Always the Baker Never the Bride

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Sandra D. Bricker

When diabetic Emma Rae Travis wins the prestigious Passionate Palate Award for her innovative crème brûlée wedding cake, she is thrilled to be offered the position of pastry chef by the new proprietors of the Tanglewood Inn, an Atlanta institution being renovated into a five-star wedding-destination hotel. She is also attracted to its CEO. But Jackson Drake is still mourning his beloved wife’s untimely passing and is unable to reconcile his burgeoning feelings for Emma Rae with his loyalty to Desirée’s memory. Although both consider themselves blessed with supportive family and friends, Emma Rae and Jackson would rather be spared the well-meaning efforts at convincing them to return to their childhood faith. And when Emma Rae’s unappreciative former boss and her ex-boyfriend—the cad and his fiancée are about to become the Tanglewood’s first wedding clients—both suddenly want her back, Bricker’s contemporary inspirational romance really heats up! Topical recipes, menus, and how-to tips entice the reader with an insider’s perspective on the lucrative business surrounding all things bridal.

My Take:

Sometimes I am in the mood for a dinky little romance to escape into, and Always the Baker Never the Bride fit the bill. Was the book extraordinary?  Not really, but it was a sweet little page turner that got me through a stressful couple of days.  The characters were typical, but sweet and endearing.  I enjoyed the male love interest, because I am a sucker for widowers that have a hard time letting their wives go.  I always find them tragic and so dang lovable!  I think one of my favorite aspects of the book was that it appealed to the foodie in me.  The main character's love of baking really shined through the pages, and a time or two my stomach started growling for want of the food I found described within the pages.  This leads me to distribute a warning to the reader:  DO NOT READ WHILE HUNGRY!  This book will give you a sweet tooth, so beware :)  There are quite a few yummy recipes littered throughout the book, and I actually tried a few to find they were  quite scrumptious.  If you a hopeless romantic foodie, you will definitely enjoy this book, but it won't necessarily change your life.  With this in mind, I'm going to rate this book a 3, Find a Used Book Store.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

If Always the Baker, Never the Bride was a movie, it would likely be rated PG

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own.  Also, post  sponsorships have no bearing on the content of the posts they sponsor***

If you are interested in purchasing Always the Baker, Never the Bride, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link, thank you!

Dining with the Dollar Diva

Elizabeth J. Fisher

 Dining with the Dollar Diva contains "divalicious" recipes created with ingredients that cost one dollar or less.  Author Elizabeth J. Fisher is a practical mom who is a wiz at creating exquisite menus and dining experiences at economical prices.  Each recipe is accompanied by an interesting story about how that recipe came to be created.  Most ingredients can be found at your local dollar store or in the dollar section of you local supermarket.

My Take:

Let's face it, right now everyone is tightening their belts and learning to be a little more frugal.  Dining with the Dollar Diva is the perfect cookbook for such economic times.  This book has tons of classic recipes that have been modified so that each ingredient costs under one dollar.  Some of my very favorite dishes are in here, like the Monte Cristo sandwich, Eggs Benedict and Creme Brulee.  There's also some fun new recipes like S'More Pie.  I really enjoyed all of the little stories she told with many of the recipes. The stories included how she came across each recipe and the interesting characters she came across during the process of putting the book together.  The whole book very much puts out a laid back girlfriend to girlfriend vibe.  The recipes are fun, inventive and easy to make.  If you are a Recessionista looking for a way to downsize your grocery budget but still fill your family's tummies with delicious food, this book is definitely one to check out!  I don't know if I'd pay full price for this cookbook, but dang near close, and I therefore rate it as a 2, Borders with a Coupon.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

Appropriate for all audiences

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

If you are interested in purchasing this book, please consider supporting The Book Buff by purchasing from the following Amazon link, thank you!

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