The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate & Giveaway (US only)

The Girls Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is the debut novel of Dana Bate and I’ll say right off that I loved it!  It is a charming, fun book and yet serious at the same time.  It’s about a woman trying to find herself in the often times confusing paths of life and making mistakes along the way.  It’s about love, secrets, and most of all descriptions of tantalizing dishes that will leave your mouth watering for sure.  What a wonderful novel!

Hannah is in her twenties and seemingly has everything going for her.  She’s well educated and smart with a good job and an ambitious boyfriend who she lives with.  Sounds good right?  Hmmmm, maybe not since she’s extremely unhappy with her good job and it turns out that her boyfriend doesn’t think she’s good enough for him anymore.  He used to think her quirkiness and smart mouth were cute but she’s bumbled once too often for his liking and he’s kicking her to the curb.  So she’s single and wondering once again what to do with her life.  What Hannah loves most is to cook but her parents, both professors at a University, think that is a complete and utter waste of an intelligent woman.  Hannah’s dream is to someday run her own catering company but the question is will she ever be able to realize it.

Hannah is lucky enough to find herself a decent, although really tiny, apartment with her landlord living upstairs.  All is fine until her friend Rachel mentions supper clubs again.  Hannah has been itching to run an underground supper club for a long time but her ex wouldn’t even hear of it.  So she gives in and she and Rachel set about to planning it but on the big day of the supper Hannah’s apartment is flooded.  There’s no way she can serve people in her place but her new landlord is out of town a lot and it doesn’t take long before the idea of holding it upstairs in his place is sounding pretty good to her especially since his part of the townhouse is awfully nice and would make a much better setting.  The first supper club is a complete success and the girls are getting bookings left and right for more dinners.  Hannah is thrilled and who cares if:  number one supper clubs are illegal and number two she’s using her landlord’s place without permission.  This just may be a train wreck waiting to happen…

Hannah is really a likeable character and although quite a lot younger than me I still really liked her and could easily relate to her.  Her decisions when it came to men weren’t always the best but I think she just wanted to find  love as so many of us do in our twenties and  usually fail to realize when it’s staring us in the face.  Hannah faces what so many of us face and that’s the decision to go with what our heart desires or to succumb to the pressures of those around us instead.  Then of course there is the food.  I’m naturally drawn to books that have people who love to cook in them and the luscious food described within the pages of this book are enough to satisfy any foodie.  Just imagine – Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Asian Pears or Devils on Horseback  (Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Honey-Laced Mascarpone) and both of these recipes are featured at the end of the book.  Yummo!

The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate is a novel about realizing your dreams and following your heart. It’s a  great read and for a foodie – well, even better.  I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and I hope there will be more from the very talented Dana Bate to come.

Buy at:  Amazon, Amazon Canada,  B&N, and IndieBound

Dana’s website, Facebook, and Twitter

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US only)

I have one copy of The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate to share with my readers.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries follow my blog.  If you already do let me know and I’ll pass the extra entry on to you as well.
• Tweet, Post on Facebook, or Blog for 3 entries!

This giveaway is open to US residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, March 16/13.  Good luck!

Source: Review copy provided by BookSparks.  No compensations was received and all opinions are my own.

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