Thursday 8 November 2012

Breakfast In Bed

Be warned, this review may not be too pretty. I picked up Breakfast In Bed off Ebay for the grand sum of 20p and finally picked it up the other week when I had some spare time to myself.

The synopsis reads:
TAKE ONE NEWLY SINGLE WOMAN: At 31, Amber is being bombarded with wedding invitations just as she's collecting her divorce papers - and her bossy best friend has gone one step further and made her chief bridesmaid. It's high time Amber regained control of her life - so she goes after the career she's always dreamed of as a top chef. 

ADD A PASSIONATE AND FIERY CELEBRITY COOK: Amber's joy at landing herself a coveted role in Oscar Retford's kitchen soon fades as she discovers Oscar is as famous for his furious temper and addiction to firing people as he is for the legendary meals he creates. 

TURN UP THE HEAT: Keen to keep herself out of the firing line, and to avoid thinking about why her marriage crashed and burned, Amber throws herself into her job. But as passions start to run high, and her past catches up with her, it looks like Amber's cooked up a recipe for disaster.

So far, so good, right? I had mental images of a man just like Marco Pierre White and a timid, little mouse of a woman for Amber. The story started off promising, Amber slowly trying to pick up the pieces from the fallout of her marriage. Urged on by her friends, she applies for a job in Oscar Retford's kitchen. Feeling as if she has failed the interview, she is quite dejected until Oscar offers her the job. It is all going swimmingly until passions run high and not only is she in bed with the boss, but she has been promoted and some of her colleagues aren't best pleased. Add into the mix another colleague who has the hots for her and a cheating ex-husband who is trying to worm his way back into her life - and you have a recipe for disaster.

The main part of the book where Oscar and Amber struggle to keep their blooming relationship a secret is definitely the best part of the book. Anyone can see that they are brilliant together and Amber seems the happiest she has ever been.

Unfortunately, the book seems to fall apart towards the end. It is as if the author lost her train of thought, ran out of ideas and couldn't be bothered so just lumped it all together - choosing the wrong ending as a result. Oscar's rivalry with his old boss Angus should play a huge part in the book, seeing as it is what causes them most of the stress they feel, but apart from a few mentions here and there, the whole thing is barely touched on - apart from when the kitchen is running around like headless chickens! 

Spoiler alert: I also hated the fact that the author made Amber & Dom (her ex) reunite in the final pages. I don't feel that any self-respecting woman would go running back to the man who not only cheated on her but told her he was no longer seeing the other woman when hoping for a reconciliation - and then flaunting her in Amber's workplace! Although a little timid at the beginning of the book, Amber really grew as a character and I would have thought that she would have had more respect for herself than that. I also disliked that, to tie up loose ends, Oscar was then paired with Amber's best friend - a girl who I don't think matches him at all!

I hate to write negative reviews but this had to be written, plus I promised the lovely Helen.

I have to give it a 1 out of 5 stars - eek!


Have you read this book?
What did you think?

5 comments:

  1. Great review! Your blog is adorable and I am now following you!

    xx
    Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh no! How disappointing. At least you only paid 20p.

    Tara
    The Style Rawr!
    xoxo

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  3. Hi,

    You've won a prize in my Advent giveaway. Please email me at laurenholden6@gmail.com to claim your prize xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. great post...you have an interesting blog.I am happy to follow you...

    ReplyDelete
  5. oh dear that is a rather horrible sounding book!! i am currently reading the picture of dorian grey...and i am totally loving it!!

    www.trendinginfashion.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete