A Catered Affair

by Sue Margolis

A novel about a jilted bride who's about to discover that not marrying the wrong man can sometimes lead you to the right one.

When Tallulah gets jilted at the altar, she gets very drunk and starts making passes at the male wedding guests. She even propositions the caterer. But in the next few weeks, reality comes crashing down around her. Her difficult mother becomes more impossible than ever. Her lesbian sister starts trying to have a baby. Nana Ida gets busy matchmaking. What Tallulah is about to discover is that happiness doesn't always come in the form of the perfect doctor- and that sometimes real love doesn't require a catered affair.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance

369 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2011

About the author

Sue Margolis is the author of nine books, which have more than half a million copies in print from Bantam Dell. She lives in England, where she's at work on her next novel.

Sue worked as a reporter for the BBC, before leaving broadcasting to write her first novel. She lives in London with her journalist husband Jonathan. They have three grown up children. Sue’s hobbies include napping, constantly interfering in her children’s lives, not going out, eating - especially the remains of the previous night’s take-out curry straight from the fridge, and watching made for TV true-life movies in her PJs.

She died of lung cancer, aged 62.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books where the blurb at the back hooks you in.
It takes a while for the story to get to the action and when it does happen, it is not the big drama that one is promised.
There are over descriptions of everything that happens and the side stories of each person tends to bog down the current story.
Good idea just not well executed.

[Jennifer Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this title as a First Reads Giveaway.


Although the book kept me laughing and the characters were amazingly realistic, I was slightly disappointed. Nana Ida made me laugh out loud. The opening scene was comical. The ending was not what I needed. Read it for laughs!

[Sandy M · Rating 1 out of 5]

An "easy read". No substance, predictable. I think that I do not like the "easy read"

[Nakira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hated the fact the writer gave the jilting aware on the cover then took seven chapters to get there. one chapter about the wedding would have sufficed. Otherwise, a pretty good read!

[Dan Stern · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a certified foodie and someone who grew up in the food/catering business, "A Catered Affair" seemed right up my alley! As a former New Yorker, the blurb on the back of the book made it feel as if this story was taking place in New York. It doesn't; it takes place in London. So once I got on board with where we were, I curled up on the couch and settled in to read.

From the very opening of the book, I went from being intrigued to annoyed to laughing out loud. This book is not boring. I loved that Tally went ahead and had her reception. I don't know if I would have the courage to face all of those guests offering condolences while I sat there in my satiny white dress!

Tally goes through such a transformation and most of her issues - besides getting left at the altar - all seem to stem from her relationship with her now-dead father. She is still trying to meet his expectations and at times it didn't make her very likable.

There is so much going on in this book and I became frustrated with the disproportion of what scenes the author gave great detail to and which ones she chose to sort of gloss over. There was so much build up to Tally figuring out what makes her happy and those last few chapters just seemed rushed and didn't have a lot of emotion to them.

Personally, I enjoy a story where the character's emotions are looked at and dissected a little bit. This book didn't do a great job with that. As for romance? There was definitely a romantic storyline here but it got lost in the sub-plots at times. It's a nice story of family and relationships but there were too many characters for me to form any connection to.

[June D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK

The first half dragged on quite a lot, but it picked up a bit in the second half. After the expected happy ending, I too was happy until I replayed some of the key moments and exchanges between the characters which didn't feel authentic to me.

[cindy Fisicaro-Weatherford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not impressed. I kept reading thinking it would get better. The parts that are fun and easy to read do not make up for all the liberal propaganda and endless descriptions of things that add nothing to the story. Not for me

[Noreen Roux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out great with a few funny parts in the middle but dragged on the rest of the book.
It wouldn't be so bad if there was more banter I'm used to in most romances I read.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

At age 34, Tallulah, or Tally as she prefers, thinks she has it all; a job she loves as a London human rights lawyer and having the most perfect fiancé she could imagine. Josh finally proposed to Tally after they had been dating for quite a while. Tally knows he has somewhat of a commitment phobia but is sure he is past all that. Josh is a prospective spouse even her father would approve of, a pediatric cancer specialist. Her mother, Shelley, on the other hand, is less than thrilled. You'd think any Jewish mother would be tickled pink her daughter is marrying a doctor but not Shelley.

