Brunch at Bittersweet Café (Saturday Night Supper Club, #2)

by Carla Laureano

From the RITA Award–winning author of Five Days in Skye comes a sweet, romantic treat that will leave you hungry for more.

Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around.

Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he’s already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country—an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.

Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-café in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she’s faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she’s come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves.

• ISBN13: 9781496432704
• Publish Date: 5 February 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tyndale House Publishers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[phyllish]

Flight, food and faith

My rating is 4.5 stars

I loved the way Melody used baking as a coping mechanism. Having dealt with feelings of abandonment most of her life, she became very skilled at baking. . .

Justin appeared to be a stereotypical pilot - handsome and self-assured and yet Melody discovered he had many layers and all wasn't as it appeared. I loved that even though he never sought deep relationships, he was not shallow and refused to lead any woman on or treat her with less than respect. And he certainly knew how to make a grand gesture!

Both Melody and Justin had to learn to understand faith. To be able to see that God caring didn't necessarily mean that bad things wouldn't happen. I felt that the author did a great job in making their faith journey a natural part of the narrative. I also liked the way they both had to come to realize that not everything was as they thought - they both had significant misconceptions that colored their world.

The writing is so great! Not only are there millions of quotable lines, the descriptions of the food were amazing. And I don't even like many of the foods they talked about. Well, except the non-bread and dessert foods. The desserts and breads sounded yummy!

I enjoyed learning more about flying through this story. I had some misconceptions that were cleared up. It was also fun to learn more about commercial baking. The author shared a great many details without dragging the story down at all.

Though Brunch at Bittersweet Café couldn't be mistaken for a Cinderella re-telling, there was a fun thread about the fairy tale throughout. Though subtle, it was there nonetheless and added a fun element as I watched for more hints of it as I read.


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I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.