Helpful Score: 6
Cute book and a quick, enjoyable read. There are recipes at the back for the cakes baked in the novel. What a fun little extra!
Helpful Score: 4
This was a fun, fast read. The author does a good job of making the characters real, and I felt like I was right there with them at times. This, to me, is a great book to escape to on a lonely Friday night after a terrible week at work. I recommend it.
Helpful Score: 3
Another wonderful book by Jeanne Ray. Like her other novels, this is the story of a strong woman who deals with her family while doing something she loves. In this case it's baking cakes! The characters in Ray's books are so real; You can identify with them immediately. A quick, enjoyable read.
Helpful Score: 2
A fun book to read with bonus recipes at the end! Ruth relieves her stress through baking cakes, and helps to save the day for her family.
Helpful Score: 2
I enjoyed this book just as much as Ray's "Julie and Romeo" books. Not chick lit, exactly, but not darkly serious women's fiction, either. A solid, enjoyable read.
Helpful Score: 2
God, I loved this book. The author had me from the first chapter when she described the heroine being at a group therapy session where they were all told to imagine themselves in their favorite relaxing place, and the heroine imagines herself in the middle of a bundt cake! Once she wrote that scene, I could forgive her when the plot veers slightly in ridiculousness.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a really really a cute book. When Ruth is under stress she bakes cakes, and Ruth has some stress in her life. Her parents are divorced and her mom has moved in. Her daughter is a teenager and mouthy, her husband {a gem and funny} has just lost his job. Her father has fallen and broken both wrists and needs a place to stay where he will recieve care. Guess where--Ruth's house. lots of little stresses for Ruth means lots of great recipes throughout the book. Her mom and dad don't like each other and this is really funny when they get to jabbing at each other. I really enjoyed this cute book.
Helpful Score: 1
Totally enjoyed this book...a quick read. Ruth has her hands full with family and finds a great escape with cakes....along the ways she discovers some truths about herself.
Helpful Score: 1
I love a book that is unpredictable.
This book is refreshing, fun, and hopeful.
It was clean too, a few swear words, but not even many. I appreciate that.
This book is refreshing, fun, and hopeful.
It was clean too, a few swear words, but not even many. I appreciate that.
Helpful Score: 1
Absolutely loved it! Ordering more of her books....well written, great characters, good story. Interesting & in some places, LOL.
Helpful Score: 1
As with her first two books (Julie and Romeo & Step-Ball-Change), Jeanne Ray has created an unusual twist to a common theme. The book is funny, poignant, timely and believable.
With aging parents, economic crisis, teenage agnst, this book is your family, now or later. If original ideas, great recipes and humor are your idea of a good read, this book is for you.
With aging parents, economic crisis, teenage agnst, this book is your family, now or later. If original ideas, great recipes and humor are your idea of a good read, this book is for you.
Helpful Score: 1
Very nice quick story.
Helpful Score: 1
Love her books. Very easy to read. Has great recipes in it as well as a good story.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved it from beginning to end! Am already ordering the rest of Jeanne Ray's books. Great characters fully fleshed out, interesting situations, humor...a great read.
Helpful Score: 1
Ruth is a stay at home mom who has her mother living with her, an estranged father who has to come live with her while he recoops from an injury, and her husband has been recently laid off from his job. She bakes cakes to escape the stress and this passion is what brings the family together as it becomes the basis of her newfound business. Fun characters, quick read and the author gives you a few of the recipes from the story at the end of the book.
Helpful Score: 1
Written in 2003--Ruth loves making cakes as a strees reliever. She soon has ultimate stress in her life: her husband loses his job, her father arrives unexpectedly, her mother (long divorced) also moves in, and her teenage daughter is less than coopertive. You'll enjoy reading how Ruth handles all of this with humor and baking. Her wonderful cake recipes are included as a bonus in this delightful book.
Helpful Score: 1
Very enjoyable fast read. Even has scrumptious cake recipes too.
Helpful Score: 1
Great, great book - I read it in 2 days and I work full time have 2 very small children and a husband.
Helpful Score: 1
An okay read that was made somewhat irritating by several typos.
Helpful Score: 1
This is another wonderful Jeanne Ray book. It tells the story of Ruth, who holds together a household that includes her unemployed husband, son, daughter, mother and father (who are no longer married). Ruth copes by eating cake - and includes several of her recipes in this book.
Wonderful story -- three generations in the same house, surprise unemployment, sometimes sulky teen who rises to the occasion -- and cakes! Really neat story development and interaction of family plus a few friends.
Helpful Score: 1
Every one of Jeanne Ray's books is a delight and this one is no exception! ......
EVER SINCE CHILDHOOD, RUTH HAS FOUND BAKING CAKES TO BE A SOURCE OF RELIEF FROM THE STRESSES OF LIFE. AND NOW----AS HER HUSBAND LOSES HIS JOB, HER LIFE-OF-THE-PARTY FATHER ARRIVES FOR AN EXTENDED STAY (MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF HER MOTHER, WHO ALSO MOVED IN RECENTLY), AND HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER PERFECTS THE ART OF SULKING---RUTH IS GOING TO NEED SOME SERENITY. BUT SHE ALSO NEEDS A PLAN. BECAUSE WITH FUNDS RUNNING LOW AND TEMPERS RUNNING SHORT, HER FAMILY REQUIRES MORE THAN THE PERFECT SWEET.
