A Pinch of Ohh La La by Renee Swindle
Sometimes you run across a book that is not what it seems when your first pick it up. After all, we are only reading a snippet of information and we hope that the rest of the book lives up to or is better than the back cover tells us. What I was expecting with this book I received for review and what I ended up with were two different things entirely – and I was glad.
A Pinch of Ooh La La by Renee Swindle
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publication Date: August 5, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0451416650
To get to happily ever after, sometimes you need to start from scratch….
Abbey Ross, who runs her own bakery in Oakland, California, is known for her visually stunning wedding cakes. But lately, Abbey’s own love life has become stale. According to her best friend, Bendrix, Abbey’s not the spontaneous young woman she was when they were teenagers listening to the Cure and creating attention-grabbing graffiti. Of course, her failed relationship with a womanizing art forger might have something to do with that. Nevertheless, it’s time for Abbey to step out of the kitchen—and her comfort zone—and Bendrix has even handpicked a man for her to date.
Samuel Howard is everything Abbey’s dreamed of: handsome, successful, and looking to raise a family. But a creamy icing might be needed to hide a problem or two. When Samuel complains about disrespect for the institution of marriage, Abbey’s reminded of her nontraditional family, with thirteen children from various mothers. And when Samuel rails about kids having kids, Abbey thinks of her twenty-year-old sister who’s recently revealed her pregnancy.
Soon Abbey is facing one disaster after another and struggling to make sense of it all. Her search for love has led her down a bitter path, but with the help of her unique family and unwavering friends, she just might find the ooh la la that makes life sweet.
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My Thoughts: As I mentioned before, I was expecting something different from this book. This book spoke of contemporary life and love with a storyline that makes you think this chick has it all going right. But that isn’t the case at all.
When I first started the book, I had a hard time getting into the story. I am not sure why exactly. But the further I read, the more I realized that Abbey and I had soooo much in common. The book really started moving for me then.
Abbey is older, in terms of contemporary romance book standards, and she is realizing that finding the right man – or any man for that matter, is tough. (been there done that) Her bad luck with men is no laughing matter and her best friend steps in to help. Thanks goodness for the internet. But what seems to be perfect in everyone’s eyes is not perfect for Abbey. She realizes that she is not living her life the way that she wants and begins to make changes. (I can relate to that).
What I enjoyed about this book is the fact that the characters are not young and yuppy like most of the books you find today. I related a lot to the storyline; the area the book was based – my old work area – and the relationships that were explored in this book. The feeling that the author expressed and wrote made me feel like she was talking right to me in many places.
This is not a heavy book in any way. Abbey is light-hearted, full of passion and love, and a free spirit in many ways. There was humor and despair and above all healing and acceptance. I really enjoyed this book and this new author. It is a well written story with fully developed characters that you will love or dislike a lot! This book is loaded with a passion that will leave you wanting to know the rest of the story!
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.