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“The kind of book you just devour. Hannah Sugarman is Bridget Jones with a killer cinnamon bun recipe.”
—Stacey Ballis, author of Good Enough to Eat and Off the Menu
“[A] delicious debut.”
—Sarah Pekkanen, author of These Girls
Hannah Sugarman seems to have it all. She works for an influential think tank in Washington, D.C., lives in a swanky apartment with her high-achieving boyfriend, and is poised for an academic career just like her parents. The only problem is that Hannah doesn’t want any of it. What she wants is much simpler; to cook.
When her relationship collapses, Hannah seizes the chance to do what she’s always loved and launches an underground supper club out of her new landlord’s town house. Though her delicious dishes become the talk of the town, her secret venture is highly problematic, given that it is not, technically speaking, legal. She also conveniently forgets to tell her landlord she has been using his place while he is out of town.
On top of that, Hannah faces various romantic prospects that leave her guessing and confused, parents who don’t support cooking as a career, and her own fears of taking a risk and charting her own path. A charming romantic comedy, The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a story about finding yourself, fulfilling your dreams, and falling in love along the way.
"Hannah is a girl I can relate to. She knows the value of a good carrot cake, and she's sometimes the most awkward girl at the party. Hannah is like all of us: she has dreams that seem so right and yet, so terrifying. She reminds us that dreams are often chocolate frosted and hard-fought, but the key ingredient is believing in yourself."
—Joy Wilson, author of Joy the Baker Cookbook
"[A] delicious debut . . . Hannah is the kind of heroine you'll root for, the descriptions of food are dangerously good, and Bate adds a healthy dash of humor to the mix."
—Sarah Pekkanen, author of These Girls
"[An] engaging debut . . . Bate’s writing is smart and compelling."
—Publishers Weekly (starred)
“Journalist and debut novelist Bate deftly conjures up a witty, resilient heroine, surrounds her with delightful friends and frenemies, and sends them all on a rollicking quest for love and delicious food.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Great for foodies . . . [a] book that you can quite easily eat up in one go."
—Cosmopolitan (UK)
Anonymous
Posted February 23, 2013
Loved the book!! Congratulations to Dane Bate for a great first novel!!! Hope she will be writing more books soon!!
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.CharlotteLynnsReviews
Posted February 18, 2013
Hannah Sugarman’s parents have guided her to a successful life. She works at a think tank in Washington D.C.; her boss is someone her parents know. She lives in a great apartment with her high achieving boyfriend. The only problem, Hannah isn’t happy. All she wants to do it cook. Cooking is not considered a successful career by her parents or her boyfriend.
When Hannah’s world turns upside down, she makes it an opportunity to do what she has always wanted and opens and underground supper club. Her supper club becomes the most sought after meal in town. But it is not quite legal. The health department does not check her out, she has no licenses, and is using her landlords apartment without his knowledge.
Hannah is one of my favorite characters. She is crazy (in a good way), independent, and funny. I was constantly laughing and hoping everything would work out for her. I easily related to her love of cooking, even though I don’t cook as fancy as she does. But I can hope to try some of the recipes included in the book. I loved watching her struggle with her guilt of using her landlords apartment and then cover her tracks when she leaves little clues behind accidentally. She is a horrible liar, but somehow she never gets caught. My favorite part was when she stands up to her parents. Finally telling them how she is done living her for them and is going to do what she wants to do.
Jacob and Blake were interesting. I knew something was fishy with Jacob and loved it when she confronted him. But was hoping he wouldn’t blow the whistle on her supper club, especially with Blake standing right there. Blake was amazing. Even with his pirate and fishing talk he was so likeable. It seemed that he just got Hannah. Although I don’t know of any men that would be able to forgive someone for the mess Hannah made of his home and career. I loved how supportive and pushy he was with Hannah’s career goals.
This was a fun and sometimes silly book. I loved learning about Hannah and her relationships. Definitely an easy read with a great story.
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.ChelseaErdmanis
Posted February 11, 2013
This fantastic debut by Dana Bate is a book that all twentysomethings should read. She wonderfully captures what it is to be a young woman trying to find her identity and passion in this world. Her writing is witty and entertaining, and draws you in from the first paragraph. It's hard not to fall in love with Hannah Sugarman! And from a food lovers perspective...the book is absolutely decadent (and frequently made me hungry). I can't wait to read more from Dana Bate!
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.I found this book to be so dumb. It was so poorly written and the main character was irritating. I wish I could get my money back and I wish I could get back the time I spent reading this horrible book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 15, 2013
There is nothing fun about this book - it is just one disaster after another for the heroine. I did not enjoy the book because there was just no break from the anguish. I mean, come on, everyone has a good day every now and then. Not Hannah Sugarman.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KrittersRamblings
Posted March 8, 2013
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Set in D.C., with a girl, Hannah who is trying to find happiness in following her parents' path and just wants to do what she feels she is gifted in - cooking and catering. Although she finds confidence through being deceptive and hosting a supper club in her landlord's apartment, she finally finds the courage to pursue her passion.
A Lilac Wolf and Stuff Review
This book really touched me. It starts out with Hannah kind of having a dream life. She has a boyfriend who is doing well, she has a job that her family approves of. But it's not really perfect. He's kind of an ass and throws her out and she honestly hates her job. She loves to cook, that's where her passion lies.
So when she finds her perfect apartment, her friend starts pressuring her to hold a supper club. It's an illegal and secret dinner. I was hooked. I'd love to do something like that! But with 2 kids and a ratty old trailer, I'll have to live through Hannah for right now.
It's a good sign when you are cringing at all the bad choices a character makes but you still can't put it down. I read this book months ago, the cover caught me. I had some free time and library books but this cover just screamed "read me!" It really was a great chick-lit story. Romantic comedy? Fun, definitely fun!
Anonymous
Posted March 14, 2013
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Anonymous
Posted February 24, 2013
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Anonymous
Posted February 25, 2013
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Overview
“The kind of book you just devour. Hannah Sugarman is Bridget Jones with a killer cinnamon bun recipe.”
—Stacey Ballis, author of Good Enough to Eat and Off the Menu
“[A] delicious debut.”
—Sarah Pekkanen, author of These Girls
Hannah Sugarman seems to have it all. She works for an influential think tank in Washington, D.C., lives in a swanky apartment with her high-achieving boyfriend, and is poised for an ...