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Skinny Bitch #1
Skinny Bitch in Love: A Novel
From the coauthor of the phenomenal #1 New York Times bestselling Skinny Bitch series—a clever novel “starring a sassy heroine” (Kirkus Reviews), a vegan chef struggling to make healthy choices both in and out of the kitchen.From the coauthor of the phenomenal #1 New York Times bestselling Skinny Bitch lifestyle series—a clever, kick-ass novel about friendship, romance, and making healthy choices both in and out of the kitchen. How bad could a little butter be? Bad enough to get rising culinary star Clementine Cooper blackballed from every vegan kitchen in Los Angeles after a backstabbing coworker sabotages the biggest night of her career. Fortunately, any vegan chef worth her salt knows how to turn lemons into delicious, cruelty-free lemonade cupcakes. Clem launches the Skinny Bitch Cooking School with dreams of opening her own neighborhood café. So she’s livid when sexy millionaire Zach Jeffries puts a fork in her plans with his new steakhouse. When Zach signs up for her cooking class, however, she’s astonished. He’s far from the simple meathead Clem imagined him to be. In fact, he’s a very good kisser. Clem thought she was open-minded, but as she confronts the challenges of budding entrepreneurship, old rivals, ex-boyfriends, and two tempting suitors—a charming British vegan chef and a traitorously attractive carnivore—Clem wonders if she can ever say “I love you” to a man who hates tofu.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
1187 people want to read
About the author
Kim Barnouin
24 books121 followersBefore she was a Skinny Bitch, Kim Barnouin was a high school drop-out turned model who only crossed paths with a vegetable on her pizza. Today she is the co-author of The New York Times Bestseller Skinny Bitch with its sequels Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven, Skinny Bitch: Just Bitchin and a line of fitness DVDs.
Born in Rhode Island and raised in Maryland, Kim felt she wasn’t ready for college and dropped out in the 11th grade. Soon after, Kim received her GED, brushed community college and switched gears to modeling. At the age of 22, Kim moved to South Beach where the waves of Miami left Kim feeling seriously lost. She modeled, waited tables to make ends meet and considered herself more of a helpless beach bum.
Kim questioned her unhappy and unhealthy self during those years. What changes could she make to her lifestyle? Instead of turning to booze or something else less attractive, Kim explored food. By eating better, Kim started to physically and mentally feel better. A lightbulb went off in her head – food heals.
As a kid, Kim used to spit veggies into her napkin. As a young adult, she couldn’t get enough of earth’s treats. It was during this transition that Kim became obsessed with nutrition. She got her hands on every book and enrolled in a Bachelor’s program in Natural Health. She wouldn’t stop there. This retired beach bum went on to receive a Master’s in Holistic Nutrition and is currently working on her PhD. Learning about how food affects and heals many diseases and illnesses was something she wanted to share with everyone.
Eager to spread her word to the masses, Kim worked with longtime friend and vegan Rory Freedman to write a book. Neither thought Skinny Bitch would be become such a hit let alone a New York Times bestseller for two years straight.
Kim Barnouin lives in Los Angeles with her husband Stephane and two year old son Jack.
Born in Rhode Island and raised in Maryland, Kim felt she wasn’t ready for college and dropped out in the 11th grade. Soon after, Kim received her GED, brushed community college and switched gears to modeling. At the age of 22, Kim moved to South Beach where the waves of Miami left Kim feeling seriously lost. She modeled, waited tables to make ends meet and considered herself more of a helpless beach bum.
Kim questioned her unhappy and unhealthy self during those years. What changes could she make to her lifestyle? Instead of turning to booze or something else less attractive, Kim explored food. By eating better, Kim started to physically and mentally feel better. A lightbulb went off in her head – food heals.
As a kid, Kim used to spit veggies into her napkin. As a young adult, she couldn’t get enough of earth’s treats. It was during this transition that Kim became obsessed with nutrition. She got her hands on every book and enrolled in a Bachelor’s program in Natural Health. She wouldn’t stop there. This retired beach bum went on to receive a Master’s in Holistic Nutrition and is currently working on her PhD. Learning about how food affects and heals many diseases and illnesses was something she wanted to share with everyone.
