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How to Bake a Man
When Becca Muchmore drops out of grad school, all she has left to fall back on is her baking. Ignoring her mother's usual barrage of disapproval and disappointment, she decides to start a small business hand-delivering her wares. A friend introduces her to an office of hungry lawyers, who agree to give her a try. Her lizard-booted neighbor Sal is happy to help out when he can, and almost before she knows it, Becca's Best is up and running.
Before she can settle into a routine, things get complicated. The office ogress could easily be Becca's sister and has absolutely no patience with cookies or other frivolities. Even worse, her boyfriend is the man of Becca's dreams--kind, funny, successful, and brain-meltingly gorgeous. As the dark undercurrents threaten to pull her down, Becca swiftly finds herself neck-deep in office politics, clandestine romance, and flour. Saving her business (and finding true love) is going to take everything she's got, and more.
Packed with charm, sparkling humor, and a genuinely unforgettable cast, this delicious tale of a woman struggling to find her path might just be Jessica Barksdale Inclán's finest novel to date.
Before she can settle into a routine, things get complicated. The office ogress could easily be Becca's sister and has absolutely no patience with cookies or other frivolities. Even worse, her boyfriend is the man of Becca's dreams--kind, funny, successful, and brain-meltingly gorgeous. As the dark undercurrents threaten to pull her down, Becca swiftly finds herself neck-deep in office politics, clandestine romance, and flour. Saving her business (and finding true love) is going to take everything she's got, and more.
Packed with charm, sparkling humor, and a genuinely unforgettable cast, this delicious tale of a woman struggling to find her path might just be Jessica Barksdale Inclán's finest novel to date.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2014
531 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Barksdale Inclán
50Ìýbooks462ÌýfollowersJessica Barksdale Inclán's sixteenth novel, What the Moon Did, and her first short story collection, Trick of the Porch Light, were published in 2023. Her novels include Her Daughter’s Eyes, The Play's the Thing, and The Burning Hour.
A Pushcart Prize and Best-of-the-Net nominee, her short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in or are forthcoming in the The Sun, Salt Hill Journal, Tahoma Review, and So to Speak. Her work has been recognized and honored by The Sewanee Review, The Wigleaf, The North American Review, and The Ocotillo Review
She taught composition, literature, and creative writing at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California and continues to teach novel writing online for UCLA Extension and in the online MFA program for Southern New Hampshire University.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband.
For more information, go to:
A Pushcart Prize and Best-of-the-Net nominee, her short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in or are forthcoming in the The Sun, Salt Hill Journal, Tahoma Review, and So to Speak. Her work has been recognized and honored by The Sewanee Review, The Wigleaf, The North American Review, and The Ocotillo Review
She taught composition, literature, and creative writing at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California and continues to teach novel writing online for UCLA Extension and in the online MFA program for Southern New Hampshire University.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband.
For more information, go to:
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July 27, 2014I've found Jessica Barksdale Inclan a sensitive and charming writer with natural humor, perhaps best known for her novel "Her Daughter's Eyes." When I saw the title, "How to Bake a Man" and read the premise, I pictured a romantic comedy that Hollywood might grab. I look forward to it.
October 18, 2014
This is chicklit, pure and simple. That's not a put down, that's a good thing. Becca's story could very well be described as Bridget Jones meets the Cupcake Cafe. Becca is more neurotic over things that Bridget Jones ever was, but she's lovable.
There are several reasons to read this book.
1. It is a super cute romance. It makes you feel good.
2. It's a foodie romance too, which is awesome.
3. One word, recipes! You can't go wrong with a cute story and good recipes.
4. The descriptions of the baked goods that start each new chapter. Its impossible not to want sweets while reading this book.
5. The hero isn't quite who you think he is. (I'll say no more, as it might be a spoiler)
I think those are enough reasons. If not, you need to take some happy pills and then give the book a try. Life needs some light fluffy fun things to make the days go by faster, and this is one of those things.
I rate this book Y for Yummy!
There are several reasons to read this book.
1. It is a super cute romance. It makes you feel good.
2. It's a foodie romance too, which is awesome.
3. One word, recipes! You can't go wrong with a cute story and good recipes.
4. The descriptions of the baked goods that start each new chapter. Its impossible not to want sweets while reading this book.
5. The hero isn't quite who you think he is. (I'll say no more, as it might be a spoiler)
I think those are enough reasons. If not, you need to take some happy pills and then give the book a try. Life needs some light fluffy fun things to make the days go by faster, and this is one of those things.
I rate this book Y for Yummy!
July 29, 2014
I read this book in an earlier draft and was immediately hooked by Becca's plight. In the various revisions, I have found it even more compelling. Becca is the perfect everywoman. She is searching, but also smart, adaptable, and ultimately triumphant (this is not a spoiler alert), and her journey will keep you turning the pages. I love Barksdale's work and have read everything she has published--novels, poetry, and short fiction alike. She never ceases to move me to a variety of powerful emotions. Barksdale is certainly worthy of your time, and How to Bake a Man is an added bonus because of all the delicious recipes in the book.
October 21, 2014
If you're looking for a fun and sometimes surprising chick-lit romance full of food references (and recipes), you might want to pick up a copy of How to Bake a Man. While there are some more serious themes at play here - the young, working generation's struggle to find meaningful, satisfying work and a purpose in life; difficult people in the workplace; overcoming fear and taking risks - at its heart this story is a celebration of comfort food and love.
Becca Muchmore is twenty-seven, single, and trying to do something with her life by spending her savings on an MBA. Only, her first day back at uni is a humiliating experience for her, and she feels so out-of-place that she's ready to pack it in, go home and bake cookies. As her best friend Dez says, "But what are you going to do? You're in school and hate it. You quite your job that took forever to find. You can't make cookies your entire life." Yet that's exactly what Becca decides to do, despite her friend's wise words, despite her mother's theatrical sighs and criticisms. Within the space of just twenty-four hours, she's done the paperwork for the permits and licenses she'll need, and followed a connection from Dez's husband and secured a trial deal, selling baked goods to the staff at a law firm in a San Francisco skyscraper. Now she needs to bake, and bake some more.
Luckily, she has help: one of her neighbours and the de facto superintendent of her apartment building, Salvatore Souza, puts his arm muscles to work, mixing the tough dough for honey nuts. A man of many part-time trades, Sal is liberal with advice on women and love - of which he has plenty of experience - and lets Becca know that he's available to help her with her new business, should she need it. As Becca launches her new business, Becca's Best, at Winston, Janszen and LeGuin, she realises the job comes with an unexpected - and unpleasant - surprise: one of the lawyers, Jennifer Regan, is her doppelgänger. The resemblance between Becca and Jennifer would be nothing but a funny story if it weren't for the fact that Jennifer is the office cow, a deeply angry, mean-spirited and foul-mouthed woman with a sharp tongue and no interpersonal skills. She also happens to have a wonderful, handsome, genuinely nice boyfriend, a lawyer from another firm called Jeff, who Becca feels herself falling for, fast.
Over the next few days, Becca finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the resemblance she shares with Jennifer, how someone like Jeff could be with her, and what's going on between Jennifer and another of the firm's lawyers, Brad. While she bakes by night and tries to figure things out by day, the one thing Becca can't see is the truth in front of her: that there's a loyal, resourceful and uncomplicated man who's perfect for her, working alongside her, waiting for her to figure things out.
There is much to enjoy about How to Bake a Man. First of all, I find it hard to go past a book that so prominently features cooking, especially baking - I don't seek them out, but when they come my way they score (consider , and as good examples). Secondly, romance and baking just go so well together, don't they? (And in , cakes and detectives!) But this is also a coming-of-age story for Becca, as she figures out what she wants to do and goes for it. That's not easy to do, especially when you have confidence issues like Becca does.
I will say that Becca's ability to quickly set up her own company and acquire a client did strike me as a bit too easy, a bit quick and convenient. She started small-scale, it's true, but the focus of the story was on her emotional hang-ups, her would-be romance with clean-cut, preppy Jeff, and her obsession with Jennifer. The baking was a way in to that, albeit a consistently relevant one. Things just seemed to work out a bit too easily and cleanly for her, she didn't experience the blows and set-backs of most small businesses. I'm also unconvinced that anyone would readily buy baked goods twice a day, every day (just as I have no idea how she could cook that much in a day - making more than one recipe in a day is exhausting in my experience!). I'm not sure that her business, as structured, would actually work the way it's described here. You have to suspend disbelief and focus on the same things Becca's focussed on: namely, Jeff and Jennifer.
