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Angelina's Bachelors: A Novel with Food
Sometimes the shortest distance between two people is the length of a kitchen table...Far too young to be a widow, Angelina D'Angelo suddenly finds herself facing a life without her beloved husband, Frank. Late one night shortly after the funeral, she makes her way down to the kitchen and pours all of her grief and anger into the only outlet she has left-her passion for co...more
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Apr 06, 2013
Rebecca
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
family-story,
romance
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book was a fast read (it took me about a day to finish) because a large percentage of the pages are filled with recipes. The book feels a lot like the movie “Tortilla Soup” did… a love letter to food and the power that it has to unite people and to bring them through hard times.
The story was fairly easy on the brainpan. Happily married woman loves her husband and loves to cook. Husband dies of a sudden heart attack. Newly widowed woman rebuilds her life and sense of purpose by cooking amaz...more
The story was fairly easy on the brainpan. Happily married woman loves her husband and loves to cook. Husband dies of a sudden heart attack. Newly widowed woman rebuilds her life and sense of purpose by cooking amaz...more
“The power of food is only second to sex.”
~ Brian O'Reilly
(I couldn't agree more with the author's quote.)
Angelina's Bachelors by Brian O'Reilly (Executive Producer of Food Network's Dinner: Impossible) centers around young widow, Angelina and the men who flock to her South Philly neighborhood to sample her wares...but, I'm getting ahead of the story. Angelina starts cooking after her husband, Frank, passes away. Her neighbor, retiree Basil, loves her food and hires her to cook meals for him. S...more
I live to eat. So when I came across Angelina's Bachelors at a food-themed display table at my local library, I could not resist picking it up. I was captivated from the first scene in which Angelina is furiously baking her "Frangelico Chocolate 'Dream' Cake" to teach her husband the difference between homemade and store-bought after he complimented another woman's fake homemade cake. I had to laugh because I felt instantly connected with Angelina. And once I saw that there were recipes (one of...more
A fun read, one that even as certain things bothered me I felt compelled to keep reading during any free time.
The things that bothered me: it says explicitly on the front cover that it is "A Novel, with Food," and food plays a really significant role in the storyline, but man I got kind of tired it after a while. Really, don't read this if you're not at all interested in food. Each meal is described - the ingredients, the process, etc, and then characters comment on each meal, and then after ev...more
The things that bothered me: it says explicitly on the front cover that it is "A Novel, with Food," and food plays a really significant role in the storyline, but man I got kind of tired it after a while. Really, don't read this if you're not at all interested in food. Each meal is described - the ingredients, the process, etc, and then characters comment on each meal, and then after ev...more
Angelina D'Angelo's world is changed forever when her beloved husband Frank dies unexpectedly at a young age of a heart attack. In her grief, she begins to cook...and cook...and cook....each dish more special than the next. As the food piles up, she decides to share it with the neighbors in her tightknit community, which leads her to begin cooking for several unmarried men in the neighborhood as a way to support herself. This is the premise of Brian O'Reilly's charming novel "Angelina's Bachelor...more
Lovely story about a woman whose husband dies suddenly & she is completely bereft. She loses the part-time job she had and was at a loss as to what to do. She loves to cook and therein lies the story. She makes lasagna to give to a widowed neighbor who had brought her some soup (which was horrible) as a thank you, and meets the neighbor's brother, who had just moved in with his sister. The brother returns the empty lasagna pan and has a proposition for Angelina. Since his sister is a horribl...more
The story of Angelina D'Angelo, a 30-something Italian-American living in South Philadelphia who loses her husband Frank to a heart attack, is both heartbreaking and heart-warming. Angelina overcomes her grief (and also finds a way to support herself since she also loses her job several days after her husband's death) by providing meals for seven local bachelors who come to her home every day (except Saturday) for breakfast and dinner. The "bachelors" range in age from early 20's to early 80's,...more
Angelina D'Angelo, a South Philly wife, shows her love by making homemade meals for her husband, Frank, that rival a five star restaurant's meals. Suddenly, Angelina is without one ingredient-Frank and finds herself widowed and jobless. To console herself after the funeral, when she can't sleep, she turns to her passion--cooking and whips up a banquet which she shares with her neighbors. A new retiree, Basil, who has just moved in with his sister across the street from Angelina, tastes some of h...more
To begin, I must disclaim that I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. This has not in any way influenced my review.
I have heard the old saying that you should never judge a book by its cover and I have read far too many books to rely exclusively on that method of judging. But, the sole reason I entered the Goodreads giveaway was because I was drawn in by the cover. I can't say exactly what it was, but I found it intriguing and I wanted a copy of this book. Within the first few pages, I...more
I have heard the old saying that you should never judge a book by its cover and I have read far too many books to rely exclusively on that method of judging. But, the sole reason I entered the Goodreads giveaway was because I was drawn in by the cover. I can't say exactly what it was, but I found it intriguing and I wanted a copy of this book. Within the first few pages, I...more
This novel is a perfect read for any season anywhere. The author, Brian O'Reilly, is a creator and executive producer of Food Network's Dinner: Impossible among many other accomplishments. His abilities shine through in this novel-containing recipes and descriptions of the main character baking and cooking.
