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spindere11a's review
medium-paced
3.0
Characters and dialogue feel v wooden.
Massive bonus for including the coconut cake recipe.
Massive bonus for including the coconut cake recipe.
riseisbookapp's review against another edition
4.5
Miserable and madness and magical and beautiful and Milwaukee
yodamom's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderful and hard ride with a restauranteur chef and her relationships.
First thing, you have to make the cake at the end of the book. It is decadent, in all the right ways a cake should be and trust me you’ll be craving it among other foods at the end of this read. *Don’t read on an empty stomach.*
Lou is a young chef owner of a small restaurant in Milwaukee. Her business is finally coming out of the red and hopes are high for a successful future. She is engaged to a very successful man and works with two fantastic friends, everything is good. No, not really. Her fiancé’ is not what she has lead her heart to believe, her present happiness is also not exactly what her heart dreamed of. Then when a what should have been a fabulous day crashes and burns her happiness bubble everything changes. Changes, hurt and scar but they are not always bad, even extremely painful ones.
Al, is an unhappy Englishman stuck working in this, what he considers a nowhere city writing restaurant reviews. He hates living there and only thinks about the day he gets another job someplace else. While standing in line for coffee one day he smells the most wonderful scents and they are attached to a very attractive woman. She smells of bacon, coconut cake and vanilla and he is drawn to her. She tells him about her fiancé' and the cake she made him then goes about her day. They meet again, talk and he challenges her to prove her city is wonderful. They begin to explore and get to know each other. Later on he is instrumental in undoing her life’s dream and he doesn’t even know it.
Lou takes on the challenge of showing Al how wonderful Milwaukee is. Her life is crumbling down around her but she doesn’t pass the pain on, she lives and feels joy in the simple things. He finds himself starting to see the uniqueness in the city and develop feelings for this woman. Unfortunately, there are several secrets between them that will blow up and hurt deep.
What a lovely sweet romance, between the main couple and a few side characters. I loved the pacing, we got to know these people and their back stories. Good people, great histories, fabulous friendships.The couples exploration of the city, it’s festivals and cultural events had me wanting to visit the city. The food, was incredible, I think I dreamed of several of the goodies mentioned. I enjoyed every page, and will jump on the chance to read this authors future works.
Yes I made the cake here is picture with one of our dogs peeking
First thing, you have to make the cake at the end of the book. It is decadent, in all the right ways a cake should be and trust me you’ll be craving it among other foods at the end of this read. *Don’t read on an empty stomach.*
Lou is a young chef owner of a small restaurant in Milwaukee. Her business is finally coming out of the red and hopes are high for a successful future. She is engaged to a very successful man and works with two fantastic friends, everything is good. No, not really. Her fiancé’ is not what she has lead her heart to believe, her present happiness is also not exactly what her heart dreamed of. Then when a what should have been a fabulous day crashes and burns her happiness bubble everything changes. Changes, hurt and scar but they are not always bad, even extremely painful ones.
Al, is an unhappy Englishman stuck working in this, what he considers a nowhere city writing restaurant reviews. He hates living there and only thinks about the day he gets another job someplace else. While standing in line for coffee one day he smells the most wonderful scents and they are attached to a very attractive woman. She smells of bacon, coconut cake and vanilla and he is drawn to her. She tells him about her fiancé' and the cake she made him then goes about her day. They meet again, talk and he challenges her to prove her city is wonderful. They begin to explore and get to know each other. Later on he is instrumental in undoing her life’s dream and he doesn’t even know it.
Lou takes on the challenge of showing Al how wonderful Milwaukee is. Her life is crumbling down around her but she doesn’t pass the pain on, she lives and feels joy in the simple things. He finds himself starting to see the uniqueness in the city and develop feelings for this woman. Unfortunately, there are several secrets between them that will blow up and hurt deep.
