Novels With Cake Decorating Hero/heroine
Lounge By moreCakePlz Updated 19 Mar 2013 , 3:58pm by shanter
Hey guys did you know that if you go to Amazon.com, go under "books" and do a search under "cake" that mixed in and among the decorating and recipe books there's like a ton of cake related fictional books. Cool!! 
Well here's another one -- I don't know if it's a cake person or not but it has an executive chef of a restaurant in it as the main character. I haven't read it but it looks kind of interesting: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090616/ap_en_re/us_book_review_in_the_kitchen
i never knew these types of books existed! i'm heading off to the library ASAP! Good grief I didn't think I'd ever find this thread again! 
Anyway, here's another book I just read where the main gal owns a bakery (complete with cookiegrams)! Who knew baking had so many metaphores? 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/037387538X/?tag=cakecentral-20
The Joanne Fluke books are "light" mysteries. I just like the bakery parts, and I really don't care whodunnit.
Wow cutthecake, I had no idea those books were out there! I'm looking forward to reading them now! 
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Joanne+Fluke
Well here's another one -- I don't know if it's a cake person or not but it has an executive chef of a restaurant in it as the main character. I haven't read it but it looks kind of interesting: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090616/ap_en_re/us_book_review_in_the_kitchen
Well crap, they had a whole review on it and I didn't think to write down the title or the author 
and now it's gone! 
Oh well, such is life!
Okay so it's like this: I go back through this thread with my notepad and pen writing down my library list. Then I'm not sure about some titles and orders and I go to Amazon -- and find several more cake/sugar related mystery series (bringing my count to like 8 series by different authors!)
Here's a few more I found:
the Chocoholic Mysteries by JoAnna Carl
the Candy Shop Mysteries by Sammi Carter
A Christmas Cookie Killer by Livia J. Washburn (I don't think this is part of a series)
and so on and so on...
Here's another one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0373710208/?tag=cakecentral-20
The gal in the book was a caterer, now an editor and during her adventure out west she ends up baking two wedding cakes (around all the drama in her life.) Not a bad story considering.
While it's not all about cake, there is a mystery series by Nancy Fairbanks (Chocolate Quake, Crime Brulee, Truffled Feathers.) The main female, Carolyn Blue, is a food critic.
Better still, every book has recipes in it, some from famous people or restaurants. Chocolate Quake has a recipe from Elizabeth Falker of Citizen Cake Patisserie.
I buy a lot of books at "Half Price Books" It's an amazing store!
Tons of fictional books, as well as foodie books.
I could spend hours in that place.
Check out their "Autographed" section, AWESOME!
A bit off topic, but I got a signed Loretta Lynn book for my Mom for c-mas.
They have audio books, and I also listened to "Eat Cake" by Jeanne Ray. I got the entire 6 cd book for $5.98!
She has 2 or 3 other books that were just as good too.
I'm currently reading "Let Me Eat Cake" by Leslie F. Miller
Did you know that if your Library doesn't have new books, they will buy them/order them in for you?! I recently ordered about 10 books, and they are all trickling in.
Happy Reading!
The next book in the Nora Roberts, Visions in White, is due out in December. Can't wait! Thanks for the information on Amazon.
Leslie
"Comfort Food" by Kate Jacobs is good. Main character has her own cooking show, with a mix of funny characters. It's a middle-aged story, so kind of nice for a change.
Okay I just got done reading "Just Desserts" by Barbara Bretton. What fun!!! That was the most entertaining little book, and I was most impressed with her having an actual knowledge of cake decorating as opposed to someone who does research in the wedding mags! Anyway it was highly entertaining and I recommend it!
I just finished "Fatally Flaky" In the Diane Mott Davidson series I mentioned early on. At one point, a guest falls backward into a wedding cake which is then whisked out of the reception area and successfully repaired --a little unrealistic with that scenario but a typically good read.
I was disappointed with How Sweet It Is. Just as Bobwonderbuns described, I could tell it was "researched" vs "real life knowledge." Kind of a namby-pamy read. 
