Every story sounds like another book I have read. I feel like this is like a few books but we changed up the setting and put some cupcakes in it. Part of what made this just a mediocre book for me is that it never hooked me, drew me in to keep reading. And it's so frustrating because I f You know I love me a good chick lit book, but I've grown frustrated with most of what I have read recently.
And it's so frustrating because I felt like the author wanted to have this fun book that would be a fun book club read or something to share among friends and this just doesn't get there. The characters are predictable and Annie is the low income Hispanic person who holds a grudge against the world and then there's Julia, privileged, wealthy white girl. You know what happens, you know why they had their big rift and you know how it ends. Overall, if you really love chick lit and that's really the only genre that gets you reading- pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.
On the other hand, if you read to get a new story, or to experience something, wait for my next review. View all 7 comments. May 02, Sonja Reid rated it it was ok Shelves: I didn't start this book expecting great things, which usually frees me up to enjoy fluff without remorse. I still wasn't all that thrilled by it. Maybe it was all the knowing references to "the effects of aging" by characters who are Maybe it was the rather boring who-dunnit sub-plot. Or the lamely two-dimensional male characters. Or that I have a hard time suspending disbelief and thinking of cupcake bakeries as anything like a rea I didn't start this book expecting great things, which usually frees me up to enjoy fluff without remorse.
Or that I have a hard time suspending disbelief and thinking of cupcake bakeries as anything like a real long-term "business venture," even though there are real businesses that have done it just fine. I did walk away from it thinking that the author seemed capable of more than this, but I don't think I'll be reading more of her books to find out. Wat een leuk boek was dit. In het begin vond ik het wat lastig om in het verhaal te komen maar uiteindelijk lukte het wel. Wat ik leuk vond is dat het vanuit de optiek van beide vriendinnen werd geschreven waarbij ze ieder hun eigen verhaal hadden maar wat uiteindelijk toch ook weer bij elkaar kwam.
Er zitten tot op het laatste deel van het verhaal dingen in die je niet echt verwacht.
Dit maakt het voor mij een goed boek. Aug 08, Melodie rated it liked it Shelves: Childhood friends with a difficult past are thrown together as adults. And to complicate things further, they are in business together! One is entitled, the other has a chip on her shoulder. Both have some growing up to do if the cupcakery they have opened is to succeed. Overall this was a decent light read. There was a twist or two to keep it interesting.
If you can suspend belief that this arrangement could actually work, pack it in your beach bag and enjoy. Mar 22, Susan Tunis rated it really liked it. I gained weight with every page I live in San Francisco, where this novel is so evocatively set. After the coldest, dreariest, rainiest week ever, I felt I deserved a treat. I pulled How to Eat a Cupcake off the shelf.
La mejor manera de comerte un cupcake (Spanish Edition) - Kindle edition by Meg Donohue, María Enguix Tercero. Download it once and read it on your. La mejor manera de comerte un cupcake [Meg Donohue] on www.farmersmarketmusic.com * FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Madrid. 24 cm. p. Encuadernación en tapa.
Annie Quintana grew up in the carriage house of the St. Her mother, Lucia, was the nanny to Julia St. Clair, and the two girls were raised practically as sisters. They were the cl I gained weight with every page I live in San Francisco, where this novel is so evocatively set. They were the closest of friends until a rift in their teen years. As the novel opens, Annie and Julia live very different lives. In the midst of a sugar high, she proposes to Annie that they collaborate on opening a cupcake shop.
And so an uneasy alliance is born. As the two women work together towards a common goal, they work to heal their fractured relationship. There are many allusions to past wrongs before the full story is eventually teased out, and there are an equal number of ominous foreshadowings, because not everyone seems to want these two to succeed. Beyond that there are subplots about men, parents, business, and many, many references to delicious cupcakes!
I will warn you now, the cravings became unbearable. Let this serve as a warning to all dieters. For me, in the midst of some god-awful dreary weather, it was exactly the literary comfort food I needed. Mmmm, books about cupcakes. I love foodie fiction and I was very excited to read this book because 1. I had heard some good things about this book from some other book bloggers and we all know that book bloggers are awesome so there's that. This is also a story about a redeemed friendship. I really liked both of the main characters in the book. Annie seems like a person that I would really like to be friends with.
She seems like a lot of fun. Julia doe Mmmm, cupcakes! Julia doesn't start out looking so great but ends up with a redemption that is really fantastic. They grew up best friends. Annie's beloved mother worked for Julia's family but Annie and Julia were more family than anything else until something happens between them during high school.
