How to Eat a Cupcake: A Novel by Meg Donohue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book Overview:

Funny, free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated, ambitious Julia St. Clair could not be more different. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clair’s housekeeper, Annie grew up side-by-side with Julia in the St. Clair’s San Francisco mansion and the girls were as close as sisters until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.

A decade later, Annie has become a talented, if underpaid, pastry chef who bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death. Julia, a successful businesswoman, is tormented by a painful secret that could jeopardize her engagement to the man she loves. After a chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, the women struggle to repair their friendship as the shop becomes the target of an increasingly hostile series of incidents. Despite the threats of the present and shadows of the past, Annie and Julia – emboldened and soothed by intoxicatingly delicious cupcakes – learn the power of forgiveness, find love where they least expect it, and discover the importance of family, in all its complex forms.

My Thoughts:

Right up front, I want to say how much I enjoyed this book.

I think this falls into the category of chick lit. This is not a genre I pursue, as I don’t always get the point of reading this kind of story. But honestly, the past several books I’ve read have been stab ‘em, burn ‘em, slash ‘em murder mysteries, that this book was a very welcomed break.

I liked Annie right from the beginning – hard working, down to earth everyday kinda girl. Julia – it took me awhile to like her – seemed a rather snooty rich girl to me. By the end, this had changed and as the overview mentions, we get to see the power of forgiveness and the importance of family. I found that I wanted to pick this book up to see where the story was headed.

I thought this was a great debut. I will not hesitate to read future books by Ms. Donohue. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for allowing me to read the ARC.

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