Susan Volland
240 pages
I love "Chick lit", I will never apologize for that. But at times "Chick lit" goes a little too far into the "chick" territory and it becomes glaringly clear why men often snub their noses at this otherwise wonderfully entertaining genre.
A clear example of this can be found in the fun and enjoyable book Cooking for Mr. Right by Susan Volland. Kate Linden, a sous-chef Seattle, is devastated when she finds out that her recent ex- boyfriend, and now best friend, Gatson, has become quickly engaged to Courtney, a sweet-as-pie schoolteacher, and a girl he has just met. Kate falls into a tailspin of determined despair, deciding that she was going to get Gatson back at any cost.
As she embarks on this mission, her artist mother hires a hunky, outspoken artist, Sam, to work for her at her art studio. Kate and Sam do not hit it off and a mutual dislike quickly becomes evident. In the meantime Kate gets fired from her job at a hot local restaurant, after fighting back with the demanding and celebrity hungry Chef/owner, who has taken advantage of her skills for years. As Kate weighs weather she should give up the career she thought she loved for the possible love of her life we are taken on a joy ride of mishaps and cunning plans all in the name of love.
While I enjoyed the book, it was a very predictable story. What I found interesting is that my sister read the book before me and as she got to the end I could see her become disinterested in reading the ending. I asked her if she was going to finish it and she said she would but she already knew how it would end. Interestingly enough as I came to the end I realized exactly why she became disinterested in finishing the book.
Volland ends the book with lengthy paragraphs of some of the most clichéd chick lit writing I have ever read. So clichéd, so cheesy and overdramatic that I was actually left stunned and ended up laughing out loud. Let's just say if Dido wrote an ending to a novel this would be it. No offense Dido (I do like some of her songs).
Here are some examples that I think sum up exactly what I'm saying: BEWARE they give away the ending but I just couldn't help it.
Sam to Kate:
I have to admit something, too. I wanted to come to this party with you the very fist time you mentioned it. But I couldn’t stand the idea of being just a decoy or some kind of stooge. But I couldn’t stand the idea of being just a decoy or some kind of stooge. It would have killed me if we came here together and you spent the whole night yearning for Gatson. Then I decided I’d rather be there than sitting at home wondering if tonight was the night. If tonight he won you back”.
I cock my head, curious if he really said what I think he said.
“I know I told you we would be just friends, and I meant it at the time, but its been killing me. Last weekend, when we pretended to be a couple for Mandy, I could barely let go of you, I anted to just hold you and call you pet names and make a complete fool of myself”.
"The last few times I’ve seen you, you’ve been hypnotizing. You’ve had this internal radiance, a glow and energy I’ve never seen before in a woman, and I can’t keep my eyes off you". He adjusts a tiny stone on my necklace. His fingertips linger, and my skin turns electric. I don’t say anything; just cover his mouth with kisses.
“ Now that I know this is a really date, I tell you, Kate, its going to be tough not to tear that dress off you right here and now”. (204-205)
When I read this I thought if I ever questioned if a woman wrote this book this section put those doubts to rest. I have known a lot of chatty, vulnerable open men but this is not a speech I could ever imagine hearing out of a mans' mouth.
Example Number Two:
I Blurt, “So, Rex. What are your plans with Iris? You serious about her?” Sam is sitting at the kitchen table. When I see him cover his eyes and grimace, I realize that I might sound a teensy bit like his meddlesome twin sister.
“You asking me what my intentions are, Kate? Whether I’ll respect Iris in the morning?”
I squirm, “Yeah. That’s about it.”
I want Rex to bowl me over. Last night, he was standoffish and kind of geeky. Today, well, I like him okay, but he’s a little nervous…I’m impressed that when the talk shifts to Iris, he stands tall and looks me dead in the eyes. His energy is focused and his mind engaged. He radiates an aura of strength and competence, and my fears are put to rest. This is a good man.
“Iris is going to be a star. She’s going to make it big.”
“Yeah.” All I can do is nod. I’ve always thought so, too.
“But music can be a rough business, and let’s face it, Iris isn’t as tough as she acts. Some smooth-talking sleaze ball could eat her alive.” I nod again.
“As for my plans with Iris? Let’s just say I’m going to stick to her like glue for a while. I know of a couple of labels that might be interested in her, and I’m not going to let those vultures tear her to shreds. I’ll make sure she doesn’t smoke too much, that she remembers to eat and gets some sleep, and that she leaves plenty of time to practice. A lot of people have wanted to work with me in the past, but Iris is the real deal. So if it’s okay with you, I plan to wake up beside her as often as I can. That way I can remind her the moment she opens her eyes that she’s an amazing woman with about ten tons of talent in that skinny little body of hers. In fact, I plan to do that right now before she gets her clothes back on, or before this coffee gets cold.”
There is a playful glean in his eyes. “Id’ prefer the cold coffee, personally.”
Sam smiles into the newspaper. I have to laugh. How can I object to that? (211)
Now there are many types of cheese in this world and most of them stink. This passage was so cheesy from her, "I’m impressed that when the talk shifts to Iris, he stands tall and looks me dead in the eyes. His energy is focused and his mind engaged. He radiates an aura of strength and competence, and my fears are put to rest. This is a good man". To his long drawn out speech that was yet another example of something a man would never say in that way. To me these two examples put a damper on the book for me. I like neat endings but this ending was candy sweet meets stinky cheese. Especially the fact that the writer conveniently turns Courtney and Gatson into the messed up couple (when through the whole book they were actually in love until Kate and her manipulations damaged their relationship) was a little unnecessary.
That said for anyone who likes “chick lit”, check it out, at least the first 200 pages our fun!
