Let Them Eat Cake (French Twist, Book 1) [Paperback]

Sandra Byrd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 2007

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends.

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker she has her eye–but even may not be who he seems to be!

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting–an order Lexi has flubbed– she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future–très bon!

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Let Them Eat Cake is a delicious read! Byrd brings a fresh, insightful approach to women's fiction as she stretches out a welcoming hand to twenty-something readers. Bon Appetit!”
–Robin Jones Gunn, bestselling author of Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La! and The Christy Miller Series

“An engaging tale with as many layers as a croissant…and shaped just as lovingly.”
–Siri L. Mitchell, author of Kissing Adrien

“If a good book were as loaded with calories as a French pastry, this one would have added pounds to my hips. Let Them Eat Cake--a sweet, satisfying story of searching for one's place in life and inviting God along on the journey.”
–Tamara Leigh, Author of Perfecting Kate

“I could not put Let Them Eat Cake down. As a twenty-something myself, I felt as if Lexi and I were old friends. Sandra Byrd had me laughing and crying all the way through the entire book. I can’t wait for the next one.”
–Shannon Kubiak Primicerio author of The Divine Dance and co-author of Life. Now.

“This realistic, slice-of-life story undertakes the challenging decisions Lexi must make about her future–whether she will follow her passion or find a job that pays the bills. Not shying away from tough issues, Sandra Byrd's vivid characters draw readers in and encourage them to follow their dreams.”
–Natasha Neuroth, Internet Product Editor, Christianbook.com

“Sandra Byrd’s Let Them Eat Cake is a rich, creamy delight. The characters ring true and the plot simmers at just the right pace. Try it! You’ll like it!”
–Lyn Cote, author of Blessed Assurance

“Not every novel fills me up and leaves me hungering for more, but Let Them Eat Cake does. Sandra Byrd has created a witty heroine whose search for significance and desire to follow the Lord equals her charming bonhomie.  You won’t regret settling down with a plate of French pastries and this delectable adventure!”
–Angela Hunt, author of The Elevator 

“Sandra Byrd has a crafted a delicious gem for the twenty-something crowd – and their mothers! Seattle’s artsy downtown adds flair to the story’s overall appeal, as do the gotta-try-‘em recipes. Delightful.”
–Susan Meissner, author of A Seahorse in the Thames

“Lexi Stuart is in search of a place to call home, a man to love, and that elusive word called destiny. This is a fun, realistic story of a twentysomething who isn't afraid to question her faith and other's expectations in order to discover her place in the world.”
–T. Suzanne Eller, international speaker and author of several books, including The Woman I Am Becoming: Embracing the Chase of Identity, Faith, and Destiny


“Sandra Byrd’s protagonist in Let Them Eat Cake is Lexie Stuart, a self-effacing Francophile who narrates the story with a delicious prose, a smattering of French and a grow-as-you-go faith. J’adore Let Them Eat Cake. Merci, Sandra!”
–Leslie Gould, award-winning author of Beyond the Blue and Scrap Everything

“Let Them Eat Cake is a culinary delight. Sandra Byrd creates a lovely atmosphere in this delightful read with a wonderful surprise ending.”
–Rachel Hauck, author of Diva NashVegas

About the Author

Sandra Byrd is a prolific writer of fiction, including the popular Friends for a Season series for teens, and the bestselling Girls Like You and Secret Sisters series for young girls. She is a regular contributor to national Christian publications. Before she began writing full time, Sandra worked in marketing, sales, and acquisitions for an educational publisher. She and her husband have two children, and make their home in Seattle, Washington.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400073278
• ISBN-13: 978-1400073276
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author Sandra Byrd has now published more than three dozen books. Her adult fiction debut, Let Them Eat Cake, was a Christy Award finalist, and was followed by two more books in the series. Her most recent 4-book young adult fiction series is London Confidential. Publishing her Tudor Series, beginning with Book 1, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn, is a lifelong dream come true.

A former textbook acquisitions editor, Sandra has also published many nonfiction articles and books. Sandra is also passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and their work toward traditional or self publication. As such, she has mentored and coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each year.

Sandra resides in Washington State with her husband Michael, a chaplain, their two children, and a circus dog named Brie.

