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A lot! Sloane begins to receive cyber threats. While Sloane uses her computer forensic skills to uncover the source of the threats, it is discovered someone isout to killher. Can her life get more crazy?
"Bonnie Calhoun's first Sloane
Templeton mystery, Cooking the Books, is one of the most delightful new fiction voices I've read in years. My only complaint--waiting for the sequel. If this book doesn't have you ROFLOL, you'd better check your pulse!"--Jeanette Windle
"Bonnie Calhoun's debut novel,
Cooking the Books, is as fun and quirky as the author herself.
The cast of characters brims with unexpected humor and heart, and Sloane's take on the world around her keeps the reader eagerly turning pages to see what she'll say or do next. I look forward to more Sloane Templeton adventures." Sandra D.
Bricker, award-winning author of the Emma Rae Creation series that began with
Always the Baker, Never the Bride
"What do a gangsta ex-boyfriend, gunslinging grannies,
computer hacking, two very unusual books, and the world’s worst chef all have in common? You’ll find them in Bonnie Calhoun’s debut novel, Cooking the
Books. It’s a one-of-a-kind a potboiler filled to the brim with plot twists, romance, and humor. A tasty treat for romantic suspense fans."
--Rick
Acker, author of When the Devil Whistlesand Dead Man's Rule
"Bonnie S. Calhoun is a master weaver of snarky humor and suspense. Cooking the Books is fast paced, laugh out loud funny with enough suspense to make you shiver. Sloane is an oxymoron: tough as nails on crime and injustice, yet her Aunt Verline and Fifi, her nutty store manager,
manipulate her. Novel Rocket and I give it a high recommendation. It's a must read."
- Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor Novel Rocket
"Bonnie S. Calhoun pens a heroine with snap and pizzazz. Sloane Templeton wonders why an old book is cause for bullets, and whether her refusal to sell her business justifies harrassment. A fast-paced mystery full of colorful characters and a last minute twist--what's not to love?" ~ S. Dionne Moore, Author of Promise
Brides, 2010 and 2011 Carol Award
Finalist
Anonymous
Posted August 4, 2012
I enjoyed the book...though i should have stopped reading it because Sloane was very annoying. I felt she was acting like an idiot half the time. I felt the author was trying too hard to be funny and things that should have been obvious for Sloane not to do she did itanyway. All in all, i read it mainly because i wanted to know how it was going to end.
This is one book i am not interested in reading again.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Once I picked up this captivating book, I could not put it down! It grabs you and compels you to keep reading.
Sloane Templeton has lost her Mom, and now has taken over running her Bookstore, along with Fifi her Mom's partner [another Colorful Character]. She has also begun a new relationship with a Greek Doctor..Andreas, having left a bad relationship with Trey [who doesn't seem to understand it is over!]
This story has it all, death threats and threatening messages, along with in person threats by people wanting her Mom's property. Also we meet delightful Aunt Verlene...the local Chef...who can't cook, and has regular visits from the fire department! There are also the Senior Group...at the gun range no less.
Add a very valuable antique book, and a couple of archaeological desperately wanting it!
I so enjoyed the subtle humor and the catchy phrases like "Fifi Andretti" or "Play Deputy Dawg", and "Red Velvet Hips".....are great and give you some chuckles. Also the nail biting end will keep you riveted! Enjoy!!
I received this book from Netgalley and the Publisher Abingdon Press. and was not required to give a positive review.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is so much fun! It has a fast paced scenario backed by a fun, quirky leading lady who is full of flaws which just makes her fun to root for. Somehow she has ended up at danger's door, or rather danger has come knocking at hers - she just isn't sure why or who is behind it all. The unexpected death of her mom a few months ago has left her to run the bookstore/coffee shop that her mom had owned... but she really knows nothing about books and doesn't really care for them. She is grieving, trying to move on romantically from a failed, abusive relationship (but he won't take a hint) and now her life is in danger. What more could go wrong? Well, Sloane Templeton is about to find out! There were a few things that I felt got wrapped up really quick at the end when I thought they would unravel just a little slower, but overall this was just a fun book with a fun main character that I hope to see more of!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.HeartofaBookWorm
Posted April 9, 2012
I learned that Bonnie Calhoun had released her debut novel and I had the privilege to review it, I was so excited! I have reviewed for Christian Fiction Blog Alliance under Bonnie's leadership for a few years now and can't say enough about Mrs. Bonnie. She keeps me laughing whether it's an email, or her hilarious Facebook posts! I KNEW her book was going to be nothing short of wonderful... and I was RIGHT ON!
