Warning: Do not read on an empty stomach. Amy E. Reichert’s debut novel The Coincidence of Coconut Cake not only contains descriptions of food that makes you want to taste them yourself, but is also a delicious meal containing perfect servings of humor, romance and drama.
Lou is the owner of a small French restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lou is living the dream, owning her own kitchen, despite the conflicts with her fiancés plans. Her dream is shattered when she decided to surprise him on his birthday with a coconut cake, only to find him with a half naked intern. She tried to get her mind off the betrayal by working, but ended up only making the worst dish she had ever made (unknowingly) for the snarky new restaurant critic in town. When Lou goes to a bar to wallow in the sorrow of her broken relationship, she meets Al, a British newcomer. After some drunken flirtation she promises him to show him the best of Milwaukee. After a series of non-dates around Milwaukee, Al falls in love with Lou and the city, only to find out her true identity and to discover his review of her restaurant had ruined her business while also crushing her dreams.
Amy Reichert’s own experience in the kitchen served her well when writing this novel. She gives a look at what happens backstage in the kitchen, while also showing the different kinds of people that work there. Her many descriptions of food making making readers want to try the dishes she described. I do like the pace in the book because it shows a realistic sense of dating and falling in love. The plot was well written, with two plot lines being mixed into one, one plot about romance, the other about Lou trying to save her restaurant. The story keeps you interested in the plot while leading up to the climax. Reichert wraps up the ending quickly with a glimmer of hope, which works well for this book. The novel focuses on building their relationship, until they finally realize they were truly in love.
I've already told you this, but when I first read your review, I immediately ordered this book online. It provides me with everything I love in a novel–food, romance, drama, and a tint of despair. I can feel how much you admired this novel, and it definitely translated in your voice in the review. The pacing of your sentences kept me intrigued, and you also provided the reader with what worked and what did not (even though most of it did work for you). Possessing a strong voice is crucial, and I think you've found yours.
ReplyDeleteI like how you started out with the warning in the beginning. It was funny. I think you gave an accurate description of the book, however there were some small things I noticed that drew me away from the review. The first and second sentence both started with Lou’s name and somewhere near the end there’s a name spelled wrong. These are just minor errors, but you might want to consider fixing them and looking out for them in the future. I would also like to see more about the author’s writing style and some more opinion on how the book was written and not just what it was about.
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