Publisher's Weekly Review
This romantic caper by O?Connell (Bachelorette #1) is fueled almost entirely by heroine Lauren Gallagher?s mistaken ideas about love. As in an I Love Lucy episode, the mishaps and disasters can be seen coming from a mile away, but here the impending doom is more exasperating than funny. Lauren, who owns a business specializing in delectable wedding cakes, thinks she can predict?based solely on the couple?s cake selection?whether a marriage will fly or not. ?I?m a baked goods bridal barometer. I have the predictive power of pastry.? Her cake theory causes trouble when an ex-boyfriend, Neil, walks into her boutique with a cake order that makes Lauren suspect she shouldn?t have let him get away all those years ago. Further complicating matters is a new man, Charlie, who claims neither cake nor wedding is in the picture for him. While astute readers will realize early on that Charlie is far superior to Neil, it takes Lauren many chapters to reach the same conclusion. First, she must orchestrate a silly campaign to get Neil back. Offering relief from this tiresome plot line are Lauren?s two best friends?Paige and Robin, a romantic and a bitter divorcee, respectively?plus a book deal, and a grumpy but lovable baker named Maria. Despite the occasional tasty tidbit served up, this dress rehearsal is more an exercise in frustration than a precursor to bliss. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Booklist Review
Can a couple's choice of wedding cake predict the success of their marriage? Lauren Gallagher, owner of the chic cake boutique Lauren's Luscious Licks, is beginning to think so. Couples who argue over butter cream and marzipan seem destined to argue all the way to divorce court. Her faith in the theory is so unshakable that she pitches it to a book agent and convinces her best friend, Paige, to break up with her fiance. What was he thinking, requesting cupcakes for the reception? When her newly engaged ex-boyfriend waltzes into her shop and orders the very cake she's been saving for her own wedding, she wonders if he was really the one after all. This book takes on the common theme of searching for Mr. Right with a sweet twist and inept, funny, and sympathetic characters. Readers will definitely see some of themselves in Lauren and her friends. O'Connell, also the author of Bachelorette #1 (2003), delivers a fun addition to the chick-lit collection. --Aleksandra Kostovski Copyright 2005 Booklist
