Book Review: "The Serendipity" by Emma St. Clair

This book made my heart grow a few sizes larger. I mean, a sweet romance plus magical realism? Yes, please!

Archer is a billionaire businessman embroiled in a scandal caused by his father’s corruption. He can’t go anywhere in NYC without being followed, either by the press or the public, and he’s finding that difficult to deal with.

So what does a billionaire do when he wants to escape scandal? In Archer’s case, he buys an apartment building, The Serendipity, in a charming city called Serendipity Springs. He doesn’t buy into the stories about how the building and the town are both magical. But he does know he can make a lot of money with some changes to the building.

And on his first night in the building, Archer gets a surprise. He finds Willa, one of the building’s residents and a talented baker, in his closet. All Willa remembers is going into her closet, and the next thing she knew, she was in Archer’s apartment. He doesn’t believe her story, though, although he can’t deny his attraction to her.

When Archer announces big changes to the building, including a rent increase and a prohibition on pets, the tenants are very unhappy. Another change could negatively impact Willa’s baking business. But despite all the havoc he’s causing, why can’t she stop thinking about him?

This really was all kinds of adorable. I loved the banter, the supporting characters, and the absolute sweetness of this book. And I’m thrilled that it’s the first of an 8-book series called Only Magic in the Building, so I have lots more time to spend in Serendipity Springs!

Book Review: "Scrooge You" by Brigham Vaughn

It’s the holiday season all year long in the small town of Christmas Falls, but residents really go all out when the holidays actually come along. Joel owns Ginger’s Breads, a bakery that he bought from his aunt and uncle. Everyone loves his baked goods, both sweet and savory.

Living in a small town means you pretty much know everyone. But Joel doesn’t recognize the handsome young runner who passes by the bakery early each morning. Thanks to a patch of ice in the street, Joel meets Hayden, who has moved to town from Chicago to stay with his mother and stepfather.

Hayden is grumpy because his life isn’t going the way he planned. His post-college job evaporated before he started, and no one seems to be hiring web designers right now. Given that he absolutely loathes Christmas, being stuck in a town called Christmas Falls is truly the seventh circle of hell.

But while Hayden seethes inwardly (and not always quietly), he is intrigued by the handsome, bearish baker whose pumpkin cinnamon rolls are pretty fantastic. Joel, whose life pretty much revolves around the bakery and town events, is attracted to Hayden as well, even though he’s probably 10-11 years younger than Joel.

Flirtation turns to friendship and sex, and it’s not long before both want to spend as much time together as they can. Hayden definitely wants out of Christmas Falls, however, and is hoping he’ll find a job back in Chicago soon. But as their feelings for one another intensify, what does this mean for their future?

This is the kind of rom-com I love, full of small town charm, steamy scenes, romance, humor, and emotion. It’s apparently the 9th book in a series written by different authors, and while I got the sense that certain characters probably were from previous books, this was fine to read as a standalone. How can you resist when a Scrooge regains their love for the holidays?

Book Review: "Jump to Recipe" by Jena Wade

I love finding recipes online and am always in awe of the work people put into their food blogs. I will admit, though, that when I’m in a rush I love the “Jump to Recipe” link, which is why the title of this book caught my eye.

Sam is an amazing baker. His bakery and his blog, both called “Whisk Me Away,” are tremendously popular. In addition to sharing his recipes, he shares a bit of himself and life in the town he grew up in.

One secret that Sam hasn’t shared with his customers or followers is that he’s in love with Graham, his brother’s best friend and business partner. Well, he hasn’t shared it until now, as his confessing his love for Graham amidst a recipe—inspired by too much wine—has just been published. And now the secret is out.

Graham is a travel writer whose blog is also quite popular. In fact, he and Sam often fight to be the first person to comment on each other’s posts. He loves Sam’s baking, and he loves how Sam always has cookies waiting for him when he comes home from a trip. But even with all that, Graham is surprised—and very pleased—to read Sam’s confession.

The whole town is abuzz with gossip and they all are rooting for Sam and Graham to end up together. Sam is embarrassed and worries that Graham isn’t interested in him. He quickly finds that’s not an issue!

