Bon Appetit, Bookworms!
The fact that I basically want to eat everything I read about is well documented, but it’s rare that I decide to read a book based solely on its delicious-sounding title. I had a case of the mid-afternoon snack attack when I was browsing NetGalley one day when I ran across The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
by Amy E Reichert. The title reminded me of this really tasty dessert my MIL made a couple of months ago, so it seemed like a solid decision. *I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for review consideration. This in no way affects the opinions expressed in this blog. If they’d actually sent me coconut cake, though, this disclaimer might read differently. Seriously, publishers. I can be bribed with baked goods.*
If You’ve Got Mail
(Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan rom-com- you know you saw it) and Delicious!
by Ruth Reichl (review) had a baby and moved to Wisconsin to raise it, the result would be The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. This utterly sweet confection of a novel is set in downtown Milwuakee, where a plucky young chef named Lou runs a little French restaurant. Things seem to be going fairly well, if a bit chaotic, when she walks in on her douchebag of a fiance in a compromising position with an intern. Al is Milwaukee’s newest and most cantankerous food critic. He’s British and takes the whole Simon Cowell thing to a new level in his reviews. OF COURSE he lands at Lou’s restaurant on the day her life falls apart and completely eviscerates her in the newspaper.
I think you can guess what happens next. A series of nearly impossible events lead Al and Lou to strike up a friendship without realizing with whom they are fraternizing. As their relationship blossoms over Milwaukee’s charm and delicacies, reality threatens to burst their cheese laden bubble.
Awww, you guys. This book is stinking adorable. Foodies will rejoice. It’s a sweet little rom-com wrapped in a love letter to Milwaukee. Actually, it made me want to visit Milwaukee. I only live a few hours from Milwaukee… Now I’m questioning the life choices that put me anywhere but in Milwaukee and eating fried cheese curds. Books set in the Midwest thrill me in the nerdiest way. You have no idea how many times I shouted “Hey! I’ve been there!” while reading American Gods
by Neil Gaiman (review). Amy E Reichert included the recipe for Lou’s famous coconut cake and I really want to taste it. Of course, I’m far too lazy to make it (the fact that I suck at cooking doesn’t help either.) If you need some light, sweet foodie fun, you cannot go wrong with The Coincidence of Coconut Cake. And if you want to bake Lou’s cake for me, I will gladly eat the whole ding dang thing.
Alright Bookworms, time to sound off. I feel like coconut is a very polarizing flavor, you either love it or hate it. Which camp are you in? Pro-Conut or Heck-No-Conut?
*If you make a purchase through a link on this site, I will receive a small commission. I will use said commission to buy things that taste like coconut and/or cake. Because obviously.*
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Megan M.
Definitely pro-conut. It’s my favorite smell AND flavor. I almost bought that book because the cake seemed mouth-watering, too.
Words For Worms
Mmmm I love the smell and taste of coconut too. Like, I feel ripped off if my sunscreen doesn’t smell like coconut. It should.
Amy @ Read a Latte
Oooh this sounds great. I might be biased by my eternal love for You’ve Got Mail, but still.
Words For Worms
An eternal love of You’ve Got Mail? You need to read this.
Rhian
I strongly dislike coconut. The flavour, the texture. Blech. Though not as much as I hate pineapple. Patooie!
Words For Worms
So pina coladas are basically your own personal nightmare garnished with a tiny umbrella?
Katie @ Doing Dewey
Aw, this sounds so cute! I’m actually an exception to the polarization of coconut – I like it, but I don’t love it.
Words For Worms
Fascinating! You are an enigma wrapped in a mystery, my friend.
AMB (Amal)
“Light, sweet foodie fun” sounds pretty good to me! I’ve been reading a lot of fluffy books lately (other than the Sacks memoir I just finished).
Words For Worms
Fluff is highly underrated!
Andi (@estellasrevenge)
I WANT TO READ THIS! It looks AND sounds yummy! I need beach books for next week, so this one might be awaiting my download.
Jenny @ Reading the End
I’m in the HELL NO camp, both for taste and texture reasons, though primarily texture. However, I do have a recipe for jam thumbprint cookies that incorporates coconut yet manages to be delicious. http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/12/italian-holiday-cookies/
Catherine
I’m so happy to hear this is good because I wanted to actually read it and not just lick the cover. Like you, I can be bought and when I saw this one I thought, “Please let it be good to read.” Yippeee, you’ve saved the day for me!