Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake

by Rosie Wilde

It should have been a normal Monday, just like any other. But if it had been, Alice would not now be standing at the airport, thinking her boyfriend was about to propose, when all he had in mind was a spreadsheet for shared expenses...Alice has a steady job at Carmichael Music, a reliable boyfriend, a nice flat and a cleaning habit she can't just kick. But everything changes one Monday morning. Her kindly boss isn't there, but sends a mysterious text advising her to watch her back. And a new boss has arrived from the American head office: the extremely scary Phoebe Carmichael...Alice is sure she is about to be fired in a "streamlining" exercise - instead she's offered a dream job in America. Her brief: to persuade the once massively successful, now reclusive, recovering alcoholic singer songwriter Wyatt Brown to record a new album. So Alice is off to New York - only New York turns out to be Ohio. And when Alice finally reaches Wyatt's ranch, she mistakes the music legend for a hired hand...When Wyatt makes it clear he has no intention of making a new album, all Alice wants to do is get the first flight out of Ohio. She certainly isn't going to stay; she isn't going to get involved in the Dairy Prize at the Ohio State Show; and she definitely won't be entering a competition for Best Cupcake Froster in Town...

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Julia Noëlle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit is fantastisch! Echt een heel goed boek! Je blijft maar doorlezen en het is zo leuk! Telkens als er iets gebeurt en je denkt dat het niet erger kan kun je daar niet bij stilstaan want dan gebeurt er iets wat nog erger is! Dat is zo leuk! Ik irriteer me af en toe wel aan het gedrag van Alice, dan denk ik zet je problemen nou voor 1 keertje nou aan de kant maar goed dat maakt het ook wel heel leuk! En ik HAAT Stephen echt met heel m’n hart, wat een VRESELIJKE MAN is dat!!! Echt een aanrader dit boek!

[Grace Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library under an "Introducing New Authors" scheme - I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it, but I really didn't think it was going to be as funny as it is. I have literally been in tears laughing at this book which does, as one of the other reviewers has written, limit where you can read it. The heroine is appealing and likeable from the very first page and the other characters (I particularly like Bob, who only works at Carmichael music to fund his real passion of writing a medieval rom-com) all enhance a really enjoyable story. The author has got a really witty turn of phrase. If you need cheering up - don't miss this book!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice Fisher is a neurotic clean freak who suffers from anxiety disorder. Her boyfriend Stephen, who's even more neurotic, is more concerned with splitting the household bills evenly than he is with her feelings. When Alice is offered the chance of a lifetime to work abroad in America, she hesitates leaving the comfort of her boring life. But she takes the leap anyway, jumpstarting a new life and a new Alice.

Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake has an appealing name. How could I not read a book with the word "cupcake" in the title? There are only a handful of chapters that actually focus on cupcake baking, but the whole novel was enjoyable throughout. Alice indulges in fantasies about fame and romance (often while people are talking to her). She's thrown one surprise after another, and it's hilarious to see how she reacts to all these new situations. In spite of her neurosis, Alice tackles her fears and adjusts to life in America and discovers a side of herself she never knew existed.

After reading the very serious Those Who Save Us , I needed a light chick-lit read, and this book proved to be just the perfect thing. It's great for reading while traveling, lounging on the beach, or just relaxing after a brutal day at the office. Good fun!

[Shirisha Valluri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A relaxing read.
Nothing mind blowing.However,books like these are needed after one reads heavy duty books.

[Lydie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een boek wat ik moeilijk kon wegleggen omdat ik wilde weten of er een happily ever after zou komen.
Toch maar drie sterren want ik vond het wat lastig om steeds door alle uitgebreide gedachtestromen van de hoofdpersoon te komen. Constant moeten bedenken 'Wacht, is dit nou in gedachte of gebeurt dit echt?' wat weer afleidt van het verhaal.

Kortom: leuk verhaal, maar de hoofdpersoon vond ik minder en is ook de reden dat het geen aanrader is.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The anxiety-ridden, compulsive cleaner Alice lives in a perfectly organised flat in London with her similarly afflicted long-term boyfriend, Stephen. Stephen is apparently not yet ready to commit to anything more serious than equally divided and planned out living expenses and at 36 Alice is hoping marriage and children, or at least a kitchen makeover, is somewhere on the horizon.

It's a blessing in disguise then when she finds that a the new position she's offered in New York actually turns out to be in a small town in Ohio, somewhere she is conveniently out of the way of the big-wigs taking charge of the music company she works for but is also free from Stephen's constant budget concerns and spreadsheets. In Barnsley she finds herself trying to convince a recovering alcoholic country star to sing again, giving talks to the local mothers' group, fundraising to save a beloved cow, defending (and in some cases entirely fabricating) proud British traditions and ultimately taking on her arch nemesis in the annual cupcake competition - all the while finding she actually requires less and less of her breathing exercises to make it through the day.

