There's Cake in My Future

November 8, 2010
Gruenenfelder's scriptwriting background comes through loud and clear in her third chick lit romance (after 2009's Misery Loves Cabernet). Nic is about to get married; Seema is stuck in platonic misery with an Orlando Bloom look-alike; and Mel can't get her divorce lawyer live-in to commit. At the bridal shower, Nic hatches a wonderful plan for each woman to pull a wish-granting charm out of the cake. The plan goes astray, of course, leaving them to fear their unintended fates and fail to cope with real life in maximally dramatic fashion. The temptation to echo Nic's nine-year-old stepdaughter is almost irresistible: "Suck it up, grow a pair, and let's go!" In a girls-just-wanna-have-fun way, however, this is a good read, hip and amusing without ever thinking too hard.

November 15, 2010

Three best friends find their lives taking unexpected turns after a bridal shower game goes awry.

Bride-to-be Nicole thinks she has it all figured out when she rigs a "cake pull" for 23 of her closest pals. This tradition (think fortune cookie) has each lady pulling a "charm" out of the layers of a cake, with each charm symbolizing the puller's near future. Sounds simple enough, until the guests pull charms other than the ones Nicole pre-selected for them. That means math teacher Mel, who craves a commitment, does not get the engagement ring she wanted, but rather a red-hot chili pepper, symbolizing passion. Soon after, she actually does get a proposal from her longtime boyfriend Fred, followed by the discovery that Fred is a serial cheater, with a string of gals in various locations. Suddenly single, Mel puts herself out on the market, with mixed results. Museum fundraiser Seema, secretly smitten with her hunky best friend Scott, was supposed to get the lusty pepper, but she nabs a shovel, for hard work, instead. And writer Nicole is shocked to get the baby carriage. Not that Nicole is totally against the idea of children, she just does not feel ready to be a mom. Besides, her fiancé Jason, an assistant coach for the NBA, already has two young girls of his own, from his previous marriage. But when Jason's ex lands a demanding job out of town, Nicole becomes the primary caregiver to Malika and Megan. She adores them, but step-parenthood tests her every which way, putting a strain on her relationship with Jason. Meanwhile, Seema, who isn't the superstitious type and doesn't really care about the stupid shovel anyway, gets tired of watching the man she loves date other women, and decides to risk everything by revealing her true feelings.

Gimmicky romp about letting life surprise you. Gruenenfelder (Misery Loves Cabernet, 2009, etc.) too often relies on sitcom one-liners, but her women are smart, likable and good to each other.

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

November 15, 2010

It's funny how reading a novel with a chick-lit set-up can differ so much from seeing a movie based on the same idea. What works in a full-length book--where an author can flesh out the story and develop the characters--fails miserably on the screen. This tale by the author of Misery Loves Cabernet works because Gruenenfelder has the space to explore the emotional world of her characters and not just tell a zany story. Her three protagonists--Melissa, Nicole, and Seema--are women at different stages in their romantic and work lives. Soon to be married, Nicole, at her bridal shower, has hidden charms in the cake that will foretell the guests' futures. When Nicole tries to force fate to give the friends what they each desire, her plan goes awry. Now each woman faces changes that may or may not give them what they ultimately want. VERDICT Though the plot description (and title) make this sound like a frothy concoction, Gruenenfelder writes with surprising depth. Identity issues are the underlying theme, as her characters grapple with their choices. Not quite as dark as the novels of Marian Keyes and Anna McPartlin, which deal with alcoholism and death, this will appeal to those authors' fans.--Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2010
It began with a silly bridal-shower game. Each guest pulls a charm that corresponds to a fortune out of a cake. Nic, the bride-to-be, pulls the pram, much to her chagrin. She loves her fianc's two young daughters but isnt ready to be a fulltime mom to a needy newborn. Seema draws the shovel, symbolizing hard work ahead, but she really longs for romance with her best friend, Scott. Mel gets the chili pepper, promising her a hot fling, yet shes ready to settle down with her longtime boyfriend. The three women are quick to dismiss the charmed cake, until the other guests fortunes start to come true. The latest romantic comedy from the author of A Total Waste of Makeup (2005) is funny and clever. Despite its whimsical premise, the characters searches for fulfillment in life and love are quite believable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)