Comfort Food

THIS WAS NOT A 'COMFORT' READ

After reading The Friday Night Knitting Club and loving it, I had to read this one also. I waited a long time for this one at my library and then 'pulled the bookmark' after 60 pages. Gus was 50? I felt like she was more like 70 in her demeanor and the way she dressed. It was boring and poorly written in my opinion. If she's writing another one I hope it'll be a big improvement over this one. This is why I don't buy books and why I borrow them from the library -- so I can return them and not feel guilty that I didn't finish a book.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Do not bother reading this tedious book...

This is a terrible read and not to be recommended - the characters are shallow and formulaic and the plot line is non-existent. An ultimately forgettable read - save yourself time and money and avoid this book entirely -it is not worth picking up, even less so reading it.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Comfort Food

On the cusp of 50, Gus Simpson, a celebrated Food Network host, is about to ¿reinvent¿ herself, much to her dismay. Her cooking show ratings are dropping and the new producer decides to take the show in a different direction, spice it up a bit, with the diva of all diva cooks, Carmen Vega. Carmen, is a former Miss Spain and tends to forget she¿s in America, and Americans don¿t care that she was Miss Spain. Oh, but they¿ll never forget, if Carmen has anything to do with it.
Gus, accidentally brings her entire extended family, people who¿s paths otherwise would never have crossed, onto a filming of the new show and viewers love it. This unlikely pack of friends and family come together, in a hilarious comedy of errors, making the show a hit and giving Gus the second wind she needs for the second half of her life.

I made the mistake of absolutely loving Kate Jacobs first novel, The Friday Night Knitting Club, and having high expectations for this second novel. In the end it did not disappoint, however, it took a good 100 pages to grab my interest and persuade me to keep going, hoping it would get better; and indeed it did. However, I was getting a little worried. In the end this was a delightful book with a wonderful unexpected ending. The characters where folks next door and from each of our own lives. People we know, have known or could be ourselves. Please pick up this book and have a wonderful read.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Why is Everyone Hating on This So Much?

CD/Unabridged: This is my first Kate Jacobs book and it was fun. It's about a woman who just turned 50 and is the perky host of a cable cooking show. Think Paula Dean, only thinner. She is a widow with two daughters when her professional life falls apart. Her show is in jeopardy of getting the boot when a Spanish internet host joins her show: think Penelope Cruz. There is a wide cast of characters including the bald, handsome producer, disgraced ex-tennis player neighbor, daughter's boyfriend still in the picture, and group counselor. I found most of the book enjoyable with the right amount of drama and tension mixed with comedy and lilt. The best part is Oliver stuck in the elevator by himself. The narrator, Barbara Rosenblat, does a great job with the different voices and accents. I had to slow down my listening because I didn't want it to end. I do recommend this and a good summertime read.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

disappointing

I have read Ms Jacobs' other works and find them moving from fun and entertaining to something that seems to have been written quickly for a sitcom. I really did enjoy Friday Night Knitting Club.

LOVED it

I enjoy Kate Jacobs and this was my 3rd book from her. This book had a Julia Child like character mixed with Martha Stewart. The book is an easy read, was fun and entertaining. I LOVED reading this and would recommend it to anyone. This is a great rainy day story and I hope Kate writes more like this.

Delicious

Fab, Fab fab. Fun and Funny. Playful and addictive.

Great book club read!

This is a wonderful story that celebrates food and freindship. What more can I say? A fabulous book from the author of Friday Night Knitting Club makes for great book club material. Interesting characters with lots of dilemmas to dish.

Abominable

I heard great things about her first book, but after reading this one, I don't even want to attempt her first book, "Friday Night Knitting Club." The story never grabbed my attention. All the characters were immature & unprofessional & I don't see how they ever got a show in the first place. It was poorly written with no plot, & the dialogue atrocious (one thing that really bothered me for some reason was that the characters kept saying "stellar" over and over). I had to force myself to finish the book, and the ending was very predictable. There was way too much melodrama for me to say anything good about this book. Overall one of the most disappointing books I've read.

Tastefully Fun

Ms. Jacobs characters are so delightful and real. You feel like you're right on the set of Gus kitchen. The food that is prepared sounds delicious and easy to prepare.

This book would make a pleasant holiday take along.

You should read The Friday Night Knitting Club for certain. I plan to purchase Knit Two on my next foray.

Comfy Reading

I actually enjoyed the characters in this novel better than the ones in the Friday Night Knitting Club. Kate Jacobs creates characters who are loveable and I was rooting for them the whole way.

I loved that the happy endings were not the expected endings and that characters were really developed throughout.

