Finding Mr. Purrfect by Codi Gary

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Charity Simmons is a baker with a love for cats, so she and her veterinarian friend Kara pool their resources to open a cat café and low cost cat clinic.  Meow and Furrever is doing well, but needs an infusion of cash in order to update the kitchen so they can take their business venture to the next level.  It’s been a frantic time, so the two plan a vacation to Mexico to unwind a bit—at least that was the original plan.  At the last minute Kara and her fiancé Ben decide to skip Mexcio and spend the vacation with his family, leaving Charity alone. Well, not exactly alone:  Ben’s best friend Will was also invited. The problem is that Will is just the type of guy Charity detests.  He’s a flirt who spends all his time charming women, which is pretty easy because he’s also gorgeous and has a nice guy persona.  But Charity is not fooled, and she’s not going to waste her time on a relationship without a future.  For his part, Will isn’t looking for commitment but he IS attracted to Charity, so when he’s asked to be her pretend boyfriend, it really isn’t a hardship. . . until it’s time to stop pretending.

Romance books aren’t really my thing, but the enticement of a cat café made me decide to give it a try. Also there was a promise of a baking show, so how could I resist? This was an enjoyable enough book, mainly because the dual perspective between Will and Charity was entertaining and there were cats, although I was a tad disappointed we didn’t see more cats.  The scene at the end pretty much made up for it though, as it was delightful.  Both Charity and Will have family hang ups to work through, which made them more realistic characters to me even though this is indeed a frothy romance.  The baking show competition was mentioned in several reviews but didn’t show up until the last 50 pages or so. 

While I’m not ready to give up my classic and cozy mysteries, this was a pleasant diversion. 

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Reviewed by Christy

            This year has been rough, and what better way to take one’s mind off current events than to pick up a light, fluffy book with a light, fluffy cake on the cover. Lou owns the French restaurant Luella’s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She works non-stop to keep her new business afloat but she absolutely loves her job, and her co-workers are more like family than employees. She only wishes her fiancé Devlin were more supportive of her career ambitions. He routinely suggests restaurant work is too hard, and she should give it up. Lou begins to suspect he only wants a chef for a wife to impress clients at dinner parties.

            Despite her misgivings, Lou decides to surprise Devlin on his birthday with cake for breakfast (coconut cake to be exact), only to catch Devlin in a compromising situation with his young intern. Blind-sided, Lou does the only think she can think to do: she goes to work. Heart broken and distracted, Lou ends up cooking the worst meal she’s ever made only to unwittingly serve it to the Milwaukee newspaper’s new food critic. Al is a grumpy, British transplant who can’t wait to leave Milwaukee behind. He rips Luella’s to shreds.

            While Lou drowns her sorrows in a local pub, she meets Al, and they hit it off. Neither know who the other truly is but Lou agrees to show Al the best parts of Milwaukee as long as they don’t talk about work. Al finds himself having a blast with Lou and looking forward to all their outings. Lou feels the same, and appreciates the break from worrying about her now-failing business.

            Anyone who enjoyed You’ve Got Mail, or romantic comedies in general, will enjoy this book. Both the leads are likable (even though Al got off on the wrong foot, I did warm up to him), and watching their romance unfold is delightful. And of course, as a reader, you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop which brings the drama! However, I think my favorite parts of the book were all the festivals Lou takes Al to and the descriptions of the food. The way I felt reading it is how I feel watching The Great British Bake-Off: cozy, in awe of what people can do with food, and a little hungry. And yes, all the festival talk made me a little wistful for all the festivals we’ll miss this year. But books like The Coincidence of Coconut Cake are a good second choice.

Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories by Jocelyn Delk Adam

Reviewed by Kristin

After reading Christy’s review of Vintage Cakes with those gorgeous descriptions and beautiful photograph of her Honey Bee Cake, I was inspired to look for vintage cake recipes myself. I found more in the adorably named Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories by Jocelyn Delk Adams. The author focuses on much more than just the recipes; she includes snippets of family history where her love for her grandmother (“Big Mama”) shines through. The recipes are named by level of difficulty—Grandbaby Cakes are recommended for anyone at any skill level; Mama Cakes need a little more skill and patience; Big Mama cakes are for ambitious and skilled bakers, like Adams’ own Big Mama. Additionally, Grandbaby notes are included with many of the recipes to add little tips, encouragements, and suggestions for adaptions to set your inner baking genie loose in the kitchen.

The contents are divided into sections for pound cakes, layer cakes, sheet cakes, baby cakes, celebration cakes, and seasons and holidays. From classic yellow and red velvet all the way to mango swirls in carrot cake, this cookbook has something for everyone.

I decided to try the Snickerdoodle Gooey Cake, with a few tweaks because who has butterscotch chips in their cabinet at all times? You do? Okay, not me. However, I did have peanut butter chips and there is nothing peanut butter that my family won’t eat. With a yellow cake base layer and a creamy top made from cream cheese and powdered sugar, I also threw in some extra vanilla and cinnamon. What, you measure vanilla and spices too? I’m good with estimating a generous half teaspoon. The finished product was pretty good—flavorful without being overly sweet. I may have enjoyed it even more because I baked it in my grandma’s battered and beaten 9 x 13 metal pan which she used for decades.

I believe the Lighter Lemon Pound Cake (the only “lighter” recipe included) might be next on my list. With Greek yogurt and fresh lemon juice included, that pound cake may turn into another of my family’s favorites.

Chocolate, strawberries, cinnamon, apples, cream cheese, caramel…these are just a few of the ingredients which drew me to this book. Accompany me down memory lane as you remember your own family recipes, and are inspired by the author’s modern twists on vintage cakes.