The physical likeness between Becca and Jennifer - which some people see immediately and others pick up on more slowly - was an interesting plot tactic, not something I'd read before, and used as justification for Becca's personal interest in Jennifer's life. Not sure I'm entirely convinced, but it makes for fun reading (there is some stalking involved). Really, the star of this story - the one character you can't help but love and appreciate from the beginning - is of course Sal (with, surprisingly, Becca's mother in second place). Unlike stories like Bridget Jones's Diary, the real love interest is portrayed as a good guy from the beginning. The only strikes against him, from Becca's perspective, are that he's a womaniser (which is just an impression she's picked up) and that he doesn't have a "real job" - and when you're white and middle class, that's important. But through helping Becca get her business going, she sees that he's reliable, dependable, loyal, useful, intelligent, friendly, and likeable. Like most people, she judges on appearances, and those are generally always shown to be misleading.
Becca can be frustratingly slow at times, though, especially on picking up Sal's none-too-subtle signals. But she has to go through a cycle of falling for the kind of man your parents would like to see you bring home, to realising it's just an infatuation and getting it out of your system, before you can see the man you really love, who was there all along. It's not original, but it's a classic.
With recipes for all the baked goodies talked about at the back of the book (in American measurements etc. - you'll need to do a bit of translating if you want to cook any of them), the story comes full circle. The commonly-held belief that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is perhaps at the heart of this book, or at least is its structure, but really this is a story about a young woman coming into her own, realising her full potential, going after what she wants and succeeding at it. It's a story about strong women, lonely women, women in love and women in the wrong relationships. The tone is a nice balance of light-hearted and 'let's be serious for a minute here folks', though I found the scene with Jeff on Becca's couch a bit odd and disturbing. Maybe because the whole Jeff thing was so wrong for Becca, and that was the point where she seemed to realise it too - or be on the brink of realising it. Overall, a fun tale and some new recipes to try someday!
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via .
Becca Muchmore is twenty-seven, single, and trying to do something with her life by spending her savings on an MBA. Only, her first day back at uni is a humiliating experience for her, and she feels so out-of-place that she's ready to pack it in, go home and bake cookies. As her best friend Dez says, "But what are you going to do? You're in school and hate it. You quite your job that took forever to find. You can't make cookies your entire life." Yet that's exactly what Becca decides to do, despite her friend's wise words, despite her mother's theatrical sighs and criticisms. Within the space of just twenty-four hours, she's done the paperwork for the permits and licenses she'll need, and followed a connection from Dez's husband and secured a trial deal, selling baked goods to the staff at a law firm in a San Francisco skyscraper. Now she needs to bake, and bake some more.
Luckily, she has help: one of her neighbours and the de facto superintendent of her apartment building, Salvatore Souza, puts his arm muscles to work, mixing the tough dough for honey nuts. A man of many part-time trades, Sal is liberal with advice on women and love - of which he has plenty of experience - and lets Becca know that he's available to help her with her new business, should she need it. As Becca launches her new business, Becca's Best, at Winston, Janszen and LeGuin, she realises the job comes with an unexpected - and unpleasant - surprise: one of the lawyers, Jennifer Regan, is her doppelgänger. The resemblance between Becca and Jennifer would be nothing but a funny story if it weren't for the fact that Jennifer is the office cow, a deeply angry, mean-spirited and foul-mouthed woman with a sharp tongue and no interpersonal skills. She also happens to have a wonderful, handsome, genuinely nice boyfriend, a lawyer from another firm called Jeff, who Becca feels herself falling for, fast.
Over the next few days, Becca finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the resemblance she shares with Jennifer, how someone like Jeff could be with her, and what's going on between Jennifer and another of the firm's lawyers, Brad. While she bakes by night and tries to figure things out by day, the one thing Becca can't see is the truth in front of her: that there's a loyal, resourceful and uncomplicated man who's perfect for her, working alongside her, waiting for her to figure things out.
There is much to enjoy about How to Bake a Man. First of all, I find it hard to go past a book that so prominently features cooking, especially baking - I don't seek them out, but when they come my way they score (consider , and as good examples). Secondly, romance and baking just go so well together, don't they? (And in , cakes and detectives!) But this is also a coming-of-age story for Becca, as she figures out what she wants to do and goes for it. That's not easy to do, especially when you have confidence issues like Becca does.
I will say that Becca's ability to quickly set up her own company and acquire a client did strike me as a bit too easy, a bit quick and convenient. She started small-scale, it's true, but the focus of the story was on her emotional hang-ups, her would-be romance with clean-cut, preppy Jeff, and her obsession with Jennifer. The baking was a way in to that, albeit a consistently relevant one. Things just seemed to work out a bit too easily and cleanly for her, she didn't experience the blows and set-backs of most small businesses. I'm also unconvinced that anyone would readily buy baked goods twice a day, every day (just as I have no idea how she could cook that much in a day - making more than one recipe in a day is exhausting in my experience!). I'm not sure that her business, as structured, would actually work the way it's described here. You have to suspend disbelief and focus on the same things Becca's focussed on: namely, Jeff and Jennifer.
The physical likeness between Becca and Jennifer - which some people see immediately and others pick up on more slowly - was an interesting plot tactic, not something I'd read before, and used as justification for Becca's personal interest in Jennifer's life. Not sure I'm entirely convinced, but it makes for fun reading (there is some stalking involved). Really, the star of this story - the one character you can't help but love and appreciate from the beginning - is of course Sal (with, surprisingly, Becca's mother in second place). Unlike stories like Bridget Jones's Diary, the real love interest is portrayed as a good guy from the beginning. The only strikes against him, from Becca's perspective, are that he's a womaniser (which is just an impression she's picked up) and that he doesn't have a "real job" - and when you're white and middle class, that's important. But through helping Becca get her business going, she sees that he's reliable, dependable, loyal, useful, intelligent, friendly, and likeable. Like most people, she judges on appearances, and those are generally always shown to be misleading.
Becca can be frustratingly slow at times, though, especially on picking up Sal's none-too-subtle signals. But she has to go through a cycle of falling for the kind of man your parents would like to see you bring home, to realising it's just an infatuation and getting it out of your system, before you can see the man you really love, who was there all along. It's not original, but it's a classic.
With recipes for all the baked goodies talked about at the back of the book (in American measurements etc. - you'll need to do a bit of translating if you want to cook any of them), the story comes full circle. The commonly-held belief that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" is perhaps at the heart of this book, or at least is its structure, but really this is a story about a young woman coming into her own, realising her full potential, going after what she wants and succeeding at it. It's a story about strong women, lonely women, women in love and women in the wrong relationships. The tone is a nice balance of light-hearted and 'let's be serious for a minute here folks', though I found the scene with Jeff on Becca's couch a bit odd and disturbing. Maybe because the whole Jeff thing was so wrong for Becca, and that was the point where she seemed to realise it too - or be on the brink of realising it. Overall, a fun tale and some new recipes to try someday!
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via .
October 20, 2014
Becca barely makes it through one class of her graduate school career for a business degree before deciding to call it quits. She doesn't feel like she belongs there with the young, straight-out-of-undergrad people or that she can really devote two years of her life to this degree right now. Her life has been rather stagnant as she's worked the books for several years in what she feels is a dead end job, and she quit that to go to business school. But she does have one bright spot in her life: baking. Becca learned how to bake delicious desserts from her mother at a young age, and she's perfected and honed her baking skills throughout her years. Now that she has no job and no school to attend, she decides to start her own small baking business, delivering fresh, homemade desserts to a law firm twice daily thanks to a hook up from her best friend. And Becca's Best is born...
How To Bake a Man is full of delicious desserts, and Becca's love and devotion to painstakingly crafting these treats to perfection is an obsession to her. She uses baking as an escape--a crutch--and she has certainly used her baking as a means to make friends and an excuse to be social in the past. Her childhood best-friend lives across the country while Becca is still in San Francisco, but we still get to know her through phone calls back and forth. Becca is unsure of herself when it comes to men after being burned in her one serious relationship, so she can't see a good thing when it's right in front of her. But she's like with anyone in front of her. She's a terrible judge of people's interpersonal connections and relationship wishes, so she makes a lot of assumptions and mistakes through the course of this book as she second guesses herself and everyone else's motives.
The office that Becca peddles her desserts is full of a strange mix of people. From the assistant who knows exactly what's going on with everyone and the guy who works right behind her who is harboring a huge crush on her, to the office bitch who could be Becca's doppleganger that has everyone ducking for cover whenever she leaves her office, to the lawyer that hired Becca in who's fraternity brother's with her best friend's husband and always seems a bit sad and too serious, the cast of characters is well-developed and Becca is drawn into their lives as she learns what they like to please them with her snacks. But she's also instantly smitten with the office meanie's boyfriend, who's in from another law firm to help on a huge case, and seems to be equally fascinated by Becca. As the days go by, Becca's business starts to boom, but so does her involvement with these law firm workers, and the consequences of such deep attachment can be detrimental to Becca's self-respect and sanity.
