Teens, college students, single living dwellers, tired child rearers, those who are exhausted, those wThis can be helpful for a multitude of readers.
Teens, college students, single living dwellers, tired child rearers, those who are exhausted, those who are depressed, those who just need inspiration for something quick and easy when it feels like too much.
I do wish that there were more choices, but I loved the layout of the chapters in the methodology of preparation such as something you can pop into a microwave.
Hannah is so shallow; if Norman were more attractive, she would have married him forever ago. The only thing Mike has going for him is that he's more Hannah is so shallow; if Norman were more attractive, she would have married him forever ago. The only thing Mike has going for him is that he's more manly and looks better. Norman deserves better. Mike just uses Hannah.
Much of this had to do with Moisha and poor business practices at a Tree Farm.
The romance wasn't at the forefront, and the mystery reigned supreme, making it more enjoyable.
SO much sl*t shaming, so much about weight. It's getting so tedious. I get that Ronnie is a home wrecker and I hate that, but the shaming was so extreSO much sl*t shaming, so much about weight. It's getting so tedious. I get that Ronnie is a home wrecker and I hate that, but the shaming was so extreme that it made Hannah look even worse by the end.
Good for Mike for not sitting there waiting forever for someone who told him no.
Poor Norman has built his life around the possibility, loves her how she is, and even got a cat to be friends with her cat. If she friend zones Norman, it will be hard to like her at all.
I never loved Hannah, but I am starting to hate her and her pretentious family. You are a grown ass woman, stop acting like a 14 year girl and worrying about what everyone else thinks.
Is this true to a conservative small-town Michigan mindset? Someone please tell me.
The mystery was dumb and tried to have a dumb twist, and this one could have been skipped.
While this one wasn't as powerful as Taste, it was still worth reading. It featured many great food adventures and many great little tidbits and recipWhile this one wasn't as powerful as Taste, it was still worth reading. It featured many great food adventures and many great little tidbits and recipes.
The biggest turn-offs for me were some of the seeming condescending notes on life that show how far from the average person Stanley Tucci's life is. It's easy to judge so much from a pedestal. This was a bit disappointing and, alas, another biography where the author reads their thoughts themselves, making me like them a bit less.
Still a fan, but I don't think this one was necessary.
This one was less annoying than some of the previous love triangles, although Joanne Fluke couldn't help but throw a third back into the mix at the enThis one was less annoying than some of the previous love triangles, although Joanne Fluke couldn't help but throw a third back into the mix at the end. Ugh!
The weird prudishness of almost the entire town gets annoying, like all of these grown adults with children can't talk about something like a strip club or a tattoo in 2008??? You don't have to like it, but to talk around in circles in such an extremely conservative way makes things more uncomfortable and weird than just using proper terms.
I love the recipes, and I will keep reading, but there's just always something that keeps this from being a series I love.
The EveryGirl's Guide to Cooking does something very right. It describ
The EveryGirl's Guide to Cooking does something very right. It describes the recipes, gives a lot of photographic references and adds in tips about substitution or how to get the best out of your time and ingredients.
With that being said it is also a huge "I love Me" book dedicated to maria Menounos herself. I guess I should have expected this, but she starts out showing her team and then proceeds to talk more about herself than about the actual recipes.... For this I can only award it a high of 3 stars.
If I could rip out half of the self brag book and leave the recipes, It would easily be a 4.5
Merged review:
The EveryGirl's Guide to Cooking does something very right. It describes the recipes, gives a lot of photographic references and adds in tips about substitution or how to get the best out of your time and ingredients.
With that being said it is also a huge "I love Me" book dedicated to maria Menounos herself. I guess I should have expected this, but she starts out showing her team and then proceeds to talk more about herself than about the actual recipes.... For this I can only award it a high of 3 stars.
If I could rip out half of the self brag book and leave the recipes, It would easily be a 4.5...more
Hannah judges sweets, and a new sweetshop has opened offering high-calorie goodies. I had issues with the regular comments about Hannah's weight, her Hannah judges sweets, and a new sweetshop has opened offering high-calorie goodies. I had issues with the regular comments about Hannah's weight, her need not to eat things, and her unhealthy method of trying to hide her food vices from everyone around her. I was honestly just feeling bad for her for most of the book.
There is more content than usual devoted to food and not as much to the mystery, so this had less content.
I don't mind the realistic content of the book. Having worked in the restaurant industry, I expected that, especially from someone with a lot of time I don't mind the realistic content of the book. Having worked in the restaurant industry, I expected that, especially from someone with a lot of time in it. It's a weird, toxic existence for many. I could survive in it while I was in it, but I am glad that I was able to leave for a career that demanded a lot less human interaction because this environment is not for the weak or the introverted.
