Customer Reviews

My Delicious Life with Paula Deen

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Groover is as real as Paula Deen herself, and it's nice to hear it directly from him how life with her is. No, this isn't a biography telling of his tugboat experience because....as the title says...it's about his life with Paula. And that is a HUGE plus. The first chapter is about his younger years, but from Chapter two on, we hear about Michael and Paula. We hear, from his perspective, what dating and marriage and maintenance of that marriage consists of. He dishes of behind the scenes of her cooking show, jealousy on both parts...c'mon, if you want to know some things about Paula Deen that you won't hear otherwise, this is the place to read about it.

I'm not sure what the other reviewers were expecting but for this fan and book reviewer, it was a home run. I read the book in one day. So he mentions his boats and other materialistic things they've acquired. Should he feel guilt over working hard and getting just compensation for it? They also give back an insane amount to several charities. (Remember reading that in the book?)

The main problem with the book is related to editing. He does get repetitous and the southern way of pronunciating was draining and got old. However, the content of the book was rich and just as good as any of Paula's dishes. I would recommend this book to any fan of Paula's. Just be willing to overlook some minor editing annoyances.

File this under Shameless Marketing Ploy, not Biography. I had every hope that this biography would indeed tell the life story of this tugboat captain (as promised in the promotional material/front flap); instead, it glosses over the first five decades of his life and focuses on the last decade. Horribly. The folksy dialect that worked so well in Paula's memoir fails here. Second, Mr. Groover has no qualms about telling exactly how well off he and Paula are. Repeatedly. Finally, Mr. Groover offers advice, among other things, on how to order presents online and how to shop for diamonds. That's not biography--that's filler.
--I still have 50 pages to read, but this book has so offended me that I couldn't wait another moment to share my disdain. I purchased this book because I truly thought this man might have a fascinating story to tell, not because I wanted to be duped by a shameless marketing ploy. I admire Paula Deen--I've bought into her image (books & TV), and she's brought a little joy into my life. This book tarnishes that image, because someone (who?) so clearly simply wanted to make a buck off her name. Her image would have been much better served if they would have just had him write a cookbook--without opening his mouth.

I love Paula Deen. I think her positive attitude and infectious laugh are so appealing. I have all her cookbooks and get her magazine. I will continue to do so, but in the back of mind, I will be thinking that I am only helping them buy more material items.

I don't lay all of the blame for this book on Michael Groover. Did Sherry Cohen, the contributor, not recognize how this book would look to readers? Michael tells you how to buy expensive items and what they have acquired with all of their money, not very appealing to read.

Michael also hints at the end of the book that there is a family member that they are having problems with. This should have been left out of the book if he didn't want to give facts. I think this was his way of trying to get that family member to understand his position without telling readers the facts.

I wish this had been more about Paula and Michael's life together. The parts that do tell about their life I feel are choppy. I wish this had been a better book and my past opinion of Paula and Michael was still intact.

Just as the last reviewer said, this is a marketing ploy to make money from Paula's name. I used to like Paula before she got rich and promotes so many products from hams, cookbooks, cookware to furniture. This book says the same thing in fifty different sentences. We get it. He met Paula, loves her dearly, has lots of laughs, meets lots of celebrities and enjoys the money. That can all be said in one chapter. End of story. The rest is Filler that repeats the main theme over and over. Can we expect a future book from Michael Groover's children, the cook at Lady & Sons, or maybe even one by her dog? Save your money--you need it more than they do.

You either love Paula Deen and her phony High-Livin' Hog-Caller persona. . . or wonder whether the rest of the world has gone out of its collective cotton-pickin' mind. Didn't this shtick die with Minnie Pearl and Ma & Pa Kettle?

Although ostensibly documenting author/husband's Michael Groover's globe-trotting romance and wedded bliss with the cornball cooking queen, this isn't really the inside story of being married to a shrewd marketing whiz--which might have made a far more interesting read. Instead it's yet another calculated adjunct to Paula Deen's finely-tuned brand of country-fried ka-ching, sort of a hayseed Harlequin Romance fantasy aimed at the poor suckers who line up outside her over-hyped Savannah tourist trap.

Like his wife, the former fishing boat cook seems more like a carefully-crafted cartoon character (think of a male Tugboat Annie) than a real person. And do these people, who are somehow sharp enough to have amassed millions, actually write and speak like Dogpatch denizens? So much hokey jargon (the guy, or his ghostwriter) is incapable of using the suffix "ing" without dropping last letter so everything is "eatin'," "drinkin'," etc. Very annoyin'--it makes wadin' through this verbal corn crib comparable to readin' an epic Hee Haw script.

And when he runs out of repetitious anecdotes about what a hoot 'n' a holler it is being married to Paula, he pads shamelessly with recipes, tips on buying gifts for friends while on vacation abroad and things to look for when purchasing melons, fresh fish and (yes!) diamonds. (All things most of us really need to know.) Is this an autobiography or a Beverly Hillbillies edition of Consumer Reports?

Just don't expect a Julie and Julia-type movie version starrin' Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci any time soon. Nuff said, y'all.

I thoroughly enjoyed Michael's book. Not only did he include the good times, but mention was made of the tough times they all had to deal with. I would recommend this to any Paula Deen lover!

Great jokes at the beginning of every chapter. Liked hearing about his childhood. The problem is the re-occuring subject of money. I honestly thought he had come to terms with the fact he is married to a woman who makes a whole lot of money. Much more than him. After reading this book I see just how insecure he is about it. Kinda sad. However he does not hesitate to tell us all the things they have spent money on. I really wish I would not have read it. No jealousy here because I have plenty myself but would never list it all in a book. I was really looking for more funny stories about their life together as the title suggested.
One GREAT thing that came out in this book is that he has lost many of his prejudices and homophobia due to being around Paula. She has made him see that you should accept people for their heart and not their color or sexual preference. Way to go Paula.
They are 2 people in love with regular struggles, especially when it comes to family and he should just be comfortable with that. I think he was ill-advised putting out this book.

This was a Christmas gift to my friend who, like myself, loves anything about Paula Deen. She read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. She now thinks Paula Deen is the luckiest woman in the world. You will too after reading this wonderful book.

I bought this book as a Christmas present to myself, on impulse, while at the bookstore. It looked like it might be interesting. When I finally started reading it I could not put it down. I read the entire book in one day within about 5 hours. I agree there are some repetitious parts but I could overlook that. His life has been interesting in and of itself and I was fascinated at how far he has come. Sue they have money now but why should they pretend that they don't? Wouldn't that be even more pretentious? If you're successful you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. I thought he came across as thankful and appreciative for what they have. And as he mentions, he made a good living before marrying her and didn't want anyone to think he married her for her money. He doesn't make as much now because he travels with her so much, but still continues to do the work that he loves when he can.

After I read it I loaned it to a co-worker who loves Paula as much as I do (maybe more!). She said she really enjoyed it to. I think it's all in your attitude. If you read it expecting not to like it, then you will have plenty to find fault with. ON the other hand, if you read it with curiosity into their backgrounds and what their life is really like, you will be entertained.

Having been a Paula fan I just had to read this book. Michael Groover is a Southern storyteller. You not only read but feel his words. He comes across as an old family friend telling you about his life and loves. It makes you feel good that these folks have come together and are enjoying their lives now. Also some good recipes-have tried two and they are delicious.