What a lovely sweet romance, between the main couple and a few side characters. I loved the pacing, we got to know these people and their back stories. Good people, great histories, fabulous friendships.The couples exploration of the city, it’s festivals and cultural events had me wanting to visit the city. The food, was incredible, I think I dreamed of several of the goodies mentioned. I enjoyed every page, and will jump on the chance to read this authors future works.
Yes I made the cake here is picture with one of our dogs peeking
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert is a cute contemporary romance novel. Elizabeth Luella Johnson prefers to go by the name of Lou. She is the owner and chef of Luella’s restaurant. Lou is engaged to marry Devlin Pontellier, a lawyer. Devlin believes that Lou should give up the restaurant after they marry and be a stay at home mother (as well as cook meals for his clients and co-workers). Every time Devlin brings up marriage, Lou gets the willies (shouldn’t this give her a clue to how she really feels about him). Now Devlin is suggesting that they move in together.
On Devlin’s birthday Lou is up early to make him her grandmother’s coconut cake. She gets the cake ready, gets him coffee, and favorite paper (and actually picks up his dry cleaning). On the way she runs into Al. Lou moves on, but Al continues to think about her. Then Al sees her a few minutes later looking upset and cake/frosting on her shoes. Lou walks into Devlin apartment to find him in his boxer’s and his assistant, Megan in Lou’s new negligee. Lou drops everything and walks out.
That night Lou is a mess at her restaurant. She ruins everything she touches, but she refuses to stop cooking. That night the popular new food critic for the newspaper, A.W. Woodyski (Polish for water) is dining at Luella’s (he was given a card with a tip to try out the restaurant). The staff is inattentive, the service is slow, and the food inedible. A.W. Woodyski gives Luella’s a bad review. Turns out that A.W. Woodyski is Alastair “Al” Waters. Al is British and new to Milwaukee. It is the middle of winter, he is cold, does not know anyone, and is miserable. He let this affect his reviews and did not give the restaurant another chance before submitting his review. After the review comes out, Lou is sent with money to the local bar (no one wants her cooking). Al happens upon Lou (not knowing she is the chef of Luella’s). Lou agrees to show Al the good side of Milwaukee. They agree to not talk about their work (of course, she does not know he is a reviewer and he does not know that she is a chef). They spend the next few months exploring the city and getting to know each other. But you know what is going to happen when Lou discovers that Al wrote that review!
To find out what happens, you will have to read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a charming and romantic book (it grew on me). I give The Coincidence of Coconut Cake 4 out of 5 stars. It is a little predictable, but I like the characters and storyline. There are many lengthy descriptions of food (will make you hungry). If you are looking for a sappy, romantic book, give The Coincidence of Coconut Cake a try.
I received a complimentary copy of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-coincidence-of-coconut-cake.html
On Devlin’s birthday Lou is up early to make him her grandmother’s coconut cake. She gets the cake ready, gets him coffee, and favorite paper (and actually picks up his dry cleaning). On the way she runs into Al. Lou moves on, but Al continues to think about her. Then Al sees her a few minutes later looking upset and cake/frosting on her shoes. Lou walks into Devlin apartment to find him in his boxer’s and his assistant, Megan in Lou’s new negligee. Lou drops everything and walks out.
That night Lou is a mess at her restaurant. She ruins everything she touches, but she refuses to stop cooking. That night the popular new food critic for the newspaper, A.W. Woodyski (Polish for water) is dining at Luella’s (he was given a card with a tip to try out the restaurant). The staff is inattentive, the service is slow, and the food inedible. A.W. Woodyski gives Luella’s a bad review. Turns out that A.W. Woodyski is Alastair “Al” Waters. Al is British and new to Milwaukee. It is the middle of winter, he is cold, does not know anyone, and is miserable. He let this affect his reviews and did not give the restaurant another chance before submitting his review. After the review comes out, Lou is sent with money to the local bar (no one wants her cooking). Al happens upon Lou (not knowing she is the chef of Luella’s). Lou agrees to show Al the good side of Milwaukee. They agree to not talk about their work (of course, she does not know he is a reviewer and he does not know that she is a chef). They spend the next few months exploring the city and getting to know each other. But you know what is going to happen when Lou discovers that Al wrote that review!