I just finished "Fatally Flaky" In the Diane Mott Davidson series I mentioned early on. At one point, a guest falls backward into a wedding cake which is then whisked out of the reception area and successfully repaired --a little unrealistic with that scenario but a typically good read.
I was disappointed with How Sweet It Is. Just as Bobwonderbuns described, I could tell it was "researched" vs "real life knowledge." Kind of a namby-pamy read.
Heck, I was all set to go out and get How Sweet It Is. What didn't you like about it?
I just finished "Fatally Flaky" In the Diane Mott Davidson series I mentioned early on. At one point, a guest falls backward into a wedding cake which is then whisked out of the reception area and successfully repaired --a little unrealistic with that scenario but a typically good read.
I was disappointed with How Sweet It Is. Just as Bobwonderbuns described, I could tell it was "researched" vs "real life knowledge." Kind of a namby-pamy read.
Heck, I was all set to go out and get How Sweet It Is. What didn't you like about it?
I found it to be very stilted in its cadence. That drives me nuts. I hate books that start slow, pick up, drop off, pick up again, etc. It's not that it didn't have merit, I just felt like I could have written it. It was not a "don't want to put it down" read.
Edited to add: I'd be happy to send it to you, BWB, I always try to pass on my books, and if you'd like to read it, you are more than welcome to have it. Just PM me if you do.
Just finished with the second book in the Nora Roberts series, very good as usual. The third book due out in May, I think will be about the pastry chef.
Leslie
ps glad I found this thread again, I read all of the Susan Mallery books!!!
I just finished reading a romance novel (Falling for Gracie) where the heroine was a cake decorator. It was kinda neat reading about fondant, doweling, gumpaste flowers, box mix vs scratch, etc, etc in a novel.
Does anyone know of other fiction novels that have bakers, chefs or cake decorators as the hero or heroine?
PS: Gracie talks about one cake she is making that serves 50 people and cost $1000. That is $20 a serving! Talk about educating the general public on cake prices.
I just finished reading a cute little romanic comedy called Wedding Season by Katie Fforde and while the main character is not a cake decorator, there is one featured prominently. She is a hobbyist and must find a commercially approved kitchen (in England) in which to make a wedding cake 
. I was unable to visualize how the author described the process but the cake was like a topiary tree!
BTW, may I please add that I'm so proud of myself for having successfully searched for this thread!
I'm glad you bumped it up again Elcee! I was just thinking about this thread the other day!! I just bought a book called "the wedding cake war" by Lynna Banning which sounds hysterical. I can't wait! I also found another author, Lynne Hinton, who did a number of books like "Wedding Cake, a novel", "Christmas Cake" and "Friendship Cake, a novel"... I think they are part of a series or something but I haven't researched it yet. Stay tuned~!
I was just thinking about this thread as well! I have been traveling with my husband while he is on business and picked up The Chocolate Snowman Murders really cheap at my local bookstore. It was charming, and while not about cake, who can resist chocolate? --Much like a box of chocolates when I receive them, I read it in one day! I've seen the series, but had not purchased any of them prior to this one. I will definitely be going back for a second helping!
Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451225066/?tag=cakecentral-20
Mary Jane Clark has the Wedding Cake Mystery Series - two books released so far. To Have and To Kill and The Look of Love. They are fun reads.
Anyone wanting to read mystery books in chronological order should check out stopyourekillingme.com
On that site you can find books by author, main character, time period, location, genre, etc. Most books are linked to the descriptions/reviews on Amazon.
Anyone wanting to read mystery books in chronological order should check out stopyourekillingme.com
On that site you can find books by author, main character, time period, location, genre, etc. Most books are linked to the descriptions/reviews on Amazon.
Has someone suggested Jacklyn Brady:
Death by Chocolate books: http://www.amazon.com/Sally-Berneathy/e/B004MF7IGI/ref=la_B004MF7IGI_pg_2?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_82%3AB004MF7IGI&page=2&ie=UTF8&qid=1363303680
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