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Family Reservations
A powerful mother. Three daughters. And a fast-paced, cutthroat culinary legacy up for grabs in a darkly witty novel about a family on the edge by the bestselling author of The Nobodies and The F Word.
Maren Winter is a world-renowned restaurateur who has built an empire. No one heeds the whispers of her retirement more closely than her three daughters, all in service to their mother’s legacy.
On the night of Maren’s annual New Year’s Eve party, a line is crossed, and word of a humiliating family meltdown spreads like a Northern California wildfire through the culinary elite. It’s a golden opportunity for one of them to step into power—and a trigger for a spiraling descent into paranoia and blind ambition.
As the Winter family’s dissolution begins, so does a journey of competition, love, loyalty, self-preservation, and the need for three women to forge a path of their own.
Maren Winter is a world-renowned restaurateur who has built an empire. No one heeds the whispers of her retirement more closely than her three daughters, all in service to their mother’s legacy.
On the night of Maren’s annual New Year’s Eve party, a line is crossed, and word of a humiliating family meltdown spreads like a Northern California wildfire through the culinary elite. It’s a golden opportunity for one of them to step into power—and a trigger for a spiraling descent into paranoia and blind ambition.
As the Winter family’s dissolution begins, so does a journey of competition, love, loyalty, self-preservation, and the need for three women to forge a path of their own.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2024
3108 people are currently reading
9728 people want to read
About the author
Liza Palmer
21 books557 followersLiza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of Conversations with the Fat Girl , which has been optioned for series by HBO.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
Library Journal said Palmer’s “blend of humor and sadness is realistic and gripping,..”
After earning two Emmy nominations writing for the first season of VH1’s Pop Up Video, she now knows far too much about Fergie.
Palmer’s fifth novel, Nowhere but Home, is about a failed chef who decides to make last meals for the condemned in Texas. Nowhere but Home won the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction in 2013.
Liza's seventh novel, The F Word, came out through Flatiron Books April 25, 2017.
Liza lives in Los Angeles and when she's not drinking tea and talking about The Great British Bake Off, she works at BuzzFeed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
April 16, 2024
Yikes
I mean I liked one character and everybody else was just pretty freaking terrible. I didn't like the writing style with the omnipotent narrator it just didn't work for me. The ending fell flat.
My full review: This was not well written. I have loved Liza Palmer's earlier books and so I still keep reading her for that nostalgia factor, but everything since "Conversations with a Fat Girl" has been kind of meh to awful to me. And this one falls into pretty much awful stage. The only reason why I gave this two stars is that Palmer does a great job with each character having a distinct voice. But other than that, everyone in this book sucks seriously and the ending just happens.
"Family Reservations" follows the Winters family. Maren Winter is the matriarch of the family and a well renowned chef and restaurateur. Her three daughters though are ready for her to hand over the keys to the family's kingdom. Her eldest daughter Jules (short for Julienne) is in charge of the family's media, such as it is. Her middle daughter Sloane wants to be put in charge of the Winter empire and honestly I can't tell you what she does besides being awful to everyone. And her youngest daughter Athena is the head chef at one of her restaurants. At Maren Winter's annual New Year's Eve party though, the empire starts to crumble.
So we get third person point of view for all of the characters. Outside of Athena, everyone sucked. Badly. Maren is a terrible mother, partner, friend, etc. The only good parts were the telling off she got from some people. Sloane and Jules were terrible sisters and honestly Palmer does not do a great job of showing you why they want to be in charge outside of being nasty to each other. Athena at least loves food, but she even has some flaws.
The book's flow is awful. We go from New Year's Eve, to an awards banquet, to several weeks later and I swear that there was very little movement in between. People are awful. People have "revelations". People are awful some more.
The ending as I said didn't do a lot for me. It just left things way too open ended for me.
I mean I liked one character and everybody else was just pretty freaking terrible. I didn't like the writing style with the omnipotent narrator it just didn't work for me. The ending fell flat.
My full review: This was not well written. I have loved Liza Palmer's earlier books and so I still keep reading her for that nostalgia factor, but everything since "Conversations with a Fat Girl" has been kind of meh to awful to me. And this one falls into pretty much awful stage. The only reason why I gave this two stars is that Palmer does a great job with each character having a distinct voice. But other than that, everyone in this book sucks seriously and the ending just happens.