The writing style was fine; I didn't see anything majorly wrong with it. This had more of a tell-all feel, which is fine, but the book's tone was more of an issue for me in terms of enjoyability.
I'm not a reality TV show lover, so that type of person would probably be more of a target audience of this book. What rubbed me the wrong way was the tone of the author, who seems like a huge A-hole.
I know you need to have some of that to out up with these people and to be good at your job and I do not doubt for one second that this man is a wizard at his work, he is probably top of the line. But that doesn't mean I have to like him or how he tells his story.
This is fine if you want a gossipy name/event-dropping book in a way that sheds a shadow on more of those around him, but it's just not more than ok for me in terms of reading enjoyment.
There's more than one way to tell a story; this was his.
Dude really... There's 3 guys in love with Hannah now??? This is just getting beyond ridiculous.
The terribly written romance and these men who only wDude really... There's 3 guys in love with Hannah now??? This is just getting beyond ridiculous.
The terribly written romance and these men who only want to marry Hannah and are all totally cool with her hanging out with other guys or having a guy ing her bed. This is so freaking fake. I wish Joanne Fluke would not do this because it cheapens everything else about the book.
Just writing about this makes me exasperated.
The murder mystery was interesting, and I really like a certain little old lady in the park...
More great recipes, but a lot of similar ones this time around.
Overall the romance overshadowed everything else so much in a negative way that I found myself wanting to just skip large chunks.
The calendar crew gets in hot water when they are the gossip fodder for once. Past gossip victims are celebrating seeing the karma coming around to thThe calendar crew gets in hot water when they are the gossip fodder for once. Past gossip victims are celebrating seeing the karma coming around to them, but it comes with the cost of a life and potentially a new business venture. Can they be humbled for once?
I was disappointed that Lila's fun pups were not more significant parts of the story, especially since one appears on the cover.
The mystery was pretty good, and it was fun to see Lila get to have the familiar relationship grow in strength.
However, it didn't feel as intimate with the other characters; I didn't feel as pulled into the story as I usually am.
I am still excited for future adventures with delicious food on display.
Excellent for the nostalgia and trivia tidbits and passages.
Recipes are hit or miss
There is a severe lack of photos of the food you are making.
Some rExcellent for the nostalgia and trivia tidbits and passages.
Recipes are hit or miss
There is a severe lack of photos of the food you are making.
Some recipes are needlessly complicated to try to shove themselves into a mold to fit the Princess Bride Theme. Descriptions can be lacking, and the lack of an image makes me not even want to try it.
For the most part, a lot of this is easier stuff that was made with more ingredients and less than clear instructions.
There are about 3 things that I would repeatedly make throughout the year, and that's it.
Great to have on your shelf is you are a fan, but not worth getting if you are wanting it just to have recipes.
So far, I would say this is my favorite of the Hannah Swenson series and the first to rate above a 3 star.
The mystery was more realistic and had a betSo far, I would say this is my favorite of the Hannah Swenson series and the first to rate above a 3 star.
The mystery was more realistic and had a better flow.
The characters aren't ridiculously stupid in this one, even though I have to wonder at the size of a ton that has such constant murders. It must be time to lock this place down and call a national emergency or something.
The weakest part for me is the romance. None of it is very well done or convincing. I don't feel like Hannah cares much about either dude other than the sexual attraction she has for a certain man of the law. It feels more like she is stringing everyone along, and if she gets engaged to the other, it would feel forced at this point. She would just be getting married to appease her mother.
Was it just me, or did it seem like there were many more recipes in this one than in the previous novels? maybe I have just taken too long of a break Was it just me, or did it seem like there were many more recipes in this one than in the previous novels? maybe I have just taken too long of a break since book 2.
Overall this is a quick and easy read sort of a series; it flipped Hannah around but almost too much.
Instead of Hannah being dense in this one, she seems to be the only one able to connect any of the murderous dots.
The romance is so unconvincing that it is almost a waste of space to read about.
I still like the female characters, but Fluke seems to be lacking in depicting male characters.
This one was ok but not nearly as good as the previous two. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be the end or if there will be more books in thisMeh.
This one was ok but not nearly as good as the previous two. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be the end or if there will be more books in this series.
The humor wasn't as witty, and the mystery was kind of all over the place. To the point that Lila even comments on it in the book.
It felt like the author was trying to mix psych-thriller-level chaos in more of a cozy mystery genre, and it wasn't working for me.
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