COOKING THE BOOKS is fabulous, funny, and filled with just the right amount of suspense! The mystery will keep you wondering and you will love each character from Sloane, her Aunt Verlene, her Greek boy-friend, Andreas, and all those who visit the bookstore. I highly recommend Cooking the Books! I CANNOT wait to read Bonnie's next book! I can tell she will definitely be one of my favorite authors for sure!
Thank you Bonnie! You did good my friend! Sooo Good!
4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 28, 2012
Amateurish writing, full of plot holes. Through most of it, I just wanted to get through it and be done; it did pick up near the end and delivered some suspense, although the main elements were telegraphed early in the book. Other key plot lines were just left hanging with no explanation. As a freebie, it was just ok; I would not pay for it and even for free there are better ways to spend your time.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 2, 2012
While i love mysteries, this was not engaging for me. I finished the book by reading only the topic sentences for the last half of the story and I could still see it coming. There was one engaging chapter near the end. So maybe this will develop...
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ibjoy1953
Posted June 15, 2012
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Sloane Templeton didn’t ask for all that was happening to her, but she had no choice but the accept it! Taking over Beckham’s Books and Brew after her moms death brought on some strange people in Sloane’s life. The store manager and the Granny Oakleys Book Club group was enough to deal with without having to eat Aunt Verline’s cooking, if that’s what you can call what she presented as food!
In the first part of “Cooking the Books we also get to meet Sloane’s ex-boyfriend Trey, and there are reasons he is an ex. Also her new friend and attraction, the Greek boy Andreas Comino, which Trey is not happy about at all. And throughout the book we get to meet even more interesting and colorful character that were so well created by the author.
Even though this is a debut novel, you will think Bonnie Calhoun has been writing books for a long time. Along with her wonderful and fun loving characters, well most of them, there is so much happening in this story and there are so many twists and turns you never know what is coming next.
What makes this book so enjoyable for me is the way Bonnie inter-twines; the taking over a new business, grieving over a mom, inheriting quirky characters, a jerk ex-husband and an even bigger jerk ex-boyfriend, someone trying to kill you, and adds in a little romance, mystery, a feisty FiFi and, an aunt that can’t cook, and writes a story that will make you laugh, sometimes cry, and fall in love with Sloane as if she is your own daughter. It takes a good writer to have so much going on in a book and pull it all together and make it enjoyable.
I highly recommend this book for you to read and enjoy. Run out and grab a copy, get a cup of Java and sit down for a nice, enjoyable, relaxing read with Sloane Templeton and “Cooking the Books”
I want to thank Abingdon Press and Bonnie Calhoun for providing me a copy of this book. I have heard that Bonnie’s dream is to be an author, and I am so happy that she has fulfilled that dream. I look forward to many more books from Bonnie in the future. As much as Bonnie does with Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, Christian Fiction Online Magazine and all of the other things she does for the authors, readers and world of Christian fiction, it is an honor to be one of the reviewers for her debut novel.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 11, 2012
Sloane Templeton leaves her high powered Cyber Crimes computer job to take over her Mother's book store after she suddenly dies. The store is located in a lovely, but 'safety challanged' old neighborhood, and is soon in 'demand' to be purchased by some shady characters.¿¿Sloan has some interesting characters of her own that she seems to have inherited with the book store. These include her store manager, who was her Mom's best friend and a feisty gun toasting 'book group' leader.¿¿Plus an aunt who sees herself as the next Top Chef, but she can't seem to keep her mind and her actions moving together----a multi client for the fire department.¿¿Add in a¿¿quirky group of old book lovers, or maybe they are more like the store's lookout possie for deterring trouble.¿¿And trouble Sloan does have!!
Sloane choice of boyfriends/husbands is less than great.¿¿There are cyber terrorists threatening her, and a developer who wants her to 'get out of the building-NOW'.¿¿Even her business has thrown a hook in her new life, as the store apparently has a terribly expensive book available that a couple of men 'must have now'!