"Family Reservations" follows the Winters family. Maren Winter is the matriarch of the family and a well renowned chef and restaurateur. Her three daughters though are ready for her to hand over the keys to the family's kingdom. Her eldest daughter Jules (short for Julienne) is in charge of the family's media, such as it is. Her middle daughter Sloane wants to be put in charge of the Winter empire and honestly I can't tell you what she does besides being awful to everyone. And her youngest daughter Athena is the head chef at one of her restaurants. At Maren Winter's annual New Year's Eve party though, the empire starts to crumble.
So we get third person point of view for all of the characters. Outside of Athena, everyone sucked. Badly. Maren is a terrible mother, partner, friend, etc. The only good parts were the telling off she got from some people. Sloane and Jules were terrible sisters and honestly Palmer does not do a great job of showing you why they want to be in charge outside of being nasty to each other. Athena at least loves food, but she even has some flaws.
The book's flow is awful. We go from New Year's Eve, to an awards banquet, to several weeks later and I swear that there was very little movement in between. People are awful. People have "revelations". People are awful some more.
The ending as I said didn't do a lot for me. It just left things way too open ended for me.
April 16, 2024
The Winter family: led by the matriarch Maren and her three daughters Athena, Sloane, and Jules (Julienne meaning the type of cut) are a world famous culinary family.
Who will succeed the Northern California restaurant company is the main focal point of this book and by chapter two, I could not stomach this family. There’s no love, and for no reason. Why is Maren such a horrible mother? Why does she fire her famous head chef daughter Athena on New Year’s Eve over a pork chop?
Let’s be real - everyone needs therapy especially when raised by a loveless mother. Meh.
Loved the premise (especially since I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life), hated the execution. Not a single likable character. Ended up skipping to the end.
Who will succeed the Northern California restaurant company is the main focal point of this book and by chapter two, I could not stomach this family. There’s no love, and for no reason. Why is Maren such a horrible mother? Why does she fire her famous head chef daughter Athena on New Year’s Eve over a pork chop?
Let’s be real - everyone needs therapy especially when raised by a loveless mother. Meh.
Loved the premise (especially since I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life), hated the execution. Not a single likable character. Ended up skipping to the end.
March 22, 2024
Take note, foodies and family drama fans. Boy, do I have a juicy, entertaining, and witty book recommendation for you today. Family Reservations by Liza Palmer is a mother/daughter story about four fierce women in the restaurant business. Let me tell you — I ate this one up! (See what I did there?)
Maren Winter is world-renowned restaurateur and chef on the brink of retirement. She has built an impressive empire, and is set to leave a legacy for her three daughters who are all employed by her. At her annual New Year’s Eve party, some major drama goes down that sends shockwaves everywhere! Things get a little out of hand, and go way too far.
Maren Winter is one of THE MOST unlikable and frustrating characters EVER, but my gosh, I loved her. And absolutely despised her at the same time. How can that be? I dunno, but that’s some great character development right there. Some may call her cutthroat, evil, and narcissistic. I would probably agree. My jaw was on the floor multiple times because of her antics!
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Family drama, dynamics, and dysfunction
- The restaurant and food industry
- Complex mother/daughter relationships
- Sisterhood and sibling rivalry
- Strong and ambitious female characters
- Steady and exciting plot
- Multiple perspectives
- Flawed and unlikable characters
- Mental health representation
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, act quickly. Family Reservations is a First Reads pick for March, so members can read it for free before release day on April 1st! Go download it now. Trust me!
Maren Winter is world-renowned restaurateur and chef on the brink of retirement. She has built an impressive empire, and is set to leave a legacy for her three daughters who are all employed by her. At her annual New Year’s Eve party, some major drama goes down that sends shockwaves everywhere! Things get a little out of hand, and go way too far.
Maren Winter is one of THE MOST unlikable and frustrating characters EVER, but my gosh, I loved her. And absolutely despised her at the same time. How can that be? I dunno, but that’s some great character development right there. Some may call her cutthroat, evil, and narcissistic. I would probably agree. My jaw was on the floor multiple times because of her antics!
READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:
- Family drama, dynamics, and dysfunction
- The restaurant and food industry
- Complex mother/daughter relationships
- Sisterhood and sibling rivalry
- Strong and ambitious female characters
- Steady and exciting plot
- Multiple perspectives
- Flawed and unlikable characters
- Mental health representation
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, act quickly. Family Reservations is a First Reads pick for March, so members can read it for free before release day on April 1st! Go download it now. Trust me!
March 12, 2024
This book was such a delight, I love stories about the bond between sisters. It also had perfect top chef vibes for me. It surprised me more than I could imagine, one of my first 5 ⭐️ reads of the year.
March 20, 2024
Honestly I could not make it through the second chapter. This mess is horribly overwritten. Seriously, every sentence doesn’t need 5 adjectives. How in the hell did this get published? I’ve seen Freshman essays that were significantly better.
April 2, 2024
I had a very hard time finishing this book. It’s painful to read and not in any gainful way. The mother was a tyrant that ruined her daughter’s lives. Not an enjoyable read. I wanted to hear and know more about the character Rafael. His story would be a good book. I can’t recommend this book.
April 25, 2024
When I saw this as a "Read Now" on Netgalley, I vaguely recollected it as being one of the Amazon First Reads books that I didn't select but since it was a read now, I snagged a copy to read anyway, noting the cheesy illustrated cover as a staple of women's book clubs everywhere.
I'm not usually a reader of "women's fiction" or "chick lit" or "bookclubby reads." At times I will find myself picking one up for vacation purposes, but I don't think there are many that have elicited more than a 3 star rating from me. And more often than not, I find myself avoiding cheesy illustrated covers like the plague. Needless to say, even though I requested this one, I did not anticipate it being super high on my enjoyment list. Boy was I wrong.
I think the worst thing about this book is its cover. Because this book is so awesome. And not at all like bookclubby women's fiction. The only reason this could be classified as such is because the majority of the characters are women. But this novel has a raw edge and a realness about it that I have found lacking in most of the aforementioned genre. I feel like women who are looking for a quick breezy read on a beach somewhere will be drawn to this and will be disappointed. And I also feel that people looking for something grittier and more real will breeze right past this one. Seriously, publishing team, change that cover. It does no service to this book.
It is a book about sisters and mothers. A book about life and its disappointments. A book about boundaries. About healthy friendships. About mental health, the price of fame, or living in the shadow of a famous relative. It is about ego and human frailty, and consequences of actions. I loved this book so much. It is always such a delight when a book I am not really expecting much from surprises me this much. And I read the author's acknowledgments at the end which even heightened my view of it. In them she writes that she wrote this book after a cancer diagnosis and treatment and that writing this book saved her. And I can totally understand why. I feel like I needed to read this book to understand where I am at in life. And all of us can use a fresh review on healthy boundaries right? I ate this one right up. Nom. Nom. Nom.
Sloane, Jules, and Athena are sisters who all work in some capacity for their mother, Marin Winter. The famous Marin Winter, chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, architect and CEO of a culinary empire. Sloane is the general manager, but really acting VP of operations. Jules is the press/social media director, and Athena has replaced her mother as head chef of the primary restuarant, Northern Trade. A head chef who still only has her mother's famous recipes to work with. Each sister has done her part in adopting some aspect of their mother's life as their own, and when all of it comes crashing down after Marin's infamous New Years Eve party, they are left looking at the pieces and wondering where they go from here. What happens to your life when you've lived in someone's shadow AND ego for its entirety? How do you balance family loyalties with your own moral compass and hopes and dreams and desires? How do you think one has become conditioned to behave knowing an empire is at stake? How do sisters act when they have been unknowingly pitted against each other from birth? How do you separate the illusion your life is to others from the reality that it is to yourself?
This book has basically no romance, no thriller aspect, no real suspense. But it has tension. It has very multi-faceted characters, who if I'm being honest are not always likeable in the slightest. But there is beauty in being real, being honest, and being true and that is where this book lies. It encompasses shades of gray, a realistic portrayal of sisterhood and family. It showcases healthy friendships and relationships and the boundaries that need to exist to keep those relationships healthy. It demonizes and criticizes elitism, portraying it as the illusion that it is and explores the paradox it creates. It is far from predictable. I am so happy I read this, and I have found a new author to enjoy.
Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opnions, like always, are my own.
I'm not usually a reader of "women's fiction" or "chick lit" or "bookclubby reads." At times I will find myself picking one up for vacation purposes, but I don't think there are many that have elicited more than a 3 star rating from me. And more often than not, I find myself avoiding cheesy illustrated covers like the plague. Needless to say, even though I requested this one, I did not anticipate it being super high on my enjoyment list. Boy was I wrong.
I think the worst thing about this book is its cover. Because this book is so awesome. And not at all like bookclubby women's fiction. The only reason this could be classified as such is because the majority of the characters are women. But this novel has a raw edge and a realness about it that I have found lacking in most of the aforementioned genre. I feel like women who are looking for a quick breezy read on a beach somewhere will be drawn to this and will be disappointed. And I also feel that people looking for something grittier and more real will breeze right past this one. Seriously, publishing team, change that cover. It does no service to this book.
It is a book about sisters and mothers. A book about life and its disappointments. A book about boundaries. About healthy friendships. About mental health, the price of fame, or living in the shadow of a famous relative. It is about ego and human frailty, and consequences of actions. I loved this book so much. It is always such a delight when a book I am not really expecting much from surprises me this much. And I read the author's acknowledgments at the end which even heightened my view of it. In them she writes that she wrote this book after a cancer diagnosis and treatment and that writing this book saved her. And I can totally understand why. I feel like I needed to read this book to understand where I am at in life. And all of us can use a fresh review on healthy boundaries right? I ate this one right up. Nom. Nom. Nom.
Sloane, Jules, and Athena are sisters who all work in some capacity for their mother, Marin Winter. The famous Marin Winter, chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, architect and CEO of a culinary empire. Sloane is the general manager, but really acting VP of operations. Jules is the press/social media director, and Athena has replaced her mother as head chef of the primary restuarant, Northern Trade. A head chef who still only has her mother's famous recipes to work with. Each sister has done her part in adopting some aspect of their mother's life as their own, and when all of it comes crashing down after Marin's infamous New Years Eve party, they are left looking at the pieces and wondering where they go from here. What happens to your life when you've lived in someone's shadow AND ego for its entirety? How do you balance family loyalties with your own moral compass and hopes and dreams and desires? How do you think one has become conditioned to behave knowing an empire is at stake? How do sisters act when they have been unknowingly pitted against each other from birth? How do you separate the illusion your life is to others from the reality that it is to yourself?
This book has basically no romance, no thriller aspect, no real suspense. But it has tension. It has very multi-faceted characters, who if I'm being honest are not always likeable in the slightest. But there is beauty in being real, being honest, and being true and that is where this book lies. It encompasses shades of gray, a realistic portrayal of sisterhood and family. It showcases healthy friendships and relationships and the boundaries that need to exist to keep those relationships healthy. It demonizes and criticizes elitism, portraying it as the illusion that it is and explores the paradox it creates. It is far from predictable. I am so happy I read this, and I have found a new author to enjoy.
Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opnions, like always, are my own.
April 20, 2024
One of the broken sisters bursts free from her ugly life of lies and manipulation by FINALLY telling her husband that she hates their dining room chairs and is "daring" to add peppermint flavored creamer back into her diet. And then her husband tells her that he hates her.
That's all you really need to know about this book. Don't bother.
That's all you really need to know about this book. Don't bother.
December 22, 2025
Family Reservations puts a new take on toxic matriarch.
This book broke my heart for Athena, in so many ways. So much happened in this book, that really makes you wonder where the hell was the warmth and pride in this family. Maren Winter was world renowned, and instead of passing the mantle on to her children, she broke them up and tore them down to keep the spotlight. I had tears in my eyes and knots in my stomach just reading the way this happened and the public, and I mean VERY public embarrassments Athena went through. Just because she was good at what she does.