Yep, she thinks Josh is a tad boring. Maybe that's because "Mom" still has a bit of the rebellious hippie in her. Tally's late father was the staid, conservative parent; the one Tally looked up to and took his ideals to heart. Her mother at one point after moving to the suburbs said her husband "condemned her to spiritual death by garden sprinkler." Tally's mom is still a bit of a character . . . a bit over the top, a bit pushy, a bit irreverent and definitely a bit opinionated and eccentric.

Just a month before the big event, opinions on the details are starting to clash. Tally and Josh would be happy to have a small event but Tally's Nana Ida thinks otherwise. She wants a big, fat Jewish wedding while insisting she doesn't want to interfere . . But, . . . . well, you know how that goes. I loved Nana Ida and thought she was one of the stars in the book. She proved her worth when the whole thing fell apart. You got it; Josh doesn't show up and Tally is devastated. No sense wasting a reception, Nana Ida tells her. Tally makes a total fool of herself getting drunk and propositioning everyone including the caterer.

Life has to go on and Nana Ida goes into full matchmaker mode but to no avail. Tally finally comes to the conclusion that she needs to be true to her own ideals not those of her father or anyone else. Untimately, Tally discovers to her benefit that maybe Josh's no-show act was a good thing after all.

This was my first experience reading Sue Margolis and it sure won't be the last. I liked the subtle British humor and the quirkiness of some of the characters. Before A Catered Affair, Sue has nine other books to her credit. You can read more about the author at her website.

For fans of British chick-lit/romantic comedy à la Wendy Holden or Jill Mansell, this is a recommended read. Lots of fun in these pages!

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Nal Trade/Penguin in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 34, Tallulah is ready to settle down but when her notoriously commitment-shy fiance leaves her at the alter her neatly arranged life collapses around her. It's the reception caterer, Kenny, that provides a shoulder for her to cry on despite the support of her best friend and family. Bewildered, Tally has to reconsider her recipe for happiness and choose between her head and her heart.
Oddly enough I wasn't that keen on Tally, I found her to be a bit self involved and was much more forgiving of her if I mentally took ten years off her stated age. Despite not really identifying with the main protagonist, I thought characterisation was the strongest element of the novel. I liked the slow development of her romance with Kenny who is a nice guy. I really enjoyed the quirky support cast who were involved in small stories of their own. Tally's eccentric mother and her accidental role as a telephone counselor is amusing as are Nana Ida's snappy one liners and attitude. Scarlett, Tally's sister, and her relationship with her partner Grace, added depth and interest to the theme of 'meeting others expectations' that wove through the novel.
While there isn't anything startlingly original in terms of the main story, I thought it was written with a nice balance between humor and drama. It lost me a little near the end where there is what I thought to be an incongruous gap in the timeline between Tally and Kenny's breakup and makeup. Particularly when it again leap frogs eight months for an epilogue of sorts, though this nicely gathers the loose threads of the subplots together. Still, the ending is traditionally satisfying, with 'happy ever afters' bestowed upon the characters.
A Catered Affair is a British contemporary romance by accomplished chick lit author, Sue Margolis. A pleasant way to spend an hour or three it's an engaging and easy read.

[♥Meagan♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as romances go, this one was not terrible. I have read worse books by far, but there was nothing interesting about A Catered Affair.

I didn’t really understand the issue with Tally’s father. She was stuck on a certain type of man from something her father told her when she was a child. She was 34 in the book! I didn’t understand why she kept trying to be with people that didn’t make her happy, instead of people that did.

I felt bad for her being jilted at the altar, but I am not sure if I really believed Tally’s anguish. It fell somewhat flat to me.

That being said, I loved Tally’s family. Her mother was a riot and an interesting character. I loved her grandmother as well; she was everything I wish that my grandmother was. Tally’s sister, Scarlett and her girlfriend Grace were refreshing. I loved that a gay couple played quite a large part in this book. I also loved that they were trying to get pregnant by another gay couple. Books with GLBT elements always make me all squee-y inside. Her growing relationship with Kenny was a pleasure, although her stupidity and obliviousness made me want to smack her sometimes. I was happy when she finally realized what she wanted; I was worried she was going to choose the wrong guy for a while.

The only other issue that threw me for a lot of the book is that it is British. It is set in the UK and there were quite a few British slang terms used that I had no clue what they were. Also, I always find it hard to get into a story when the places they go, and the things they do, are so completely different from my way of life.