You can learn more at www.sandrabyrd.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious treat for fiction lovers, October 23, 2007

By 

Cindy Swanson (Rockford, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Let Them Eat Cake (French Twist, Book 1) (Paperback)

I liked this book so much, I scarfed in down almost as fast as I would a piece of my mom's legendary brownie chocolate cake.

While I've enjoyed some Christian "chick lit" lately, some of it can veer into the self-consciously cute and trying a little too hard to be funny zone. Not this book. Sandra Byrd's humor is wryly amusing instead of broadly slapstick, her protagonist's interaction with God believable instead of goofy.

The story is Alexandra "Lexi" Stuart, a 20-something who is having trouble getting her career bearings in a post-college world. When yet another job falls through, this Francophile decides to follow her heart and work for a much smaller paycheck in a French bakery.

Her adventures at the bakery, her attraction to two very different guys, and her steps back to a relationship with God, make for some of the most enjoyable reading I've done in a while. Lexi is an appealing character, and by the time the story wraps up, you feel you've made a friend--and if you're like me, you'll applaud her choice at the end of the book.

After reading this, I handed it off to my 20-year-old daughter, who also devoured it (appropos word for a book largely about food!) in one weekend. While this tale of a "quarterlife crisis" will go over very well with twenty-somethings, age won't matter when it comes to enjoying this book. It's a good story, told with humor and verve, and pages turn effortlessly.

P.S. I really liked the way actual images were interspersed in the copy, such as those of e-mails, application forms, classifieds, personal notes, etc. And the recipes! I'll definitely be trying "Boyfriend Bait Stroganoff."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read and recipes too, September 24, 2007

By 

Barbara Warren - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Let Them Eat Cake (French Twist, Book 1) (Paperback)

It's tough being the only failure in your upwardly motivated family. Lexi Stuart has just been fired from a job she hated, but she is afraid to tell her parents. Broke, unemployed, between boyfriends, and about to become homeless, she's between the proverbial brick and a cement block. She finally lands a job working the counter in a gourmet bakery. The pay is barely above poverty level, her fellow employee is snippy, and her parents are disappointed in her career choice. To make matters worse, her brother and his fiance are doing great--no problems, good paying jobs, no clouds on their romantic horizon. Lexi can't help feeling like a failure. She doesn't even feel she fits in at her church anymore. On the up-side, her boss is handsome, and seems attracted to her.

Smart and sassy, Let Them Eat Cake is an enjoyable story about a woman who can't get anything right until she gets right with God. Good Chick-Lit that will keep the reader smiling. And the recipes are good too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bon Appétit!, September 23, 2007

By 

Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Let Them Eat Cake (French Twist, Book 1) (Paperback)

Lexi Stuart needs to find a job. She's graduated from college with a degree in French culture and literature but unfortunately there are no jobs that will pay highly with that degree. After turning in numerous resumes, the only job she finds is at a French bakery. While it is a step down for her, Lexi finds the job to be exactly what she wants. She can combine her love of cooking while being able to use her knowledge of the French language. She soon finds working there to be an adventure, from being with her cute French boss, dealing with her non Christian coworker, messing up orders and trying to find a place to live. It's enough to make anyone quote Marie Antoinette when they're about to lose their head!

Do not read this book on an empty stomach, especially if you are craving something sweet. This book is filled with tons of food. After reading this, I so craved a cupcake. This book was so informative of bakeries and the French culture that I felt like I worked in the bakery myself. I know exactly how Lexi felt in the beginning of the book. I"m going through the exact situation about having a degree but not being able to find a job. It shows the struggle a lot of grads face when they have studied something they love but find out that society demands something else. Also, the story really shows how it's like to be a 20-something in this time period when you want to live on your but you can't so you're stuck with the parents. In fact I think this is one of the few Christian fiction books that I've read that actually has shown this. It doesn't show everyone being all happy that they are staying together. The story isn't preachy at all, in fact I enjoyed for once how a non-Christian actually is interested in learning about Jesus. This book was tons of fun to read. I loved the little notes and illustrations that would pop up randomly in the book. Loved especially the Wikipedia article. It was like reading one of those chain letter books with the letters and invitations that you get to read. It made the story more exciting, I think all books should have these because it really grabs your attention! This book has become one of my favorites of this year. Extremely recommended to read while eating a croissant with a cafe creme.