IT IS GOING TO BE UP TO RUTH TO SAVE THE DAY, AND LET THE CRUMBS FALL WHERE THEY MAY......
From the first page or two, you are hooked--- the characters are so real and their sometimes tender, sometimes humorous story is so interesting. An added plus are the recipes in the back of the book of all the cakes that Ruth made in this story.
In one word.... EAT CAKE is.......D E L E C T A B L E !!!
EVER SINCE CHILDHOOD, RUTH HAS FOUND BAKING CAKES TO BE A SOURCE OF RELIEF FROM THE STRESSES OF LIFE. AND NOW----AS HER HUSBAND LOSES HIS JOB, HER LIFE-OF-THE-PARTY FATHER ARRIVES FOR AN EXTENDED STAY (MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF HER MOTHER, WHO ALSO MOVED IN RECENTLY), AND HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER PERFECTS THE ART OF SULKING---RUTH IS GOING TO NEED SOME SERENITY. BUT SHE ALSO NEEDS A PLAN. BECAUSE WITH FUNDS RUNNING LOW AND TEMPERS RUNNING SHORT, HER FAMILY REQUIRES MORE THAN THE PERFECT SWEET.
IT IS GOING TO BE UP TO RUTH TO SAVE THE DAY, AND LET THE CRUMBS FALL WHERE THEY MAY......
From the first page or two, you are hooked--- the characters are so real and their sometimes tender, sometimes humorous story is so interesting. An added plus are the recipes in the back of the book of all the cakes that Ruth made in this story.
In one word.... EAT CAKE is.......D E L E C T A B L E !!!
Helpful Score: 1
Enjoyable book. I'd like to read more of her books.
Helpful Score: 1
Another great story from Jeanne Ray.
Helpful Score: 1
A fun read. Like another Ray read, Step, Ball, Change, I devoured it in less than 24 hours. Ray is good at creating realistic family situations. Also the book contains great cake recipes. You will be sure to finnish this book craving a piece of cake.
Helpful Score: 1
"You never really know what's going on with your ceiling until you just give up and lie down on your floor."
That is just one of the quotable phrases from this wonderful book. In fact, it's the first book I've read this year that I really loved. I knew I would enjoy it, because I read Julie & Romeo by the same author last year, and it was great, too. But I wasn't prepared to find a character that I actually had quite a bit in common with. Ruth, the lovely main character, has a husband who just got laid off and is trying to find himself, she plays the piano, and she loves to bake cakes. (I don't bake cakes very often, however, for the sheer reason that I would eat it all, and that's not good.) The other characters in the book are just that - characters! I hardly went more than a couple of pages without chuckling at something Ruth's mother or father said or did. They are priceless.
As a big plus, at the end of the novel there are 12 recipes to the mind-numbingly drool-producing cakes that the author mentions throughout the book. Almond Apricot Pound Cake with Amaretto... Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Rum-Plumped Raisins and a Spiked Sugar Glaze... Somebody call the Weight Watcher police!
That is just one of the quotable phrases from this wonderful book. In fact, it's the first book I've read this year that I really loved. I knew I would enjoy it, because I read Julie & Romeo by the same author last year, and it was great, too. But I wasn't prepared to find a character that I actually had quite a bit in common with. Ruth, the lovely main character, has a husband who just got laid off and is trying to find himself, she plays the piano, and she loves to bake cakes. (I don't bake cakes very often, however, for the sheer reason that I would eat it all, and that's not good.) The other characters in the book are just that - characters! I hardly went more than a couple of pages without chuckling at something Ruth's mother or father said or did. They are priceless.
As a big plus, at the end of the novel there are 12 recipes to the mind-numbingly drool-producing cakes that the author mentions throughout the book. Almond Apricot Pound Cake with Amaretto... Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Rum-Plumped Raisins and a Spiked Sugar Glaze... Somebody call the Weight Watcher police!
Helpful Score: 1
"Since childhood, Ruth found baking cakes to be a source of relief from stresses of life. Her life takes drastic change and it is up to her to have a plan to save her family.
Very entertaining and upbeat for a fast read.
Very entertaining and upbeat for a fast read.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fun, quick read. I liked the characters and the way they developed. Not a really deep story, but still worth the read. I'll look for other books by this author.
Really enjoyed this book; it's a quick read, fun, and tender.
This was such a wonderful book.I so enjoyed the journey she took in her life and how she was able to make it all work not just for herself but for her family too. A really great book showing that you can pull yourself through just about anything and keep your sense of humor and your dignity. A excellent book.
Great read, you laugh out loud...........you cry............
Absolutely loved this book, the story was engaging, great pace, lots of ups and downs and the characters were people you would like to know. Cute, fun and easy to read.
this is an excellent book...does show some wear, cover is intact, but has been handled
I adore this audiobook, and it is hard to let it go but I saw that someone who graciously sent me a book is requesting it. This book is the one that launched me into my own business www.BooksandStitches.com and I am grateful!
This is a cute book about a woman finding herself and understanding her family through baking cakes. I liked it- it is a great summer book- but I found the ending a bit pat and all wrapped up a little too easily.