It may be somewhat predictable, but Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake is funny, enjoyable and has the much hoped-for happy ending. If you're looking for a feel-good chick-lit read, this would be a great book to pick.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty much what I expected it to be. I read it as something light to read when I had a couple of days away, I wanted some trashy chick-lit and it was just that. The storyline was very predictable, the main character was your usual, clumsy, quirky girl who couldn't see that the guy she likes actually likes her back, leading to awkward situations. The main character is Alice who works at a music production company, and she gets sent to Ohio to try to convince singer Wyatt to get back into recording and writing songs. She is sent there for six months (conveniently) and has to do very little actual "work" in her time there, and spends most of it getting into ridiculous situations just because she can't say no to people, or people talk over her and she can't explain the truth. Her boyfriend back in England is Stephen, who is obsessed with saving money and being sensible. It's obvious from the outset that they aren't meant to be together, although it takes a while for her to have a backbone and tell him so. There were not enough cupcakes in this book for my liking, with a title containing the words "frosting" and "cupcakes" then you'd expect there to be more than a couple of pages, but this related to a cupcake competition that Alice gets dragged into. Overall it wasn't bad, but that's about as enthusiastic as I'll get about it.

[Shona · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bough this book I did not expect it to be very entertaining and was happily surprised.

The book follows the life of Alice who accepts a high flying job in New York dealing with the biggest names in music but instead ends up in a farm in Ohio trying to convince an old rock star to rekindle his musical career.

The book itself leaves you giggling quite a lot and feeling better at yourself for not being nearly as neurotic as Alice is and how she can get things just so wrong.

Good for a holiday read or just an easy read on a long night.

[Yusra Hussain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather silly book I’d like to call it. Good to have for a light reading mood. A story of an English girl who suddenly has to move to the USA for her work and that is where she meets her soul mate and learns all the important lessons of her life.

Funny, Fantasy and Frosting.
That too on a cupcake.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot better than it looks. It made me laugh, particularly the first time she meets Wyatt.
The cupcake finale is good too - worth a read if you like making cupcakes just for that part.

[Preet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was nice, but there wasn't much that was surprising or different from many of the other books I've read. I liked and kind of pitied Alice. She tried so hard to do everything right and hardly anything ever went her way. But she kept trying which is the important thing.

[Sovay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book, some really hilarious one liners. Realistic portrayal of her obsessive boyfriend too, but in general the story line is pedestrian and marred by a couple drawn-out scenes. I would actually recommend this if you were to get this from a library, just not to buy.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little chick lit book.

Well written story about Alice and her life transition from England to Ohio, and how her professional and personal relationships develops with Wyatt during her stay.
An easy read.

[Merel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het begin was een beetje vreemd.. Daarna kwam ik beter in het verhaal en was het toch wel erg grappig. Ik begon de hoofdpersoon steeds meer te begrijpen en te waarderen. Ik wilde meteen een bezoekje brengen aan die stad, zo cute! Een makkelijk boek voor tussendoor.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really sweet and quite funny. A fabulous chick-lit read.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Especially good if you're a chicklit reader in your mid to late 30s!

[Amanda Henninger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vacation/Beach Reading

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice romance but a little ordinary, some good lines to make you giggle

[Pollypoptart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't too sure what to expect from this but I really enjoyed it overall.

[Better is Possible · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this easy and quick read. It was safe and there were no surprises. Perfect for this time of year!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it started a bit slow, but once Alice flew to Ohio, I found it hard to put down.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldnt get into this at all, i just couldnt get into the story line or relate to the characters.

[Elizabeth Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for the trashy type of novel it is.

[Stephie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it, but i don't agree with the title. the icing (or frosting) is one of the best things about cupcakes.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple she expected storyline to this book but if you want something that's light and easy to read with a little inspiration mixed on the top then here's the book for you.

[Aletha Annema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk boek dat goed combineert met strand, zon & zee-pret. Happy-go-lucky met een iets voorspelbaar eind.

[Luce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it two times because I enjoyed it so much :)
It is funny and light hearted.

[Tholakele Mnganga · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite all time books. I always go back to read it when I'm having a hard time. It's a wonderful reminder about what happens when you take a risk and live outside your comfort zone. It also highlights the toxicity of some people in your life and how you need to cut them off in order to discover the real you.