Eager to spread her word to the masses, Kim worked with longtime friend and vegan Rory Freedman to write a book. Neither thought Skinny Bitch would be become such a hit let alone a New York Times bestseller for two years straight.
Kim Barnouin lives in Los Angeles with her husband Stephane and two year old son Jack.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
October 14, 2015
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't give a second glance to a book with a title like this, as romance is decidedly not my genre. However, vegan main characters are still rare enough in fiction that I try to read every book that I come across. Even if it's a romance--yikes!
As for the story itself, it is well-written and will be entertaining to fans of the genre. I found myself getting frustrated with all of the characters who pursued romance with people who treated them like crap, but I suppose that is the nature of human relationships, fictional and non. And I will say the way the main character meets her love interest is pretty silly and out-of-character. As the heroine is a gourmet chef in Santa Monica, a great deal of the text revolves around cooking and the upper-class restaurant world. For vegan outreach, this is both good and bad. It does show that plant-based foods can be as decadent, delicious, and appealing as those based on animal products. However, it also may mislead readers into thinking that they must be wealthy or have expert cooking skills in order to succeed as a vegan--which is absolutely not true.
To address the bad reviews written by omnivores who don't like all of the vegan references: Welcome to my world. Like every other vegetarian and vegan, I am surrounded by a culture at large that destroys unfathomable numbers of animals for the most trivial reasons imaginable. As Colleen Patrick-Goudreau says, just because the majority participate in it, does not mean it isn't an ideology and a belief system. What if I reviewed a book starring a meat-eating chef, would you be taken aback if I would say, "I get it. You're a carnist. You believe that it is acceptable to pay people to slaughter other sentient beings because you like the way their muscles taste. So shut up about it and all of your meat-laden meals"? Think about it.
And no, just because a character talks about vegan foods, she is not necessarily "pushing" her choices onto you. There are no descriptions in this book of factory farming or what happens to animals before they end up in the freezer case. In fact, the character makes clear that she can love and respect the omnis around her, even if she doesn't always love and respect the choices they make.
As for the story itself, it is well-written and will be entertaining to fans of the genre. I found myself getting frustrated with all of the characters who pursued romance with people who treated them like crap, but I suppose that is the nature of human relationships, fictional and non. And I will say the way the main character meets her love interest is pretty silly and out-of-character. As the heroine is a gourmet chef in Santa Monica, a great deal of the text revolves around cooking and the upper-class restaurant world. For vegan outreach, this is both good and bad. It does show that plant-based foods can be as decadent, delicious, and appealing as those based on animal products. However, it also may mislead readers into thinking that they must be wealthy or have expert cooking skills in order to succeed as a vegan--which is absolutely not true.
To address the bad reviews written by omnivores who don't like all of the vegan references: Welcome to my world. Like every other vegetarian and vegan, I am surrounded by a culture at large that destroys unfathomable numbers of animals for the most trivial reasons imaginable. As Colleen Patrick-Goudreau says, just because the majority participate in it, does not mean it isn't an ideology and a belief system. What if I reviewed a book starring a meat-eating chef, would you be taken aback if I would say, "I get it. You're a carnist. You believe that it is acceptable to pay people to slaughter other sentient beings because you like the way their muscles taste. So shut up about it and all of your meat-laden meals"? Think about it.
And no, just because a character talks about vegan foods, she is not necessarily "pushing" her choices onto you. There are no descriptions in this book of factory farming or what happens to animals before they end up in the freezer case. In fact, the character makes clear that she can love and respect the omnis around her, even if she doesn't always love and respect the choices they make.
May 28, 2013
Arc from net galley and Gallery books for an honest review.
Loved it, a fun light read a little of everything, humor, drama and romance!
Clementine Cooper was born and raised on an organic farm and as a result has an appreciation for fresh foods and a vegan based diet. Clementine has attended the top vegan culinary school and has spent the past few years working her way up from basic prep work to sous chef at one f L.A. Top vegan restaurant and the chef and owner has just given her a chance at her bi break ; his trust in her t feed on of L.A top food critics, which becomes a disaster thanks to a jealous co- worker seeking butter into her recipe. Clementine finds her self and the majority f the staff fired but for it s far worse she has been blackballed and can not find a new postion. What's a girl to do, she does not want to admit defeat and head home, so taking the advise of her roommate Sarah, she starts the Skinny Bitch cooking Classes out of her home which has a slow take off but eventually develops well for her and branches into more Skinny Bitch branding.