This was all kinds of fun and adorable, and sweeter than a bakery confection. I hope Jena Wade will give us more of these characters and this town!!

Book Review: "Don't Go Bakin' My Heart" by Shane K. Morton

Like I could resist a book with this title? This was as good as I hoped it would be.

Foggy Basin is a quintessential small town in California, not too far from San Francisco. Many of the businesses in town have existed for years, but recently a resort developer has been trying to convince the owners to sell, so a gigantic resort and golf course could be built. And they’re not above making offers that would allow the owners to live quite well.

Percy grew up in town, and his parents owned a bakery called Don’t Go Bakin’ My Heart. When they were ready to retire, Percy left his job as a pastry chef at a Michelin-starred hotel in Europe to buy the bakery from them. It’s hard keeping a business going, but the bakery is in his blood.

Percy and Ben grew up together, and became very close, until Ben became afraid of his feelings and proceeded to treat everyone, especially Percy, cruelly for four years of high school. Ben couldn’t wait to leave Foggy Basin and never look back. He’s on the verge of becoming partner at the development company where he works, but his promotion depends on him convincing the business owners of Foggy Basin to sell and make way for the resort.

Percy can’t believe Ben has returned after 10 years. Their feelings for one another still burn intensely, but Percy has to get over his resentment of how Ben treated him in high school. As they draw together again, there’s one little secret—the reason Ben has returned—that can tear them apart for good.

Did I guess how the book would go just from the description? Yes, but did it matter? Nope. This is a sweet, emotional, sexy love story with more than a touch of pastry, and the characters were just terrific. I’m looking forward to a return to Foggy Basin!

Book Review: "The Bookstore Sisters" and "The Bookstore Wedding" by Alice Hoffman

I have been reading Alice Hoffman’s books for a long, long time, and so many of them have been real favorites of mine. These two stories are part of a three-story series called The Once Upon a Time Bookshop series. (The third one, "The Bookstore Keepers,” publishes 2/4/2025.)

So many of Hoffman’s books are about family and love, and many contain elements of magical realism. These two stories focused on Sophie and Isabel Gibson, sisters who grew up on Brinkley’s Island in Maine.

Growing up, the sisters were inseparable. They spent hours in their family’s bookstore, hiding in the marshes with their mother, and enjoying her amazing baking. But when their mother grew ill and died, Isabel couldn’t wait to get off the island and never come back, while Sophie took on the role of caring for her sister and grieving father.

In the first story, Isabel lives in New York City. She wanted to be an artist but never could succeed; now she’s a dog walker and a divorcee. One day she gets a letter from home that simply says, “Help.” Although it’s been years since she’s been home or talked to Sophie, she rushes home to find she was summoned by Sophie’s daughter Violet. Sophie broke her leg and needs someone to run the bookstore; Isabel stays and tries to mend things with Sophie, but everyone is waiting for her to run away again.

In the second story, Isabel is well-ensconced on the island again, and is engaged to marry Johnny, her friend since childhood. But every time they schedule their wedding, something happens to derail it. Isabel realizes that love is patient but at times life is not; she makes some sacrifices but her wishes do come true.

These were beautiful, poignant stories. Each made me tear up and made me smile, and once again I’m reminded of the way Hoffman’s writing makes me feel.

Book Review: "When the World Tips Over" by Jandy Nelson

Ten years ago, I read Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun. It was easily one of the most incredible books I’ve ever read. Four years later, I went back to read her debut, The Sky is Everywhere, and I loved that, too. But for a number of years, there’s been no concrete sign that a third Nelson book would be published.

Color me shocked when last week, I received an email from NetGalley with a “Read Now” opportunity—for Nelson’s new book! I couldn’t get to it fast enough.

Jandy Nelson doesn’t just write books. She creates dazzlingly beautiful, poetic masterpieces of words and images, with sparks of magical realism, which leave you breathless and shaken to your core, your mind spinning. That artistry is once again on display in When the World Tips Over.

