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The Love Goddess' Cooking School
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Tutti a Blue Crab Island, nel Maine, chiamavano Camilla la dea dell'amore perché, con il suo talento di veggente era riuscita a salvare matrimoni in crisi. Ma Camilla non era solo un'indovina, era soprattutto una bravissima cuoca, amante della cucina italiana e delle sue specialità. Agli studenti della sua scuola di cucina suggeriva di aggiungere sempre nella pentola un in
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Paperback, 326 pages
Published
October 26th 2010
by Gallery
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I read this a few years ago and I guess this is like the Hallmark Channel version of Practical Magic (the movie version, not the book). That is to say that it has elements of magical realism and cooking but there's something too soft, too milquetoast about it. Everything seems to wrap up too neatly in the end, and despite being about cooking none on the characters have much flavor to them. The "magic" here comes from coincidences and the grandmother's fortune telling stones, but again it was rea ...more

I always have a hard time reading romances because they tend to be plot driven instead of character driven. This is not one of those occasions. The Love Goddess' Cooking School is a wonderful, romantic Food-Lit and I can't wait to share it. I think Melissa Senate's writing is much like Sarah Addison Allen without the magical realism... and you all know how much I love Sarah Addison Allen.
Melissa Senate has created characters that are incredibly easy to identify with - flawed but redeemable. It's ...more
Melissa Senate has created characters that are incredibly easy to identify with - flawed but redeemable. It's ...more

There is a genre of books where a group of people (usually women with one lone guy thrown into the mix) gather together in some sort of club or class (knitting, quilting, Jane Austen books or in this case, cooking) and by the end of the book, they have formed close friendships and had a major problem in their lives resolved through the magic of whatever interest had drawn them together in the first place. Sometimes, this genre can produce a good book or even a good series of books (for example -
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Holly has just had her heart broken. What better way to lick her wounds than to fly home to her Nonna's place in Maine? Her Nonna is a culinary teacher with on Blue Crab Island. For years and years she has welded her culinary magic with comfy Italian food and told fortunes on the side.
After Nonna's passing, Holly finds herself the proprietress of her business.However, Holly doesn't possess the magic touch that her grandmother had with food and definitely can't see the future.
Determined to pay ...more
After Nonna's passing, Holly finds herself the proprietress of her business.However, Holly doesn't possess the magic touch that her grandmother had with food and definitely can't see the future.
Determined to pay ...more

A friend sent me this book in exchange for the Cookbook Collector which I lent to her. Warning: this is extreme chick lit. Not the least bit literary. Very formulaic and presses all the comfort, female fantasy buttons-- romantic guy, very nice, self-deprecating woman without a penny to her name who inherits house and business on the coast of Maine, lots of hot baths, good food and wine, nurturing, loneliness blossoming into friendship. Good read for rainy November Sunday afternoon. Watch the num
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Once again I am won over by a book that transcends its genre and makes me think I should be more broadminded about that genre - chick lit. I've pretty much hated every chick lit book I've ever read. So much of it is about women who care most about shopping, getting into the latest hot new club, their weight, their makeup, and snagging that enormous diamond ring and great big expensive wedding. These characters tend to be so shallow and the books tend to be so thinly written that I end up loathin
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I have to admit that "The Love Goddess' Cooking School" was the first book by Melissa Senate I've read since "See Jane Date" (back in 2002), which I loved. I have her other books but haven't had a chance to read them yet. I don't think anything was keeping me from reading them, but now that I've finished this book, I definitely will be reading more from Ms. Senate.
"The Love Goddess' Cooking School" is about Holly, a woman who loses a serious relationship, gets fired from her job and is kicked ou ...more
"The Love Goddess' Cooking School" is about Holly, a woman who loses a serious relationship, gets fired from her job and is kicked ou ...more

This is such a fun and charming book! It's the story of Holly, who moves back into her grandmother's home after a bad breakup, and then has to find a new direction in life when her beloved nonna dies. Fortunately, Holly learns to love cooking and is able to take over her grandmother's Italian cooking class.
I don't read much modern chick lit, but I'm glad I gave this one a try. I could see this book being turned into a delightful movie. And if you like romantic comedies or stories about food, you ...more
I don't read much modern chick lit, but I'm glad I gave this one a try. I could see this book being turned into a delightful movie. And if you like romantic comedies or stories about food, you ...more