So how does Sloan get herself out of all these dangerous and often hilarious situations?¿¿You will laugh, panic, pray, and most of all read faster and faster to see how she survives through it all.¿¿ This first book by Bonnie Calhoun is bound to be the first of many in this new series.¿¿If you like laughter , danger, and mysteries with just the right touch of Christianity, you'll love this book as much as I loved it!!
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.wyogalAH
Posted June 10, 2012
Not my usual style but loved it.... the good thing with free fridays, I'm reading a large varity of books, even ones I really wudn't pick myself.....
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 9, 2013
I have luke warm feelings toward this book. The first 150 pages dragged on and felt really repetitive and disjointed for a significant chunk of those pages. The last 100 or so pages were more fast paced and got me to where i couldn't put the book down because i wanted to see how things were going to end. I was not in love with the characters...most of them were not well developed enough for me to actually feel connected to them in any way. The plot was a mess in many places. The teaser at the beginning made absolutely no sense until the very end, and two of the side plots are never even resolved. The side plots took over as main plots at times and then the author just dropped them so you never get a resolution. This is not the worst book i have ever read, but it is also not my favorite by any stretch of the imagination. I am not sure if i will be reading any more in this series because, to be frank, i am not sure i have the patience for another book written like this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 21, 2012
I enjoyed this book very much. With some comedy and mystery was well worth the read.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MKCP
Posted July 22, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Ms Calhoun is a very good writer.
Very good, easy reading
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.nurse_writer
Posted July 21, 2012
The characters are quirky, the plot realistic, and the dialog great. This is a fun read while fulfilling all the need for action and tension.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.sadsack
Posted July 14, 2012
Very well done! A little slow at the beginning but well worth the wait for a very good read. Can't wait for the next one!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 1, 2012
Enjoyable characters and storyline, lighthearted, good vacation read.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TarHeelGirl00
Posted June 8, 2012
"Cooking the Books" is an enjoyable read that, although categorized as Christian fiction, is very mainstream and should appeal to both believers and non-believers alike. The catchy dialogue between the characters is intertwined with both old sayings and pop culture references. On one hand, it's a book about relationships--as Sloane comes to terms with her family, friends, and both past and present flames. On the other hand, it's a mystery as Sloane strives to figure out why her life is in danger. Both angles complement each other well and lead to a satisfying finale.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Bonnie Calhoun writes a delightful novel filled with real people and real life. Sloane Templeton has inherited a book store with a zany manager. Calhoun's characters are a hoot! An example: the group of wacky senior citizens that meets in her bookstore but they don't read the books. When Sloane receives life-threatening messages on her computer the police become involved and Sloane tries to keep the incident a secret, which is impossible. With each page you wonder what will happen next to complicate Sloane's life. Calhoun writes thick tension but breaks it up with her lovable characters and their zany ways. The reader knows the criminal threat is dangerous, but enough laugh out loud moments keep the story from dragging. There is no sagging middle to this story. Highly recommended.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 25, 2012
I enjoyed the characters in this book,and would read another book by this author.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 23, 2012
Not easy to read but worth it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Sloane runs the bookstore, Beckham’s Books & Brews, specializing in antique books, left to her by her mother. Fifi, business manager, and her pistol-packin’ group, the Granny Oakleys, ably assist her. Two men want one book in particular. Each is angry that the other knows about it. Meanwhile, Trey, well-muscled example of Sloane’s bad taste in men, terrorizes her. Though she said goodbye, he still considers her his woman. But she has Andreas. She doesn’t understand why her mother didn’t like him. Fifi also dislikes him.
Aunt Verlene, worst chef in history, constantly commandeers Sloane for food tests. One day, while Sloane tries not to eat Verlene’s latest culinary delight, they find a cookbook by a famous chef with a wealth-building recipe formerly believed lost. Verlene, sworn to silence, only tells her beauty shop early in the morning. Working girls use it then. Would they mention it to their boyfriends?
Meanwhile the manager of the real-estate company Rob Landry works for instructs him to play dirty to get Sloane to sell the bookstore.
Cooking the Books delivers constant suspense well mixed with eccentric characters and humor. I enjoyed it.
I received this book from NetGalley. It is an honest review
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Unit to bookstore owner before she can blink. She also "inherits" a half-batty store manager;a strange bunch of little old people from the neighborhood who meet at the store once a week, but never read books, called the Granny Oakleys Book Club; and
Aunt Verline, who fancies herselfan Iron Chef when in reality you need a cast ...