One of my favorite parts of How To Bake a Man is Becca's neighbor Sal, who volunteers to drive her to the office and help with the baking. He quickly becomes her partner and best friend, picking her up with his quirky life mottos and winning everyone over with his positive attitude. He even helps her with all of her problems--even when it comes to men--and he does so happily. He's such a bright spot and calming guy to Becca's flighty and nervous, so they compliment each other in the business nicely.
I give How To Bake a Man a 4.5 out of 5. This is a nice, fluffy read with minimal angst that has moments of family drama, relationship issues, and unrequited love. Becca has a bit of a problem of seeing herself clearly as well as those around her, so this leads to quite a bit of conflict. The desserts are described with such detail and with a great deal of love that it's no doubt that the author is a foodie, and there's even quite a few recipes at the back so you can bake your own tasty desserts. I highly recommend this book if you love your chick lit on the fun side with a nice dose of self-exploration and growth, along with a nice tour of desserts!
(Also on , copy provided by TLC Book Tours in exchange for honest review)
How To Bake a Man is full of delicious desserts, and Becca's love and devotion to painstakingly crafting these treats to perfection is an obsession to her. She uses baking as an escape--a crutch--and she has certainly used her baking as a means to make friends and an excuse to be social in the past. Her childhood best-friend lives across the country while Becca is still in San Francisco, but we still get to know her through phone calls back and forth. Becca is unsure of herself when it comes to men after being burned in her one serious relationship, so she can't see a good thing when it's right in front of her. But she's like with anyone in front of her. She's a terrible judge of people's interpersonal connections and relationship wishes, so she makes a lot of assumptions and mistakes through the course of this book as she second guesses herself and everyone else's motives.
The office that Becca peddles her desserts is full of a strange mix of people. From the assistant who knows exactly what's going on with everyone and the guy who works right behind her who is harboring a huge crush on her, to the office bitch who could be Becca's doppleganger that has everyone ducking for cover whenever she leaves her office, to the lawyer that hired Becca in who's fraternity brother's with her best friend's husband and always seems a bit sad and too serious, the cast of characters is well-developed and Becca is drawn into their lives as she learns what they like to please them with her snacks. But she's also instantly smitten with the office meanie's boyfriend, who's in from another law firm to help on a huge case, and seems to be equally fascinated by Becca. As the days go by, Becca's business starts to boom, but so does her involvement with these law firm workers, and the consequences of such deep attachment can be detrimental to Becca's self-respect and sanity.
One of my favorite parts of How To Bake a Man is Becca's neighbor Sal, who volunteers to drive her to the office and help with the baking. He quickly becomes her partner and best friend, picking her up with his quirky life mottos and winning everyone over with his positive attitude. He even helps her with all of her problems--even when it comes to men--and he does so happily. He's such a bright spot and calming guy to Becca's flighty and nervous, so they compliment each other in the business nicely.
I give How To Bake a Man a 4.5 out of 5. This is a nice, fluffy read with minimal angst that has moments of family drama, relationship issues, and unrequited love. Becca has a bit of a problem of seeing herself clearly as well as those around her, so this leads to quite a bit of conflict. The desserts are described with such detail and with a great deal of love that it's no doubt that the author is a foodie, and there's even quite a few recipes at the back so you can bake your own tasty desserts. I highly recommend this book if you love your chick lit on the fun side with a nice dose of self-exploration and growth, along with a nice tour of desserts!
(Also on , copy provided by TLC Book Tours in exchange for honest review)
October 24, 2014
Becca Munchmore is 27 years old and the oldest student in her graduate level marketing class. She's worried about fitting in, and wearing her mother's old discarded denim skirt that she found in the Goodwill bag doesn't help.
She comes to the realization that school is not the answer. Her boyfriend left her to work in Africa to help the poor, she quit the job she had, and now she has a idea. She loves to bake; why not sell her baked goods to offices? Though her mother hates the idea, she loans Becca the money to buy supplies.
Now she just needs an office to start. Her best friend Dez lives across the country, but Dez' husband has a contact in a San Francisco law office and gets Becca an interview. Becca's delicious baked treats win over the friend, and she has her first client.
Sal, her downstairs neighbor, drives a taxi and works as a bouncer, but he wants to help Becca with her business. Since Sal has a car and she doesn't, she takes him up on his offer and along with Mom's occasional baking and freezer storage, Becca can make this work.
People in the law office love Becca's Best's muffins, cinnamon rolls and breads. She and Sal make twice daily rounds, and they even make friends with a few of the office staff. Except for Jennifer.
Jennifer is a lawyer with a bad reputation; people actually run and cower when she shows up. Jennifer also looks just like Becca, so much so that Jennifer's boyfriend Jeff, also a lawyer, begins to show an interest in Becca.
Becca thinks Jeff is way too nice to be in love with the horrible Jennifer, and when he kisses Becca, she falls for Jeff. Then she discovers that Jennifer is cheating on Jeff with a married lawyer. Should she tell Jeff?
This story could be a typical chick-lit novel, where the kind-hearted heroine gets the rich, handsome guy after he realizes the woman he is dating is no good, and that would have been okay. The story is interesting enough, and I liked the food angle. (The descriptions of Becca's baked goods made me drool.)
But the story takes a turn I wasn't completely expecting, and that elevates this novel to a good story. As I was reading How To Bake A Man, all I could think of was that this would make such a cute romantic comedy movie. The characters are interesting, the story has some twists-and-turns, and I could see Emma Stone or Rachel McAdams playing Becca in the movie.
How To Bake A Man is the perfect book to pick up on a Friday night after a hard week's work, it's a fun, light read. And it will inspire you to run out to the grocery store to stock up on baking supplies as Inclan includes her delightful recipes for the reader to recreate and enjoy.
She comes to the realization that school is not the answer. Her boyfriend left her to work in Africa to help the poor, she quit the job she had, and now she has a idea. She loves to bake; why not sell her baked goods to offices? Though her mother hates the idea, she loans Becca the money to buy supplies.
Now she just needs an office to start. Her best friend Dez lives across the country, but Dez' husband has a contact in a San Francisco law office and gets Becca an interview. Becca's delicious baked treats win over the friend, and she has her first client.
Sal, her downstairs neighbor, drives a taxi and works as a bouncer, but he wants to help Becca with her business. Since Sal has a car and she doesn't, she takes him up on his offer and along with Mom's occasional baking and freezer storage, Becca can make this work.
People in the law office love Becca's Best's muffins, cinnamon rolls and breads. She and Sal make twice daily rounds, and they even make friends with a few of the office staff. Except for Jennifer.
Jennifer is a lawyer with a bad reputation; people actually run and cower when she shows up. Jennifer also looks just like Becca, so much so that Jennifer's boyfriend Jeff, also a lawyer, begins to show an interest in Becca.
Becca thinks Jeff is way too nice to be in love with the horrible Jennifer, and when he kisses Becca, she falls for Jeff. Then she discovers that Jennifer is cheating on Jeff with a married lawyer. Should she tell Jeff?
This story could be a typical chick-lit novel, where the kind-hearted heroine gets the rich, handsome guy after he realizes the woman he is dating is no good, and that would have been okay. The story is interesting enough, and I liked the food angle. (The descriptions of Becca's baked goods made me drool.)
But the story takes a turn I wasn't completely expecting, and that elevates this novel to a good story. As I was reading How To Bake A Man, all I could think of was that this would make such a cute romantic comedy movie. The characters are interesting, the story has some twists-and-turns, and I could see Emma Stone or Rachel McAdams playing Becca in the movie.
How To Bake A Man is the perfect book to pick up on a Friday night after a hard week's work, it's a fun, light read. And it will inspire you to run out to the grocery store to stock up on baking supplies as Inclan includes her delightful recipes for the reader to recreate and enjoy.
September 17, 2014
I had never read a book by author Inclán before but liked the description of HOW TO BAKE A MAN. I don't especially like the title, though, and don't think it fits the book.
I did enjoy the story of Becca Muchmore and her small baking business. I liked the idea of her small baking goods delivery service (would have loved this when I worked in an office). I also liked her neighbor, Sal. Best of all were the different recipes included with the book, such as Honey Nuts cookies, Pumpkin Muffins, and Old-Fashioned Gingerbread. There are 16 recipes total, if I counted correctly.