This is the story of the Fall family, who live in Northern California wine country. The kids’ father was a winemaker who disappeared one day, leaving his family in disarray. Bernadette, his wife, is a celebrated chef. Their oldest son, Wynton, is a violin virtuoso with a talent for self-destruction. The middle child, Miles, is handsome, kind, smart, athletic, and lonely—and wants to find the perfect guy. And their youngest, Dizzy, thinks she’s ugly but dreams of being a heroine in a romance novel.

The appearance of a beautiful, tattooed young woman with rainbow-colored hair turns the Falls upside down. She changes the lives of all three children, but carries her own pain and sorrows. Is she an angel? A saint? A mirage? Simply ordinary?

This is one of those books where there are a lot of disparate threads that ultimately weave together. It’s a beautiful, emotional read about families, friends, love, hope, and a little bit of magic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Books for the advance copy; the book will publish 9/24.

Book Review: "The Golden Spoon" by Jessa Maxwell

In The Golden Spoon, the contestants on a popular baking show have more to worry about than simple competition.

Meh. I wanted so much more from this one. I mean, a mystery that takes place on the set of a baking competition? I could almost taste the possibilities. (Sorry, it did make me hungry.)

It’s the 10th season of “Bake Week,” the beloved competition show. It’s filmed at Grafton Manor, the historic Vermont home of the show’s host, baking legend Betsy Martin. The five contestants are assembled, as is Betsy’s new co-host, culinary bad boy Archie Morris, whose hire Betsy is none-too-thrilled about.

But as the competition gets started, things to go awry. Contestants’ work is getting sabotaged, tensions are mounting between Betsy and Archie, secrets are hidden, and then, murder. Hang on to your whisks!!

The plot for this one seemed completely by-the-numbers. Narration alternated between Betsy and each of the contestants, although one contestant got barely any mention.

Oh well, you can't win 'em all…

Book Review: "The Sweetheart Deal" by Miranda Liasson

Feuding families, struggling businesses, a fake marriage, and two people in need of living for themselves for the first time? All this with a small town as the backdrop? OMG, yes, yes, yes! I loved The Sweetheart Deal so much!!

Tessa has been working at her family’s French bakery for as long as she can remember. She dreams of becoming a pastry chef, but her mother insists they just continue selling bread and baked goods, not dessert. So she lives out her dreams on her YouTube channel, creating desserts for her small but loyal following of viewers.

The Castorinis run the Italian restaurant next door. Years and years ago, the two families had a feud and there’s been bad blood ever since. The Castorinis’ son, Leo, has ideas about how to move his family's restaurant into the future, but his father wants no part of these ideas. Tradition is tradition. His father believes if Leo just settles down and gets married, the restaurant will succeed.

Leo and Tessa were high school rivals and there’s some history between them. So when Leo first suggests to Tessa that they pretend to get married in order to save both families' businesses, it’s the last thing she wants to do, despite how handsome he is. But little by little, she realizes he might be right, so she agrees to a six-month arrangement; after that, they can go their separate ways and get on with their lives.

But the course of fake marriages never go smoothly, and it’s not long before the newlyweds are falling for each other for real. But each has secrets of their own and they need to figure out what they want from their lives and from each other for the first time.

This was such a great book! Many thanks to TLC Book Tours, Miranda Liasson, and Entangled Publishing for inviting me on the tour for The Sweetheart Deal and providing a complimentary copy in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "The Heartbreak Bakery" by A.R. Capetta

Add romance, a cup of magical realism, a few spoonfuls of finding yourself, and lots and lots of baking. This book was absolutely fantastic!!

Syd (not ready to pick a gender yet) is an amazing young baker at the Proud Muffin in Austin, TX. One day, after Syd’s relationship with W ends, Syd deals with it in the best way—baking. And amazing Breakup Brownies are created.

The problem is, anyone who eats the Breakup Brownies well, breaks up, including Vin and Alec, the owners of the Proud Muffin. With the future of the bakery at stake as well as a number of relationships on the rocks thanks to Syd’s brownies, Syd is desperate to make it all right. And that means more baking and more feelings and trying to find the right recipe for everyone.