What a lovely novel! I treated myself to THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL after a crazy deadline. Then my cat got sick, which didn't exactly alleviate the stress. So I was very grateful for Melissa Senate's new book, which (like those old Calgon commericals), took me away for awhile. It was a pleasure meeting Holly Maguire and learning about her relationship with her Italian grandmother Camilla. Holly just broke up with a man she thought she was in love with and flew to Maine to see Camilla befo
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"Holly Maguire gets her heartbroken and moves from California to Maine into her grandmother's house and kitchen. Her grandmother, Camilla, is known in town as the Italian cooking teacher and even more so, as a fortune teller. When her grandmother passes away and leaves her house and kitchen to Holly, she decides to continue with the cooking classes although she is not as gifted with cooking, or fortune telling, as her nonna.
I wanted to read something fun and got something boring instead. Everyth ...more
I wanted to read something fun and got something boring instead. Everyth ...more

I liked this as a nice and easy read that just makes you feel good. But I don't enjoy the references to current pop culture. It dates it. No matter what, in ten plus however many years, someone reading this book will say "Edward Cullen/Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana - who?".
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Feb 23, 2020
Christina
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dj-jla-vs-jsa-2020,
2020
This book made me feel the feels! I will admit that I am totally an emotional reviewer when it comes to books, which is why on occasion my opinion of a book can change on reread. This is rare but it happens. But, this book falls under one of my favorite genres, magical-realism. Not to mention, it talks a lot about one of my favorite types of food, Italian, so right away I was sucked in.
You follow the story of Holly, who shortly after a heartbreak, decides to move back in with her fortune-tellin ...more
You follow the story of Holly, who shortly after a heartbreak, decides to move back in with her fortune-tellin ...more

Holly Maguire’s grandmother Camilla was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine–a Milanese fortune-teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can’t make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that’s why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla’s Cu
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I must confess I have a thing for books that are somehow related to Italy. And when it's through food? Even better! Oh, the wonders of testing a recipe you have read about.
Reading a Melissa Senate book is like sitting down for a long conversation with a best friend. We talk about everything and nothing. There are ups and downs, smiles and tears, laughs and silences that long ago stopped being awkward.
Some might call it a light reading, an easy escape, but I believe The Love Goddess' Cooking Sch ...more
Reading a Melissa Senate book is like sitting down for a long conversation with a best friend. We talk about everything and nothing. There are ups and downs, smiles and tears, laughs and silences that long ago stopped being awkward.
Some might call it a light reading, an easy escape, but I believe The Love Goddess' Cooking Sch ...more

Do not read on an empty stomach! This is such an enchanting story. I love Camilla’s memories (via her diary) and the tales of her many thriving businesses. The granddaughter that inherits her home, store and cooking school is Holly. She is such a great character to follow as she makes her own discoveries and conquers the kitchen. I love the different, quirky students that attend her class and the way they find their own paths while they discuss their wishes, regrets and memories. It was a super
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This is actually more of a 3 1/2 stars book but I went with 4 because I like the genre and the story sucked me in so that I did nothing else but read all day. It reminds me of The School of Essential Ingredients in a lot of ways. I loved the recipes and really want to try some as the author added them at the end of the book. Great cast of characters and message.
Holly is looking for love but finding that it is harder to find because of the fortune her Italian grandmother told her when she was 16 ...more
Holly is looking for love but finding that it is harder to find because of the fortune her Italian grandmother told her when she was 16 ...more

Similar to "The school of essential ingredients' Look forward to it.
This was a charming book, similar, but yet very different from 'The School of Essential Ingredients'. After her grandmother passes away, Holly moves into her cottage/cooking school on an island off the coast of Maine. With her grandmothers recipe binder she learns to cook and registers students. They all are experiencing some kind of life trauma. The recipes they learn all have one 'Final Ingredient' "A wish, a memory, or a true ...more
This was a charming book, similar, but yet very different from 'The School of Essential Ingredients'. After her grandmother passes away, Holly moves into her cottage/cooking school on an island off the coast of Maine. With her grandmothers recipe binder she learns to cook and registers students. They all are experiencing some kind of life trauma. The recipes they learn all have one 'Final Ingredient' "A wish, a memory, or a true ...more