I do wish the characters had been a little better developed. They were rather one-dimensional. But this is a light romance taking place in San Francisco and there is enough substance to the novel to give the reader a fast, upbeat read. Plus you have a cookbook to use after finishing Becca's story.
I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I did enjoy the story of Becca Muchmore and her small baking business. I liked the idea of her small baking goods delivery service (would have loved this when I worked in an office). I also liked her neighbor, Sal. Best of all were the different recipes included with the book, such as Honey Nuts cookies, Pumpkin Muffins, and Old-Fashioned Gingerbread. There are 16 recipes total, if I counted correctly.
I do wish the characters had been a little better developed. They were rather one-dimensional. But this is a light romance taking place in San Francisco and there is enough substance to the novel to give the reader a fast, upbeat read. Plus you have a cookbook to use after finishing Becca's story.
I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2015
Heavy on the sugar, and the relationships
I originally thought this might be more of a contemporary romance, but it reads more like 'women's fiction'. Not a genre I usually read or enjoy, but it's well done and upbeat. The protagonist spends time baking cookies, dealing with her mom, and being completely oblivious to the romantic relationships around her. The heroine is appealing, the writing is solid, and the trick of prefacing every chapter with a different baked good kept my attention. In the back, the author has listed the recipes of the cookies she lovingly described in the text. . There's some sensuality, but nothing particularly explicit. For readers of ChickLit who like to bake--it would be perfect.
I originally thought this might be more of a contemporary romance, but it reads more like 'women's fiction'. Not a genre I usually read or enjoy, but it's well done and upbeat. The protagonist spends time baking cookies, dealing with her mom, and being completely oblivious to the romantic relationships around her. The heroine is appealing, the writing is solid, and the trick of prefacing every chapter with a different baked good kept my attention. In the back, the author has listed the recipes of the cookies she lovingly described in the text. . There's some sensuality, but nothing particularly explicit. For readers of ChickLit who like to bake--it would be perfect.
October 28, 2014
This story is like the goodies in the story: sweet, sometimes a bit nutty, throw in a bit of spice and it's all delicious fun.
Becca is trying to figure out what she wants in life. She's had the break up, the dead end job and plenty of false starts. Slowly she puts something spectacular together one ingredient at a time, until she baked the perfect life.
Warning: you will crave all the delicious baked goods in the book, but never fear, the author has shared her recipes!
Becca is trying to figure out what she wants in life. She's had the break up, the dead end job and plenty of false starts. Slowly she puts something spectacular together one ingredient at a time, until she baked the perfect life.
Warning: you will crave all the delicious baked goods in the book, but never fear, the author has shared her recipes!
August 20, 2015
Coming-of-age stories are typical for YA audiences or teenage characters, but when they involve late-twenty-somethings in the backdrop of the bustling Bay Area, they unfold into an entirely different genre. Add a self-doubting underdog—our protagonist, Becca Muchmore—who has the power to cheer anyone up with her incredible baked goods, as well some ridiculously corny mishaps she encounters on her path to finding true love, and you've got How to Bake a Man, Jessica Barksdale Inclán's latest novel.
I'm new to this author, but was drawn to How to Bake a Man because it reads very contemporary—very feathery and cheerful and cutesy. The lightness of mood, however, comes at the expense of substance and depth, which this book thinks it has—slightly worse of an offense than a book that intentionally has no substance at all.
There are so many issues with the plot in terms of believability and (personal) tolerability, even for a romantic comedy-sque novel:
1. Becca Muchmore is a grad school dropout experiencing a crippling crisis after a terrible breakup.
Have we ever encountered anything more cliché?
2. To make ends meet, she starts a baked goods company, since baking has always been her lifelong passion. Immediately and effortlessly, she is picked up by the town's most prestigious law firm and asked to cater for their entire office; her business is a huge hit immediately.
Naturally.
3. At work, Becca meets Jennifer, the "ogress" of an antagonist of the story, who is her skinnier, prettier, smarter, wealthier, and more successful doppelgänger. She develops an obsession with Jennifer.
It is very uncomfortable.
4. Becca begins to suspect that Jennifer's equally perfect boyfriend is her soul mate. Her, as in Becca's, absolutely not Jennifer's.
Unrealistic dialogue and some very heavy petting occur.
5. Becca realizes she is terribly, terribly wrong about the soul mate thing... but all's okay because her actual soul mate turns out to be (at the last minute) her best friend. It was him all along! Surprise central!
As if the plot wasn't enough of a mess already.
Being a romance fanatic myself, I don't say this often... but the main love story should have been kept out of this book entirely. It would have made for a much cleaner, sharper novel about the coming-of-age of an unlikely heroine who finds herself, along with her true passions, by first being slammed with the harsh reality that is life. Instead, How to Bake a Man went the typical, overused route where Becca Muchmore faces a few career-related and personal complications (which, judging by the degree of their silliness and lack of depth, would only happen in some chick flick... or in this book) but instead ends up finding the love of her life in an unexpected—but entirely obvious—place.
Becca's obsession with Jennifer, her lookalike, is also really, really weird, and I don't understand how it even fits in with the main plot. There's so much concentration on this strange coincidence of her meeting a woman that could be her twin, that I thought the book was heading in the direction of The Parent Trap; alas, the situation didn't really give me such satisfaction, as it didn't have much purpose.
What's so ridiculously unappealing to me is how lacking in dimension and originality all the secondary characters are. They are written with such forced humor that they become laughable tropes. The only non-singular character is Becca, whom I'm conflicted about because I at once hate her and like (not love) her. On one hand she's delusional and really slow-witted—neither lovable nor admirable—but on the other, she's genuine and klutzy in an endearing way. Inclán could have strengthened the book immensely just by revising Becca's character (not to mention that of the rest).
The saving grace of the book is how much attention is given to all the desserts Becca bakes. Scattered among the chapters, are anecdotes on how each of her sugary, buttery treats is meaningful to her, along with full recipes. The absurd story made me really angry, but the recipes left me starving.
I now have felt everything, having finally experienced what it means to be hangry.
Pros
Light-hearted tone, like a cheesy rom-com movie // Well paced // Inclán has a warm, attentive writing style that makes Becca, the narrator, seem more personable // Actual recipes from the story included!
Cons
My opinions are Becca are polarized; I find her at times endearing and at others, completely intolerable // Predictable friends-to-lovers romance subplot // Would have been better without the "happily ever after" romance, just as an adult coming-of-age novel // All secondary characters seem like plot devices rather than real people // Voice is easy to read, but tries WAY too hard to be funny... ends up being not even remotely funny
Verdict
If you're in the mood for a cheesy contemporary romance whose premise will give any far-fetched soap opera a run for its money, you'd best give How to Bake a Man a try. Following the quarter-life crisis of a woman with little confidence but lots of baking vision, this friends-to-lovers story has an amusing story line, but is abundant in problems with characterization, voice, and authenticity. I like that Jessica Barksdale Inclán pursued a baking enthusiast's take on chick lit, but found it to be too all over the place to take seriously. I could have appreciated it more if it was satirical, extraordinarily well-written, or "packed with charm, sparkling humor, and a genuinely unforgettable cast" as advertised, but sadly, it was none of the above.
Rating: 4 out of 10 hearts (2 stars): So-so; reading this book may cause wrinkles (from frowning so much).
Source
Complimentary advanced reading copy provided by tour publicist via publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, TLC Book Tours and Ghostwoods Books!).
I'm new to this author, but was drawn to How to Bake a Man because it reads very contemporary—very feathery and cheerful and cutesy. The lightness of mood, however, comes at the expense of substance and depth, which this book thinks it has—slightly worse of an offense than a book that intentionally has no substance at all.
There are so many issues with the plot in terms of believability and (personal) tolerability, even for a romantic comedy-sque novel:
1. Becca Muchmore is a grad school dropout experiencing a crippling crisis after a terrible breakup.
Have we ever encountered anything more cliché?
2. To make ends meet, she starts a baked goods company, since baking has always been her lifelong passion. Immediately and effortlessly, she is picked up by the town's most prestigious law firm and asked to cater for their entire office; her business is a huge hit immediately.
Naturally.
3. At work, Becca meets Jennifer, the "ogress" of an antagonist of the story, who is her skinnier, prettier, smarter, wealthier, and more successful doppelgänger. She develops an obsession with Jennifer.
It is very uncomfortable.
4. Becca begins to suspect that Jennifer's equally perfect boyfriend is her soul mate. Her, as in Becca's, absolutely not Jennifer's.
Unrealistic dialogue and some very heavy petting occur.
5. Becca realizes she is terribly, terribly wrong about the soul mate thing... but all's okay because her actual soul mate turns out to be (at the last minute) her best friend. It was him all along! Surprise central!