With the help of Harley, the sexy delivery messenger for the bakery, Syd makes some important discoveries—about love, about assumptions, about bravery, and about how cupcakes have no gender, and that’s ok. It’s okay to be an agender cupcake.

What a special, magical book The Heartbreak Bakery was! And it wasn’t crazy—just a bit of imbuing baked goods with emotions felt by those eating them. But aside from all of the mouthwatering food, this book had so many beautiful, glorious, life-affirming things to say. (And recipes!! I love books with recipes!!)

This will easily be one of my favorite YA books of the year.

Book Review: "The Holiday Swap" by Maggie Knox

Simply put, The Holiday Swap is all kinds of adorable.

Charlie is a successful pastry chef and co-host of a renowned baking show. She’s battling with her annoying co-host to get her own show, so when a concussion robs her of her senses of taste and smell, she knows that she’s in trouble.

Cass, Charlie’s twin sister, is trying to prove to their parents that she can take over the family bakery. At the same time, she has to convince her long-time boyfriend that she does NOT want to marry him, but he can’t seem to get the message.

What else is there to do? The sisters—identical twins at that—decide to switch places for a week. This way, Cass can salvage Charlie’s show and hopefully keep her co-host at bay, and the more no-nonsense Charlie might be able to clean up Cass’ personal life. No one will figure it out, right?

Of course, nothing is as simple as it sounds. And when a firefighter and a physician’s assistant get involved, there’s sure to be confusion—and trouble!

When I was young, I used to dream of having an identical twin brother with whom I could trade places whenever we wanted. I love that The Holiday Swap took that concept to a new level.

This was a cute read, but if you’re a carbs junkie like me, don’t read this on an empty stomach, because mine was GROWLING while reading this! (BTW, Maggie Knox is actually the pen name for two authors, Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley.)

Book Review: "The Whispered Word" by Ellery Adams

The Whispered Word brings a welcome return to Miracle Springs, North Carolina and this memorable cast of characters!!

Not only do I salute Ellery Adams for a terrific follow-up in this cozy series, but thanks to her for fighting for the Oxford comma this time. The Secret, Book, and Scone Society returns!!

When Nora, owner of Miracle Books, finds a young woman asleep in her store, she and her friends don’t know what to make of her—she’s wearing ill-fitting clothes and a hospital bracelet. Nora knows all too well what it’s like to be running from something, so while the thought of sharing her space with a stranger doesn’t thrill her, she wants the woman to know she’s not alone.

This woman, who says her name is Abilene, is clearly hiding something. Nora and her friends know that you have to be ready to trust others when you share your story. But when a customer of Nora’s dies in what is assumed to be a suicide, they discover a connection to Abilene that leaves them wondering whether to worry she might be next—or if she’s hiding something sinister.

When another death occurs, once again, Nora, Hester, June, and Estella try to figure it all out before disaster strikes even closer to home. And once again they’ll demonstrate the value of books, baked goods, and the trust of friendship in helping get through tough times.

There are so many things I love about this series—the setting, the way Adams lets her characters’ vulnerabilities come through, the way she recognizes that you are never miraculously free from all of your demons. It’s such a terrific series. I’ll admit I shied away from cozy mysteries for far too long because I thought they’d be too cutesy, but if more are like this, sign me up!!

Book Review: "Battle Royal" by Lucy Parker

A rom-com with feuding bakers? Doesn’t Battle Royal take the cake? (I’m here all week, lol.)

Sylvie is an immensely talented baker with the flair for the creative. Her appearances on the popular baking competition “Operation Cake” made her a darling of the viewing public. Nearly everyone was a fan of her creations—except esteemed (and super-handsome) baker and judge, Dominic De Vere. And when one of Sylvie’s amazingly creative cakes went awry, he made sure she was voted her off the show.

A few years later, Sylvie is a successful baker. Could her business be better? Sure. So she reluctantly agrees to serve as a judge on the next round of the show, alongside Dominic. It should prove, umm, interesting.

But if that’s enough to get temperatures rising, when the engagement of Princess Rose is announced, everyone expects Dominic’s bakery to be selected for the wedding cake. His family has been baking for the Royals for years. No one expects that Sylvie wants in on this opportunity too, and her style is perfect for the avant-garde princess.

