I weirdly liked this book. Even though the main character was a bit much for me and totally self-absorbed at times, I liked it. Probably because the author does a kick-ass job describing DC and the food the main character is making. She also included recipes in the back I want to try sometime soon as well.

"The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs" has Hannah Sugarman at a cross-roads in her professional/personal life. She works at a think tank she really hates and has a boyfriend she really loves. She really would love to quit her job and just cook full-time, but disappointing her parents (both professors) and her boyfriend is something she's not quite ready to do. When her relationship with her boyfriend crashes and burns, Hannah is forced to move out and needs a way to make some money. When her work friend Rachel suggest that they do an underground supper club, Hannah thinks she may have a way to feed her need to cook and save some money. Things would be great except she's hosting the supper club in her landlord's home without his knowledge. And he's running for a council seat in Dupont Circle with one of his mission's to wipe out the restaurants or other entities running around serving food and liquor without a license. 

As I said above, Hannah bugged me. I think the reason why is that I didn't get a sense she was trying hard at all. If she didn't want to work at the think tank then quit. Doing a terrible job wasn't winning me any favors. Same issue with her passive aggressively cooking when she's angry at her boyfriend. Or when she talks crap about her boyfriend's parents while they are eating dinner, or talks crap about a new love's interest's mom's cinnamon buns. So yeah, Hannah talks a lot of crap. I wanted to feel for her, but honestly most of the issues/problems are a result of her doing whatever and actually being shocked when she's called out. 

The other characters are sketched out pretty well. You get a sense of Hannah's work nemesis and her boyfriend. I loved Hannah and Rachel together, but found it sad when Hannah called Rachel her only DC friend when Rachel rightfully calls her out for being self absorbed. Hannah's landlord was great and I started to wish for a book told from his POV. 

The writing was good I have to say. Dana Bate does a good job of describing the food that Hannah is making, but also why Hannah is making certain things and what her food is trying to evoke with regards to eating/memories. The flow was off a bit though. Things get bogged down around the 80 percent mark (IMHO) and then I found myself skimming just a bit to get to the end. 

The setting of D.C. was written very well here. Bate has obviously been to the nation's capitol and doesn't just describe random places and have her character get from to and fro in 10 minutes (not even with the Metro people). She describes Georgetown, the farmer's market (I miss them right now), Dupont Circle, Chinatown (which is the world's saddest Chinatown), the Army Navy Memorial, and a whole host of other places that I have been. I really enjoyed this book so much since there's not a lot about DC I am in love with these days. This book brought it all back though.

The ending was a bit abrupt. I wish that Hannah had more closure (yeah I hate that word) with her boyfriend and that we could have skipped a head a bit. Still I give it four stars for holding my interest and making me laugh out loud several times. 

Holy crap will she please stop whining?  What happened to the character that initially engaged me?  Get over it already.  Not even wanting to read where planning on using someone for a scoop.

I'm out.  I don't care what happens next.  I want out of this chick's head.  

DNF for the story and the MC (not for the writing which initially engaged me).

Honestly.  The jackass misogynist boss/farmer/baker is still annoying with no end in sight. Don't dismiss that shit with eyerolls and "he's such a character" or how he's really big-hearted, gruff ... asshole grabs balls to say has something for you, grabs your ass,,cannot remember female employees names ("sweet cheeks" "tits" ...), crass remarks constantly is not a gruff old teddy bear.

Swallow pride, quit whining  and get on unemployment from losing a 4-year-full time-with-benefits job if unable to find better job soon (or if determined to keep that couple days a week one, hey, it's a crowded public farmers market so next time he touches you scream and cause a ruckus threatening to press charges and sue if he touches you again or tries to fire you) .  Unemployment pays better than the asshole boss.  

Dismissing him as harmless character just enables and cycles onto next poor female employee inheriting the prick when you do get one of the jobs you applied for.

OMG, you can make more in tips even at bargain-priced chain restaurants for the love of Pete!  And some of those have unions (or even some HR departments) to protect you from the pricks.  Seriously, in the D.C. area she is working for the douchebag netting all of $150 per week.

(If someone has read this I am mildly curious about the truth of Jeremy's past scandal and if Libby's wedding goes on as planned)

Getting a whiff of a looming love triangle.

Started good then a bit routine but I didn't want the routine broken by love triangle.  

I am also irritated at this point because both she and a gal friend have put up with sexual harassment, misogynistic crap from boss at their supplemental income job (including ass grabbing).  And are actively trying to help him.

Upcoming are what should be funny bits with preparations for her sister's wedding.  Which could keep my interest.

We'll see if the love triangle and the masher parts fall by he wayside or if the plot stays focused on that.  Which will lead to a DNF.

*grumble* if going to be a DNF, would have been nicer to know that much earlier.

I'm immediately liking this book.  Expecting just a light, fluffy read and it's adding an engaging main character already.

Mr. R chose wisely from available-to-checkout-library-ebooks-on-my-wishlist.

New to me author.

4 stars!  @KensingtonBooks  @danabate

Kelly is a ghostwriter for chef's who want to write a cookbook. They do the recipes and she helps with the narration. When a famous movie star decides to employ her services, my first thought is not a good one for Kelly. This is a world renown movie star who is well known and has a husband in Parliament. Kelly is so excited and can't pass up the chance to fly across the pond and do the job. So she packs up to a land where she knows absolutely no one and lives in a space that "Natasha Spencer" has provided for her and sets to work to do a cookbook.

She soon finds out that this world renown movie star treats everyone as if they are bubble gum on the bottom of her shoe. Not only that, but her assistant does the same thing. This woman is horribly ghastly and that's on her good days. I'm not going into details, because you'll have to read the book. No one would believe how horrid this woman is and just exactly what she will do.

I found this book to be very entertaining and yes, there were numerous times when I found myself wanting to strike our beautiful little movie star and not just once for each wanton overstepping of good behavior. You will definitely find yourself charged up when reading this. Might even burn off a few calories as you feel your anger boiling! Hey, wouldn't that be a good thing?

A huge thanks to Kensington Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review. I definitely recommend this entertaining and interesting book. Does the movie star or the little midwest girl from Michigan win this contest?