Through Clemantines journey she meets Two different possible love intrests another vegan chef ,Alexander , he is handsome , British, consummate do gooder and almost to good to be true; then there is Zach, rich restauranteur , family owns a cattle ranch and his restaurants are steak houses but, Clemantine is inexplecorably drawn to him. To spite Zach being a meat eating carnivore he is supportive of Clementine and wishes to help her. Which brings out Coemantines bitchy side which shows up whenever he does, she wants to do everything for herself. Sarah her roommate is a smart, snarky and lends some ofthe humorous element to this story along with the rest of the supporting characters.
Truly a delightful book, would recommend to anyone just looking for a light romantic read!
Loved it, a fun light read a little of everything, humor, drama and romance!
Clementine Cooper was born and raised on an organic farm and as a result has an appreciation for fresh foods and a vegan based diet. Clementine has attended the top vegan culinary school and has spent the past few years working her way up from basic prep work to sous chef at one f L.A. Top vegan restaurant and the chef and owner has just given her a chance at her bi break ; his trust in her t feed on of L.A top food critics, which becomes a disaster thanks to a jealous co- worker seeking butter into her recipe. Clementine finds her self and the majority f the staff fired but for it s far worse she has been blackballed and can not find a new postion. What's a girl to do, she does not want to admit defeat and head home, so taking the advise of her roommate Sarah, she starts the Skinny Bitch cooking Classes out of her home which has a slow take off but eventually develops well for her and branches into more Skinny Bitch branding.
Through Clemantines journey she meets Two different possible love intrests another vegan chef ,Alexander , he is handsome , British, consummate do gooder and almost to good to be true; then there is Zach, rich restauranteur , family owns a cattle ranch and his restaurants are steak houses but, Clemantine is inexplecorably drawn to him. To spite Zach being a meat eating carnivore he is supportive of Clementine and wishes to help her. Which brings out Coemantines bitchy side which shows up whenever he does, she wants to do everything for herself. Sarah her roommate is a smart, snarky and lends some ofthe humorous element to this story along with the rest of the supporting characters.
Truly a delightful book, would recommend to anyone just looking for a light romantic read!
November 30, 2025
Having a meal sabotaged by a co-worker, in the classy upscale vegan restaurant Fresh, could have been the end of twenty six year old Clementine Cooper’s career. With the support of a few of her friends, Clementine picks herself up and starts a vegan cooking class and prepared vegan food service called Skinny Bitch.
Clementine dreams of starting her own vegan restaurant in the space across the street from her apartment when a steakhouse buys out the building. Upset that her dream has been crushed and they hang an obnoxious steer head on their sign, Clementine confronts the business owner, the sexy Zach Jefferies.
Zach is pretty much Clementine’s opposite in every way but the draw between them is completely magnetic. Struggling to find solid footing with each other, Zach and Clementine’s relationship has its ups and downs.
I enjoyed following Clementine on her adventure of redesigning her dream.
I’ve heard other reviews mention this book to be preachy but I can honestly say, I felt the views expressed on veganism were enlightening and not forced fed.
Be prepared to be hungry! Skinny Bitch is a deliciously fun book with scrumptious characters and a delectable hunk you’ll find mouth-watering.
This ARC copy of Skinny Bitch in Love was given to me by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date June 4, 2013.
Clementine dreams of starting her own vegan restaurant in the space across the street from her apartment when a steakhouse buys out the building. Upset that her dream has been crushed and they hang an obnoxious steer head on their sign, Clementine confronts the business owner, the sexy Zach Jefferies.
Zach is pretty much Clementine’s opposite in every way but the draw between them is completely magnetic. Struggling to find solid footing with each other, Zach and Clementine’s relationship has its ups and downs.
I enjoyed following Clementine on her adventure of redesigning her dream.
I’ve heard other reviews mention this book to be preachy but I can honestly say, I felt the views expressed on veganism were enlightening and not forced fed.