Family Reservations is one of those books you should read in school, for a psych class on family dynamics. Maren made herself hateable. Sloan and Jules disappointed me. There was so much happening here, so much shifting and so much growing for Athena. My heart was super broken.
I would def read this again.
This book broke my heart for Athena, in so many ways. So much happened in this book, that really makes you wonder where the hell was the warmth and pride in this family. Maren Winter was world renowned, and instead of passing the mantle on to her children, she broke them up and tore them down to keep the spotlight. I had tears in my eyes and knots in my stomach just reading the way this happened and the public, and I mean VERY public embarrassments Athena went through. Just because she was good at what she does.
Family Reservations is one of those books you should read in school, for a psych class on family dynamics. Maren made herself hateable. Sloan and Jules disappointed me. There was so much happening here, so much shifting and so much growing for Athena. My heart was super broken.
I would def read this again.
March 3, 2024
I have no idea how to rate this book. I would have to say it’s more like a self- help fantasy about anxiety, narcissism and dysfunctional mother-daughter relationships. I found it interesting?? Helpful?? The foodie details also helped me maintain interest.
May 25, 2025
I’d say more like 2.6. This should have been good- think Succession (tv show) in the culinary world. But it took me forever to not only connect but even identify the characters. Which sister is the oldest again? Jules and Sloane I kept mixing up for the first 25%. I couldn’t even tell what they wanted out of this. It was a muddled mess of character and personalities. I liked Athena’s story but it drug on and on saying the same thing- like we had to have two very long car anxiety instances? The ending came together and I finally saw the characters for what they were and now are. But it was too late to like them.
December 31, 2025
4.5 stars
March 12, 2024
This may be good for some it was just too slow for me. The attraction was the food story for me but it started with three grown women terrified of their famous cook mother and jockeying for her favor. After a few chapters it just couldn’t get me to care or be interested. Some others may enjoy it just not for me.
April 27, 2024
2.5 / 5
This book had its moments, but I feel like it could've used a few rewrites to truly be the book it wanted to be.
Three ultra-competitive sisters are jockeying for position as their mother approaches retirement from the family business, a culinary empire. At least, that's what it told me in the synopsis I read. It's really a harder sell than that for me to believe that these sisters were all that competitive in the first place.
For me to believe this premise, I think I needed to see examples of the way these sisters tried to undermine one another prior to the events of the book. Instead, they go from seeming actually rather chummy (aside from maybe a snide comment here or there behind one another's backs, or even to each other's faces) to suddenly being ultra-devious at the drop of a hat. It's a bit awkward and it doesn't really read as natural to me.
Furthermore, it bothers me that nobody is able to commit to what apparently is their lifelong mission of inheriting the success their mother has built. There is a part of the book where one of the sisters absolutely succeeds in besmirching the reputations of her entire family and the moment it happens, she goes and consoles them in a very genuine way. It completely weakens the strategic moves she was making and adds to my inability to believe that this family competition has been ongoing for decades.
With the very premise being such a hard sell for me, I just found a lot of the main plot points unenjoyable. But it was the side stories that salvaged my experience with this. Palmer does a good job introducing a lot of characters without making them redundant. Each sister has a family of some kind and I thought both Athena's and Jules's family stories were fun to read with an appropriate amount of payoff. (Sloane's family may as well have not been in the book and the narrative within her family was inconsistent.)
Maren, the matriarch, was an interesting character in her own right. Was she losing her marbles? Was she suffering from mental illness? Was she just so self-obsessed as to ignore all other aspects of her life in favor of her restaurant? I thought seeing her at her prime, or at least seeing some well-executed political moves of hers might have lent more to the narrative the author was trying to sell. Instead there is a lot of reminiscing about how many barriers she has broken for women in her industry, which comes across as telling rather than showing and doesn't necessarily make me respect her as I think I ought to.
Would I recommend this book? Honestly, sure. In spite of my low rating I think it keeps the reader engaged and wondering what will happen next, it isn't like I suffered through it or anything. I think it just fell a little flat.
This book had its moments, but I feel like it could've used a few rewrites to truly be the book it wanted to be.
Three ultra-competitive sisters are jockeying for position as their mother approaches retirement from the family business, a culinary empire. At least, that's what it told me in the synopsis I read. It's really a harder sell than that for me to believe that these sisters were all that competitive in the first place.
