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The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
by
You’ve Got Mail meets How to Eat a Cupcake in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities.
In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balance ...more
In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balance ...more
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Amy Reichert
Well, thank you!!! *blushes* This is my favorite kind of question.
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Start your review of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
I won't be doing a full review but let me share my thoughts about/while reading this book.
- I wanna go and visit Milwaukee. The city doesn't just serve as a backdrop but one of the characters in this book, vivid and colorful.
- I'm hungry. This book gave me a severe case of the munchies. Both characters are connected with the food industry. The heroine owns a small French restaurant while the hero is a food critic. Not only that, the characters in the book basically gave me a tour of Milwaukee's ...more
- I wanna go and visit Milwaukee. The city doesn't just serve as a backdrop but one of the characters in this book, vivid and colorful.
- I'm hungry. This book gave me a severe case of the munchies. Both characters are connected with the food industry. The heroine owns a small French restaurant while the hero is a food critic. Not only that, the characters in the book basically gave me a tour of Milwaukee's ...more
3 stars?
I struggled with rating The Coincidence of Coconut Cake because my opinion depends on how I categorize the book.
Travel Guide: 3 stars
Food & Nutrition: 4 stars
Chick Lit: 2.5 stars
Romance: 2 stars
Writing: 2 stars
Coconut Cake Recipe: 4 stars
I have never had a desire to visit Milwaukee until now. The author does an excellent job of making Lou seem like the reader’s eager personal tour guide. I was just as enthralled as Al with the local attractions, customs, and cuisine. The food – oh my gos ...more
I struggled with rating The Coincidence of Coconut Cake because my opinion depends on how I categorize the book.
Travel Guide: 3 stars
Food & Nutrition: 4 stars
Chick Lit: 2.5 stars
Romance: 2 stars
Writing: 2 stars
Coconut Cake Recipe: 4 stars
I have never had a desire to visit Milwaukee until now. The author does an excellent job of making Lou seem like the reader’s eager personal tour guide. I was just as enthralled as Al with the local attractions, customs, and cuisine. The food – oh my gos ...more
A wonderful and hard ride with a restauranteur chef and her relationships.
First thing, you have to make the cake at the end of the book. It is decadent, in all the right ways a cake should be and trust me you’ll be craving it among other foods at the end of this read. *Don’t read on an empty stomach.*
Lou is a young chef owner of a small restaurant in Milwaukee. Her business is finally coming out of the red and hopes are high for a successful future. She is engaged to a very successful man and wo ...more
First thing, you have to make the cake at the end of the book. It is decadent, in all the right ways a cake should be and trust me you’ll be craving it among other foods at the end of this read. *Don’t read on an empty stomach.*
Lou is a young chef owner of a small restaurant in Milwaukee. Her business is finally coming out of the red and hopes are high for a successful future. She is engaged to a very successful man and wo ...more
May 05, 2015
Meredith ( on Semi-Hiatus until February)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
first-reads
4.5 stars
Loved it!
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake follows the You've Got Mail storyline....Lou, a restauranteur/chef in Milwaukee, is engaged to high power attorney, Devlin. The same day that she finds another woman in her fiancee's house, Lou's restaurant is reviewed by an extremely harsh, but popular, restaurant critic. Needless to say, things do not go well. In the midst of this horrible day, Lou coincidentally meets Al, a British writer who hates Milwaukee. After another run-in at a pub, Lou ...more
Loved it!
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake follows the You've Got Mail storyline....Lou, a restauranteur/chef in Milwaukee, is engaged to high power attorney, Devlin. The same day that she finds another woman in her fiancee's house, Lou's restaurant is reviewed by an extremely harsh, but popular, restaurant critic. Needless to say, things do not go well. In the midst of this horrible day, Lou coincidentally meets Al, a British writer who hates Milwaukee. After another run-in at a pub, Lou ...more
It’s very apparent the author loves the city she calls home. This book reads more like a love letter to Milwaukee than anything else. The sights, the sounds, the local food and festivals were the focus, while Lou and Al’s connection was sort of put on the backburner. Don’t get me wrong, Milwaukee sounds like a fun place to visit, but I didn’t pick up this book because I needed a travel guide. I was craving a sweet romance.
The story turned out to be a bland dish at best, one I definitely wouldn’t ...more
The story turned out to be a bland dish at best, one I definitely wouldn’t ...more
Have you ever read a book and got to the very end and wanted to CLAP OUT LOUD because you loved it that much? The Coincidence of Coconut Cake did it for me!! I really enjoyed this book, from the very first page to the very last page. It’s my 2nd book by this author and even though I loved the book “The Simplicity of Cider” by Amy E. Reichert, I loved this book even more. There were laugh-out-loud moments and I found myself not wanting to put the book down. A fun book!! I read it in one day!!