It's a battle of tradition vs. modern. And when there’s cake—and bragging rights—on the line, who will come out on top? Will the competition bring out the passion in both of them?

This was a fun, cute, and hunger-inducing rom-com. I’m a sucker for books with cooking shows in them and I love rom-coms, so…

Thanks to Avon Books for the complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!!

Book Review: "Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake" by Alexis Hall

In Alexis Hall's new book, Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, a young mother hopes participating in a TV baking competition might be the key to a new path for her future.

Rosaline is a single mother of a precocious young girl. She wants to give her the perfect life, but that’s not easy—she has a low-paying job, and her parents don’t approve of that, nor are they comfortable with her bisexuality. They do provide her financial assistance and babysit her daughter, but they never let her forget how much they're helping her.

But she has a plan. She’s going to compete on Bake Expectations, a television baking show, and she hopes the exposure—especially if she wins—will change her life and her daughter’s for good.

Of course she’s utterly unprepared for the rigors of a television show, and with baking requiring the utmost focus, she worries she’ll be quickly eliminated. She also finds herself in a relationship with fellow contestant Alain, who is handsome and talented with a definite arrogant streak, while she becomes more curious about Harry, another contestant, a salt-of-the-earth, sexy electrician who’s not quite politically correct.

I loved Alexis Hall’s last book, Boyfriend Material, so my expectations were pretty high for Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake. There were things I really enjoyed—I’m obsessed with cooking/baking shows, so I loved that element, and wanted more, in fact. I love the way Hall treated Rosaline’s bisexuality, as there aren’t many main characters out there who are bi, and I also loved the book's acknowledgement of anxiety-related issues.

I did think, however, the book was way longer than it needed to be. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles when one character is particularly odious, and I felt the parental disapproval seemed a little one-dimensional. And while I thought Rosaline’s daughter’s view on the world was adorable and refreshing, a little goes a long way with precocious children.

Still, I had fun reading this and really enjoyed my buddy read with my friend Phil. (He loved it more than I did.)

NetGalley and Forever provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "Love is What You Bake of It" by Effie Kammenou

Effie Kammenou's Love is What You Bake of It is a charming rom-com full of drama, secrets, and lots of desserts.

There should totally be a sub-genre of fiction for books that leave you starving. I've read far too many of those to my waistline's detriment. Love is What You Bake of It would easily fall into that category, plus it has recipes!

Kally is finally living her dream of running her own bakery, The Coffee Klatch. Despite all of her success, everyone in her family is more fixated on her finding a man and getting married. But after a relationship left her scarred and doubting everything, she doesn’t believe she’s worthy of love even if she finds it.

When she meets Max, a local policeman, there’s no doubt that she feels a strong attraction to him. But the more she talks to him, the more confusing things become—it seems like he both wants to pursue her and convince her he’s no good to have a relationship with. But why is everyone pushing her toward him?

Can two people with broken hearts overcome their pain and scars and take another chance? What if both are hiding secrets they feel would surely push the other away?

Love is What You Bake of It is a sweet story which is the start of a series I’m looking forward to further diving into. (The second book, Love by Design, publishes March 24.) It switches from past to present and at times focuses on other characters in the story, too.

I enjoyed being on the blog tour for this book. Kate Rock Book Tours and Effie Kammenou provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

Book Review: "A Sweet Mess" by Jayci Lee

Don’t read A Sweet Mess on an empty stomach or you’ll crave baked goods!!

Aubrey Choi is living her dream. Her bakery, Comfort Zone, is thriving, so much so that she’s planning to expand to larger space. It doesn’t leave her time for romance, however, but when she meets a handsome stranger at her friend’s brewery and they spend the night together, she starts to wonder what she’s missing.

It turns out that the stranger is food critic Landon Kim, and he’s about to write an unflattering review of Comfort Zone because of a mix-up he experienced. The review really hurts Aubrey’s business and puts her expansion—and the future of her bakery—in jeopardy.

