Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Narrator: Isabel Keating
Published: February 26, 2008
Genre: chick lit
Audiobook: 12 discs, approximately 13 hours
Source: borrowed from the library
My Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis (from GoodReads): Chef extraordinaire Gina Foxton doesn't expect anything to be handed to her on a platter. After years of hard work, the former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion is now the host of her own local Georgia public television show called Fresh Start, and she's dating the show's producer.
But when her show gets canceled, and she catches her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with the boss's wife, Gina realizes that she's meant for bigger and better things. The Cooking Channel is looking for its next star, and Gina is certain that she fits the bill. Trouble is, the execs also have their eye on Mr. "Kill It and Grill It" Tate Moody, the star of a hunting, fishing, and cooking show called Vittles. Tate is the ultimate man's man, with a dog named Moonpie and a penchant for flannel shirts. Little does Gina know, though, that she and Tate are soon to embark on the cook-off of their lives.
My Thoughts: This is my second Mary Kay Andrews audiobook and I truly enjoy listening to her work. While it's chick lit and nothing thought-provoking, it's no nice to just get lost in a novel and it's characters and see how everything unfolds. Andrews novel centers around two chefs competing for their own show on the Cooking Channel. A series of challenges are presented to them and the two are forced to work together to complete these challenges. Not a brand-new plot idea, but it was still engaging and wonderful to listen to Gina and Tate work together to complete the tasks.
As far as the characters go in this book, my favorite had to be Tate. I thought he was a perfect Southern guy. Laid back but knowledgeable about the land and how to live off of it. Plus, he was incredibly handsome, so that always helps. Gina was a bit too wishy-washy for me. She came across as weak, which always hate in a female character. Also, she didn't like her mother for some unknown reason. Andrews never explains why she continually avoids her, but it seems like her mom is a bear of a woman. And when she is introduced, she seems quite nice.
Isabel Keating did a good job with the narration. She provided distinction between all the Southern accents and didn't overdo it. I think that she made her voice a bit whiny at times, but it didn't ruin my listening experience. I really enjoy Andrews audiobooks and look forward to listening to more of her work in the future.
This sounds like a good audio. I'll check and see if my library has it.
ReplyDelete