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When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
My rating: 4 stars
Quick overview from goodreads: As far as Gemma is
concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it’s her job to cater
other peoples’ dates, and that’s just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she
has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full
and secure. She’s got six steady clients that keep her hands full.
There’s
Lex, the fussy but fabulous department store owner who loves Oysters
Rockefeller and 1950s comfort food; Willa, who needs to lose weight
under doctor’s orders but still believes butter makes everything better;
a colorful family who may or may not be part of the Russian mob; an
überwealthy Georgetown family; the picture-perfect Van Houghtens, whose
matriarch is “allergic to everything”; and finally, a man she calls “Mr.
Tuesday,” whom she has never met but who she is strangely drawn to.
For
Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good
ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life,
on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma’s takes an
unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow,
she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have
imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a
lot of courage, and---oh yes---butter.
This book was hilarious!
I don't even remember how I found it, but from the beginning I loved the way the author wrote - the main character Gemma was very relatable and I was nodding and laughing along with her. The story takes place in the D.C. area which is always fun for me - I like to picture a specific street where a scene is happening.
Normally I mark pages or quotes that I enjoy from the story, and there were plenty I could have from this book, but I didn't - I was too excited to keep reading that I didn't want to stop even for a few seconds! (I think this is a pretty good indication of how much I enjoyed the story!)
The book flowed well, and I would have given it five stars instead of four but there were a couple scenes that were confusing and I had to re-read, which I thought interrupted the continuity a bit.
Overall though I loved it, and have been recommending it to any and every one since!
Have you read this book or anything else by this author? What did you think? What's on your bookshelf lately?
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3 comments:
I haven't read this book, but it sounds like something I would like so I will have to request it from the library! That character sounds like me - I love following recipes. :) I crave order instead of chaos. ;)
I have read some great books lately. I loved Gone Girl. And then I read The Language of Flowers and loved that. Now I am reading The Moment, which is partially set in Germany during the time of the Berlin wall so it's super interesting and the writing is really engaging. So I am on a roll with awesome books. And I am excited to read Austen with you next month! We should chat about how we are going to tackle that!
I have seen this book floating around on Good Reads. I will have to check it out. Adding butter is something I can definitely get behind. =)
I haven't read this but I love the name of the book as it's so something I would say (oh so healthy I am!). Thanks for the review; will see about adding it to my list :)
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