they haven’t told her anything. She walks in and finds a towel clad man coming out of her parent’s bedroom – and the man is not her father. Then she finds out that her father is selling the vineyard to a “factory” wine maker – a large, successful commercial winery, and that the closing is right after her vineyard wedding, and she is incensed.

This is a family that is loaded with secrets, but their love for one another helps keep them afloat. The story moves around various timelines as it follows all the family members, but the chapters are short and the story is easy to follow. Besides all the family drama, there is romantic drama of the best kind as well.

I loved the setting, which becomes almost another character in this warm, wonderful novel. If you like wine and romance (and really, who doesn’t?) then this is the book for you.

6/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EIGHT HUNDRED GRAPES by Laura Dave. Simon & Schuster (June 2, 2015). ISBN 978-1476789255. 272p.

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BEACH TOWN by Mary Kay Andrews

May 28, 2015

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Once again I am kicking off my summer reading with Mary Kay Andrews and she is setting the bar high!

Greer Hennessy is a movie location scout looking for an old time Florida beach, which is getting real hard to find. But when she stumbles into Cypress Key in the Florida Panhandle, she knows she’s earned her paycheck. It’s lovely, with a pristine beach, one motel, and an old boarded up casino that is the perfect spot for the producer’s dream explosion.

But Greer runs into a problem her first night there, and his name is Eben Thibadeaux. He is the town mayor, engineer, hotel towel boy and more – and he is not about to let some Hollywood movie people destroy his town. Cypress Key already had a run of bad luck when the local paper mill polluted the area then left town, laying off everyone. The town is struggling and Eben is determined to bring it back from the brink without blowing anything up, especially an historic landmark like the casino.

But Greer is determined and sweet talks her way into almost everything she needs, with bribes taking care of what the sweet talk won’t. But blowing up the casino is becoming a real issue on both sides when the movie bigwigs find out how far over the budget has gone.

Greer and Eben are meeting and fighting regularly, but also fighting a strong attraction to each other and they lose that fight for sure. Andrews excels at creating characters that are full realized and believable, and their story just draws you in, making this a true page turner.

The romance builds and things get really hot in this sweet, sexy beach read that is the perfect way to kick off summer. I loved it!

5/15 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch

BEACH TOWN by Mary Kay Andrews. St. Martin’s Press (May 19, 2015). ISBN: 978-1250065933. 448p.

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