The main character, Angelina, will connect with the reader within the first few pages. Newly widowed, Angelina expresses her anger and sadness through her baking and cooking. She strikes good...more
The main character, Angelina, will connect with the reader within the first few pages. Newly widowed, Angelina expresses her anger and sadness through her baking and cooking. She strikes good...more
After only 5 years of married happiness, Angelina's husband has a sudden heart attack that leaves her soul empty and her financial security in peril. In a burst of anger on a night when she cannot sleep, Angelina tears into her kitchen and releases all her emotions into the only outlet she has...cooking. When her mother-in-law and niece visit her the next morning, the amount of food that Angelina has prepared is astounding. Relying on old family recipes, Angelina has created a feast of roasts, s...more
Angelina D'Angelo loses her beloved husband and her job, she finds herself cooking to take her mind off of the pain. She cooks so much food that she shares her amazing dishes with her neighbors and friends in South Philadelphia. After eating Angelina's lasagna Basil Cupertino recognizes her talent and asks her to cook for him, breakfast and dinner six days a week. Soon other bachelors find their way to Angelina's home to enjoy the good food and company and a different kind of family is created.
B...more
B...more
May 01, 2012
Barbarac
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-book,
romance
I may have given this book 3 stars if I had read it, instead of listened to. The voice of the reader really drove me crazy (languid an growly), and I'm pretty sure I would have appreciated the characters of Basil, Don Eddie and Mr. Pettibone more had I read it. I think the author intended for them to be the odd characters that really make the book interesting, but something about the audio book reader took away all the interesting out.
The book dragged for me, nothing really happens in this town,...more
The book dragged for me, nothing really happens in this town,...more
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I thoroughly enjoyed Angelina. Many romances involving second marriages add emphasis to the new relationship by denigrating the previous one, even in little ways, and even if it was a good, happy marriage that ended in tragic death instead of bitter divorce. This one avoided that miserable trap quite beautifully; basically the first 80% of the novel was the love story of Angelina and her recently-deceased husband, with the new relationship being something of a sub-sub-plot brought in to round of...more
Angelina D'Angelo is a young widow. Her husband took his last breath eating a succulent morsel of her Frangelico Chocolate "Dream" cake. You'd think that would discourage her from ever baking again. But it did the opposite. She cooks to take her mind off the loss and shares the dishes with friends and neighbors. It all started when she commissioned to cook breakfast and dinners six times a week for a neighbor's brother. Then the word spread in the close-knit Italian neighborhood in South Philade...more
I was really disappointed in this book. It should have been a nice story: A young widow begins cooking for the unmarried men in her neighborhood in order to make ends meet.
The problem is that there's no character to these characters. Angelina has no personality of her own, no opinions, very little back story. Everything (and supposedly these are are nice things, it's not anything bad or anything...) just seems to happen to her, while she happily, mindlessly, goes along with the flow.
I just could...more
The problem is that there's no character to these characters. Angelina has no personality of her own, no opinions, very little back story. Everything (and supposedly these are are nice things, it's not anything bad or anything...) just seems to happen to her, while she happily, mindlessly, goes along with the flow.
I just could...more
This is a fun and easy read that incorporates recipes - so as a "foodie" I enjoyed this bonus to the book. The story is about Angelina, a young lady who loses her husband and her job. As an accomplished cook, she is approached by a neighbour's relative who asks if she might cook for him, and in return he is willing to compensate. Angelina accepts, and as word spreads, she finds herself hosting for several gentlemen in the area. Each of these gentlemen has his own story and the reader is able to...more
When life hands you lemons, you could make lemonade. Or, if you’re Angelina, you’ll use those lemons to make a roast chicken and invite some people for dinner. In a cruel twist of fate, Angelina loses her job and her husband in the same week. She needs to support herself, and she loves to cook, so she decides to offer home cooked meals to bachelors.
Angelina’s idea is brilliant: it provides delicious meals and companionship. As her table starts to fill up, the men become a surrogate family. Ther...more
Angelina’s idea is brilliant: it provides delicious meals and companionship. As her table starts to fill up, the men become a surrogate family. Ther...more
This is a nice sweet light read.
Not normally the kind I read but when you have a cold and are curled up on the couch, thinking about amazing cooking is a pure escapism. I liked that the recipes were interwoven in the novel, but skipped reading most of them and preferred the descriptions of the recipes within the narrative more. They looked/sounded very complicated!! (But that added to the escapism part of the story.)
--
A few minor things which bugged me:
- the main character, Angelina, had no fe...more
Not normally the kind I read but when you have a cold and are curled up on the couch, thinking about amazing cooking is a pure escapism. I liked that the recipes were interwoven in the novel, but skipped reading most of them and preferred the descriptions of the recipes within the narrative more. They looked/sounded very complicated!! (But that added to the escapism part of the story.)