To find out what happens, you will have to read The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a charming and romantic book (it grew on me). I give The Coincidence of Coconut Cake 4 out of 5 stars. It is a little predictable, but I like the characters and storyline. There are many lengthy descriptions of food (will make you hungry). If you are looking for a sappy, romantic book, give The Coincidence of Coconut Cake a try.
I received a complimentary copy of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.
http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-coincidence-of-coconut-cake.html
taylorziegler's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jennilien's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kerinl's review against another edition
4.0
As a previous reviewer (Justine) stated this book would make a great beach read. A charming yet somewhat predicatable plot however even with these traits Reichert kept me up reading well past my bedtime.
hollyjolene's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I'm kind of surprised how much I liked this one. It was pretty much the typical romance formula, and of course you could see what was going to happen a mile away, but it was still good. The story itself was just really sweet, and I liked both of the main characters, as well as the side characters.
I love food, so the fact that so much of this book centers around food was a plus, and we also really got to know the city of Milwaukee. I would love to read more story set in this world, maybe focusing on some of the side characters (although as far as I know, the author has no plans for that).
I love food, so the fact that so much of this book centers around food was a plus, and we also really got to know the city of Milwaukee. I would love to read more story set in this world, maybe focusing on some of the side characters (although as far as I know, the author has no plans for that).
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
4.0
For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
First, let’s get the obvious comparisons out of the way. The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, which was later updated to You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Both are excellent films in their own right, so if that’s the vibe the author was going for, she succeeded. The book is a great rom com in its own right.
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is also a love letter to the city of Milwaukee, which is about two hours away from here. Seriously, the book is part travelogue, much like a Nancy Drew novel, and part cookbook with all the talking about divine foods, and foods that make Wisconsin famous. I don’t think I’ve read another fiction book that so expertly portrayed the sights, sounds, and tastes of our great state.
Lou and Al make a great pair since they both love food so much, but in different ways. I find it entirely realistic that Al can keep his true identity hidden for as long as he did, because Lou wasn’t looking for it; she was consumed with the closing of her restaurant and starting over. Entirely plausible. In a romance book, for sure. Some reviewers have criticized that aspect of the book, saying it’s wholly implausible for Al to have kept his secret from Lou that long, but I disagree. You hear all the time about men and women (although truth be told its usually men) leading double lives or having a secret for years before being found out. So, I don’t have issue with how the book played out.
If you want a feel for what it’s like to live here in Wisconsin, and enjoy a frothy, fun, yet serious romance, I highly recommend this book.
First, let’s get the obvious comparisons out of the way. The Shop Around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, which was later updated to You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Both are excellent films in their own right, so if that’s the vibe the author was going for, she succeeded. The book is a great rom com in its own right.
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is also a love letter to the city of Milwaukee, which is about two hours away from here. Seriously, the book is part travelogue, much like a Nancy Drew novel, and part cookbook with all the talking about divine foods, and foods that make Wisconsin famous. I don’t think I’ve read another fiction book that so expertly portrayed the sights, sounds, and tastes of our great state.
Lou and Al make a great pair since they both love food so much, but in different ways. I find it entirely realistic that Al can keep his true identity hidden for as long as he did, because Lou wasn’t looking for it; she was consumed with the closing of her restaurant and starting over. Entirely plausible. In a romance book, for sure. Some reviewers have criticized that aspect of the book, saying it’s wholly implausible for Al to have kept his secret from Lou that long, but I disagree. You hear all the time about men and women (although truth be told its usually men) leading double lives or having a secret for years before being found out. So, I don’t have issue with how the book played out.
If you want a feel for what it’s like to live here in Wisconsin, and enjoy a frothy, fun, yet serious romance, I highly recommend this book.