The All You Can Dream Buffet

Gush-alert.

This book is every bit as beautifully evocative as the rest of Barbara O'Neal's stories.

Wonderful characters that leap off the page. Cute animals. Food. Friendship. And love.

A truly gorgeous story of second chances and life changing friendship.

LOVED IT!!!!

I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this story. I really felt sad when the story ended. I would like to know what happened next for Ruby and Noah after taking over Lavender's farm. Also what happened with the rest of the characters.

I received an ARC of this book for free from Random House Publishing Group-Bantam Dell via NetGalley.

The All You Can Dream Buffet is a story about 4 friends, “The Foodie Four” who all run blogs related in some way to food. They are all different ages and at different places in their life but have an unmistakable friendship that enriches the soul. Ginny, an almost 50-year-old, runs a cake blog and is struggling with an adventureless life and an unhappy marriage. Ruby is a 26-year-old whose boyfriend suddenly left her and ripped her heart out just before she found out she was pregnant. Valerie is a widowed mother whose teenage daughter can't deal with losing her father and siblings. And Lavender is the 85-year-old headstrong, vibrant woman who has a little something to teach all of them. This is a story of growth and passion to live a life worth living.

I liked this book at first. It is sweet and fluffy. And I identified with all of the women in some way. I really love Ruby - she is so full of joy even though she has so many reasons to be sad. She is a flowerchild (loves to sit outside and enjoy the breeze and finds wonder in just looking out over the fields and mountains). I would say she's a 5-year-old at heart and really brightens up the story. The writer does a great job of making the story hopeful instead of brooding, and there's definitely a lot of room for that. There's also a hint of magical realism via a fairy god mother type ghost that I really liked. I wish she had been included more.

There's also of course the romance aspect. Some of it was sweet but ended up being really cheesy. Also, there are small, quick scenes that are reminiscent of a raunchy romance novel and just seem out of place. They just didn't go with the tone that was set in the rest of the book. (Problem #1) Also, everything about the love story side of the book is super predictable. I literally guessed everything that was going to happen. (Problem #2) And to me, cheating is a little bit glorified. (Problem #3)

Overall, this is just a fluffy read that ended up trying too hard in the romance department. I don't really mind predictability and would have still liked the book if not for the out of place and cheesy romance scenes. This is just an ok book.

Release in March 2014 if you want to give it a shot yourself.

Read more reviews at Great Minds Read Alike.