It took me a little while to get into this book. I don't know if it was the actual book or if I just had too much on my mind. Anyway, after I was about a third through it, I found myself engrossed in the book. FYI, if you like italian food, this book will make you hungry. The plot was good and I really liked the character, especially Camilla. When you're looking for a good romance to curl up with on the couch, this is the book you're looking for. Just make sure you have some pasta on hand.
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I can't believe I'm going to write this but... this plot line was too much out of a romance novel for my liking. I wasn't really surprised with anything and I can't say that the "drama" was dramatic. Very predictable but no follow through. I would have rather read more of the fortune-telling Italian grandmother's diary. That was interesting. The rest of the story? Meh. I can't recommend this one.
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A charming book about discovering where you belong. I liked the characters, especially the lovely Camilla. as well as the plot. Some of the outcomes were quite predictable, still it is a very sweet story. It rekindled my passion for trying out new recipies, making little variations to get them just right and sharing with my loved ones. 3.5

The concept was great. I would have liked to have seen the characters developed a bit more. A good light read but beware of the typos. And the continuity with the grandmother's diary.
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What a comfortable book to read over a long weekend! I loved the main characters of Holly, Mia, and Liam and the secondary characters were certainly people I would enjoy meeting. I picked up this book because it fit a requirement for a reading challenge; it is a book that I will be keeping and not donating anytime soon!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!

A word of caution for those picking up Melissa Senate’s new novel, The Love Goddess’ Cooking School: don’t read on an empty stomach. I’ve issued this caution before, I know, but trust me this one time, friends. Since beginning this warm and engaging novel, I’ve been dreaming of tiramisu, spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, lasagna and ricotta cheese. As someone who feels she must have been Italian in another life (pasta, I love pasta!), the odd stains scarring the pages of my copy may or may not be
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The description "blueberry-coloured eyes" was used about 6 times too often.
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Everything you need to know about the novel can be surmised from the synopsis. The Love Goddess’s Cooking School makes one reader very, very hungry for some decent Italian cuisine. Thank God that there are recipes readers can follow at the back of the novel or I might have taken a bite of the novel. Yum….
The Love Goddess’ Cooking School was a delicious novel that held different layers like a lasagna with various textures, aromas, and tastes. The novel does not completely focus on cooking and man ...more
The Love Goddess’ Cooking School was a delicious novel that held different layers like a lasagna with various textures, aromas, and tastes. The novel does not completely focus on cooking and man ...more

This one is akin to Sarah Addison Allen writings somehow without the magic.
Melissa Senate weaves a wonderful story filled with Italian cookings, hopes, life, loves, despair.
Holly inherited her grandmother's home and suddenly she was thrown into the role of being a cooking class instructor. Four students stayed with her while other dropped out: Simon, Tamara, Juliet and 12-year old Mia.
Thus, begin a self discovery journey for each character. Holly, who was never a cook finally fitting in her role ...more
Melissa Senate weaves a wonderful story filled with Italian cookings, hopes, life, loves, despair.
Holly inherited her grandmother's home and suddenly she was thrown into the role of being a cooking class instructor. Four students stayed with her while other dropped out: Simon, Tamara, Juliet and 12-year old Mia.
Thus, begin a self discovery journey for each character. Holly, who was never a cook finally fitting in her role ...more

The Love Goddess' Cooking School
details what happens when a few people introduce a melange of dissatisfaction, fear, sadness, despair, wants, dreams and varied experiences in hopes of changing their life course through the art of cooking Italian food. Creative author Melissa Senate utilizes her deft ability to create both likable and unlikable characters who mix and mingle throughout the novel. The main character, Holly Maguire, has left behind a love in San Francisco and decides to try her
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Madison Mega-Mara...: The Love Goddess' Cooking School | 2 | 4 | Jul 03, 2012 10:26AM | |
Portugal: Passatempo De que são feitos os sonhos, Melissa Senate | 1 | 33 | Jan 08, 2012 01:17AM |
I'm the author of many novels, including my debut, SEE JANE DATE (also available in cute TV movie form to stream); THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL; and THE BABY SWITCH. I've had two novels published under a secret pen name, but I will happily share if you message me to ask!
I'm now writing romances for Harlequin Special Edition. Brand new: THE LONG-AWAITED CHRISTMAS WISH. Coming in 2021, look for ...more
I'm now writing romances for Harlequin Special Edition. Brand new: THE LONG-AWAITED CHRISTMAS WISH. Coming in 2021, look for ...more
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“[T]he whole point is the wishing and remembering--not if what you want happens, not if remembering hurts. Because when you wish for something, you're askin. And when you ask, you're trying. And all anyone can do really is try, right?”
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