First Impressions: The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

Release Date: Oct 26, 2010


Synopsis from Goodreads: Holly Maguire's grandmother was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine–a Milanese fortune teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can't make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that's why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla's Cucinotta, she's determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother's legacy. 

But Holly's four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla's chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter's heart. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can't find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend. 

As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories into every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed–and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness. 

My First Impression:  I was drawn to this book initially by the title.  My recent obsession with food related books has yet to be satisfied.  The second thing that I noticed about this book was the cover.  I wondered about the kitchen, whose kitchen is it, what happens.  Then I read the synopsis and knew that I had to read it.  


I know cover images are very important.  I've admitted myself that I do judge a book by its cover (just as I did with this one).  Knowing that the cover image played an important role in my own desire to read the book, I'm sure that you can imagine my surprise when I came upon this post from Girlfriends Book Club outlining how this wasn't the original cover.  I've learned that authors don't have much say in what their covers look like, but I didn't realize that it was driven by booksellers.  I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense.  The booksellers can see what books are being picked up and either bought or put back on the shelf.  Would I have had the same reaction to the initial book cover?  It's hard to say.  What about you?  Which cover would drive you to pick up this book.






First Impressions is a feature in which I tell you about a book that I've received, but not yet read.  My copy of The Love Goddess' Cooking School was sent to me by the publisher with the hope that I would review it.