Book Review: When in Doubt, Add Butter
When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: July 17, 2012
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
As far as Gemma is concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it’s her job to cater other peoples’ dates, and that’s just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full and secure. She’s got six steady clients that keep her hands full.
There’s Lex, the fussy but fabulous department store owner who loves Oysters Rockefeller and 1950s comfort food; Willa, who needs to lose weight under doctor’s orders but still believes butter makes everything better; a colorful family who may or may not be part of the Russian mob; an überwealthy Georgetown family; the picture-perfect Van Houghtens, whose matriarch is “allergic to everything”; and finally, a man she calls “Mr. Tuesday,” whom she has never met but who she is strangely drawn to.
For Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life, on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma’s takes an unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a lot of courage, and—oh yes—butter.
When In Doubt Add Butter is a great beach read or in my case, car book. (I like to listen to light, beachy chick-lit books when I’m driving.) Gemma is was so sweet and likeable that I wanted good things to happen for her. The plot is somewhat predictable but that’s almost to be expected in this genre. I knew who Mr. Tuesday was and some other things that would be spoilers if I mentioned them way before Gemma did. However, I think that it may have been the author’s intent for the reader to have some things figured out before Gemma did and then root for Gemma to hurry up and figure it out herself.
The large cast of secondary characters was entertaining and fun. The narrator, Orlagh Cassidy did a great job of giving each person a unique voice that fit his or her personality. The ending wrapped everything up in a nice little package, which I actually liked but I thought it ended too soon. I would have loved a sequel instead of an epilogue – I didn’t want to let Gemma go and I wanted know the details of what happened in the year between the last chapter and the epilogue.
If you are a fan of chick-lit, then this is a great book for you.
Click play to listen to an excerpt of the audio book or download it here.
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(I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher.)