As if the plot wasn't enough of a mess already.
Being a romance fanatic myself, I don't say this often... but the main love story should have been kept out of this book entirely. It would have made for a much cleaner, sharper novel about the coming-of-age of an unlikely heroine who finds herself, along with her true passions, by first being slammed with the harsh reality that is life. Instead, How to Bake a Man went the typical, overused route where Becca Muchmore faces a few career-related and personal complications (which, judging by the degree of their silliness and lack of depth, would only happen in some chick flick... or in this book) but instead ends up finding the love of her life in an unexpected—but entirely obvious—place.
Becca's obsession with Jennifer, her lookalike, is also really, really weird, and I don't understand how it even fits in with the main plot. There's so much concentration on this strange coincidence of her meeting a woman that could be her twin, that I thought the book was heading in the direction of The Parent Trap; alas, the situation didn't really give me such satisfaction, as it didn't have much purpose.
What's so ridiculously unappealing to me is how lacking in dimension and originality all the secondary characters are. They are written with such forced humor that they become laughable tropes. The only non-singular character is Becca, whom I'm conflicted about because I at once hate her and like (not love) her. On one hand she's delusional and really slow-witted—neither lovable nor admirable—but on the other, she's genuine and klutzy in an endearing way. Inclán could have strengthened the book immensely just by revising Becca's character (not to mention that of the rest).
The saving grace of the book is how much attention is given to all the desserts Becca bakes. Scattered among the chapters, are anecdotes on how each of her sugary, buttery treats is meaningful to her, along with full recipes. The absurd story made me really angry, but the recipes left me starving.
I now have felt everything, having finally experienced what it means to be hangry.
Pros
Light-hearted tone, like a cheesy rom-com movie // Well paced // Inclán has a warm, attentive writing style that makes Becca, the narrator, seem more personable // Actual recipes from the story included!
Cons
My opinions are Becca are polarized; I find her at times endearing and at others, completely intolerable // Predictable friends-to-lovers romance subplot // Would have been better without the "happily ever after" romance, just as an adult coming-of-age novel // All secondary characters seem like plot devices rather than real people // Voice is easy to read, but tries WAY too hard to be funny... ends up being not even remotely funny
Verdict
If you're in the mood for a cheesy contemporary romance whose premise will give any far-fetched soap opera a run for its money, you'd best give How to Bake a Man a try. Following the quarter-life crisis of a woman with little confidence but lots of baking vision, this friends-to-lovers story has an amusing story line, but is abundant in problems with characterization, voice, and authenticity. I like that Jessica Barksdale Inclán pursued a baking enthusiast's take on chick lit, but found it to be too all over the place to take seriously. I could have appreciated it more if it was satirical, extraordinarily well-written, or "packed with charm, sparkling humor, and a genuinely unforgettable cast" as advertised, but sadly, it was none of the above.
Rating: 4 out of 10 hearts (2 stars): So-so; reading this book may cause wrinkles (from frowning so much).
Source
Complimentary advanced reading copy provided by tour publicist via publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, TLC Book Tours and Ghostwoods Books!).
December 3, 2014
I first have to say that I really don't like the title of this book...to me it makes me think of some Weird Science-esque things going on where a woman is trying to create the perfect man! It also makes you think that the main character's only goal is to find a boyfriend. Both of these suppositions are not the case.
Becca is in her late twenties and still hasn't really found her career, so she tries to go back to graduate school to see if that will help. It doesn't; she lasts less than one whole day. She comes up with the idea that she should make a living off of something she's good at--which is baking. Soon Becca is the proud owner of a dessert cart and selling her delectable creations at a busy law office.
It doesn't take long before a sexy attorney catches her eye. The problem is, he's already the office bitch's boyfriend. As Becca begins to spend more time around the office, she learns a bit more about how things there work and some secrets she doesn't even want to know. But will she use them to her own advantage?
I loved the idea of a woman starting her own business from scratch, but that's about all I loved about this book. Becca is 27 years old, and she acts at least ten years younger. She's kind of whiny, still depends on her mother for a lot even though she's rather disrespectful to her, and is apparently not too bright if she can't see what the readers see: that the neighbor guy who's been by her side since the beginning of it all is madly in love with her.
Becca also falls for the sexy attorney when she first sets eyes on him and immediately begins imagining scenarios where they are together. I didn't think anyone over the age of 16 did this. Everything that happens to Becca in this book was a little too unrealistic for me, from the ease of starting her business to the way she got guys.
I liked a few of the secondary characters, but that's about it, because a lot of characters were stereotypes. There were also strings of plots that were hinted at but ultimately went nowhere.
I like a good chick lit novel, but this wasn't particularly funny or sweet or touching, I'm sad to say.
Becca is in her late twenties and still hasn't really found her career, so she tries to go back to graduate school to see if that will help. It doesn't; she lasts less than one whole day. She comes up with the idea that she should make a living off of something she's good at--which is baking. Soon Becca is the proud owner of a dessert cart and selling her delectable creations at a busy law office.
It doesn't take long before a sexy attorney catches her eye. The problem is, he's already the office bitch's boyfriend. As Becca begins to spend more time around the office, she learns a bit more about how things there work and some secrets she doesn't even want to know. But will she use them to her own advantage?
I loved the idea of a woman starting her own business from scratch, but that's about all I loved about this book. Becca is 27 years old, and she acts at least ten years younger. She's kind of whiny, still depends on her mother for a lot even though she's rather disrespectful to her, and is apparently not too bright if she can't see what the readers see: that the neighbor guy who's been by her side since the beginning of it all is madly in love with her.
Becca also falls for the sexy attorney when she first sets eyes on him and immediately begins imagining scenarios where they are together. I didn't think anyone over the age of 16 did this. Everything that happens to Becca in this book was a little too unrealistic for me, from the ease of starting her business to the way she got guys.
I liked a few of the secondary characters, but that's about it, because a lot of characters were stereotypes. There were also strings of plots that were hinted at but ultimately went nowhere.
I like a good chick lit novel, but this wasn't particularly funny or sweet or touching, I'm sad to say.
November 18, 2014
A cute quasi coming of age story involving Becca Munchmore, a 27 year old finally finding her footing in life and love. She’s on the precipice of sheltered, controlled by critical mother and emotionally immature. Finally she takes a leap on her own and pursues her passion of baking. She’s a charming character, endearing narrative as the reader follows her on her path of self discovery and love. Bonus, the book contains delicious recipes.
Becca is a warm character and I like the whole baking concept, very clever and added a distinct charm to both character and narrative. The approach the author took was sentimental plausible and enjoyable. I’m sure the younger audience will understand Becca’s situation in some capacity if not all. She comes across as weak but as you read on it isn’t a matter of lacking strength it’s a matter of truly not knowing border lining on fear/naivety/innocence, not knowing in the sense of what you want or who you are exactly. All around read of claiming adulthood and your place, discovering love as well.
A cute story with an absolutely lovable character living life her way as she discovers who she is and what’s right in front of her. She controls her destiny without parental control. Fast paced enjoyable story.
Becca is a warm character and I like the whole baking concept, very clever and added a distinct charm to both character and narrative. The approach the author took was sentimental plausible and enjoyable. I’m sure the younger audience will understand Becca’s situation in some capacity if not all. She comes across as weak but as you read on it isn’t a matter of lacking strength it’s a matter of truly not knowing border lining on fear/naivety/innocence, not knowing in the sense of what you want or who you are exactly. All around read of claiming adulthood and your place, discovering love as well.
A cute story with an absolutely lovable character living life her way as she discovers who she is and what’s right in front of her. She controls her destiny without parental control. Fast paced enjoyable story.
October 26, 2014
Romance with recipes! What more could a person ask for? At 27 Rebecca "Becca" Muchmore quits a perfectly good job in order to go back to school, thing is once she gets there she feels realizes she isn't crazy about school, and is only really happy when she is baking so she decides she will drop out of school and start her own dessert business called Becca's Best Bakery. So with start up money from her mother, and help from her friend Sal, and more hope than she has felt in ages she begins a new chapter in her life.
Becca's character was so easy to like, I sort of felt like How To Bake A Man was a coming of age story as Becca's journey allowed her to grow into the person she was intended to be. Visually descriptive writing certainly allowed me to step into the story, and kept me interested. I loved the character of Sal, Becca's neighbor who offers to help her, not only with her baking business but with dispensing plenty of opinions as well. I could easily envision his 1972 Cutlass Supreme, it was like a character in itself.The characters in the office building were quite varied. A good blending of self discovery, romance, recipes and great characters made this a fast paced easy to read story.