This book stuck to my fingers and would not let me put it down. I enjoyed the foodie information and exploring Milwaukee with the characters in the story. It was fun.
"Delight is indeed born in the heart. It sometimes also depends on its surroundings."
While sitting at the porch, swatting away mosquitoes, with the strong odor of mosquito coil in the air with only my two cats for company (my mother long ago gave up the battle with the mosquitoes), I write this review, not exactly the setting in which I would relate to that quote. The mosquitoes being the only negative thing in my mind I can happily pen my thoughts on this. Oh the beauty of tropical countries, ...more
While sitting at the porch, swatting away mosquitoes, with the strong odor of mosquito coil in the air with only my two cats for company (my mother long ago gave up the battle with the mosquitoes), I write this review, not exactly the setting in which I would relate to that quote. The mosquitoes being the only negative thing in my mind I can happily pen my thoughts on this. Oh the beauty of tropical countries, ...more
4.5 foodgasm stars!
When I first read that this book takes place in the city of Milwaukee, all I could think about was the opening scene to my all-time favourite movie While You Were Sleeping where the heroine, Lucy, recalls childhood adventures with her father. “…he would tell me amazing stories…about strange and exotic lands...as we headed off to exciting destinations like...Milwaukee. lt’s amazing how exotic Wisconsin... isn’t.” Well, this book reads a bit like a love story about Milwaukee and ...more
When I first read that this book takes place in the city of Milwaukee, all I could think about was the opening scene to my all-time favourite movie While You Were Sleeping where the heroine, Lucy, recalls childhood adventures with her father. “…he would tell me amazing stories…about strange and exotic lands...as we headed off to exciting destinations like...Milwaukee. lt’s amazing how exotic Wisconsin... isn’t.” Well, this book reads a bit like a love story about Milwaukee and ...more
Yes, I DO enjoy Chicklit for a number of reasons. I especially enjoy Chicklit when it is very well done, and The Coincidence of Coconut Cake definitely fits in that category.
Many months ago, I must have spotted this title on someone's list or a Giveaway and added it to my TBR list. My local library had no copy so I simply moved on to other books, but it recently was acquired by them. I honestly couldn't recall why I had wished to read it!
First, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a sweet, charm ...more
Many months ago, I must have spotted this title on someone's list or a Giveaway and added it to my TBR list. My local library had no copy so I simply moved on to other books, but it recently was acquired by them. I honestly couldn't recall why I had wished to read it!
First, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a sweet, charm ...more
This book is very much an ode to Milwaukee and I happen to live in a northern suburb of Milwaukee. The story is a simple one really, girl meet boy, boy messes up then falls in love with girl, girl forgives him. That is the audiobook in a nutshell. I never write long reviews for audiobooks. It was an easy listen and it was fun for me to hear about all of the quirks of our city including custard, Friday fish fry and tailgating at Miller Park. I can't say the story was anything special but it was e
...more
3.5 stars rounded up because I loved the food aspect!
Cute, albeit predictable, story with great characters. Definitely a love letter to Milwaukee... Would definitely read other books by this author in the future.
Cute, albeit predictable, story with great characters. Definitely a love letter to Milwaukee... Would definitely read other books by this author in the future.
What an impressive and enjoyable debut from Amy Reichert. I loved it! Think of the movie You’ve Got Mail, give it a fresh and foodie twist, add a dash of romance and a sprinkle of sweetness and heart, and you’ve got a novel that is simply irresistible. The story infuses just the right amount of drama, wit, and suspense, as fate intervenes and leads two people to cross paths on a very unlikely day. I loved how the novel was more than just a romance… it was a tale of friendship and food, and even
...more
This was such a fun, fluffy story. I really loved the plot and Lou. I wasn't really a fan of Al just because he was so mean with his reviews and really didn't seem to care about anyone. The romance between Lou and Al was pretty cute but it didn't give me any overwhelming feels. The overall plot was pretty predictable but it was still enjoyable. If I wasn't such a critical reader, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
...more
This was ok. I was expecting a little more from it. It's a quick read if your looking for something like that.
...more
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert is a 2015 Gallery Books publication. I was provided a copy of this as a member of Simon & Schuster's official XOXO After Dark Street team.
These types of stories are just plain good for the soul. Every lady at some time or another needs to curl up with a good chick lit novel and lose herself in great characters and light romance.