--
A few minor things which bugged me:
- the main character, Angelina, had no fe...more
You know you're in for a good one when the beginning revolves around chocolate. (=
This is such a well-paced story-- the realistic and perfectly timed plot changes only furthered to keep my heart invested for the long run, and the beautiful passages of prose are peppered with standout sentences and eloquently evocative phrases:
...loose sheets of paper were starting to make their bid for freedom down the street in the breeze. (136)
...the bellowing sounds of her reversal of lunch. (204)
...her great...more
This is such a well-paced story-- the realistic and perfectly timed plot changes only furthered to keep my heart invested for the long run, and the beautiful passages of prose are peppered with standout sentences and eloquently evocative phrases:
...loose sheets of paper were starting to make their bid for freedom down the street in the breeze. (136)
...the bellowing sounds of her reversal of lunch. (204)
...her great...more
Only pages into the book, Angelina's husband Frank goes downstairs to putter around the kitchen in search of a midnight snack, as he often does when he can't sleep; however, on this night, he does not return. Suffering a heart attack, he dies alone, quietly while Angelina sleeps upstairs. She discovers his motionless body the next morning.
Stunned, shocked, and heart broken Angelina is forced to pick up the pieces and move on. Having given up her dreams of culinary school to care for her sick par...more
Stunned, shocked, and heart broken Angelina is forced to pick up the pieces and move on. Having given up her dreams of culinary school to care for her sick par...more
I love books with food as an integral part of them. However, they should also have a wonderful story line, or else I'll just read a cookbook! Angelina's Bachelors has a wonderful storyline. It's about grief, and friendship, and love. Food plays a major role. While the food is interesting, and the recipes look great, although pretty gourmet, (and I'm pretty good in the kitchen) I think the food descriptions were a little too heavy. Every meal, every bite is described in detail. Even when she make...more
I just finished this one and it was really just "OK" for me. I did enjoy the premise and the plot remained interesting enough that I wanted to continue in order to find out how things turned out for Angelina, but there were no real 'ah, ha' moments...and too many recipes for my taste included within the text. I stated earlier that I thought they belonged in an appendix, and turns out there is one at the end of the book, so I am kind of stumpted as to why the author felt the need to include detai...more
2.5 stars
While it had a lot of potential, this novel just fell flat in a lot of places. The characters, especially Angelina were very one-dimensional and underdeveloped. The food angle was interesting and I enjoyed reading and learning about some of the traditional Italian dishes. Most of the recipes however, were very complicated and not things I would ever really attempt to cook. Also, I found it kind of heavy handed and cheesy in a lot of parts- the ending for example! and utterly predictable...more
While it had a lot of potential, this novel just fell flat in a lot of places. The characters, especially Angelina were very one-dimensional and underdeveloped. The food angle was interesting and I enjoyed reading and learning about some of the traditional Italian dishes. Most of the recipes however, were very complicated and not things I would ever really attempt to cook. Also, I found it kind of heavy handed and cheesy in a lot of parts- the ending for example! and utterly predictable...more
Sep 10, 2011
Mary (BookHounds)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011,
from-publisher-author
When Angelina's husband dies of a massive heart attack at only forty and while sneaking a piece of her "Dream" cake, you would think she would be put off of cooking forever. But to Angelina, her cooking and baking gives meaning to her life. She obsessively creates new recipes and through her loves of food brings her new friends. This story should be really sad, but I found myself totally charmed by the characters that come to inhabit Angelina's dining room as she tries to make ends meet by servi...more
This was a tolerable book. The recipes were not for me,but some people will like them. They seemed too complicated,fattening and unhealthy for me.
Including them in the book helped me to visualize the dishes made, the time it took to make them and the complexity of them.
The story is a sweet tale of love.loss and the grieving process.I was a quick read for me. Good to carry with you on the road. you can pick it up & put it down without forgetting what has happened prior to the point you left o...more
Including them in the book helped me to visualize the dishes made, the time it took to make them and the complexity of them.
The story is a sweet tale of love.loss and the grieving process.I was a quick read for me. Good to carry with you on the road. you can pick it up & put it down without forgetting what has happened prior to the point you left o...more
This is a sweet and old fashioned story about a young widow using creative ways to support herself after her husband suddenly dies. There are many recipes sprinkled throughout the book which I enjoyed reading and I think added to the story although I don't think I would ever use any of them. They seemed overly complicated and not very healthy. They did however add to the story because they helped you visualize Angelina as she cooked her meals. The author tried to put a little twist on the end wh...more
If you enjoy reading books with a food theme, you won’t be disappointed in this novel. Newly widowed, Angelina finds solace and comfort in cooking for an elderly gentleman in her neighborhood. Word spreads and soon she is cooking dinners for a diverse group of gentlemen on a regular basis. Interesting plot twists move the novel along as we cheer for Angelina and her success. It’s a heartwarming story of love and triumph over adversity. The book also includes many recipes that will make your mout...more
Don't read this book if, like me, you've sprained your ankle & are bedridden & can't get to food. Lots & lots of food. Because this book makes you hungry. It makes you salivate over the yummy meals the main character cooks up in her homey kitchen to feed some of the neighborhood's bachelors. It makes you wonder how fast you can order takeout or how fast you can get your mom over to your place to make dinner for you. It was a sweet story about a young widow's grieving, healing, cookin...more
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“The power of food is only second to sex.”
—
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