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ashleighbeanxo 's review for:

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert
5.0

Oh my goodness, this was so good!

Elizabeth 'Lou' Johnson is the owner and head chef at Luella's, a quaint French restaurant in Milwaukee. Her fiance Devlin who wants nothing more than for Lou to quit working and become a stay-at-home wife and maybe a mother in the future. Obviously Lou is against this plan, especially after all the hard work and sacrifices she's put into Luella's, and after she finds Devlin in a compromising situation with an intern, she leaves him and attempts to throw herself into her job more than ever.

Al Waters is an English food critic living in Milwaukee, just bidding his time until he can move to bigger and better things. His infamous alter ego A. W. Wodyski is known in the city for his scathing reviews and the fact he's never given a positive review. After a chance meet with Lou, he's instantly taken with her and wants to find her and get to know her better. But the same day, he has a new restaurant to review: Luella's. Oh, and it's also the same day that Lou finds out Devlin has been cheating on her so things aren't exactly going great in the kitchen.

After a horrendous dining experience, including a fish dish that was somehow raw and overcooked at the same time, Al forgoes his usual multiple visits and writes his review immediately, which ruins Luella's reputation instantly. But then Al and Lou meet again, and she offers to be his Milwaukee guide and show him the good side of the city. Refusing to talk about jobs, they have no idea who the other person is and how their lives have already connected. With friendship and romance blooming between the pair, what will happen when the truth is revealed?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the get-go. Between the amazing descriptions of food to the wonderful characters and development, I was in love. Also, I need coconut cake immediately. Who can I pay to bake me one now???

Al and Lou were just great and I loved following their story. I was on tenderhooks the whole time with the secret looming over their heads, but also falling so much in love with them and their relationship.

Really loved this book. Highly recommend! Can't wait to read more from this author!