The book is told from the alternating perspectives of Annie and Julia, which I thought was a particularly good strategy for this book. I liked seeing both sides of the story as you get a chance to understand everything that happened a little bit more. This book also has a couple little mysteries within it that really added to the overall storyline.
There were some pretty good twists and turns in the book that I really liked following. This book moves very quickly and sometimes I wish that it had slowed down a little bit with more detail added but overall, it's pretty good. This is a great book about friendship! Jan 27, Mrs Mommy Booknerd http: Donohue has blasted her debut novel right out of the ballpark.
It was moving, believable, well written and real. The characters were well developed and despite their imperfections you found yourself rooting for them, grieving with them, celebrating with them The novel was perfectly paced and it kept me engaged from start to finish. Just when I thought I may have figured things out Donohue threw me for a loop. I am so excited to see what Donohue has blasted her debut novel right out of the ballpark. I am so excited to see what else Donohue has in store for us as readers. One thing I know for sure is that she has talent and staying power!
I rate this book 5 stars and highly recommend it. Mar 09, Kimberly Russell rated it did not like it Shelves: This one was a bookclub pick. I'm sorry, but I was bored out of my mind I only made it to page I'm still going to the meeting though because most people are bringing cupcakes. View all 5 comments. Mar 07, Heidi rated it really liked it. A riveting cupcakey read. Annie closes her eyes, draws a deep breath and tries to vanquish the old ghosts. After ten years, she has returned to the house where her mother worked as a servant for the wealthy St.
Clair family during her youth.
Ten years ago, her mother collapsed on their kitchen floor and died a few short days later of a brain aneurism. Since then, Annie has avoided the family, until now. Today, she is back to serve her delectable cupcakes for a St. Clair social functio Four stars: When Annie comes face to face with Julia St.
Clair, it is all she can do to maintain her composure. Julia was once her best playmate and friend, but their last year of high school was strained since Annie was the daughter of the hired help and Julia was the popular wealthy girl. Once Julia tastes Annie's cupcakes, she knows that she must open a cupcakery with Annie as it is the only way to take her mind of her own personal demons. However, there are many bumps in the road and it opening the cupcakery will be a strain on the already fragile friendship. Can Annie and Julia finally bury the past? This is more than an easy chick lit read.
It is a book about personal growth, forgiveness and learning from one's mistakes. This is a book with plenty of character growth and dramatic change. I was pleased to find that was more than a simple read. I am a big fan of first person dual narratives, and I thought that in this book it was executed very well. I loved getting into both Annie and Julia's heads and seeing what drove them and how they viewed one another. They both have plenty of baggage and old demons, Julia especially has a great deal to overcome. It is a rocky journey as these two childhood friends learn to forgive and move forward.
When the book opens, she is selfish, fake, cold and unlikable. I honestly for the majority of the book did not enjoy her character. However, by the end, I had a complete change of heart once I learned why she was acting the way she was. Once she conquers her personal demons, she is enjoyable. I love when characters catch me off guard and completely transform. Again, I was expecting a more cozy type of read and was excited to find that this book had a believable mystery, and I was totally drawn into the story. There are certainly a few surprises and a couple of twists that I didn't see coming as well.
This is beyond your average chick lit or cozy mystery as it has depth. Not once did I encounter a situation that wasn't believable, unlike a cozy mystery where I struggle with believability. I enjoyed that this book was about real people in real life situations. Everything wraps up nicely! And The Not So Much: For the majority of the book it appears she is going to have a romantic relationship with one man, and then that doesn't pan out so she supposedly by the end is involved with a man whom she found to be pompous and a bit obnoxious.
I struggled with this because she for the most part didn't like the man and then suddenly it jumps from point A to C and skips over everything in between.
Get to Know Us. Annie's mother Lucia was the housekeeper for the St. The characters of both Anna and Julia got under my skin quicker than I would have thought But what secrets have captured Julia that could devastate her future? And Annie, who has worked multiple jobs just to be able to pay rent, never knowing if she would have enough for the next month. She's a typical only child who grew up in a wealthy family. Three stars for a solid performance.
I wanted to see it unfold and that doesn't happen. This happens on numerous occasions and it isn't until a brick is hurled through the window that they decide to install a security camera. I thought this was a bit ridiculous as you would think after the first time they would have been all about getting additional security, but there are several incidents before they decide to take action. I thought that Annie deserved a far better apology than what Julie gave after everything she put Annie through. I was expecting a bit more emotion with this scene, especially since there is so much build up to that point.
When it finally arrives, it kind of fizzles. I always love to get those bonus recipes at the end of a food type book. So if you are expecting cupcake recipes, you will be disappointed. How to Eat a Cupcake ended up being an entertaining read far beyond your average fluffy book. This has great characters, plenty of tension and drama and even suspense and mystery with a few twists.
