Customer Reviews

Never on a Sundae (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"What You Wish For" by Wendy Markham. Most of her friends are married and moved beyond commiserating with a sundae at Sundaes' Diner the lack of decent, straight single males in Manhattan. Delaney has doubts that Bob the banker is the one although she loves him. She ponders his acceptance of Hansel the cat and a red coat tree. Told mostly in second person soliloquies with some first person dialogues, this is a warm novella though Delaney acts inane at times.

"Lola Was Here" by Lynn Messina. Lola had some success in Europe as a photographer, but has doubts she can make it in New York. Her friend takes her to a party where her college lover and photography colleague, highly regarded Creighton is happy to see her. He takes her to Sundae where she decides to "fold" the diner into a photographic album. This is a terrific tale showcasing a woman just starting to appreciate her skills.

"The Waitress" By Daniella Brodsky. Waitress Kate is also a writer though she never told her peers at Sundaes or her customers. She still dreams of finding the right one, but seems to never do so until Glenn. However, he wears a ring that makes him off limits. Solid contemporary romance that fans will appreciate.

Calories, fat, and carbs aside, these three chick lit novellas are fine tales that sub-genre fans will enjoy, but beware that readers will find it difficult to say never to a sundae, better than chicken soup for the battered soul seeking love.

Harriet Klausner

These three stories were entertaining. I especially enjoyed Daniella Brodsky's story. Would love to see more from this author.

This disjointed collection of three stories is only minimally tied together by all three heroines passing through Sundae's, a diner in NYC. The first story's telling in the second person makes it hard to follow. The second's poor-me heroine is kind of irritating. The third story, about the waitress, is by far the best.

Sundae's is the common thread running through this anthology that begins with What You Wish For, a slightly difficult to read introspecitve, angsty piece told in second person that examines whether or not a certain man is right for the heroine. Though broken by first person views, from time to time, the primary view makes it rather hard to follow. Next comes Lola Was Here, dealing more with career issues than romance. Lola wants to make it in New York as a photographer, but has doubts until in Sundae's she meets a man who calms her fears and inspires her to see possibilities. In the final entry, the heroine does not just pass through Sundae's, she works there as a waitress, which is the title of the story. Yet, she wants more and dreams of being a writer. However if she makes it, let us hope that her writing is more engaging than the stories in this anthology. If more fleshed out, they might be more appealing, but as it is, there seemed to be something missing.


Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.