Be prepared to be hungry! Skinny Bitch is a deliciously fun book with scrumptious characters and a delectable hunk you’ll find mouth-watering.
This ARC copy of Skinny Bitch in Love was given to me by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Publication Date June 4, 2013.
March 21, 2013
Great fun for Vegan folks but for those who aren't, prepare to be preached to and insulted in every chapter. The main characters entire identity is wrapped around the Vegan lifestyle and promoting it, which is great, unless yours is not. It was extremely hard to relate to such a judgemental character, and as a reader, I felt belittled at every turn.
On the other hand, I learned a lot about Vegan food and the advantages of such a diet. If being Vegan is your thing, this book will inspire you. Unfortunately, I wasn't inspired to even entertain giving it a try.
The love story has some sweet moments. The militant vegan falling for a capitalist cattle baron was practically expected to take place. It was interesting as they worked through their issues to find a way to be together, the main thing they seemed to share was based on a shallow sexual attraction. But in the end, love conquers all differences, and that made for a good ending.
On the other hand, I learned a lot about Vegan food and the advantages of such a diet. If being Vegan is your thing, this book will inspire you. Unfortunately, I wasn't inspired to even entertain giving it a try.
The love story has some sweet moments. The militant vegan falling for a capitalist cattle baron was practically expected to take place. It was interesting as they worked through their issues to find a way to be together, the main thing they seemed to share was based on a shallow sexual attraction. But in the end, love conquers all differences, and that made for a good ending.
June 18, 2013
I can't believe I finished this entire book. They should have said the author's name is Preachy McPreacherton. We get that you're a vegan, lady. You don't have to expound on it every two seconds. I would like to point out that you CAN include things like meat, sugar, and flour in your diet and still be healthy. Your way of life is not the only way, okay? Aside from all the vegan pontificating, this story is predictable and mundane. I wouldn't recommend this for a collection.
June 2, 2013
I hated the on and off relationship Zach and Clem had. They must have broken up at least 10 times. They didn't seem to understand each other enough to work out but their connection was the glue that kept them together. Clem sets straight the facts from the beginning. She wants to open her own restaurant and she is going to do it. Not all her actions and decisions were good or right but then again everyone makes mistakes. Zach seems half the time an a-hole and half time sweet and boyfriend material. He is not one of my favorite persons.I haven't got him yet. He seems to have two different personalities. The same can be said about Clem too. She was unfair to Alex and Zach and has an ego. The only one who seems worthy is Sara Clem's roommate.
Barnouin made a mistake while she was writing the book. Zach gives the 400$ to Clem for her cooking class but only went to one meeting. I felt as if the book was a little brain wash to make you try the vegan life. "I lost 20 pounds eating like a vegan" and "I will cut the crap from my life so I will stop eating dairy and meat." I haven't read other Skinny Bitch books and I will definitely will not in the future. But not everything is bad. For about the first 40% if you had asked me I would have said that I liked it and it seemed like a 4 star book. Later came the downfall.
To sum it up: I did not liked it and I wouldn't suggest to you to read it. It's not worth your time and money unless you like the vegan stuff or the skinny Bitch books
Barnouin made a mistake while she was writing the book. Zach gives the 400$ to Clem for her cooking class but only went to one meeting. I felt as if the book was a little brain wash to make you try the vegan life. "I lost 20 pounds eating like a vegan" and "I will cut the crap from my life so I will stop eating dairy and meat." I haven't read other Skinny Bitch books and I will definitely will not in the future. But not everything is bad. For about the first 40% if you had asked me I would have said that I liked it and it seemed like a 4 star book. Later came the downfall.
To sum it up: I did not liked it and I wouldn't suggest to you to read it. It's not worth your time and money unless you like the vegan stuff or the skinny Bitch books
May 19, 2013
I like my heroines a little more self-deprecating and a lot more flawed.
June 16, 2014
Review for books 1 & 2 in this series posted here: Happily Ever After - Reads
I’m combining my reviews for the 2 books in the Skinny Bitch series Skinny Bitch In Love & Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched (so don't read beyond the first review, clearly marked if you don't want to hear about book 2 as well). I feel like together, they read really as one book, more on that a little later, but first up, book #1.
