**Big, big thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to review this!**
This beautiful story spans 3 generations of women. Regina is in the middle, daughter to Lorraine and mother to May. Lorraine suffers a stroke and some of the things she has worked so hard to keep hidden, come out. I feel for her, because all she can do is watch the fallout.
Regina and May are both still trying to recover from the loss of their husband and father. He died unexpectedly 2 years before. Both are being told by people to move on and both are alone in their grief.
I feel like Amy loves food. There's always something that the story revolves around. In this one, Regina or G, runs a food truck named Grilled G's. Guess what she makes? Grilled cheese. And May, experiments with brownies. I really, really wanted to try May's bacon caramel brownies.
I feel like there is less romance than love. The love of families, the true love that sometimes happens, and the new love that is sweet and shy. She works her way through all of them and you just finish the book with a sigh and maybe a tear.
**actually purchased this myself at Barnes & Noble for the Nook**
I've been eagerly anticipating this new book by Amy Reichert since I finished The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. She weaves a great love story that makes you care about the characters and the outcome.
This story is about MJ and her marriage of about 20 years. It begins on their anniversary, where MJ has paid a chef to special make the anniversary lemon pie that her husband, Chris usually makes. It doesn't go well, and in an effort to bring them closer together, she decides to start going with him to the casino to play poker. Only he doesn't seem to care about spending time with her, and she seems to have a real knack for it.
It just really spoke to me as I have been married for 12 years now, and there are rough spots that take real effort to get through. And you just don't know, do these two really want to fight for it or do they want to move apart? It's a choice for both of them.
I love the unconditional support system that MJ has. Her friends are in her corner, but they give her real advice...even if she doesn't like it. She's got a great mom, too. But MJ is scarred by having such a terrible father - yeah, I can relate there, too.
It's a fantastic story, and I started reading this the minute it hit my Nook app on Tuesday (07/12/2016). Thank you Amy, please keep them coming!
I'm going to write honestly here today, to my remaining 5 readers - lol. Depression and anxiety suck all the fun out of life. I stop talking to friends - not that I do that much talking to begin with. I stop writing, I stop reading, I stop creating. And all that stopping, leads to worse depression and anxiety. Then we have money troubles, and I'm even more stressed. I have been applying for any job I qualify for that would pay enough for me to afford daycare. I actually had an interview on Friday, I would be working in the accounting department with the Saginaw Indian Chippewa Tribe. A job that would not only pay well, but would leave me feeling important, too.
I subbed this last year at my kids' school, and it felt good to get out of the house. To have adults to talk to (other teachers), and to have a task (keeping kids alive for 8 hours). Seriously, I'm kidding, I had to implement lesson plans and keep the kids moving seamlessly through their days. It was fulfilling. So, while I'm looking to get back to accounting, I really, really want a grown up job. I want to make money, stop having to worry every single month if we are going to make it and then just squeaking by.
I still love reading, but it comes in spurts. I've really been into Neil Gaiman lately, and I knew there are some graphic novels he writes. A friend told me about Sandman. Now I've never been one to read comics, usually I tell my kids no way am I reading one. When I picked up Sandman, I was instantly hooked. The added bonus? It's driving my kids crazy. "I thought you said you didn't like comic books, Mama?" "Why are you reading that?" "Will you read me comic books now?"
So I have given in on that one. Ivan has The Stickman Odyssey, both the first and second books that he has read over and over. In fact, the first time he asked me to buy him a book was to request the second book after he had finished the first. So, both boys followed along as we read them...and they were great! Terrifically funny, and yea there's a bit of violence and potty humor, but come on...it's based on ancient Greece. I thought it was going to follow The Odyssey, but it is its own story. It touches on so many Greek myths and stories, that the stories I was able to impart to my children doing something that held their attention was invaluable.
CW and I have been methodically working our way through The Worst Witch books. We read the first in the series, and then I found the full movie on YouTube - do any of you remember this? The boys actually enjoyed it. I can't believe how much CW likes listening to them being they are 100% about girls, and I can't believe I never read them when I was a child. Why didn't anyone tell me??? I'm starting to question the involvement of my librarians - lol.
I'm sure some of you have heard of some settlement from Apple with Amazon and Barnes & Noble for electronic book purchases. I received my notice from Amazon, all of $1.47. Yeah...really wasn't that thrilled and didn't expect much from Barnes & Noble. But I was shocked - over $17!!! Which allowed me to preorder the latest book from one of my newest favorite authors - Amy Reichert. I think it was last year I read her Coincidence of Coconut Cake, she really hooked me with that one! So I have been trying to get a review copy, but that gets harder when you stop writing a blog.
Today, we are at our local library, I got a new tote bag for finishing the adult reading program, and my kids are closer to their final mark. They are lucky, they get to pick out a brand new book to keep!!! I'm friends with the teen librarian, and honestly more of them here know us. I've asked them to do that for adults, too...but there just isn't the money. As my kids would say, it's just not fair! Oh well, I would beg each and every one of you to do what you can to support your local library. When times are tough, and it's hot outside, our library is a calm island of cool and quiet.
Thanks for reading, any and all comments are welcome. What are you reading? Anyone watch OITNB season 4? Any Netflix or Amazon recommendations? And please, any prayers, positive energy, etc. towards my getting this job are appreciated. :)
This is exactly the kind of romance novel I adore. It has a truly rich story without the tired romance formula of boy and girl do not get along. There is tension here, but it's unique.
We've got a fine chef named Lou, trying to build a successful restaurant. Then there is Al, who is a food critic. He reviews Lou's restaurant on the night she breaks up with her fiancè. Being that he uses an alias and she goes by Lou instead of Elizabeth, they fall in love before either realizes who the other is. BTW - his review was not good and Lou has begun to lose her restaurant because of it.
I never thought that was such a bad thing, her heart really wasn't in it. It wasn't HER food. She was following a menu her fiancè told her to feature.
You just know eventually one of them is going to figure it out, but you also know it will be really painful. You can't help but love Al and Lou, and just adore them together. They make each other better. She literally gets him to fall in love with Milwaukee, a city he loathed in the beginning. He's an English man, who either wants a larger city or somewhere home. He gives her real love. Even though they are taking it slow, he truly listens to her and encourages her. He isn't trying to make her into what he wants, like her ex did.
Lou is strong, Al is sweet. It makes for one hell of a nice novel. Plus you get a recipe for Coconut Cake!