Becca's character was so easy to like, I sort of felt like How To Bake A Man was a coming of age story as Becca's journey allowed her to grow into the person she was intended to be. Visually descriptive writing certainly allowed me to step into the story, and kept me interested. I loved the character of Sal, Becca's neighbor who offers to help her, not only with her baking business but with dispensing plenty of opinions as well. I could easily envision his 1972 Cutlass Supreme, it was like a character in itself.The characters in the office building were quite varied. A good blending of self discovery, romance, recipes and great characters made this a fast paced easy to read story.
November 17, 2014
A copy was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
Do you ever feel like you have no direction in life and should have done something, anything more with your life?
Have you ever met a person you could not stop thinking about to the point of it taking over your day? I don’t mean being attracted to someone, I mean some random person you have no attraction to. Maybe someone you really don’t like.
Have you ever really wanted to be with someone so much you could not think about being with anyone else, ever?
Does it seem like everyone around you is with the wrong person? Little love triangles where person A is looking in longingly at the love of their life who is dating someone else knowing they are wrong for each other and they should be with person A.
Do baked goods make everything wrong in your life better?
How to Bake a Man is a sweet, pun intended, funny diary of a single woman trying to figure out her life while living in San Francisco and baking up amazing treats.
Do you ever feel like you have no direction in life and should have done something, anything more with your life?
Have you ever met a person you could not stop thinking about to the point of it taking over your day? I don’t mean being attracted to someone, I mean some random person you have no attraction to. Maybe someone you really don’t like.
Have you ever really wanted to be with someone so much you could not think about being with anyone else, ever?
Does it seem like everyone around you is with the wrong person? Little love triangles where person A is looking in longingly at the love of their life who is dating someone else knowing they are wrong for each other and they should be with person A.
Do baked goods make everything wrong in your life better?
How to Bake a Man is a sweet, pun intended, funny diary of a single woman trying to figure out her life while living in San Francisco and baking up amazing treats.
November 17, 2014
This was rather horrible. An entitled, privileged woman named Rebecca goes into a downward spiral after a breakup. She proceeds to drop out of grad school, quit her job and open up a bakery. Within the course of a week, she unknowingly starts selling her baked goods at a law office where her thinner, prettier and more successful doppelgänger works. This more perfect doppelgänger has the boyfriend that delusional Rebecca thinks that she deserves. She convinces herself that this man would be better with her because the doppelgänger is a manipulative bitch. Aha, but the clincher is that the doppelgänger is cheating on the perfect boyfriend with her colleague who is *gasp* married. The ludicrous drama proceeds and by the end of the book, I'm just exhausted and confused. Oh, and hungry. This book was all over the place and too far-fetched for me to enjoy.
The only thing saving this book from a 1 star was the level of detail used to describe the delicious baked goods and recipes. Otherwise, this was a dud. Luckily, it was a Netgalley freebie.
The only thing saving this book from a 1 star was the level of detail used to describe the delicious baked goods and recipes. Otherwise, this was a dud. Luckily, it was a Netgalley freebie.
November 23, 2014
Becca's whole world is about to change. That is where the book starts off. Becca like most of us in our adults is struggling to find her happiness in life. That is what had me hooked from the first few sentences. Jessica Barksdale Inclan creates a world of relatable characters, she is a wonderfully descriptive author who creates intriguing characters. Definitely a worthy read for your bookshelf.
April 6, 2015
I loved this book. Is it too much to say it is still making me hungry? Not only for cookies, muffins, and cakes, but for romantic love and its infinite possibilities. Jessica Barksdale Inclan is a writer that goes beyond the tropes to gather all the strings - not only those of the heart, but of the mind and body, as well. Plus (and this is not a spoiler alert!), there are recipes attached! Yummy reading, for sure.
December 25, 2014
I really enjoyed How to Bake a Man. Becca is adrift in her life, but she slowly figures out what she wants out of life. I admit that the situation between Becca, Jennifer, and Jeff was odd. They were all stuck in similar situations and Becca was the catalyst on helping them all get out of their ruts. Sal gets a star all to himself because I really loved him; he was fantastic. I also enjoyed the description of all the baked goods.
October 30, 2014
I found this book to be a great read--perfect for an autumn weekend. A clever mash-up a novel and a recipe resource, it's written with humor and wit, led by a lovable character in Becca that I could see being played by Amy Adams or Anne Hathaway in a film version. Inclan has skill with catchy dialog, and a plot that moves along nicely. Highly recommended to lift the spirits!
January 10, 2015
I can't wait 'til this becomes a popular rom-com!
October 9, 2019
Reviewed by JoAnne
Book provided by the author
was very repetitive on an almost daily basis.Ìý Each chapter started with Recipe: and the name of a baked good and then a reference to it.Ìý The story only covered a short span since it began in early September and continued on until September 21 when it jumped to January of the next year.Ìý September had a lot going on with Becca opening a business making and selling desserts and breakfast sandwiches to lawyers and other office workers while walking up and down their hallways selling her treats.Ìý Sal, her neighbor, friend and co-worker who had no experience with food seemed to fit right in to the corporate offices in a Saturday Night Fever kind of way.Ìý She did her baking in her small apartment, froze goodies in her freezer, one belonging to Sal's friend and her mother's.Ìý She recruited her mother to also do some baking for her.Ìý Her best friend, who lived on the East coast with her husband and twin babies, was always a lifeline away and Becca needed a lot of them.
There were a lot of stories going on at the same time and some of the loose ends never were tied up.Ìý Her dad was in and out of her life but she never gave him a chance since he left her and her mom when she was young.Ìý Her mom was also bitter as a result.Ìý There were a lot of love interests and potential love interests but no one seemed to know who belonged with who or was attracted to who and we seemed to go in circles.Ìý There were family and friends, recipes, food, uncertainty, anger, tears, soap operas, secrets, homeless people, laughter, innuendos, some romance and love.
There were a lot of references to snow globes since Becca's dad used to collect them for her when he was away on trips.Ìý There was a lot ofÌý food and baked goods and more recipes in the back than I would have imagined and I will give some of them a try.Ìý There were a few happily-ever-afters in the offing and some twists and turns along the way.Ìý The ending took me completely by surprise but was a nice touch and gave nice closure.
Inclan was a new to me author.Ìý I might give another one or two of her books a try and see if I get more invested in them.
Book provided by the author
was very repetitive on an almost daily basis.Ìý Each chapter started with Recipe: and the name of a baked good and then a reference to it.Ìý The story only covered a short span since it began in early September and continued on until September 21 when it jumped to January of the next year.Ìý September had a lot going on with Becca opening a business making and selling desserts and breakfast sandwiches to lawyers and other office workers while walking up and down their hallways selling her treats.Ìý Sal, her neighbor, friend and co-worker who had no experience with food seemed to fit right in to the corporate offices in a Saturday Night Fever kind of way.Ìý She did her baking in her small apartment, froze goodies in her freezer, one belonging to Sal's friend and her mother's.Ìý She recruited her mother to also do some baking for her.Ìý Her best friend, who lived on the East coast with her husband and twin babies, was always a lifeline away and Becca needed a lot of them.
There were a lot of stories going on at the same time and some of the loose ends never were tied up.Ìý Her dad was in and out of her life but she never gave him a chance since he left her and her mom when she was young.Ìý Her mom was also bitter as a result.Ìý There were a lot of love interests and potential love interests but no one seemed to know who belonged with who or was attracted to who and we seemed to go in circles.Ìý There were family and friends, recipes, food, uncertainty, anger, tears, soap operas, secrets, homeless people, laughter, innuendos, some romance and love.
There were a lot of references to snow globes since Becca's dad used to collect them for her when he was away on trips.Ìý There was a lot ofÌý food and baked goods and more recipes in the back than I would have imagined and I will give some of them a try.Ìý There were a few happily-ever-afters in the offing and some twists and turns along the way.Ìý The ending took me completely by surprise but was a nice touch and gave nice closure.
Inclan was a new to me author.Ìý I might give another one or two of her books a try and see if I get more invested in them.
November 19, 2014
How to Bake a Man, Jessica Barksdale Inclan,
Review from jeannie zelos book reviews
Genre: Romance, Humour
Well, sometimes I want a light, fluffy humorous book � all that angst and emotion I love to read needs some contrast, and I’d gone through several dramatic books so this sounded just perfect. Sadly though I didn’t like this one.
