Table for Seven

by Whitney Gaskell

On New Year’s Eve, Fran and Will Parrish host a dinner party, serving their friends a gourmet feast. The night is such a success that the group decides to form a monthly dinner party club. But what starts as an excuse to enjoy the company of fellow foodies ends up having lasting repercussions on each member of the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club.

Fran and Will face the possibility that their comfortable marriage may not be as infallible as they once thought. Audrey has to figure out how to move on and start a new life after the untimely death of her young husband. Perfectionist Jaime suspects that her husband, Mark, might be having an affair. Coop, a flirtatious bachelor who never commits to a third date, is blindsided when he falls in love for the first time. Leland, a widower, is a wise counselor and firm believer that bacon makes everything taste better.

Over the course of a year, against a backdrop of mouthwatering meals, relationships are forged, marriages are tested, and the members of the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club find their lives forever changed.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Friendship, Womens Fiction, Romance, Family

389 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Growing up, Whitney Gaskell always wanted to become a writer. Then for some unknown reason, she went to law school. TABLE FOR SEVEN is Whitney's eighth book. She also writes the Young Adult GEEK HIGH series under the name Piper Banks.

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one did not do much for me. I wouldn't recommend it. I found most of the characters to be kind of irritating and several of them made some really questionable decisions. It bothered me how these supposed "friends" are also constantly trying to outdo each other by making fancier food. I suppose it could be a friendly competition, but it doesn't really feel like it. This was one of those instances where I cared what happened just enough to keep reading, but then once I was finished it was all right, I'm done with these people. I don't really care what happens to them now.

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy books about friendships and drama. This one didn't disappoint! Whitney Gaskell's books are easy to read and they're entertaining. Looking forward to her next book!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dinner is served.”

I checked this one out from my local library a while ago, and forgot to list this on my “currently reading” shelf.

This may be referred to as an “escape,” light read where we as readers got to watch a few friends who share meals together as a regular event. Of course, that meant we were made privy to their lives – the conversations, the drama, that included twists, turns and the predictable.

There was something appealing to it, even if some characters appeared clueless, besides sweet and savory good meals that readers felt they could salivate over and smell and taste through the pages. 😋

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaskell’s novel is a fun and delectable journey of love, friendship and delicious food. Realistic and relatable characters provide more meaning and depth. The only thing missing is the recipes!
A New Year’s Eve dinner with different foods served on the hour spurs a group of seven people to form a monthly dinner party club. Two married couples, each with their own sets of issues, and three single people join together for food, drinks and conversation. Some relationships grow, some fizzle and others change, but through it all the group of men and women stand together.

[Keisha McKinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Table For Seven was a good read. The novel is about seven people that decided to start a dinner club. What starts out as a dinner club soon turns into an interesting turn of events. As each member gets to know more about each other they learn even more importantly about themselves. Fran and Will have what seems to be an idealistic marriage but over time it has turned into a less than ideal life together. Jamie and Mark are a blended family. Jamie has a tough time dealing with Mark who has had a previous marriage and spends lots of time with his stepdaughter. Jamie has growing suspicions that Mark's stepdaughter isn't the only person he is seeing when he is away. Audrey is a widow of seven years that lost her husband and isn't too excited about reentering the dating poll. Coop is a bachelor with sex appeal and a reputation with the ladies. Leland is a seventy-five year old widower that has years of wisdom and a great personality. All the characters come together to create an interesting read that keeps you captivated until the end.

[(S)(h)(a)(y)(e)]

This is going to be short but I'll do my best. It starts off with a couple named Will and Fran that decided to throw a dinner party for New Years. They invited their closest friends and next door neighbor. The dinner party was such a hit that they decided to have one every month taking turns hosting. They called it Table For Seven. Will, Fran, Leland, Audrey, Mark, Jamie, and Coop. What started off as a good time slowly turned into drama for the Table of Seven. Relationships were destroyed and there was one death. But it wasn't all bad, we live and we learn. I love the way the book ended, this was a great read, I will be reading more of Whitney's books in the future😀

[Vanina Jepperson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed some of the story but overall found the characters and life situations very superficial. The story is about a group of friends that decide to have a monthly dinner party where they rotate who hosts the party. I loved reading the monthly menus but I wish they would have spent more time on the foodie side of the book as it seemed to me like that side went somewhat underdeveloped.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....

Table For Seven was a nice leisurely read. The characters seem a bit more three dimensional than some "fluffy" books, but don't seem to take themselves to seriously. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Coop and Audrey develop and I was rooting for them the whole way. And I really enjoyed Leland, the retired neighbor. He was a unique character added to the mix and I am glad the author introduced him to us. The ending was good, without being too predictable, which sometimes happens.

Bottom line, if you are looking for a good book for a leisurely afternoon read, then you would likely enjoy Table for Seven. It will hold your interest and connect you to the characters without being too strenuous or emotional, so pretty much perfect for a lazy afternoon

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whitney Gaskell is one of the better women's fiction/'chick lit' writers I've read. Her characters, their conversations and their relationships are relatable and well written. And I have to admit that I literally laughed out loud during some of this book (in a good way, not a bad way). Will definately be a book I recommend next year.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! I am so glad won a first-reads copy of it. It was a wonderful story of friendship, romance, and life in general. It was a light read, moved at a fantastic pace, and as a foodie myself, I appreciated the culinary details the author included. I definitely would recommend this book and will share the copy with many friends.

[Yasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable read about two couples and their single friends (one male, one female) and the standard issues of life...marriage, family, blended families, ex-spouses...really no new terrain covered. Quick, easy read for a lazy day at home or the beach. The dinner parties/menus were a nice addition.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: https://hiplibrariansbookblog.com/201...

[Jul · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Fran and Will throw a dinner party on New Year's, they and their guests decide to repeat the idea and fun times every month, forming a dinner party club.

Fran and Will seem to have the perfect marriage, a hectic but loving home with two daughters. Jaime and Mark are trying to find the balance in their blended family and Mark's preoccupation with his tennis phenomenon daughter. Audrey has yet to move past her grief of losing her husband many years ago. Coop is a middle-aged playboy coming to wonder if he wants more from his romantic relationships. Leland is an elderly retired judge, who seems to notice more than people want and offers (frequently unasked for) advice. As the year goes by and the monthly meals get more complex, these members find their lives changed in good and bad ways by their connections to each other.

For a novel with not a lot of plot, this moved pretty well. It's fairly predictable, most of the characters not necessarily lovable but not despicable either. The writing was pleasant. I didn't find myself bored, but neither was I anxious to finish. The only thing I didn't like (and skipped over reading) was descriptions of the women cooking--I'm not a cook and found it boring to read basically directions for the meal disguised as story, though I understand others may have wanted to read the recipes for the meals.

In different times (it's currently COVID-19 pandemic for future readers of this review), I may have rated it lower, but given the anxiety and chaos outside, there's something comforting about this story--a warm bowl of soup on a winter day, if you will. A solid 3 stars.

Final Thought: A pleasant, if middle of the road, domestic novel with menus.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting to know the two couples, a bachelor, a young widow (all approximately the same age) and an elderly widower and definitely wanted to join them for dinner. I felt like the characters were very believable, and I liked the idea of seeing them "on display" during the meals, but then getting glimpses into their real lives through the vignettes that were shared. There are some lessons to be learned about appreciating what you have as well as being honest about your circumstances, and the ending was just a teensy bit too neat and tidy, but overall a lovely read. Just wish there were a few recipes shared!
(borrowed via Overdrive)

[Linda Klager · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reasons I wanted to read this book were:

1. The title of the book was interesting.
2. The cover of the book was illustrated very well.
3. I liked that each month 7 people got together. Each hostess or host would prepare a meal to share with these friends.
4. These 7 people drew closer together because of their monthly gatherings.

The only thing I did not like about the book was all the heavy drinking involved each time these friends got together.

I was glad that the love scenes were not descriptive.

[Bno · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is entertaining but suffers from a few crappy cliches. 1. The women obsess over weight loss and pick apart their bodies. When will we get female characters who can accept their bodies instead of compulsively trying to change them?

2. The no sex = roommate trope. What would our world and relationships look like if we lived free of compulsory sexuality and saw sex as just one of many satisfying ways you can connect with someone else? Instead if it being the "only" way to measure the so-called health of a relationship.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying experience

This story is written with exceptional skill. Despite the wide number of characters, the individuals central to the story are well developed and original. Each character is distinct and memorable.
As the group meets every month for dinner, they grow closer and new friendships develop. This was an absorbing tale, written well. I hated to see the book end.

[Dea Minnick · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found this book a quick read that started out interesting, it ended up being unexciting.

I was waiting for more in depth character development and it never came. I realized about 3/4 of the way through that this book was not only extremely predictable, but also full of lame clichés. Even the 'drama' is overly predictable its not even mildly exciting that it worked out the way you thought.

[Jenny Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from the front display in my library on a whim, and was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The characters were well developed and very relatable. Despite the fact that it took place over a year's time, the storyline flowed easily and I found myself wanting to know what happened to each of them.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

So the characters in this book are a train wreck but yet I couldn't put this book down. I found it to be an enjoyable read even though I didn't agree with some of the decisions made by the characters. The menus were scrumptious and I want to find some of the recipes. The concept of a dinner group is very current and yes the competition part would definitely happen within my group of friends.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I was to,d it was a lite read I was not expecting too much. I was pleasantly surprised. The story line is nothing to the imagination your everyday lives of people over a series of months BUT I related to the characters. This book really had me feeling the moments both happy and sad. I did enjoy it it was a nice change from my usual mystery novels I am hooked on 😊

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of seven people that form a dinner party club and their lives are told at each month's dinner. The menus are given at the beginning of each chapter and then the character's lives unfold. The book was a quick easy read.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Characters were engaging and the plot moved forward nicely. Great descriptions of food and cooking technique were a bonus.

[Shannon Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Table for Seven

I didn't want this book to end! It offered a unique setting into a year in the life of seven very interesting, imperfect people.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

great little story....maybe instead of book club we should have a monthly dinner club?

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of a dinner club with friends made this book enjoyable. The characters were well developed but the story lacked luster

[Charlotte Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The characters and relationships were well done. A pretty quick read.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all very easy to relate to. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great beach time book. It was interesting, but typical story line. Good writing, but properly won't recommend.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good..a story about couples and families and what goes on behind closed doors. A good read