When Landon realizes the review was unfair and finds out about its impact on Aubrey’s business, he vows to make it up to her. He lands her a stint on a friend’s cooking show, but there’s a catch: she’ll need to stay with him in a villa in California's Wine Country for a few weeks while the show is filmed.

They both know they have to keep things professional between them or it could hurt both of their reputations. But given their intense chemistry and the depth of their growing feelings for one another, that gets harder and harder to do.

Is a chance at love worth the risks to both of them? Are people destined to be together? Love is on the line for two people who have never really trusted their hearts.

I really enjoyed this. It was fun, sexy (not too steamy), romantic, and absolutely hunger-inducing. Jayci Lee is a terrific writer—I’ve read this and a more traditional romance she wrote and both are very different. I could easily see this as a television movie.

The book even has recipes—but I wanted one for the chocolate cake with peanut butter filling, lol!!

Book Review: "Not Like the Movies" by Kerry Winfrey

I’d love to see this book as a movie!

⁣ ⁣ Can the love that happens in movies happen in real life? If so, would we want it to? Chloe may be overwhelmed by her life, but she’s not looking for true love. Yet ever since her best friend wrote a movie loosely based on her job at a coffee shop and her playful banter with her boss, it seems that all anyone wants to talk about is whether she and Nick are in love in real life.⁣

The answer to that question is emphatically “no.” Well, isn’t it? I mean, she can’t stop thinking about wanting him to kiss her, but that’s just the movie’s effect, right? She is barely holding it all together; if she lets anyone in it will just complicate things. And besides, isn’t it disastrous to fool around with your boss, even if you’re as much the boss as he is?⁣

"But believing that would require me to be a different person—one who thinks soul mates are real, for starters. Or one who believes in rom-com perfect happy endings, instead of what I actually believe in, which is the real-life right now. Those happy endings don't exist for people like me, but joy-filled moments sure do."

⁣⁣ Kerry Winfrey’s books really feel like they belong on the screen. They’re so appealing and fun, and even though you know what will happen from the start, you’re so pulled into the story and these characters. I think Chloe was a little too much of a martyr for a little too long, but I still rooted for her and Nick just like everyone else was.⁣

⁣ If you’re looking for a fun rom-com to make you smile—and you might even get a tear or two in your eyes—read this, and Winfrey’s Waiting for Tom Hanks. They're totally engaging and so enjoyable. I easily devoured this in one sitting.

And speaking of devouring, there's lots of talk about baked goods in this book, so carb-phobes beware!!⁣

Book Review: "Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey" by Ngozi Ukazu

OMG!! Can I have a million more volumes of this graphic novel series, please?

Eric “Bitty” Bittle doesn’t quite seem like your typical college hockey player—he’s really short, he’s a former figure skater, and he can bake like no one’s business. But typical or not, he’s landed a place on Samwell University’s hockey team.

Bitty is using his popular vlog to chronicle his adventures in college—endless practices, the hockey bros who become his best friends, and all of the amazing treats he bakes. Oh, and the fact that he tends to faint when he’s about to get checked, which in hockey is kind of an issue. (One of his teammates is convinced they can make a play out of it, but the coaches don't seem to listen.)

He also talks about the team captain, Jack Zimmermann, son of a Canadian hockey legend. Jack is serious about hockey—sometimes to the point of being mean—but his teammates all worship him, none more than Bitty, who probably feels even a little stronger for him. Jack certainly feels the pressure of living up to a legendary father and figuring out what professional team he should play on after he graduates.

Coming from Georgia, Bitty found it difficult to be himself. But in college he’s going to live life on his own terms, and hopes his teammates and friends will accept that. (Lord knows they love Bitty’s baking!)

Check, Please! is honestly one of the best graphic novels I’ve read, both in plot and quality of illustration. (It's interesting: at first glance I thought this was going to be a more juvenile-oriented book but it's definitely not, and the artwork is much more complex than first meets the eye.) Ngozi Ukazu gave this book so much authenticity and so much heart—it really is a story about hockey, bros, baking, and self-acceptance. Can you beat that?

Book 2 comes out in April and I can’t wait. This is just so sweet and funny and heartwarming. Another book I'm grateful has found its way into the hands of the younger generation.