My biggest problem was Becca. Whiny, flighty, seeming to think everything and everyone should do as she wants, I just couldn't take to her. Her baking business was terribly slick to set up and get customers � OK it’s fiction, but there needs to be a bit of realism, and she seemed to have no problems with funding, kitchen inspections, licences, transport and customers. It looked like one day she decides to run a baking business and a few days later its up and running...Life isn’t anywhere near like that, and I’d have more respect if she’d hit a few problems, or it took longer. Anyone who’s done anything like this knows that Councils especially take weeks to make inspections and decisions. Also I can’t see how she could produce all those lovely goods herself in a domestic kitchen, or how just one office block could support a business.
Poor old Sal, he was a gem and yet she took his help for granted � there’s not even a mention of her providing even fuel money for his car, she just expects him to do her bidding. When she first had the idea surely she should have though about transport? Clearly though she didn’t....She seems to be one of life’s entitled takers, and when she happens upon Jeff she decides she’s in love and he’d be better off with her rather than his girlfriend � who co incidentally is Becca’s double. She knows nothing about her except office gossip, and the fact she’s seen and been subject to some of her nastiness. For all she knows Jeff too could be like that! Jeff seemed to me to be a wimp � what she saw in him on that instant look to fall in love I don’t know, and his subsequent behaviour was not anything to improve my view of him.
The best of the group were Sal, a gem of a man and very under appreciated, and Sasha and Chad from the office where she sold her goods. There were odd storylines that seemed to go nowhere, such as the start where we see her at uni, the fact of Jennifer and Becca looking so alike, her dad’s new marriage, and the lack of contact with him when she as a child...To me those story lines seemed like padding. I was waiting for some kind of connection further down the book, but found nothing so what was the point of them? I could have missed something though, as by halfway I was so bored I skim read to the end.
Its not one for me, but I can see its got a huge number of fans so once again its an example of how not all books suit all readers, nothing to do with quality of the book, simply differing tastes. The biscuits and cakes though � they were five stars!!
Stars: Two, just not one for me
ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers
October 24, 2014
How to Bake a Man is an enjoyable chick lit read.We follow Becca through a mid-20s crisis, which results in her throwing off others' expectations and starting her dream job. Becca figures out her small business as she goes with the help of her mother and quirky neighbor Sal. This alone was a promising premise but then things became complicated as we meet the law firm employees where Becca sells her baked goods. Yes, there's a love interest. Yes, that love interest is dating the woman from hell. Yes, that doesn't deter Becca from developing her crush.
(Here I need to say I'm tired of plots where the hero or heroine is in a relationship with someone else, especially when that someone else is so obviously horrible, and especially when it appears the reader (or viewer- I'm looking at you, Hallmark Channel) is supposed to root for infidelity.)
Each chapter starts out with a description of a cookie or other baked item. Both the description and the treat play a role in the ensuing pages and was one of my favorite parts of the book. Bonus: the recipes are included in the back of the book. I also liked Becca's wry observations about dating, which I greatly related to.
I had a hard time putting it down. I liked seeing Becca follow after her dreams and how this set into motion a bunch of other positive changes into her life. Very encouraging to me as I'm the middle of my own transition season. I liked the character development that occurs with her mother and neighbor Sal. The eventual love interest is an unexpected choice but it works.
But there were a few minor snags.
Becca has quirks and neuroses. She is 27 years old but seemingly an immature 27. I kept wondering if I was viewing my own mid-20s with rose-colored glasses but I couldn't see myself or my friends in Becca. I often didn't understand her decisions or the way she related to certain people in her life. But maybe I'm just persnickety.
(Here I need to say I'm tired of plots where the hero or heroine is in a relationship with someone else, especially when that someone else is so obviously horrible, and especially when it appears the reader (or viewer- I'm looking at you, Hallmark Channel) is supposed to root for infidelity.)
Each chapter starts out with a description of a cookie or other baked item. Both the description and the treat play a role in the ensuing pages and was one of my favorite parts of the book. Bonus: the recipes are included in the back of the book. I also liked Becca's wry observations about dating, which I greatly related to.
I had a hard time putting it down. I liked seeing Becca follow after her dreams and how this set into motion a bunch of other positive changes into her life. Very encouraging to me as I'm the middle of my own transition season. I liked the character development that occurs with her mother and neighbor Sal. The eventual love interest is an unexpected choice but it works.
But there were a few minor snags.
Becca has quirks and neuroses. She is 27 years old but seemingly an immature 27. I kept wondering if I was viewing my own mid-20s with rose-colored glasses but I couldn't see myself or my friends in Becca. I often didn't understand her decisions or the way she related to certain people in her life. But maybe I'm just persnickety.
December 15, 2014
How to Bake a Man by Jessica Barksdale Inclan is a deliciously fun read with great characters and yummy recipes!
Becca is in one of the oldest students in her grad school class and very uncomfortable with it when she realizes that going back to school really isn’t what she wants. She wants to bake. She’s loved to bake since she was a young girl learning from her mother. So she makes a life changing decision to drop out of school and follow her dream of eventually owning her own bakery.
Becca gets all the paperwork in order and even manages to land herself a job delivering up her baked treats to an office building. Her hope is that she will soon be delivering to even more businesses and word of her phenomenal baking will spread. With the help of her mother and her neighbor Sal she begins her venture. What she doesn’t plan on is meeting Jennifer, her look-a-like at the office. The two of them are polar opposites in personality though as Jennifer is evil to everyone and Becca can’t believe how she treats people. She also doesn’t plan on meeting Jeff, a man she feels an instant connection to. The problem � he is Jennifer’s boyfriend but when he shows an interest in Becca she is over the moon and can’t resist seeing where it will go. Yet is Jeff really everything she’s ever wanted or is she missing out on a true love that may be sitting right under her nose.
I really liked Becca. She’s funny and vulnerable and just the kind of person you could picture being good friends with. Then there are those wonderful mouth watering recipes she’s always whipping up. Who wouldn’t want a friend like that? One that would invite you for coffee and serve up some Sugar Cookies, Sand Tarts, Snickerdoodles, or Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese glaze. Yummo! The other characters were great as well and even though Jennifer was so evil to everyone I didn’t even hate her. Actually I found her quite amusing at times. If I had one complaint it would have been that I would have liked to find out more about the connection that Becca and Jennifer may or may not have had. That’s a minor detail though as the story itself is just delightful and a wonderful way to spend a snowy afternoon.
For fans of sweet romances and even sweeter recipes How to Bake a Man is certainly one to add to your reading list!
Becca is in one of the oldest students in her grad school class and very uncomfortable with it when she realizes that going back to school really isn’t what she wants. She wants to bake. She’s loved to bake since she was a young girl learning from her mother. So she makes a life changing decision to drop out of school and follow her dream of eventually owning her own bakery.
Becca gets all the paperwork in order and even manages to land herself a job delivering up her baked treats to an office building. Her hope is that she will soon be delivering to even more businesses and word of her phenomenal baking will spread. With the help of her mother and her neighbor Sal she begins her venture. What she doesn’t plan on is meeting Jennifer, her look-a-like at the office. The two of them are polar opposites in personality though as Jennifer is evil to everyone and Becca can’t believe how she treats people. She also doesn’t plan on meeting Jeff, a man she feels an instant connection to. The problem � he is Jennifer’s boyfriend but when he shows an interest in Becca she is over the moon and can’t resist seeing where it will go. Yet is Jeff really everything she’s ever wanted or is she missing out on a true love that may be sitting right under her nose.
I really liked Becca. She’s funny and vulnerable and just the kind of person you could picture being good friends with. Then there are those wonderful mouth watering recipes she’s always whipping up. Who wouldn’t want a friend like that? One that would invite you for coffee and serve up some Sugar Cookies, Sand Tarts, Snickerdoodles, or Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese glaze. Yummo! The other characters were great as well and even though Jennifer was so evil to everyone I didn’t even hate her. Actually I found her quite amusing at times. If I had one complaint it would have been that I would have liked to find out more about the connection that Becca and Jennifer may or may not have had. That’s a minor detail though as the story itself is just delightful and a wonderful way to spend a snowy afternoon.
For fans of sweet romances and even sweeter recipes How to Bake a Man is certainly one to add to your reading list!