For me to believe this premise, I think I needed to see examples of the way these sisters tried to undermine one another prior to the events of the book. Instead, they go from seeming actually rather chummy (aside from maybe a snide comment here or there behind one another's backs, or even to each other's faces) to suddenly being ultra-devious at the drop of a hat. It's a bit awkward and it doesn't really read as natural to me.
Furthermore, it bothers me that nobody is able to commit to what apparently is their lifelong mission of inheriting the success their mother has built. There is a part of the book where one of the sisters absolutely succeeds in besmirching the reputations of her entire family and the moment it happens, she goes and consoles them in a very genuine way. It completely weakens the strategic moves she was making and adds to my inability to believe that this family competition has been ongoing for decades.
With the very premise being such a hard sell for me, I just found a lot of the main plot points unenjoyable. But it was the side stories that salvaged my experience with this. Palmer does a good job introducing a lot of characters without making them redundant. Each sister has a family of some kind and I thought both Athena's and Jules's family stories were fun to read with an appropriate amount of payoff. (Sloane's family may as well have not been in the book and the narrative within her family was inconsistent.)
Maren, the matriarch, was an interesting character in her own right. Was she losing her marbles? Was she suffering from mental illness? Was she just so self-obsessed as to ignore all other aspects of her life in favor of her restaurant? I thought seeing her at her prime, or at least seeing some well-executed political moves of hers might have lent more to the narrative the author was trying to sell. Instead there is a lot of reminiscing about how many barriers she has broken for women in her industry, which comes across as telling rather than showing and doesn't necessarily make me respect her as I think I ought to.
Would I recommend this book? Honestly, sure. In spite of my low rating I think it keeps the reader engaged and wondering what will happen next, it isn't like I suffered through it or anything. I think it just fell a little flat.
June 23, 2024
4.5 stars
"Jules trails off, unable to confess the hardest truth of all- that it's permissible to be cast out and to fail only if you rise from those ashes stronger and better than ever. That you "show them all". Because a great loss is only noble if it's followed by an even greater win. But to fall and stay down? To fall and admit you're hurt and need some time to heal? It's just not done."
This absolutely snuck up on me- I can’t believe how much I ended up enjoying this. This was an Amazon First Read back in the spring, but I've never had much luck with those. I only snagged it now because I've been trying Kindle Unlimited while traveling, and only the ones that come with audio, so this fit the bill. The goodreads reviews aren't great, with most of the low ratings mentioning the "unlikeable characters". And they are unlikeable but that's exactly why the book is so good- this family of 4 women are fully human and all struggling with who they are, who they were, who they might have been, and who they still good be if only they can shake off the expectations they and others have set for them. They don't like THEMSELVES. It's part of the point of the book- how do we change course from the only path, the only identities we've ever even considered as allowed possibilities? What do we do, who are we, without those? It examines aging, ego, loyalty, and relationships- both familial and marital and how lying about who we really are to ourselves and others hold us back from being loved. The writing isn't perfect, but this story was told with such honesty that I'm looking to read more from this author I'd never previously heard of.
"Jules trails off, unable to confess the hardest truth of all- that it's permissible to be cast out and to fail only if you rise from those ashes stronger and better than ever. That you "show them all". Because a great loss is only noble if it's followed by an even greater win. But to fall and stay down? To fall and admit you're hurt and need some time to heal? It's just not done."
This absolutely snuck up on me- I can’t believe how much I ended up enjoying this. This was an Amazon First Read back in the spring, but I've never had much luck with those. I only snagged it now because I've been trying Kindle Unlimited while traveling, and only the ones that come with audio, so this fit the bill. The goodreads reviews aren't great, with most of the low ratings mentioning the "unlikeable characters". And they are unlikeable but that's exactly why the book is so good- this family of 4 women are fully human and all struggling with who they are, who they were, who they might have been, and who they still good be if only they can shake off the expectations they and others have set for them. They don't like THEMSELVES. It's part of the point of the book- how do we change course from the only path, the only identities we've ever even considered as allowed possibilities? What do we do, who are we, without those? It examines aging, ego, loyalty, and relationships- both familial and marital and how lying about who we really are to ourselves and others hold us back from being loved. The writing isn't perfect, but this story was told with such honesty that I'm looking to read more from this author I'd never previously heard of.
