Cookin' for Love: A Novel with Recipes

by Sharon Boorstin

"Chick Lit for baby boomers and beyond. Hold the baby bottle; pass the cheesecake."--Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat

Who Says Only Twentysomethings Can Have Fun, Romance, and Great Sex?

Married mother of three and Beverly Hills cookbook author Miriam Levy dreams about food. Her best friend, divorced Kate McGrath, dreams about "The One" who got away. When, after twenty-five years, Kate reconnects with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1583482334
• ISBN13: 9781583482339
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

This is a sassy and fun novel!

Miriam Levy is of a certain age and admits it. She also contributes to her family, which is living lower than we all would expect in Beverly Hills, by authoring celebrities' cookbooks. Miriam is currently collaborating with Kimberly on A Starlet's Secrets of Sexy Cooking and is longing to pen her own cookbook. Miriam is mom to college-bound twins Jake and Emma and to Lisa, a news reporter who is pregnant, unmarried, and wants her mother to be the full-time babysitter so she can concentrate on her career; wife to Alan, a former struggling screenwriter; and daughter to the mother who might be moving in with her. Miriam's best friend Kate is a wealthy florist who continues, after many years, to lust after the only man she believes she ever loved. After checking out Erik on the Internet and contacting him, Kate learns Erik is the ambassador to Malaysia, married, and still lusts after her. Kate decides to travel to see Erik, to test her long-lost love and the desires of her loins. She drags Miriam along, giving her the escape from family responsibilities that seem to be closing in on her well-defined life. Will Kate find true love? Will Miriam find herself and learn to establish personal boundaries? Will the reader survive all the scrumptious recipes at the end of each chapter? I chuckled throughout the book and will read another of Boorstin's novels. My only criticism is that so many books these days treat "cheating on a mate" and bed hopping as normal and acceptable. But that is just a personal observation. Cookin' for Love's author, Sharon Boorstin, writes a sassy and fun novel with many interesting twists and turns that can be enjoyed by all.

YOU'RE GONNA' LOVE MIRIAM EPSTEIN LEVY !

You're gonna' love Miriam Epstein Levy! Who can resist a woman who freely admits her age and knows that almost 50 isn't the end of the world, the Terminal Z of life or the finish of romance? Knowing all of this is one thing, but Miriam proves it in Sharon Boorstin's funny, provocative "Cooking For Love." Miriam more than makes ends meet by helping celebs pen cookbooks. Her latest being a collaboration with Kimberly on "A Starlets Secrets of Sexy Cooking." Miriam also is Mom to two teenagers, Jake and Emma. Jake, of the spiked hair that gleams like a "freshly waxed floor, size 12 Doc Martens, and jeans worn so low that his boxers peek out, feels especially deprived since he's the only one in his Beverly Hills crowd that drives a Volvo. Emma isn't any more conservative - she boasts a lime green streak through her hair and stud earrings carpeting the rims of her ear. Kate McGrath, Miriam's best friend, is not so much interested in food or mothering as she is in running her Santa Barbara flower shop and yearning for the only man she ever truly loved - Erik, a handsome Swiss charmer she met shortly after college. Thanks to the Internet, Google, and the intervention of Jake, Erik becomes more than just Kate's fantasy, and the two begin a correspondence. When he invites Kate to come and visit him in Malaysia, she talks Miriam into going with her. That's where the fun and surprises really begin as these two embark on a journey of the heart. Sharon Boorstin, also the author of a memoir/cookbook, "Let Us Eat Cake," includes 20 definitely delicious recipes in this tale of two women who could teach Auntie Mame a thing or two about life being a banquet. Bon appetit! - Gail Cooke

Decadent Descriptions

From the first sentence I could tell this book was filled with life, originality and a love for cooking. As cookbook author Miriam Levy tries to decide between a low-fat and regular cheesecake the story of her life unfolds in all its vibrant detail. If you start to get hungry while reading this book, the recipes have all been included at the end of the chapters. When she travels to Malaysia with Kate McGrath we even learn how to make macaroons. Cooking for Love has the flavor of a reality TV show and moments of warmth that seem so genuine, you will keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. There are innumerable twists and turns that make the story very unpredictable. Sharon Boorstin's energetic writing style is infused with witty remarks and secret thoughts. As Miriam Levy is falling into her change of life stage, she seeks solace in the adventures of her best friend. As she escapes from an avalanche of family situations, she runs straight into the arms of danger itself. If you love the Bridget Jones series or adore books with recipes and delicious descriptions of sexy recipes, then this book will find a way into your heart. I found myself laughing and generally more amused by this novel than I have been in a long time. The choices the characters make seem to enhance the fantasy elements and while Kate's adventures are not explained in detail, Miriam Levy has some passionate dreams and sensual longings. At times it is so real, I forgot I was reading a novel. Looking forward to reading: "Let Us Eat Cake." This authors writing style really appeals to me because it is infused with energy and decadent descriptions. ~The Rebecca Review

A great read!

This is a page turner! Don't be fooled, this book isn't just for women, nor is it a cook book. In fact, it's perfect for men who want to get a taste of what goes on inside the mind of a middle aged woman who is looking for love, sex and romance -- but not necessarily in that order. It's a funny story about a kidnapping that takes just the right amount of unexpected turns.