It was certainly an enjoyable, light romance read and I am going to try out another Sue Margolis read. Her writing is good enough for me to try another book. I hope I enjoy it a little better than I did this one.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review by Stacey: As a certified foodie and someone who grew up in the food/catering business, “A Catered Affair” seemed right up my alley! As a former New Yorker, the blurb on the back of the book made it feel as if this story was taking place in New York. It doesn’t; it takes place in London. So once I got on board with where we were, I curled up on the couch and settled in to read.

From the very opening of the book, I went from being intrigued to annoyed to laughing out loud. This book is not boring. I loved that Tally went ahead and had her reception. I don’t know if I would have the courage to face all of those guests offering condolences while I sat there in my satiny white dress!

Tally goes through such a transformation and most of her issues – besides getting left at the altar – all seem to stem from her relationship with her now-dead father. She is still trying to meet his expectations and at times it didn’t make her very likable.

There is so much going on in this book and I became frustrated with the disproportion of what scenes the author gave great detail to and which ones she chose to sort of gloss over. There was so much build up to Tally figuring out what makes her happy and those last few chapters just seemed rushed and didn’t have a lot of emotion to them.

Personally, I enjoy a story where the character’s emotions are looked at and dissected a little bit. This book didn’t do a great job with that. As for romance? There was definitely a romantic storyline here but it got lost in the sub-plots at times. It’s a nice story of family and relationships but there were too many characters for me to form any connection to.

[Rebecca Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family drama can be so.....dramatic. This is especially true when you are a woman in your thirties settling down with a family that is, well, unique. Take a mother who will do about anything for shock value, a grandmother who tries to be trendy, a sister who breaks convention, and a former boyfriend and mix it with a young Jewish couple who just wants to be in love. The wedding gets a little out of hand. Sue Margolis brings you a book that will keep you entertained in A Catered Affair.

This was the first book of Ms. Margolis' that I have read. I was hesitant because it was chick lit. It's not that I don't like that genre, but it takes some time to get into and can be slow at times. As expected, it took awhile to get into the story, but it was well worth it.

The storyline was funny with a few detours that were not quite necessary, yet it all came together. The best part of the whole book were the characters. They were hilarious and so unusual. I could just see this as a movie. I was laughing so hard.

While it was funny, it was also a book about commitment and dealing with our past while we deal with our future and present. Life can be funny while it is being painful.

This is a book I highly recommend if you like chick lit and a good laugh. Ms. Margolis gives the reader that and more.

Note: This book was given as a gift from a friend.

[Preet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tallulah is a human rights attorney getting ready to marry her fiance Josh, who is a pediatric oncologist. Their wedding has been iffy at times and its gone from being a small intimate affair to a large one. Tally has no clue anything is wrong until her wedding day when Josh is a no-show. All she knows is that he had commitment issues stemming from the fact his father abandoned them when he was a child. So Tally starts putting her life back into order.

I liked the book. The story wasn't all that interesting, but Tally's family made it much more interesting. Her sister Scarlett, mother, and grandmother Ida, were a hoot. It just seemed that there was too much going on and that the focus of the book wasn't on Tally, but on what was going on in her family's or friend's lives or at work. Tally was likable. You could sense her pain in the beginning at being jilted. Josh was just an ass. I liked both Hugh and Kenny.

I've read and enjoyed books by Sue Margolis before. But I don't feel like I've enjoyed this book as much as many of her previous books. It's almost seems she's becoming formulaic in her books. I'm hoping her next offering will be more enjoyable!

[Laura Gilfillan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing in A Catered Affair was engaging, and even though there wasn't much action, the plot line was strong and interesting, enough to draw the reader into the story and keep her turning the pages. The characters were well developed, and their relationship with each other was mostly realistic, except for the way they left the main character alone the night of her failed wedding. I can't believe they would have done that, and there is a sense of the writer wanting to clear them away for the following scene, but it didn't quite work for me. Also, many of the scenes were touching, and I could especially empathize with the main character's sadness over the loss of her father.