Here, we meet Elizabeth, “Lou” Johnson, a chef, who is running a struggling French restaurant, lovingly named after h ...more
These types of stories are just plain good for the soul. Every lady at some time or another needs to curl up with a good chick lit novel and lose herself in great characters and light romance.
Here, we meet Elizabeth, “Lou” Johnson, a chef, who is running a struggling French restaurant, lovingly named after h ...more
I'm so excited to read this one!!Did you see the cover?? This cover is so yummy :D
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
...more
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
...more
While reading The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert all I wanted to do was eat and visit Milwaukee (a city I have yet to visit). Lou aka Elizabeth owns and operates her own French restaurant called Luella’s, in honor of her grandmother, Luella. Lou loves to cook, and running her restaurant, although her long time lawyer boyfriend, Devlin wants her to sell the business once they’re married. He wants to take care of her. Sounds great, right? Not for Lou who loves being independent. On
...more
Lou owns a small French restaurant named Luella’s in the heart of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She’s engaged to be married, however, she tries to surprise him with a coconut cake for his birthday only to find a woman in his apartment. In lingerie. She doesn’t take the news well and the restaurant suffers from it that night, which also happens to be the night the local food critic visits Luella’s.
Her little restaurant begins a downward spiral after his scathing review but things are starting to look up ...more
Her little restaurant begins a downward spiral after his scathing review but things are starting to look up ...more
Jun 26, 2018
Optimist ♰King's Wench♰
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
conantitude-takes-no-prisoners,
audiobooks
Surprisingly good.
True, I am partial to the cookery books but I was caught off-guard by how invested I became in Lou and Al's journey and even the secondary characters.
The BIG SEKRIT prolly went on for far too long but I'm usually not bothered by that plot device. Adulting and taking responsibility for one's actions is hard so I find it plausible when characters avoid the truth like the plague.
In the human emotions arena I think Reichert excelled at making all these characters relatable and sy ...more
True, I am partial to the cookery books but I was caught off-guard by how invested I became in Lou and Al's journey and even the secondary characters.
The BIG SEKRIT prolly went on for far too long but I'm usually not bothered by that plot device. Adulting and taking responsibility for one's actions is hard so I find it plausible when characters avoid the truth like the plague.
In the human emotions arena I think Reichert excelled at making all these characters relatable and sy ...more
It is the mark of an incredible author when they can transport you from the comfort of your own home right into the pages of their book. When you can literally envision the sights they are describing and smell the foods that are being cooked. Most of all, it’s the mark of an incredible author to make you want to put everything down and go visit Milwaukee. I want to preface my review with the fact that I don’t have anything against people from Wisconsin….there are just as many clichéd references
...more
This book was so much fun to read! First of all, like other reviewers I now want to visit Milwaukee. I've been there once briefly, but now I really want to experience the food scene there. Second, yes - you will be hungry all the time when reading this book! You'll be partially hungry because of the great food introduced, but you'll also be hungry for coconut cake. I can just taste it now. However, most of all you will find that the characters are lively and REAL. They're real people going throu
...more
This is an absolutely delightful book. Lou Johnson is the chef owner of Louella’s, a struggling restaurant. The day that she finds her fiancé in a compromising position with a beautiful young woman, Lou has a disastrous night at the restaurant, which is the same night that an acerbic food critic comes to review her food. The next day she meets Al, not knowing that he is in fact the food critic. His scathing review causes a decline in her restaurant’s business, but unaware of his identity, Lou an
...more
Since this is really a food oriented book, I'd love to take that approach with my review. Some books are like high end dining. Well seasoned, cooked to perfection, and epic wait staff. Some books are like fast food. Cheap, greasy, and just there to fill a quick need...
This book was just in the middle. Like cafeteria food. Items on the menu that should be delicious, but are bland and overcooked, with no real seasoning. Not bad, just nothing to write home about. This book had great ingredients, i ...more
This book was just in the middle. Like cafeteria food. Items on the menu that should be delicious, but are bland and overcooked, with no real seasoning. Not bad, just nothing to write home about. This book had great ingredients, i ...more
This deliciously romantic story is going straight to the top of my favorites list for 2015! I enjoyed each and every page and literally did not put the book down from start to finish. This author put together a story that is simplistic in nature but at the same time sends out a powerful message of not taking for granted an opportunity to take a risk on true love. Settling for someone less than you deserve should never be on your bucket list! :)
I adored Lou's character... she is goal orientated, ...more
I adored Lou's character... she is goal orientated, ...more
Loved this cute and fluffy book! Both characters were great, and their love for food made this book more entertaining. And along with romance, there were also mouth-watering dishes mentioned in the book like frozen custards, deep fried cheese curds, and coconut cake. Oh, and also there's recipe of Coconut Cake, which I am definitely going make soon! Overall it was an amazing read!