March 5, 2024
Could Not Do it
I love cooking and baking and entertaining and always love a good book about any of these, especially if a restaurant and a family are involved. I tried, but I just could not do it. Because this was a First Reads from Prime, I felt I should get through it and review it. Could not accomplish getting through it. Nor can I give much in the way of a review except to say the writing was obvious and overdone and I could not even begin to like the characters. First Reads are so often great surprises. This one was just disappointing.
I love cooking and baking and entertaining and always love a good book about any of these, especially if a restaurant and a family are involved. I tried, but I just could not do it. Because this was a First Reads from Prime, I felt I should get through it and review it. Could not accomplish getting through it. Nor can I give much in the way of a review except to say the writing was obvious and overdone and I could not even begin to like the characters. First Reads are so often great surprises. This one was just disappointing.
March 26, 2024
The drunk sisters were my favorite!
July 1, 2024
3.5- lots of build up for a lack luster ending. still really enjoyed at least.
March 25, 2024
Three sisters fighting over who will take over the company. Good plot...not one likable character in the whole story!
May 9, 2024
“How great would an empire be if it was threatened by its own progress?”
Story started strong and to my liking but as it evolved I felt annoyed and actually stressed out! What a group of prívileged, entitled, narcissistic women. This book exemplifies ugly and malice to the core.
I knew what to expect going in, but the story was so repetitive and scattered. Every character is awful and whole-heartedly unable to take responsibility for their actions. I got to a point where I didn’t even care how it ended —I just wanted to stop the madness.
Story started strong and to my liking but as it evolved I felt annoyed and actually stressed out! What a group of prívileged, entitled, narcissistic women. This book exemplifies ugly and malice to the core.
I knew what to expect going in, but the story was so repetitive and scattered. Every character is awful and whole-heartedly unable to take responsibility for their actions. I got to a point where I didn’t even care how it ended —I just wanted to stop the madness.
May 27, 2024
What a vengeful, horrible family. The story line had possibilities but it never seemed to fulfill its potential. The writing felt a bit choppy and somewhat difficult to follow at times. I stuck with it because I kept hoping something wonderful and redemptive would happen but alas, disappointment ensued.
August 25, 2024
Did not care for a single aspect of this book. Not a single character is likable. Hate how the author’s near constant use of everyone’s full names makes them seem like a much bigger deal than they are. The style of writing is nearly unreadable. Never been so excited to be finished with a book.
March 25, 2024
2.5 - rounded up.
I’ve read older Liza Palmer books like Conversations with the Fat Girl and the F Word and A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents and enjoyed all of them.
This one sort of fell flat for me though. It’s about a family built around its matriarch Maren and her restaurant and cooking empire. Three daughters, each with their part to play in the family business, each desperate to win some approval from the mother with impossible and exacting standards. Each desperate for an escape from the only life they’ve known.
This book moved swiftly but in a way where it felt like everything blended together and I had to reread to make sure I understood who said what and what that meant for the progress of the story. It was a bit messy and convoluted and while I know people like Maren exist - she felt a bit like a caricature vs a real person.
I still like Liza Palmer and will continue to read her books but this one was not one that resonated with me or knocked my socks off.
I’ve read older Liza Palmer books like Conversations with the Fat Girl and the F Word and A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents and enjoyed all of them.
This one sort of fell flat for me though. It’s about a family built around its matriarch Maren and her restaurant and cooking empire. Three daughters, each with their part to play in the family business, each desperate to win some approval from the mother with impossible and exacting standards. Each desperate for an escape from the only life they’ve known.
This book moved swiftly but in a way where it felt like everything blended together and I had to reread to make sure I understood who said what and what that meant for the progress of the story. It was a bit messy and convoluted and while I know people like Maren exist - she felt a bit like a caricature vs a real person.
I still like Liza Palmer and will continue to read her books but this one was not one that resonated with me or knocked my socks off.