The plot itself was slightly harried, and I found the idea of the jumbled up mess of a cooking show slightly unbelievable. However, if you look at the cooking channel today...this might be the norm!

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

Just a delightful read! The characters are well developed and after reading this book, you will want to become a cooking maven even if you don't like cooking! I would highly recommend this book for one of those days when you just want to curl up and immerse yourself in a good read! Enjoy!!

Comfort Food

Enjoyed her other book more. The Friday night Knitting club.

A waste of time

I have a rule to give any book a chance by reading the first 100 pages. While I loved "Friday Night Knitting Club", I hated the first 100 pages "Comfort Food". It was painful to read for several reasons: it's cliché, slow paced, poor character development, and oh, did I mention cliché? I was bored and rolling my eyes from page 1 to 100. I really don't recommend this book unless you just want some generic brain candy.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A tasty treat

Author Kate Jacobs , who wrote the successful THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB, moves to the culinary world in her new novel, COMFORT FOOD. If you enjoy spending the evening watching Food TV, this novel is for you.

Augusta "Gus" has been hosting a successful TV show on the CookingChannel for years. She was widowed several years ago and left alone to raise her two young daughters Aimee, a global economic analyst, and Sabrina, an up-and-coming decorator. Gus is about to turn fifty years old when she receives news from her boss- the format of her show is going to be changed and she is getting a sexy young co-host, Carmen, a former Miss Spain.

Carmen appears to be a manipulative woman, gunning for Gus's job. Somehow, Gus's daughters, Sabrina's ex-fiance Troy, Gus's reclusive neighbor Hannah, and new chef Oliver all end up on the TV show, making for a crowded kitchen, with insults being tossed around the kitchen, along with the ingredients.

Gus has been told that if this doesn't work, she will be out of a job. So as she has always done, she rolls up her sleeves and is determined to make it work.

Jacobs writes interesting characters, and the family dynamic amongst Gus and her daughters is very real. They never dealt openly with the loss of their father and husband, never spoke about it. Eventually all of the repressed feelings come to light and must be dealt with. Many families handle situations like that in the same manner, and readers will identify with this. A passage that I found thought provoking was this:
"You don't know what it's like to struggle." Gus was getting angry; her cheeks were turning red. "I have done everything for you two."
"Maybe don't do so much, then," Aimee said quietly. "We may not have had your struggle, but we've had our own."
That sounds like a conversation many families could have.

All of the characters have strengths and weaknesses, they are three dimensional, and for the most part likable, just as most people are. Everyone is just trying to do their best to get what they want out of life. Gus meddles in her daughter's love life, Hannah is reclusive for a good reason, Troy wants to win Sabrina back, and Oliver has his eyes on romance; Jacobs manages to keep all of these plates spinning while the story unfolds.

Many people watch Food TV for the personalities as well as the food, and if you are one of them, you'll find COMFORT FOOD a tasty treat. You get a bit of a backstage look at how those shows work, and for good measure, Jacobs gives the reader a few recipes mentioned in the story at the end of the book.

comfort food

I really enjoyed the characters as the book unraveled the plot.
I could feel for the main character as she adjusted to life changes.
Kate Jacobs is very good letting you in on waht the cahracters are feeling and how things resolve themselves. I truly loved the Friday Night Knit Club and she did nlet me down on her 2nd novel.

Ho-Hum

The book did not ever grab my attention, but I did persevere to the end. It was busy with characters - none of them were strong and identifiable by this reader.

Another slice of life...with a happy ending.

Kate Jacobs never disappoints. With a liberal sprinkling of humanity...and a touch of mystery...it's a pleasure to join her characters in their kitchens...and follow them through their life challenges. I always end up with a case of the warm fuzzies when I undertake a new Kate Jacobs book. To me...there's always something about her main character that makes me want to be adopted.

Comfort Food is a comfort!

Jacobs does it again!

Enjoyed this book just as much as I did her other two. The characters are great and develop as the story progresses. In tune with the times, Jacobs has written a very enjoyable story that is sure to please.

She's not Martha Stewart

The premise of this book is a TV Chef who reaching the age of 50, is confronted by the network owner with a young, beautiful, ambitious newcomer who is to co-host her weekly program. The supporting characters are her grown children (with problems of their own), a reclusive neighbor, and few boyfriends who can't quite figure out whose girlfriend is whose. A comedy of errors ensues. I especially loved the teambuilding experience with everyone not wanting to participate and the camp counselor getting the participants involved in childish games. The characters are well-integrated and the plot twist are entertaining.
The finish was somewhat predictable but enjoyable just the same