Rowena’s review of How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

Free-spirited Annie Quintana and sophisticated Julia St. Clair come from two different worlds. Yet, as the daughter of the St. Clairs’ housekeeper, Annie grew up in Julia’s San Francisco mansion and they forged a bond that only two little girls oblivious to class differences could—until a life-altering betrayal destroyed their friendship.

A decade later, Annie bakes to fill the void left in her heart by her mother’s death, and a painful secret jeopardizes Julia’s engagement to the man she loves. A chance reunion prompts the unlikely duo to open a cupcakery, but when a mysterious saboteur opens up old wounds, they must finally face the truth about their past or risk losing everything.

It’s no secret that I adore books that are centered around bakeries or cupcakes so I knew that this book would go on my to be reviewed pile and when I requested it, I was excited because it sounded like a good story. I’m glad to see that I wasn’t mistaken with that assumption.

I really getting to know Annie and Julia. This book is told through the points of views from both Julia and Annie. Julia and Annie are childhood best friends who drifted apart. Annie’s mother worked for Julia’s mother and she was like a second mother to Julia so the two girls were inseparable when they were younger and they were best friends up until Annie started going to school at Julia’s high school and they drifted apart. Julia was responsible for some trouble that dogged Annie in high school and Annie hasn’t ever forgiven her for it. After Annie’s Mom died, Annie thought she’d seen the last of the St. Clairs but that wasn’t the case because all of these years later, Lolly St. Clair (Julia’s Mom) reaches out to Annie and Annie can’t turn her away so she goes…and gets sucked right back into the world she thought she’d left behind so long ago.

This book follows these two women as they navigate the twists and turns their lives have taken to get them to where they are now. Annie is a successful baker, doing her thing while Julia is engaged to be married to the man she loves with all of her heart but things aren’t as perfect as the both of them would like and it would take the two of them working together (opening a cupcakery) for them to finally let go of the past and move forward with their lives.

This book had a lot of great things going for it. I enjoyed getting to know both Julia and Annie though there were times when I wanted to smack the two of them for things they thought and things they wouldn’t let go. I found the whole high school thing that Annie could let go and that Julia didn’t take seriously to be really interesting because it made me wonder about things that happened in high school that have shaped me into the person that I am today. Annie held some grudges and Julia forgot certain things and I just thought it was interesting to see them deal with those issues after all of these years.

I’m glad that I read this book because it was a good read. Donohue did a terrific job of keeping me invested in the lives of the characters in this story. I really enjoyed getting to know both of Julia’s parents through both Annie and Julia’s POV. My only gripe was the ending, or the wrap up of the whole thing with Annie’s Mom’s recipe book and the whole thing with the stealing of things around Lolly and Tad’s house. It felt like the solution was much too abrupt but all in all, it was still an enjoyable read. I really liked Julia’s man and the guy that Annie ends up with. Loved them.

All in all, it was a good read.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

This book is available from Harper Collins. You can buy it here or here in e-format.