Book Review and Giveaway: A Pinch of Ooh La La

By Miriam Plotinsky

Opening a successful bakery sounds like a good idea in a book, but it's not always possible in real life. Still, it's a lot of fun to read about cakes and pastries! At first glance, Renee Swindle's A Pinch of Ooh La La looks like another story about a woman with post-traumatic breakup disorder who opens a bakery to smashing success. However, there is so much more to the story than first meets the eye.


The plot centers on Abbey Ross, a spunky baker whose blended family is the most extensive and entertaining bunch that anyone could ever imagine. Her father, a jazz icon, has several ex-wives and girlfriends and even more children, and together they form a big, happy family. While this prospect seems both unrealistic and anti-feminist (Abbey's father is far too reminiscent of a privileged patriarch with scads of women at his beck and call), the scenes involving Abbey's family are lively and help paint the picture of Abbey's strong identity.

When Abbey meets a seemingly perfect man in Samuel Howard, her life falls into even more complicated territory. Samuel is traditionally minded, and he values neither Abbey's unusual upbringing nor her artistic roots. Instead, he hopes to steer her toward a more standard life path. What follows is realistically complex, making Abbey's life struggles realistic in spite of her fantastical personal history.

With strong characters appearing literally everywhere, the story never stalls. Particularly enjoyable are Bendrix, Abbey's best friend, and her father, Lincoln, whose devotion seems incongruous in comparison with his active romantic history. A bevy of step-mothers and mother figures also weigh in on Abbey's problems to quite a bit of comic relief.

The story that Swindle cooks up in A Pinch of Ooh La La is as delightful and savory as the wedding cakes Abbey creates with such artistry. Working with fondant isn't easy, and neither is writing a story with such heart. But both are worth it if the results are as pleasing as they are in Swindle's latest.

Thanks to Penguin for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy for a lucky US reader!

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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US only. Giveaway ends August 18th at midnight EST.