The Waitress [Kindle Edition]

Melissa Nathan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Three years out of university, Katie has been waiting tables trying to figure out what to do with her life. When it turns out that waitressing (well, being a restaurateur) may be it after all, her mom is none too thrilled. On top of family pressure to sort out her professional life, Katie begins to wonder if she isn't romantically challenged, especially after she sneaks out of a restaurant mid-date while her companion, who she really liked, is in the bathroom. Soon after, said date buys the cafe where Katie works, leaving her to wonder how things could get any worse. Of course, things get better, not worse, as Katie and friends Jon and Sukie eventually find the calm that has eluded them. Nathan has an ear for witty dialogue and aptly describes the confusing postcollege years. Entertaining chick lit with a dollop of career counseling. Beth Leistensnider
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

The Appetizer

Katie has lofty career aspirations that seem to change almost hourly: writer, film director, teacher, educational psychiatrist. In the meantime, she's waiting tables and waiting for "Mr. Right" to arrive out of the blue -- which seems unlikely, considering her romantic track record is as pitiful as her job history.

The Main Course

Still, a girl can dream, even when she's rushing a hot plate of linguini over to the nasty customer at table six. So when gorgeous, sensitive, perfect Dan Crichton asks her out, Katie's over the moon. But once again, commitment phobia rears its ugly head and dinner turns into the Great First Date Disaster -- and Katie's ideal romance is over before the goodnight kiss.

The Just Desserts

Things are tough when a woman wants it all and will not settle -- and has a little trouble making up her mind. But it's about to get really complicated for the Queen of Complications.

The Bill

Not only is Dan coming back -- as her new boss and engaged to someone else -- but persistent Ex-Boyfriend #3 Hugh's back too, with a vengeance. And suddenly there's a lot more on her tray than even the most able food service professional could safely handle ...

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 331 KB
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (October 13, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000UKON6W
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,436 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Waiting Around, January 16, 2006

By 

R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Waitress (Paperback)

Having read all of Melissa Nathan's novels, I can say that she is just as pithy and delightful as ever. Nathan's books have an energy and verve which move the pace along quickly, making the reader not want to put down the book until they are finished with it. Reading one of her books is like curling up to watch one of your favorite comedies unfold.

Nathan's latest novel, "The Waitress", tells the story of twenty-four year old Katie Simmonds, an Oxford graduate who works as a waitress while she is 'waiting' to find the perfect job. The perfect job seems to come along each week when Katie's mind alights on something she thinks she'd like to do, but isn't brave enough to risk a commitment to. And lack of commitment is a problem in her personal life as well. She's just walked out on a date with the only man she's liked, only to discover that he's her new boss, and he's already dating someone else. But that doesn't seem to stop him from showing interest in her, or is she just mistaken?

"The Waitress" is Melissa Nathan's latest "chick-lit" offering, a genre that I tend to ignore. Yet Nathan manages to rise above most of the other fodder this genre offers by making her characters believeable and intelligent. While the stories are predictable - yes, we know that the girl will find the right guy and they'll live happily ever after - the in-between time is peppered with wit, frustration, and amusing subplots that keep the reader interested even when they know how it will all turn out.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming and very funny, May 17, 2005

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Waitress (Paperback)

Katie Simmonds got her degree from Oxford, then froze, unable to decide what to do with her life. Or rather, she decides what to do--for a day or two. Her roommate has helped her write sixty resumes, for the dream of the moment. In the meantime, she and her actor-best friend Sukie work as waitresses in a cheap cafe. When Katie finally meets her dream man, she is torn with indecision, unable to talk to him at all, and bolts halfway through their dinner date. She doesn't dream that Dan the dream man is about to come the new owner of the cafe--and her new boss.

Katie wrestles with her growing attraction for Dan, and with her self-doubts and concerns for her future. In the meantime, Sukie tries to get acting jobs, Matt the dishwasher falls for beautiful and perfect Jennifer, and brainless waitress Patsy flirts with equally brainless (but talented) chef Nik. Adding to Katie's problems, though, Dan has gone back to his old girlfriend--and that girlfriend quickly makes the right noises to move from girlfriend to fiancee.

Author Melissa Nathan keeps the laughs coming as Katie and Sukie turn being super-rude waitresses into something that appeals to the crowds, as Katie wards off advances from drunk ex-boyfriend Hugh, and as Matt wrestles with overgrown pimples that erupt just as he is about to enter into the perfect date with beautiful Jennifer.

Too often, it seems like the world expects the twenty-something to know what to do. But school, even a degree from Oxford, can offer precious little practical direction--and it is easy to become trapped in a job. Of course, sometimes that job-trap can actually become something more.

Fans of humorous England-set chick-lit will definitely want to add this one to their must-read list.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dan is not the man, May 30, 2005

By 

Bunk - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Waitress (Paperback)

I gave this book three stars since the writting was good and I did laugh a bit, but the romance was not good, and since this was not a romance book I guess that means I should take everything into acount. But honestly I wanted to like this book, and I just couldn't. The main idea is that Dan and his friend buy aresturant and the it follows the lives of each of the employees and Jon who is the flatmate. I wasn't expecting so many stories so this was a little agrivating to. Anyway Dan had a horrible date with one of his new emplyees, and even though besides the date and one party he still felt stronly enogh about her to freak out and get back together with his witchy ex because she was such a bad date. He kisses and longs for his new employee even as he is engaged to another women, he admits that he doesn't love his fiancee but has no real intentions of breaking it off because he is to scard to be single. Basicly he is a gutless losser and on that alone not worth much. The book is well written and you will laugh but don't expect to fall in love with Dan he is just not worth it.