ARE YOU LISTENING? WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER: A REVIEW AND SPEEDY GIVEAWAY

WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" 
ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY" 
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S 
AUDIO BOOK CHOICE...

 GIVEAWAY ENDED
WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER
BY BETH HARBISON
READ BY ORLAGH CASSIDY

ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Always Something There to Remind Me, When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison a delicious new novel about the search for true love and all the ingredients that go into it.

As far as Gemma is concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it’s her job to cater other peoples’ dates, and that’s just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full and secure. She’s got six steady clients that keep her hands full.

There’s Lex, the fussy but fabulous department store owner who loves Oysters Rockefeller and 1950s comfort food; Willa, who needs to lose weight under doctor’s orders but still believes butter makes everything better; a colorful family who may or may not be part of the Russian mob; an überwealthy Georgetown family; the picture-perfect Van Houghtens, whose matriarch is “allergic to everything”; and finally, a man she calls “Mr. Tuesday,” whom she has never met but who she is strangely drawn to.

For Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life, on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma’s takes an unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a lot of courage, and---oh yes---butter.

EXCERPT FROM WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER:

Chapter 1
 
When I was twelve, a fortune-teller at the Herbert Hoover Junior High School carnival said to me: “Gemma Craig, you listen to me. Do not get married. Ever. If you do, you’ll end up cooking for a man who’d rather eat at McDonald’s; doing laundry for a man who sweats like a rabid pig, then criticizes you for not turning his T-shirts right side out; and cleaning the bathroom floor after a man whose aim is so bad, he can’t hit a hole the size of a watermelon—”
 

This man sounded disgusting.
 

“—make your own money and be independent. Having kids is fine, but get married and you will be miserable for the rest of your life. I promise you, the rest of your life.”
 

This chilling prediction stayed with me long after I realized that the fortune-teller was, in fact, Mrs. Rooks, the PTA president and neighbor who always gave out full-sized 3 Musketeers bars on Halloween, and that her husband had left her that very morning for a cliché: a young, vapid, blond bombshell. Mrs. Rooks had four kids, and at the time, I thought of her as really old, and I didn’t quite get why she cared so much if she was married anymore or not.
 

She was thirty-seven.
 

I was thirty-seven last year.
 

But for the most part, I have followed that sage wisdom she imparted, whether it came from a place of deep inspiration or, maybe, from a place of bitter day drunkenness. It had an impact on me either way.

To finish reading this excerpt, visit the Macmillan audio book website HERE. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beth Harbison is the New York Times bestselling author of Secrets of a Shoe Addict, Shoe Addicts Anonymous, Hope in a Jar and Thin, Rich, Pretty. She is also a serious product junkie, with enough lip glosses, shampoos, conditioners, and foundations to lube every car on the streets of suburban D.C., where she lives with her husband, two children and dogs.

To read more about Beth's "Bio", visit her website HERE. 

ABOUT THE NARRATOR:

Orlagh Cassidy is the winner of the 2009 Best Voice in Children & Family Listening for the audiobook It’s Time to Sleep, My Love & On the Night You Were Born.  She also won an award in 2008 for Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense.  She’s narrated for Jacqueline Winspear, James Patterson, Erica Spindler, and Frank Herbert, among others.

Orlagh’s Broadway credits include Present Laughter with Frank Langella, Our Country's Good, and Suddenly Last Summer.  She has appeared Off-Broadway in Bright Ideas and The Field at The Irish Rep (Drama Desk Nomination). She is "Doris Wolfe" on The Guiding Light and her other television appearances include Sex and the City, Law & Order, Law and Order SVU, and Murder One.  She also appeared in the films Purple Violets, Spinning into Butter, and Definitely, Maybe.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Beth Harbison’s WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER is a fluffy, flavorful, fun novel just right for listening to at this time of the year with the never-ending heat. It also is a pleasure as the well developed main character, Gemma Craig, is a surprise in what originally might be thought of as just some light chick-lit. In my opinion, Harbison is known for her best sellers because she can combine the fun elements of a light read with substance to hold the reader’s interest.

Gemma is in her late 30s and is a personal chef in Washington, D.C. Her life is full with her regular customers during the week and special events on weekends. The characters for Monday through Friday are a story in themselves as they are so well described and not only add humor but heart to the story. It is easy to see that Gemma really loves her work. She works hard and is dedicated to serving quality food even though some of her clients make that hard with their bizarre requests.

All is fine until Gemma goes pretty much against her norm and has a one night stand that she later can’t stop thinking about. Nor can she find his number! When one of her regular clients takes an innocent (and hilarious- can you say peacock?) incident and fires Gemma, the story takes an unexpected twist. Not only is that one day of work Gemma can’t afford to be without, but the spiteful customer is spreading rumors that are causing Gemma loss of business. On top of this, Gemma’s personal life takes a VERY startling turn!

The fun-to-listen-to, grab-you-from-the-start, WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER is just the right book to entertain and keep a reader happily involved. With the solidly written and fleshed out main character, readers will not only relate but understand her dilemma as they learn more about her past and how she has learned to adapt to it. The fabulous food Gemma serves is as appetizing as Beth Harbison’s latest novel, WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER. Don’t miss this one! 

GIVEAWAY

 THANKS TO ESTHER AND MY FRIENDS AT

MACMILLAN AUDIO, I HAVE ONE COPY OF WHEN

 IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER BY BETH HARBISON

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY FOLLOWER

 

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT WHEN IN DOUBT, ADD BUTTER THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT BETH HARBISON'S WEBSITE HERE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, AUGUST 31
(TOMORROW)

GOOD LUCK!