April 6, 2024
This story about a narcissistic mother and her three daughters was interesting but I think it would have been better with more back story as to her terrible treatment of her daughters. Other than what she did to Athena, there was nothing much about other incidents of that nature. So was she really awful or did she just make one mistake? It was hard to decide.
None of these four main characters were likeable, honestly. Athena was the only one I could sympathize with but she also became an annoyance at times.
The story dragged on way too long with no apparent resolution. I'm not even sure I understand whether this family will splinter or heal. I would have liked to have known that...
This wasn't a great read, although I did enjoy parts of it. I usually don't love a book if I can't connect in some way with at least one character. These four women were all flawed to the point of unlikable, with the possible exception of Athena.
None of these four main characters were likeable, honestly. Athena was the only one I could sympathize with but she also became an annoyance at times.
The story dragged on way too long with no apparent resolution. I'm not even sure I understand whether this family will splinter or heal. I would have liked to have known that...
This wasn't a great read, although I did enjoy parts of it. I usually don't love a book if I can't connect in some way with at least one character. These four women were all flawed to the point of unlikable, with the possible exception of Athena.
September 3, 2024
3.5 🌟
I liked this book enough, but I didn’t love it. The style of writing was… odd.. to me? That said, I liked the sisters!
All the girls were manipulative as they had been manipulated for years by their mother and you could easily see how they “turned out” the way they were.
If they stayed that way, unchanging and vying for the empire, it would’ve been really hard to like this book at all. And if no one ever called Marin out in her BS, it also would’ve been hard to like the book.
All that aside, the story unfolded in a more or less realistic way. I loved all the food descriptions, and the relationship dynamics of the various chefs.
I loved the scenery, especially all of the gardens, and the nods to sustainability.
All in all a good book!
I liked this book enough, but I didn’t love it. The style of writing was… odd.. to me? That said, I liked the sisters!
All the girls were manipulative as they had been manipulated for years by their mother and you could easily see how they “turned out” the way they were.
If they stayed that way, unchanging and vying for the empire, it would’ve been really hard to like this book at all. And if no one ever called Marin out in her BS, it also would’ve been hard to like the book.
All that aside, the story unfolded in a more or less realistic way. I loved all the food descriptions, and the relationship dynamics of the various chefs.
I loved the scenery, especially all of the gardens, and the nods to sustainability.
All in all a good book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2024
The Kardashians meet Dallas with Miranda Priestly from the Devil Wears Prada thrown in? The were a few high points in this family drama, as some poignant interactions involving Athena and her family and friends felt true to life. There also were an equal number of melodramatic moments that were interesting in a watch-this-train wreck-of-a-family kind of way, if that’s your thing. I stayed with the story but struggled with the irony of being asked to believe that the flare ups of a group of self-Important people were, in fact, important enough to generate the notoriety and buzz attributed to them in the novel.
August 17, 2024
This was a DNF for me. There was no world in which I was going to read more than 2 pages at a time. I was probably 16% into the book (I'm now realizing I never updated the page number before marking it finished) and we were still sitting pretty in only the first scene of the book. Immediate boredom.
Maybe one day I'll pick the book up again and give it another go, but probably not in this lifetime.
Maybe one day I'll pick the book up again and give it another go, but probably not in this lifetime.
August 27, 2024
I enjoyed this book. However I did find it rambled a bit and took me longer to finish than expected. I appreciated the intricacies of family dynamics between all of the characters, and it seemed that all of the main characters grew throughout the story. I do wish that for all the time it took me to read it, there was more backstory as to how these women became the people that they are. I feel that we were told who they were without actually seeing the buildup.
April 21, 2024
3.5 stars. I have loved every other book I've written by Palmer, but this one was just not my favorite. There is great character development, and the reader definitely has a sense of who each character is. But......the plot was just not that gripping. I wouldn't say to skip this one, but I would probably prioritize another Palmer book first.
April 6, 2024
As someone who loves consuming content about food and the restaurant industry I really enjoyed that aspect of it. Also, loved the setting in Northern California. The daughters all transformed in some way throughout the story, but Maren was unlikable even in the end. Jules had my favorite “comeback” story of the book. Appreciated that the characters dialogue and emotions felt real but wished there was more resolve?
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