Foodie Friday:: Review of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

Title: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
Author: Amy E. Reichert
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: July 21, 2015
ISBN: 9781501100710
Number of Pages: 336
How I Got It: NetGalley
Format: Kindle
NetGalley Description:
You’ve Got Mail meets How to Eat a Cupcake in this delightful novel about a talented chef and the food critic who brings down her restaurant—whose chance meeting turns into a delectable romance of mistaken identities. In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancé…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.
Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst. The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?
Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together.
My Review: 
Let's start with the cover: simply delicious. Since they've added the cover voting option on NetGalley, I've never seen a cover with so many "thumbs up" votes (210 as of today.) The newspapers and the coconut cake play important roles in the story and I think this is a perfect cover match for this perfect piece of foodie fiction. The characters are well-formed and I really want them to be real so we can hang out. Restaurant critic for the local Milwaukee newspaper, A. W. Wodyski "obliterates every restaurant he reviews. But he does it in the most entertaining way. Like Dennis Miller as a restaurant critic." I liked how the author was able to show two personalities of this character by having him use A. W. Wodyski as a pseudonym. Lou and her friends were lovable and real. I especially loved when Lou would do relatable things like yelling at her voicemail or making distracted mistakes with her cooking. The supplied description really nails it with the comparison. The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is part You've Got Mail and How to Eat a Cupcake. If you liked each of those then you will love  the yummy debut!

***I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**