Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Review: Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd

Here's my review for Let Them Eat Cake, the first book in Sandra Byrd's "French Twist" series.

Lexi's life is stalled...everyone around her seems to be moving forward, while Lexi is actually backpedaling. Her college degree in French language and culture doesn't offer many job opportunities, and the jobs she has had (notice the past tense) are dull and boring, not to mention the fact that she's been let go from most of them. So at 24, she's trying to get back on her feet and has moved back in with her parents, but obviously that can't last forever: they're moving to a 55+ community in less than 6 months, so that's the amount of time Lexi has to (1. find a job, and (2. find an affordable place to live. Oh, and if she happens to find a guy somewhere in there, well that wouldn't be unwelcome either!

Lexi's love of all things French makes for a light and fun read, and while it does touch on some tough issues, it's done well and very appropriately. Although I don't share Lexi's fascination with the French culture, I did enjoy the story and following her through the book. Her experiences at the bakery were interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the friendship develop with her piercing-filled co-worker, Sophie. Lexi's yearning and attempts to get back in a relationship with God are very authentic, and I found it thought provoking when she realized that if she wanted a relationship with God she needed to actually pursue it, as at her age no one is "driving her to church" anymore.

Lexi ends up having two romantic interests, and I was rather surprised and at the same time pleased with how things ended up. At first it seemed fairly predictable and I thought for sure she was going to go one way, but I just wasn't content with it, I kept thinking, "No, no, no!". But there was an unexpected twist that I definitely didn't see coming, and it caused things to completely turn around, much to my satisfaction! I don't want to give any spoilers though, so that's all I'm going to say on that particular subject. ;)

I love when I find books that have characters in their early to mid twenties, as it seems they are few and far between. Most chick-lit books seem to be about girls in their late twenties, and to me it seems that characters who are a few years younger have a slightly different perspective on life that is a fun change. Of course maybe the reason I like them is that I'm right in that age range...whatever the case, when I started reading I was happy to find that Lexi is 24. :)

In closing, I enjoyed Let Them Eat Cake as a fun and light read. The ending leaves the story wide open for new and exciting things, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next two books in the series. 

My rating: 4 stars

If you have a kindle you can download the first chapter of Let Them Eat Cake for free at Amazon. I don't have an e-reader yet, but I'm definitely pondering getting one! 
 
Please rank my review! You'll be entered to win a free copy of this book (courtesy of Waterbrook/Multunomah and their Blogging For Books program)!

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