Book Review: "Bloom" by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

I don't know exactly what led me to read Bloom, the wonderful new graphic novel by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau, especially considering that I had read exactly one graphic novel before this, and it didn't quite make an impact on me. But something about this story of friendship, love, family, and baking captured my attention, and it has definitely piqued my interest in reading more graphic novels in the future.

Ari's family owns a bakery that has fallen on hard times. They're struggling to make ends meet, hoping they won't have to close. Even though Ari loved baking with his father as a child, the last thing he wants to do now is spend his days slaving over hot ovens. He isn't quite sure what he wants to do now that high school is over, although he and his friends are talking about trying to make it with their band. But his parents need him to help them—for as long as it takes.

In an effort to find a way out of the bakery, Ari places an ad looking for a replacement. He finds Hector, a young man in town recovering after the death of his grandmother, who loves baking more than anything else. As Hector breathes new life into the bakery, he and Ari begin to develop a friendship, the intensity of which surprises both of them. This relationship could be the start of something special—if only Ari's impulsive behavior doesn't ruin everything.

Ganucheau's illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and they are full of emotion and life. At times I found myself re-reading portions of the book so I could spend some time concentrating on the illustrations. This is a simple story, but it had so much heart, and I found myself rooting for Ari and Hector's relationship to flourish, even when Ari screwed things up.

Graphic novels may not be for everyone. Honestly, I might have thought I was one of those people until I read Bloom. It put a smile on my face and charmed me completely. Can you really ask for anything more from a book?

Book Review: "Night of Miracles" by Elizabeth Berg

Having just read Elizabeth Berg's sweet, life-affirming book, The Story of Arthur Truluv (see my review), I dove right into its follow-up, Night of Miracles, rather than wait for the characters to get a little bit foggy. It was nice not to have to say goodbye to the characters right away.

"This is what happens. You live past your time of importance and relevance and the world must be given over to the younger ones. Lucille is all right with that notion. As the old folks yielded to her as a young woman, she will yield to the young folks coming up after her."

Lucille Howard knows she's getting on in years, but she's not willing to simply sit around and let loneliness and despair conquer her. Her baking classes, started at the suggestion of her dear friend Arthur, have become so popular that she has to hire an assistant. She never would have thought so many people would want to learn how to bake (even though she knew nobody baked as well as she did), and she's shocked that her classes appeal to men and children as well as women.

Things have gotten so popular, she needs to hire an assistant, so she hires Iris, a newcomer to their small town of Mason, Missouri. Iris doesn't know how to bake, actually (her answer to Lucille's question, "What can you add to milk to make it a substitute for buttermilk?" was "butter"), and she doesn't need to work, but she needs a distraction from thinking about the way her marriage ended and how she quickly left her old life in Boston.

Night of Miracles also brings back Maddy and Nola from The Story of Arthur Truluv, and introduces some new characters whose lives connect with Lucille and Iris. Much like its predecessor, this book is about how we come to depend on our friends, even people we don't expect to become friends, to help us through life's challenges. Without realizing it, our friends become our family, sometimes providing more support and love than those who share the same blood with us.

Most of the characters in this book are dealing with some sort of challenge, be it grief, sadness about the path their life has taken, illness, self-esteem, or loneliness. As you might imagine from reading this book, everyone's problems will be taken care of (if not quite solved), and they'll realize that the challenges they face make the outcome that much sweeter, but it takes a while to come to that discovery.

"What Maddy has come to believe is that certain life circumstances make for people who walk with a psychic limp for all of their days. Never mind the progress they seem to make, peel back a few delicate layers and there it is: a stubborn doubting of worth; an inability to stand with conviction behind anything without wondering if they should be standing there at all; a sense that if they move in this direction it's wrong; and if they move in that direction, that's wrong, too."

Once again, Berg has created a warm and moving book, sweet and predictable yet enjoyable. I didn't think it was as strong as The Story of Arthur Truluv, however, because there were a lot of characters introduced in this book that didn't do much, and simply popped in and out of the story to advance the plot. (I found Lucille's next-door neighbors almost an afterthought.)