Even so, the story was essentially dissatisfying for me. I disliked the characters, and the events in the story got me down. Although I kind of liked the way it was written, I just didn't particularly like the story.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! I read this novel in one delicious sitting. Margolis takes a look at what happens when a picture-perfect life starts coming apart at the seams. Tallulah has been left at the altar and now has to take a step back from disaster and reassess what went wrong. She has to learn how to let go of what is expected and embrace your life, as it is, without striving for perfection. The characters, including Tallulah, were well-developed and engaging. The character of Nana Ida is the breakout star of the book and will have you laughing out loud. There are serious issues tackled and real emotions explored, but all-in-all it is a fun, light, enjoyable story that will keep the reader entertained from the first page to the last. The author, Sue Margolis, was a radio reporter for 15 years before turning to novel writing.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character, Tallulah is a human rights attorney in London, getting ready to marry her fiance Josh, who is a pediatric oncologist. Their wedding has been long in the planning (perhaps a bit too much of the book focused on this) going from a small intimate affair to a large one. Tally has no clue anything is wrong until her wedding day when Josh is a no-show. All she knows is that he had commitment issues stemming from the fact his father abandoned them when he was a child.

The remainder of the book is Tally putting her life back into order. Tally's family takes on a featured role, as does the caterer of the wedding. The author incorporates a significant side-story of Tally's sister, Scarlett and her girlfriend Grace, who hope to get pregnant by another gay couple.

Overall a light chick-lit... quick to read.

[PopcornReads - MkNoah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirty-four-year-old Tally is a human-rights attorney while her lesbian sister, Scarlett, is a stand-up comedian. Tally’s mom, Shelley, is a ditzy widow living in the London suburbs whose phone number is so close to a suicide hot line’s that she gets calls from distraught people at least four to five times a week. Instead of passing them on to the hot line, she plays amateur psychologist. She loves helping these people, she’s hooked on the drama and she really does mean well. Read the rest of my review at http://popcornreads.com/?p=1423

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....


A Catered Affair is another Chick Lit set in London and another one that I completely enjoyed!
The writing was smart and cheeky (haha!). Tally was a wonderful character who handled a rough
situation with far more dignity than I would have - that is a guarantee. A Catered Affair was my first
novel by Sue Margolis (shocking, right?), but I will dig some of her older stuff out of my library and
give it a shot!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic page turner. I definitely related to Tally as I am Jewish and at times have that typical Jewish mom and grandmother. I enjoyed the humor and banter through out the book.

It is important to be so stubborn in life and be able to venture out of your comfort zone. You never know what you may find.

Apocalipstick is the only other book I have read by Sue Margolis. Let's just say that all of her other books are now on my TBR list :)

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no doubt that Sue Margolis is a good writer - I enjoyed this book and it was easy to read - but the story was lacking. The first bit was a little boring, the middle had all the action, and the end seemed dull and predictable. I would have liked to see some more action throughout or a bigger twist/moral-of-the-story. I still enjoyed Sue's characters, sense of humor, and writing style though :)

[Kourtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a perfect book to pick up and read when going through a breakup! I just dumped my boyfriend and was experiencing many of the same emotions that Tally was going through after her fiancé left her at the altar. I haven't been the biggest Margolis fan, but this one really was her best one I've read!

[Sari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.

It was a sweet bit of fluff. There was no lasting impact and I probably won't remember having read it in a few weeks, but it was an engaging couple of hours spent reading it. Good beach or pool reading for when you don't want to concentrate.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, definitely some great Chick Lit. It was very funny and the characters were interesting and unique, while still realistic. It was a breath of fresh air and put me in a good mood.

[Susie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. I liked it more the farther I got into it. I think it tried too hard to be funny all the time. Since it takes place and was written by someone from the UK, I'm not sure I got all the jokes that the author wrote.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I just finished reading it last night. I liked all of the characters, especially Nana Ida, and although the story was somewhat predictable, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it in just two days. This would be a perfect beach read!

[Ifeoma Aduba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one where the reader should be careful to not make it more than it is. It's light. It's funny. It's perfect after a long day at work. While I saw the conclusion coming from miles away, the characters and journey made it worthwhile.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, fun, predictable,quick read in the chicklit/rom-com genre. Although I am surprised, I can't seem to get away from WWII/Nazi references in anything I read lately. The grandmother, Nana Ida, is a war refugee, but a total riot.

[Emlikescake · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually don't admit to reading chick lit, but hell - keeping guilty secrets be damned. This is the kind of book you'll kill in a couple of hours sitting by the lake. It fills the time nicely. Like most of this genre, it's probably not going to blow your mind, but it's a bit of fun.

[Amy]

had to bring it back to the library!