Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Summer Kitchen by Karen Weinreb


Nora Banks leads a very privileged life that comes crashing down around her when her husband, Evan, is arrested for defrauding investors. Left alone with her three small sons and their nanny, Beatriz, she's shunned by everyone in the town of Bedford, New York. She's also left with no furniture or possessions when the government hauls everything away. Nora decides to fall back on one of the things that's given her joy throughout her life--cooking. With Beatriz's help, she takes a job as a pastry chef at a local cafe and takes on extra catering jobs. Soon, she's learning to appreciate a simpler life with her boys, without all the expensive trappings. Still, she harbors a lot of anger towards Evan for creating the situation in the first place. He, however, maintains his love for her while in prison. When Fox Silverworth, a lawyer, says he'll help Nora out, she's grateful and attracted to him also. Will Nora give in to her desire for Fox or learn to forgive Evan? The Summer Kitchen has interesting secondary characters (Nora's support system) and descriptions of food, but is clunky in it's story of the triangle of Nora, Evan, and Fox.

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