If you are looking for a delicious book with a bit of depth then grab this one. I was glued to the pages and stayed up well past my bedtime as I couldn't stop until I reached the end. Or did that make you a bad person? I borrowed this book from the library. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review. Posted Rainy Day Ramblings Mar 12, Kristi Books and Needlepoint rated it really liked it.
I really liked the way that the author told Annie and Julia's story. The timeline went from June to May with the chapters alternating between the two young women. It was almost as if they were sitting in front of you, telling you the story as a friend. There were times I wanted to laugh and times I wanted to cry and times I wanted to shake one of them to open up their eyes as to what was in front of them! The girls grew up together since they were babies - they might as well have been sisters.
Annie got to do a lot of the same things that Julia did, thanks to Lolly and Tad - Julia's parents. Over time, Lucia, Annie's mom, though employed by the St. Clair's, became Lolly's best friend. When the girls entered high school though, the dynamic between the two of them began to change. They went to a private high school, Devon Prep, and for Julia, it was like coming home. She fit in perfectly and didn't think about pulling Annie along with her. Annie, being the daughter of the housekeeper, was only at Devon Prep thanks to Lolly and Tad. She didn't fit in well, but adjusted, until rumors blew her life apart her senior year.
Her mother died that summer and she left soon after for college, and did her best to not look back. Clair, however, kept tabs on Annie, and urged her to provide the cupcakes for one of her charity functions. This is where the story really begins - the above you learn through flashbacks. Annie reluctantly caters the function and runs into Julia, whom she didn't know was back in town. Julia hasn't thought much about how her actions in high school almost derailed Annie for good, and can't understand why Annie is still holding a grudge.
She is keeping a secret from him though, and the more time that passes, the harder it is to tell him. Instead of planning a wedding she decides she needs something else to occupy her mind. Since she is in love with Annie's cupcakes, she decides that her and Annie should go into business. She would provide the capital and after a year, Annie could buy her out and she would go on with her new married life. She sees no problems with this, as Julia has usually gotten whatever she wanted.
I thought this passage described her pretty well: To begin, you remove the cupcake liner carefully so as not to unnecessarily crumble the cake, and set it aside. You then turn the cupcake slowly in your hand, taking bites along the line where cake meets icing, your mouth filling with a perfect combination of both components. Once you've come full circle, you gently twist off the bottom half inch of cake, a move that takes considerable finesse -- leaving a delicate sliver of cake -- the ideal size for lying flat on your tongue and allowing it to slowly dissolve, building anticipation for that final bite.
To finish you are left with the center cylinder of cake and icing, the cupcake's very heart, sometimes filled with a surprising burst of custard or jam or mousse, sometimes not, but always, always, the most moist, flavorful bite of the entire cupcake. Take a breath before diving into that final perfect bite, it is to be savored for as long as possible. Finally, of course, you scavenge the crumbs from the cupcake liner you set aside during step one, then ball the liner into your fist and overhand it into the nearest receptacle.
You get another cupcake. I know that I don't eat a cupcake this way well, I will admit, I did try it today! Annie is nothing like this, diving right into her cupcake and eating away. This was their take on life as well. Julia's was planned out, well, had been planned out until something happened that made her unable to see her future and really making her wonder about her upcoming wedding and future.
And Annie, who has worked multiple jobs just to be able to pay rent, never knowing if she would have enough for the next month. Add to those differences the slight Annie still feels from high school and you have a recipe for an upside down cake! I liked Annie right off, but took a little while to warm up to Julia. Even by the end of the book, I liked her better, but still wondered if she truly knew, or could even fathom, what she had done to Annie in high school.
Coming from her background, I am not sure that is something she could really understand. Oh, and you think you have a nice little chick lit book here, and then the suspense starts to build toward the end as the vandal who has been doing a little nuisance vandalism to their cupcakery ratchets up his game a notch. Nov 22, Laurel-Rain rated it really liked it. Two young girls grow up side by side in San Francisco's Pacific Heights district, but they live totally separate lives. Over the years, however, the girls become best friends, attend the same schools thanks to the largesse of the St.
Clairs , and seemingly are like family to one another. But what happens during the high sch Two young girls grow up side by side in San Francisco's Pacific Heights district, but they live totally separate lives. But what happens during the high school years, and how Julia played a role in those changes, will inform their lives for more than a decade. Annie's mother's death is like the final event that breaks the bond. When Julia comes back to SF after living a successful life in New York, the women connect again when Annie caters a charity luncheon at the St.