...more
Jul 15, 2018
Linda (not getting friends updates at this time)
rated it
really liked it
Recommended to Linda (not getting friends updates at this time) by:
Jane Stewart
The perfect coconut cake includes softened unsalted butter, just enough fresh coconut cream and milk, a secretive vanilla AND the necessary coconut extract but don’t over-mix!
~~~~~
After discovering her fiancée with a coworker, chef Luella Johnson was in dire straits. Depressed, she made the mistake of preparing dishes on a night when the mysterious food critic, A. Wodyski, dropped in. His review was devastating and her restaurant business spiraled. Without a loan, the doors would eventually clos ...more
~~~~~
After discovering her fiancée with a coworker, chef Luella Johnson was in dire straits. Depressed, she made the mistake of preparing dishes on a night when the mysterious food critic, A. Wodyski, dropped in. His review was devastating and her restaurant business spiraled. Without a loan, the doors would eventually clos ...more
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a story of love, mistaken identity, and food--the wonderful food of Wisconsin. Lou is a chef in Milwaukee who owns her own restaurant. Her business is small but growing, until the worst day of her life. A cheating fiance leads to a horrible restaurant review, which leads to the slow demise of her business. On the bright side, she has met a wonderful man, Al, a Brit, to whom she is introducing the wonderful food of Milwaukee. A case of mistaken identity and misu
...more
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is the sweetest love story I have read in a very long time. It is about a talented chef and newspaper restaurant reviewer who meet and become friends not knowing what the other does for a living. Through a huge mistake one will destroy the other’s dream.
Lou is a hardworking chef/owner of a restaurant named after her beloved grandmother Luella. Although engaged to be married, nothing makes her happier than cooking for people and watching them smile.
Al is British an ...more
Lou is a hardworking chef/owner of a restaurant named after her beloved grandmother Luella. Although engaged to be married, nothing makes her happier than cooking for people and watching them smile.
Al is British an ...more
My before sleep comfort read, which has also been my waking from bad dreams this week comfort read in the middle of the night. I love books like this, restaurants, cooking, and love. Also, this book is a love letter to Milwaukee.
We have fish out of water Al, a snarky food critic who hails from England and has found himself working for a paper in Milwaukee, and Lu, our goddess in the kitchen with relationship problems that implode on the night Al reviews her restaurant. What could possibly go wr ...more
We have fish out of water Al, a snarky food critic who hails from England and has found himself working for a paper in Milwaukee, and Lu, our goddess in the kitchen with relationship problems that implode on the night Al reviews her restaurant. What could possibly go wr ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodreads Librari...: Duplicate book | 2 | 103 | Feb 08, 2021 02:29PM | |
| Play Book Tag: [Poll Book Tally] The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert 3 stars | 3 | 8 | Apr 09, 2020 09:35AM | |
Open Book Club:
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake 1-16-18
|
1 | 6 | Dec 20, 2017 09:09AM | |
| Madison Mega-Mara...: #132 - The Coincidence of Coconut Cake | 1 | 5 | Aug 15, 2017 12:38PM | |
| Bookwarts Club of...: May 2017 Recipe + Discussion - Spoilers | 5 | 18 | May 25, 2017 10:07PM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake / Amy E Reichert - 4**** | 2 | 12 | Apr 16, 2017 09:13AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Amy Reichert earned her MA in Literature from Marquette University, and honed her writing and editing skills as a technical writer (which is exactly as exciting as it sounds). As a newly minted member of the local library board, she loves helping readers find new books to love. She’s a life-long Wisconsin resident with (allegedly) a very noticeable accent, a patient husband, and two too-smart-for-
...more
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“Delight is indeed born in the heart. It sometimes also depends on its surroundings.”
—
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“Luella had been Lou's favorite grandma. Some grandmas took their grandchildren to parks, or bought them books and dolls, or shared their special stories. Her grandma shared her recipes. She taught Lou how to check when a roast turkey was done, chop veggies without cutting off a finger, and bake a coconut cake grown men swooned over. A fog of comforting smells had perpetually blanketed her kitchen- an expression of her love so strong you could taste it. Lou caught the culinary bug during those early days and loved that she was named after her grandma, even if Lou believed she'd never make food quite as delicious.”
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