‘The Coincidence of Coconut Cake’

Is it possible for a talented chef to fall in love with a food critic who writes a scathing review that brings down her restaurant?

By Amy E. Reichert
Gallery Books/Simon & Shuster
July 2015
Paperback $16
336 pages

The only thing that Lou has ever wanted is to be a chef in her own restaurant, and her dream has come true at Luella’s, a small and struggling French restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is cheerfully balancing her demanding business and even more demanding relationship with her fiancé, Devlin. Lou decides to surprise Devlin on his birthday with her famous coconut cake when she walks in on him and a nearly naked office intern and rushes back to her restaurant.

British transplant and food critic Al has been keeping busy writing reviews of the local restaurants for the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When a tip sends him to Luella’s, he walks into the restaurant not knowing that he has arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. Shocked and distracted, Lou serves up underdone fish, scorched sauce and distracted service. Al then unleashes his worst review ever.

After the review is published, Lou heads to a nearby bar to drown her sorrows where she meets Al, who can’t seem to get settled in the Midwest, and in flirting with him she promises to show him the finer sides of Milwaukee. After many non-dates, it is only a matter of time before the two fall in love. But when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past?

“The Coincidence of Coconut” cake is a charming love story of misunderstandings and mistaken identity. CV

Donna Kalsch enjoys being outdoors, loves to cook and can’t wait for spring to arrive.