Julia reaches out to Annie with a business proposition: The contract includes a clause where Julia will exit the business after she marries in about a year. So, despite her reservations, Annie agrees. But what secrets have captured Julia that could devastate her future? And what strange events happening regularly at the Mission District cupcakery dubbed "Treat" could threaten their security, their futures, and possibly their lives? A Novel" is narrated alternately between Julia and Annie. Just when I thought Julia could not be more annoying or self-absorbed, I would read her story and start to understand her perspective.
Annie's sharp wit and sarcasm evaporate when, in her voice, we come to understand the loneliness, the sadness, and the hurt that have populated her life. I really felt that something important could happen between them, but instead, we see the conflicts and misunderstandings dissipate rather quickly after a horrific event at the cupcakery. Perhaps that moment could have made everything clear to them, but I don't think emotional distance could dissolve with such ease.
What kept me rapidly turning pages, however, were the mysterious events at the cupcakery and trying to sort out who was vandalizing and threatening them. I had it figured out before the end, but there was still some suspense as the exciting and dangerous events kept unfolding until the final piece fell into place. I also loved the delicious descriptions of the cupcakes and the unique presentations of each of them. A delectable cozy read with a few plot points that didn't work for me.
I knew that I had to read this book from the second I saw that cover and read the title! Clean lines and so appealing Luckily for me, the inside of the book completely lived up to that wonderful cover. We're not always so lucky, are we? Meg Donohue's writing style and pacing of the novel were perfect. I loved how the narration took turns every other chapter between Anna and Julia.
I'm finding that I am really enjoying this trend of dual POVs I knew that I had to read this book from the second I saw that cover and read the title! I'm finding that I am really enjoying this trend of dual POVs The characters of both Anna and Julia got under my skin quicker than I would have thought I don't always find myself making quick connections to characters in Chick Lit but this book was the exception. I liked them both immediately and was sucked into their fears and secrets, hopes and dreams, more and more as the story developed.
This is primarily a story about friendship I loved slowly finding out the history behind Anna and Julia's friendship and eventual rift This is also a story about following one's dream and having the courage to make it happen. I for one can certainly confess to having had many a daydream about opening my own small business a bookstore and learning about how these two made it happen was tons of fun I actually wouldn't have minded if more of the story focused on the nuts and bolts of getting their cupcakery up and running. Add in a little romance and a dash of mystery and suspense and you have an amazing tale What would it take to make this story almost perfect??
Swoon-worthy, drool-worthy, "I need to go out and find a cupcakery at 1am in the morning" cupcakes! And that was precisely the final element that Donohue delivers by the dozen. I'm getting hungry again right now Aug 25, Kelly rated it really liked it Shelves: I must admit when I picked up this book I was looking for a light hearted read, easy going that I could pick up and put down at will.
What I got was a brilliantly worked story leaving me turning pages until the early hours not to mention craving cupcakes. Meg Donohue writes this in a way that slowly feeds our the information and secrets right to the very end which is what keeps you hooked. I loved both characters and really connected with them, especially Julia who clearly displa I must admit when I picked up this book I was looking for a light hearted read, easy going that I could pick up and put down at will.
I loved both characters and really connected with them, especially Julia who clearly displays the depression she's feeling in a realistic way that many can probably relate to. I also laughed out loud at parts, I loved the friendship between Annie and Becky with the effortless humour true friends have. The relationship between Annie and Julia shows a real sister like bond especially during the times they can't stand each other. The cupcake shop was of course everything I could want and I loved being able to escape into that world with them. I really hated the character of Jake Logan, he was so one dimensional but of course that was the point.
There was nothing to him, he was a shallow nobody. I often find with some of the books in this market that the characters are childish, frustrating and predictable on their quest to self discovery but this was refreshingly different. Both strong women trying to move on from the past with their new adventure but just like in real life you can't run from your demons.
Nov 20, Samantha March rated it it was amazing. Meg Donohue Goodreads Author. To ask Meg Donohue questions, please sign up. Meg Donohue Average rating: Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Refresh and try again. Meg Donohue Goodreads Author ,. Read it, review it, let me know what you think!
All the Summer Girls. Published on June 12, Meg Donohue wrote a new blog post. Jun 12, Meg Donohue has read. Jul 21, May 03, Meg Donohue finished reading.
Sep 18, Meg Donohue started reading. Aug 15, The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan Goodreads Author. Jul 15, Apr 16, Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon Goodreads Author. Sep 01, Quotes by Meg Donohue. A Novel of Love Lost and Found. Topics Mentioning This Author. Challenge Jul 02, On your love list, always put the beating hearts at the top. It seemed only fair; he didn't know what he was getting into with me either. Jennifer and Meg will be discussing their novels!