While I enjoyed Lucille's character, and that she is so much more than the know-it-all curmudgeon she appears to be, she wasn't quite appealing enough to anchor a book the way Arthur was.

That being said, reading Night of Miracles was like returning to a place you enjoy. Definitely read The Story of Arthur Truluv first, but both books will make you smile, and maybe even evoke a tear or two. Berg knows how to tug at your heartstrings without being manipulative or maudlin. These seem to be perfect books for the holiday season.

Book Review: "Sourdough" by Robin Sloan

Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way...

The above GIF probably clues you in on one of the reasons I requested this book from NetGalley the minute I saw it. (My obsessive love of carbs aside, I was a huge fan of Robin Sloan's last book, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore—see my original review—so that had something to do with it, too!)

Lois Clary is a software engineer who moves her life from Michigan to San Francisco after receiving a job offer from General Dexterity, a prestigious robotics company with the ambition of replacing the actual workforce with robots. She and her fellow Dextrous spend days, nights, every waking minute coding and rewriting lines of code to make the company's robotic arms function in a more human way.

Even though she's surrounded by people, and sometimes finds herself sleeping at work, Lois still leads a fairly lonely existence. The only person she sees outside of the office is one of the two brothers who run Clement Street Soup and Sourdough, the hole-in-the-wall takeout place from where she orders dinner nearly every night. She orders the same thing all the time, too—a "double spicy"—a combo of Spicy Soup and Spicy Sandwich.

"If Vietnamese pho's healing powers, physical and psychic, make traditional chicken noodle soup seem like dishwater—and they do—then this spicy soup, in turn, dishwatered pho. It was an elixir. The sandwich was spicier still, thin-sliced vegetables slathered with a fluorescent red sauce, the burn buffered by thick slabs of bread artfully toasted. First my stomach unclenched, and then my brain."

Lois quickly becomes the brothers' "Number one eater," but her dependence on them isn't enough to keep them in San Francisco, as visa issues force them to leave the country. But they don't leave Lois empty-handed. Beoreg, the creator of the double spicy, gifts Lois their culture—err, the sourdough starter they use to make their bread. He gives Lois explicit instructions on how to feed and care for it so it stays alive, which includes playing it music.

It's not long before Lois, who has never cooked a thing in her life, starts baking sourdough, and she quickly becomes immersed in the baking community, particularly the sourdough community, which is a pretty passionate one. Not only is her bread good, but each loaf somehow bakes with a face forming on the top. Her bread becomes a favorite of her colleagues, neighbors, and friends, until the demand starts increasing beyond what someone with an intense full-time job can handle.

Lois also quickly realizes that the starter Beoreg gave her isn't just your run-of-the-mill starter. It has distinct behavior patterns and enjoys different types of music. What has she gotten herself into?

The General Dexterity chef convinces Lois to take her bread to the "auditions" for the Bay Area's farmers market community, and Lois finds herself connecting with a mysterious underground market in the developmental stages. The people in this market are at the fringes of the culinary world, and they are increasingly dependent on technology to produce their wares. For the first time in her life, Lois discovers her true passion and a fascinating group of people who are passionate about food and technology.

"Food is history of the deepest kind. Everything we eat tells a tale of ingenuity and creation, domination and injustice—and does so more vividly than any other artifact, any other media."

Sourdough is quirky, compelling, thought-provoking, and tremendously enjoyable, even if you have to suspend your disbelief a bit, particularly as the book reaches its conclusion. The book has a fascinating cast of characters and a terrific premise. Who among us hasn't wished we could be in a position to pursue what we feel most passionate about? How many of us have dreamed of being part of a community of people that truly "gets" us? And how many of us have really stopped to consider just what fuels the production of sourdough?

As I discovered when I read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, I love the way Robin Sloan writes. Food is the source of different types of passion for so many people, and if you throw in a sourdough starter of mysterious provenance and a bunch of people striving to change the culinary world, how can you go wrong? At times the book may be a little too zany for its own good, but I was hooked from the very start.

If you're afraid of carbs, you may want to steer clear of this book, because I definitely have been craving big slabs of sourdough since I read this!!

NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!