Reservations for Two Book Review

A Novel of Fresh Flavors and New Horizons

Two Blue Doors Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  A culinary concoction of taking chances and finding love in the most delectable places.

     Food writer-turned-restauranteur Juliette D'Alisa has more than enough on her plate.  While her trip to Provence might have unlocked new answers to her grandmother's past, it's also provided new complications in the form of Neil McLaren, the man she can't give up.

     Juliette and Neil find romance simple as they travel through Provence and Tuscany together, but life back home in Portland presents a different set of challenges.  Juliette has a restaurant to open, a mother combating serious illness, and a family legacy of secrets to untangle.  So how does Neil, living so far away in Memphis, fit into her life?

    As she confronts an uncertain future, Juliette can't help but wish that life could be as straightforward as her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Can her French grandmother's letters from the 1940s provide wisdom to guide her present?  Or will every new insight create a fresh batch of mysteries?

REVIEW:  Having read the first book, A Table by the Window, I was anxiously waiting for this one to be released.  All the anticipation I felt was not for nothing: this book was fabulous!!  It grabbed me from the very first paragraph and held it to the very last word.  The Memphis scenes had me turning pages rapidly to see what sights and restaurants Neil and Juliette would go to, being that it's my hometown.  :-)  One of my most favorite things was how chaste Neil and Juliette's relationship was. They traveled through France and Italy together but did not share a room.  Even when Juliette went to Memphis, she stayed with Neil's best friends.  Now, don't get me wrong.  They did kiss and hug but just did not spend the night together, which I think is just awesome.  Another favorite part was reading Juliette's grandmother Mireille's letters to her sister as they discussed Mireille's budding relationship with Gabriel and later, their life together as husband and wife.

     Now, I could see part of the ending coming from a long way away.  I just wasn't sure exactly how how and when it would happen.  I was surprised at why it happened.  To me, it seemed like Juliette was overreacting, but given the stress she was under with the opening of the restaurant and her mother's health, it made sense when I thought more on it.  

     All in all, this is a marvelous book and series.  You really need to read the first book because it gives the familial history of Juliette and helps you understand how and why she ticks.  It also gives you insight on how Juliette and Neal met and see the beginning of their love for each other.  Even though the third and final book isn't due for another year, I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival.  There are some great sounding recipes in this book. Can't wait to see what the next one holds.

This book was provided by Blogging for Books/Waterbrook Multnomah for review without compensation.

 

Hillary Manton Lodge is the author of A Table by the Window, Plain Jayne, A Carol Award Finalist; and Simply Sara, an ECPA Bestselling book.  A graduate of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism, Hillary discovered the world of cuisine during an internship at Northwest Palate magazine.  A storyteller at heart, in her free time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, watching foreign films, and exploring her most recent hometown of Portland, Oregon.  She shares her home with her husband, Danny, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Shiloh.