Book Review: The Love Goddess' Cooking School

By Melissa Amster


I have to admit that "The Love Goddess' Cooking School" was the first book by Melissa Senate I've read since "See Jane Date" (back in 2002), which I loved. I have her other books but haven't had a chance to read them yet. I don't think anything was keeping me from reading them, but now that I've finished this book, I definitely will be reading more from Ms. Senate.

"The Love Goddess' Cooking School" is about Holly, a woman who loses a serious relationship, gets fired from her job and is kicked out of her apartment within a short period of time. She flies across the country, back to her grandmother's home and cooking school in Maine. Her grandmother passes away shortly afterward, leaving her home and cooking school in Holly's care. However, Holly doesn't know how to cook the way her grandmother did. It doesn't help that her grandmother was a fortune teller, a skill that Holly does not possess, which also set a reputation for her with the townsfolk and Holly's own mother. With the help of some new friends, Holly learns how to navigate the world of cooking, teaching and even love in this heartfelt and romantic story.

This novel flowed beautifully with a strong female voice, sympathetic characters, delicious sounding food (except for sa cordula, of course) and breathtaking descriptions of an island in Maine. I loved everything about it and had a difficult time putting it down. I stayed up last night just so I could finish the rest of it in one sitting. There was a sensitive topic that was tackled during the story, which was hard to read about as a mother. However, Ms. Senate handled it gracefully and made it more comfortable for the reader to handle. (Seeing that she's a mother too, I couldn't even imagine her doing it any other way.) The dialogue was natural and realistic throughout the story and each character was portrayed vividly, making them even more dynamic and interesting.

The only criticism I have is that Ms. Senate's editors weren't careful before letting this go to print. I found some spelling and grammatical errors scattered throughout the story. (If she needs an extra set of eyes in the future, I'd be glad to help.) This did not detract from my enjoyment of a truly wonderful story that I hope everyone gets the chance to read.