November 5, 2014
Review Excerpt:
This is definitely a chick lit book for food lovers with a sweet tooth--it is fun and as light and fluffy as an angel food cake. It will also make you crave a chocolate chip cookie, blueberry muffin, cinnamon roll or a slice of rum cake--maybe even all of them at once. I had not read anything by Jessica Barkdale Inclán before, but it is clear she writes food really well--each chapter starts with a recipe description that made me hungry, even for baked goods that aren't particular favorites of mine like gingerbread and cheesecake. (Many of these recipes can be found at the back of the book.) It did take me a while to warm up to the main character Becca--for a 27-year-old, I thought she lacked maturity and was quite the drama queen. At times it was amusing, at times her all-about-me-all-the-time focus got a bit old. More likable right away were the male leads--Jeff, the handsome attorney boyfriend of Jennifer, Becca's evil-acting doppelganger, and Sal, Becca's supportive and funny neighbor. Becca does grow through the book and her character becomes more appealing as she does (plus, you have to like someone who makes magic in the kitchen and takes the time to give her leftover products to the homeless each day). A quick and entertaining read--chick lit fans, lovers of foodie fiction, romance readers, and those looking for a cute story that comes with some mouthwatering recipes will enjoy this book.
You can see my full review and see a recipe inspired by the book on my blog post here:
Note: A review copy of "How To Bake a Man" was provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is definitely a chick lit book for food lovers with a sweet tooth--it is fun and as light and fluffy as an angel food cake. It will also make you crave a chocolate chip cookie, blueberry muffin, cinnamon roll or a slice of rum cake--maybe even all of them at once. I had not read anything by Jessica Barkdale Inclán before, but it is clear she writes food really well--each chapter starts with a recipe description that made me hungry, even for baked goods that aren't particular favorites of mine like gingerbread and cheesecake. (Many of these recipes can be found at the back of the book.) It did take me a while to warm up to the main character Becca--for a 27-year-old, I thought she lacked maturity and was quite the drama queen. At times it was amusing, at times her all-about-me-all-the-time focus got a bit old. More likable right away were the male leads--Jeff, the handsome attorney boyfriend of Jennifer, Becca's evil-acting doppelganger, and Sal, Becca's supportive and funny neighbor. Becca does grow through the book and her character becomes more appealing as she does (plus, you have to like someone who makes magic in the kitchen and takes the time to give her leftover products to the homeless each day). A quick and entertaining read--chick lit fans, lovers of foodie fiction, romance readers, and those looking for a cute story that comes with some mouthwatering recipes will enjoy this book.
You can see my full review and see a recipe inspired by the book on my blog post here:
Note: A review copy of "How To Bake a Man" was provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 28, 2014
How to Bake a Man is another book that I have read lately that while I liked the overall story, I didn't love it. It was overall a cute story about a woman who starts a baking business and finds love in the one place she didn't suspect. The story has the feel of a rom-com movie.
It also has some fun characters.I loved Sal and his "takes" on life. They were clever and amusing. They were also a way to subtly convey messages to those he told them to. I also enjoyed the little bits of baking wisdom that were included at the beginning of each chapter. I found those to be entertaining and a nice addition to the story. I was also very hungry while reading this and with all of the baked goods described, I swear I gained 5 pounds by osmosis!
What I didn't care for was Becca and her journey to finding love. I didn't see the insta-love feeling between her and Jeff. They weren't together enough for me to really feel the attraction. I have always said that I can't like a character that I don't respect. I lost respect for Becca about halfway through the book. First she looks down on Jennifer for cheating on Jeff, but then soon after she almost has sex with Jeff while he is still with Jennifer. That was kind of a WTF moment for me and took the book down a few levels. I know a lot of readers can over look that, but I just can't.
I think fans of foodie books will like this story. Just make sure to eat a full meal before you read it or you might find yourself at your local bakery trying to satisfy that craving for a brownie or scone!
It also has some fun characters.I loved Sal and his "takes" on life. They were clever and amusing. They were also a way to subtly convey messages to those he told them to. I also enjoyed the little bits of baking wisdom that were included at the beginning of each chapter. I found those to be entertaining and a nice addition to the story. I was also very hungry while reading this and with all of the baked goods described, I swear I gained 5 pounds by osmosis!
What I didn't care for was Becca and her journey to finding love. I didn't see the insta-love feeling between her and Jeff. They weren't together enough for me to really feel the attraction. I have always said that I can't like a character that I don't respect. I lost respect for Becca about halfway through the book. First she looks down on Jennifer for cheating on Jeff, but then soon after she almost has sex with Jeff while he is still with Jennifer. That was kind of a WTF moment for me and took the book down a few levels. I know a lot of readers can over look that, but I just can't.
I think fans of foodie books will like this story. Just make sure to eat a full meal before you read it or you might find yourself at your local bakery trying to satisfy that craving for a brownie or scone!
November 18, 2014
If Becca Muchmore pushed her cart around my workplace, I'd be gaining some serious poundage. I'm glad I got to indulge my love of baked goods vicariously through this sweet novel. While there have been other novels that incorporated real recipes and sometimes it can feel gimmicky, that wasn't the case here. I think that the use of the recipes added another dimension to bringing Becca and her treats to life. The characters in this book felt very real to me. Through the author's description of them and through the dialogue, I got a good sense of what they looked like, and how they sounded. I was intrigued by Jennifer, Becca's doppelganger, and I found the homeless men endearing. Salvatore Souza is definitely a favorite, and I can totally picture the cowboy boots and his swagger.
While some may write this novel off as typical "chick lit", I thought that it was a fun read that kept my attention going--I think it took me just two days to finish it. I usually give books 50 pages to capture my attention and if it fails to do that by then, I do not waste any more time on it. I felt that the author gave each of her characters their own personality and voice. Many people in their late 20s might feel like Rebecca--lost, not sure what to do with her life. Her struggle to figure that all out and coupled with the fact that she wasn't brimming with confidence made her all the more likeable and relatable to me. This is a sweet novel with heart.
While some may write this novel off as typical "chick lit", I thought that it was a fun read that kept my attention going--I think it took me just two days to finish it. I usually give books 50 pages to capture my attention and if it fails to do that by then, I do not waste any more time on it. I felt that the author gave each of her characters their own personality and voice. Many people in their late 20s might feel like Rebecca--lost, not sure what to do with her life. Her struggle to figure that all out and coupled with the fact that she wasn't brimming with confidence made her all the more likeable and relatable to me. This is a sweet novel with heart.
Read
December 23, 2014Becca Muchmore walked away from her job and decided to go back to grad school. However, she’s uncomfortable in school and leaves when she decides to open her own business. No one seems to believe in her besides her neighbor Sal who helps her with baking and delivery. Becca is delivering her baked delights to a bunch of hungry lawyers, but quickly gets caught up in the law office’s politics. The office mean girl looks just like Becca, but more put-together with a perfect boyfriend and the life Becca thinks she wants. However, some things look better than they truly are. HOW TO BAKE A MAN is a fun, foodsy, light romance. I wasn’t really sympathetic toward Becca until the end of the story, but I did enjoy the dessert descriptions at the beginning of each chapter. I found Sal and the other secondary characters more fully formed than Becca. Becca’s story, however, is a very encouraging one as she works to better her life and find success on her own terms. HOW TO BAKE A MAN is a charming story with some delicious recipes at the end.
December 15, 2014
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Becca Muchmore has dropped out of grad school and wants to follow her true passion of baking and falls into a great job baking for a law firm. Although not an employee of the law firm she becomes embroiled in the office drama and politics and maybe even into the personal lives of some of the employees.
Becca Muchmore was an interesting character, but the lack of flow in this book kept me from completely falling in love with the character and the book. There were a few moments where she started daydreaming and it took me a moment to realize that it wasn't live action and that we were just in her thoughts. The other thing that didn't make me completely love the book was how quickly Becca changed her mind about the men in her life - it was a quick headsnap change and I wish there had been a little more.
Becca Muchmore has dropped out of grad school and wants to follow her true passion of baking and falls into a great job baking for a law firm. Although not an employee of the law firm she becomes embroiled in the office drama and politics and maybe even into the personal lives of some of the employees.
Becca Muchmore was an interesting character, but the lack of flow in this book kept me from completely falling in love with the character and the book. There were a few moments where she started daydreaming and it took me a moment to realize that it wasn't live action and that we were just in her thoughts. The other thing that didn't make me completely love the book was how quickly Becca changed her mind about the men in her life - it was a quick headsnap change and I wish there had been a little more.
November 7, 2015
Fairly standard romance novel fare. Woman who was so devastated by her last break-up that she's still pining after several years decides she needs a Life Change and in the process of her Life Change has TWO love interests. This one's set around a baker who needs a Life Change. I bought this because it was a Kindle Daily Deal and the recommender said it wasn't a "typical romance novel." I'd have to say it was typical, though romance novels aren't my fave. I also didn't really get how the title related to the book--I thought it was going to be like "here's the ingredients you need to get the perfect man," but it did not do that.
There were a few typos/grammar issues in my version--maybe it's just a Kindle quirk?
There were a few typos/grammar issues in my version--maybe it's just a Kindle quirk?
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