The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

by Amy E Reichert

[kimbacaffeinate]

I love foodie books, and the cover and synopsis are not just a pretty promise. Lou owns Luella’s French restaurant and the dishes and desserts mentioned in this book will have you drooling.
Al Waters writes under a pseudonym for the local paper. He is a restaurant critic whose column has the town all-abuzz. They love his scathing, witty reviews. He considers himself a food snob, and this Brit sees Milwaukee as a stepping stone to more important venues.

Lou is about to have the worst day of her life when she shares a brief conversation with Al at the local farmers market. After receiving an anonymous tip Al dines at Lucella’s on that very same evening. He writes one of the most scathing reviews of his career. When the review publishes, Al again stumbles into Lou at a pub. She is drowning her sorrows and he is celebrating his latest success. Chance has them agreeing not to discuss work and a friendship begins..a beautiful friendship that slowly transforms both characters as it moves slowly toward romance. Reichert brought these characters to life, flaws and all. Their romance while low on heat still managed to sizzle as my heart did flip-fops. Theirs is the types of romances we dream about as little girls. It was awkward, adorable and genuine. She made rain beautiful, magnets enchanting and cooking so incredibly sexy-it should be illegal.

“He obliterates every restaurant he reviews. But he does it in the most entertaining way.”

Secondary characters gave this story an unexpected depth. I found myself caring for them and wanting to know more. John the awkward, delightful co-worker at the paper had me smiling and Lou’s second chef and pastry chef need their own story. This is a standalone, but Reichert has characters here worth writing about and I want to go back to Milwaukee. She made the town chic and a place I now want to visit. An older German couple who frequented the restaurant stole my heart and even made me weep. The author gave the story a small-town feel and I loved that none of her characters were cardboard.

While one could argue it was predictable, the romance and characters were not. I closed the novel with a smile. I totally recommend you pick up, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. This is Reichert’s debut novel and her writing is magic from the flow to the characters I could find no fault.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer