My ReviewOooooh-la-la, what a DELICIOUS book!!! I didn’t know what to expect with the word cake in the title, but I was NOT disappointed with this treat at all. Alexandra “Lexi” Stuart is quietly working at a company translating labels, but gets fired since she doesn’t work fast enough to make her quotas. Despite her not even liking the job, it still stings. Lexi’s vice: she LOOOOVES shopping for designer clothes at discount prices, but after being fired she learns her parents are soon moving into a new home so she needs to find a place to live FAST. Before anything else can be decided Lexi finds a counter job working at her favorite French bakery and commits to working there for six months, will she be able to save enough money for an apartment by then?Some of the other issues in the book Lexi had were finding a church she could call home, finding a date to her brother’s wedding, and learning where she fits in God’s plan as she seeks the right job. In Lexi’s perspective her brother is a super successful lawyer engaged to a super successful lawyer and Lexi is constantly believing she doesn’t measure up compared to them both. However, she has a fantastic relationship with Nate and Leah and it’s easy to love them both in the book.Then there’s Lexi’s best friend, Tanya (my sis in law’s name so I was quite fond of this best friend), who is getting over something traumatic that happened a few years ago and is learning how to date a nice guy in the story. I truly adored their friendship and admired how they support one another. Tanya is a teacher and struggling to discover her own faith and answers at the same time Lexi is.It was a dynamic setting experiencing Lexi working at L’Esperance Bakery/Restaurant. She doesn’t get along with everyone at first, but she truly humbles herself in ways that amazed me to become assistant manager. She’s diligent, persistent, kind, follows up on every issue, is a fast learner, and she does the job with gusto and joy even though the pay is measly. It was interesting watching her learn and grow at the job and such a pleasure reading her journey! It also allows the reader to appreciate the French language and customs. Bon, bon!Lexi visits several churches in the story as she seeks God and starts reading the Word on her own time instead of just following the lesson during the sermon. She discovers God’s voice in her heart once again and finds her independence in Christ. Once she’s able to do that, she finds true freedom, not just a paycheck. I related to everything Lexi goes through (the job, the crush, seeking God and being eager to be your own person) and loved every part of the story. As adorable as this story is, there’s so much more to it than just dessert. It is a light read, but there are many touching moments as well and I adored the heart that Lexi has. She’s not just looking out for herself, she really wants to do the right thing and be an example of Christ. That’s what makes this story so delicious :)There was one surprise in the story that had me shaking my head, but I kind of anticipated the moment just didn’t realize how different it would turn out. There is a perfect dose of romance in the story despite this one twist, but Lexi handles all of it with grace and character. I would’ve been tempted to respond a completely different way. The whole situation was cleverly written and it made me think that there’s bound to be a stale loaf of bread amongst the many fresh ones. That doesn’t ruin the batch, it just makes things more interesting :)References to Madeline, Tin Tin, and Ever AfterThe only thing that bothered me in this story was that Lexi fails to tell her parents she was fired and then announces she has a new job. She has a wonderful relationship with them both, but is so afraid of letting them down after they paid for her college tuition and her not having a career plan that she feels it’s necessary to withhold this information from them. This doesn’t make the story any less delicious, but it’s the one thing I didn’t agree with regarding Lexi’s character.I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a light read filled with recipes, great characters, French language, a feisty grandma named Nonna, any adult who has ever struggled to find a job or apartment that fits, romance, friendship, and of course LOTS of French food!! A small warning, you may want to eat something before reading this because there’s food mentioned in most of it or preparation of food. All in all, I definitely believe that Let Them Eat Cake is a must read for a book lover’s bookshelf and it was a pleasure for me to review. Check this ebook out on amazon.com, it will be free Feb. 10-14!! The two sequels are Bon Appetit and Piece de Resistance. Also check out Byrd’s website for a chance to win a delicious treat (US residents only) as well as the chance to get to know her and learn more about her books.I want to thank Sandra Byrd for providing a review copy for me to read and to Renee at http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/ for the chance to participate. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Lexi is in between jobs...again! She's determined to find the perfect job to fit her dreams, and insists that she shouldn't have to settle. Though she's living with her parents until she can get her act together, she's feeling the rush to get out the door not only from her parents, but herself. When she meets a handsome French guy at an upscale bakery, things start looking up...maybe.Since reading Sandra's "Ladies in Waiting" series, and one of her YA books, Asking for Trouble, I've been anxiously awaiting getting the chance at her French Twist series, too. I was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to dive into it. Let Them Eat Cake was actually the first book I read on my Kindle Fire that my sweet hubby bought me. :)(And I quickly followed with the next two books!)I'm not typically the target audience for contemporary Christian books. Generally, I prefer to save my contemporaries for non-Christian stories. This is one of those few books that break through that barrier for me. It actually took me a little time to adjust to the contemporary writing style, since I've grown accustomed to Sandra's historical writing style. I did enjoy the lighter, fun side of this series, though! I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy a good story with international accents. Hearing the French accents throughout this book warmed my reading heart for sure.While there's almost always a certain amount of predictability in Christian books, there's some aspects of this book that took me completely by surprise! I thought I knew how it would turn out from the beginning, but it didn't happen that way. Despite that fact that I don't mind a predictable story in the slightest way, I did find this refreshing(especially in the 2nd book).Cooking plays a huge part of the storyline, so there's lots of talk of food. You know my mouth was watering for some French cooking! Unfortunately, I didn't get to enjoy any, because as much as I was inspired to do some "French" cooking, I'm constantly reminded I'm not an expert in the kitchen. (I'm still determined to make a decent loaf of bread someday). There are recipes sprinkled throughout all three books. Some of them actually look simple enough for me!Overall, Let Them Eat Cake is a fun and cute story!*I was provided a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
What do You think about Let Them Eat Cake (2007)?
(This is my first review on GR so please bear with me). Sandra Byrd's "Let them eat cake" is a Christian chick lit novel where twenty something Lexi is trying to figure out her life after moving back home to Seattle. Her new job at a French bakery isn't what she went to college for, but it somewhat pays the bills. Like most chick lit books, cute boys are part of the picture, but I felt this book was more realistic about relationships than a lot of others in this genre. I also like how it shows her realistically trying to find her own faith as opposed to just living off her mom's or Nonna's faith. This is Book One of a trilogy.For me, light hearted reads like this are page turners because I have to find out what happened next, but I would consider them three star because they usually make walking with God look so easy. I gave this book four stars because of situations throughout the whole book that felt more realistic. Warning though, don't read this book when hungry. There are recipes included and constant talk about croissants and café cremes!
—Marion
Lexi never expected to be living at home in her mid-twenties, working at a job she hates, and still never having been to France (the closest she's come is French Canada). A French major in college, she struggles with how to apply her degree to something practical. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad are moving to a retirement community so she has got to find a job that can pay for an apartment quickly.Working at L'Esperance, a small French bakery, seems to fulfill Lexi's desire for both French surroundings and baking. Although she starts as counter help, she is sure she will be able to move up eventually, especially after hearing the attractive Frenchman Luc talk about an assistant manager position.Throughout the novel, Lexi works to find her place within her family, her working environment, and the world in general. She also tries to reconnect with the Christianity of her childhood. Let Them Eat Cake is a cute tale of a young woman's search for independence - and a little romance! Sandra Byrd has presented a good story complete with French proverbs and some delicious-looking recipes to boot. I can't wait to try out Lexi's Boyfriend Bait Beef Stroganoff.
—Jessie Weaver
This was a refreshing read, that was well built, nicely rounded characters and a bit of Christian truth. I like how the book parallels real life, especially addressing questions common to young Christians, faith, dating and intimacy. It also reflects how so many people can be at various stages of spiritual life and yes indeed God has a plan for all. My favourite part of the book was where Lexi prays, 'I will seek you, please find me.' Its almost a cry to the Lord. The day she loses her promotion, sees Dan with his junior and finds Luc taken I almost cried. Its heart wrenching. I found both girls extremely lucky to have met Christian boyfriends, it would have been nice to see a character that had bit more of a struggle.I take offense with only one line in this book and its when Lexi prays saying and I quote-'that God would draw them to himself as they bean their marriage in a country where God often resided in lovely cathedrals but wasn't as welcome in the day-to day business of humble homes.'I didn't like the statement which if came from Lexi, was too hypocritical, since she had just found her faith after a lapse of years. She couldn't judge a community, a particular group of Christians(Catholics I'm supposing) or even an entire nation by that standard. If this is coming from the author, then I think it nullifies this book being Christian. Overall Sandra does a good job, I just hope there's no more insinuation that one church is somehow better than others or one sect practices Christianity a little better in their daily lives. For a Christian romance this was really well done.
—Pamela Q.