Skinny Bitch In Love
Clementine is a vegan chef and believe me, you’ll get hit over the head with her vegan preaching many times during this story, so prepare yourself. Right off the bat, she gets sabotaged in a kitchen where she’s working, ends up being fired and blacklisted at all vegan restaurants in Los Angeles. Not one to let herself get down in the dumps for long, Clem figures out a way to start making money, leading a vegan cooking class out of her own kitchen and trying to save enough money to open up her own restaurant; which she hopes happens sooner rather than later. She has the perfect restaurant location all picked out until someone else comes along and moves in before she has enough funds. Much to her horror, the restaurant going into her perfect space is called The Silver Steer, and Clem about has a heart attack that her perfect vegan restaurant location is now home to a place where meat is front and center and the owner, Zach, is as gorgeous as they come. In a true opposites attract romance, Clem and Zach hit it off and start an unlikely relationship.
I found the romance between Zach and Clem to be the weakest part of the book. I can’t say I liked Zach all that much. He’s a great businessman but his attitude throughout much of the book was off-putting and some of the things he said to Clem were harsh and mean. He gave the excuse of “it’ll always be like this between us” which I guess meaning they’ll always be intense and argumentative, but I never felt a strong connection between them and it wasn’t a relationship that I was really into at any point of the story.
Oh the vegan theme…it got really preachy at times. The author really went overboard with the vegan theme having multiple characters at one point or another go on about how vegan is best and if you don’t eat vegan you’re just eating crap. And so on and so on. I found the constant vegan = best, anything else = not, to be excessive and it ended up just making me pissy to be honest, and craving a burger.
I did enjoy the play between Clem and her wide range of friends. The banter was fun, their personalities came alive during the friendship scenes and this was the highlight of the book for me.
I ended up liking Clem well enough. Her vegan preachiness aside, I did like seeing her go from being blacklisted in the restaurant industry after she was set up, to making a successful career for herself by doing what she loves to do and making it happen on her terms. But overall, I can’t say I was blown away with this story. There were some fun moments, but the romance was weak and there was way too much focus on all things vegan. But oddly enough, I find myself curious about what’s up next and I may give the sequel a shot, putting it on a short leash.
Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched
Ok, so obviously I did give this one a shot and was pretty disappointed so it will be a fairly short review.
First up, there is way too much rehashing of book 1. Maybe the author wanted to be absolutely sure that if you didn’t read book 1, you’d know exactly what was going on in the sequel, but there was too much that was repeated and in great detail. On the plus side, the vegan theme seemed to be taken down a notch, thank God. Clem is still all about everything vegan, but it didn’t quite so in your face this time around.
My biggest annoyance came from Zach (shocker since I didn’t much care for him in the first book) and his overbearing mother. His relationship with his mom is a bit strained, she’s snooty and acts above everyone else, but after Zach and Clem get engaged, his mom takes over as the wedding planner. She wants to do everything her way, Clem basically wants to do the opposite but Zach is too passive about all this. He really just wants Clem to just accept everything his mom wants to do instead of sticking up for his fiancé and telling his mom to back off. It was a frustrating storyline and one that I had a hard time getting into.
One of my favorite parts of the first book was the interactions between Clem and her circle of friends. This doesn’t happen in Hitched that much and I missed it. Sure, Clem’s best friend Sara is around, but the friendships didn’t have as big an impact for me here as they did before.
Looking at the two books together, I wasn’t overly impressed with the stories. While each book had a few fun moments, and Clem was likable for the most part, there just wasn’t anything that drew me in but rather plenty of moments that had me shaking my head in frustration.
Rating:
Skinny Bitch In Love: C-
Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched: D
I’m combining my reviews for the 2 books in the Skinny Bitch series Skinny Bitch In Love & Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched (so don't read beyond the first review, clearly marked if you don't want to hear about book 2 as well). I feel like together, they read really as one book, more on that a little later, but first up, book #1.
Skinny Bitch In Love
Clementine is a vegan chef and believe me, you’ll get hit over the head with her vegan preaching many times during this story, so prepare yourself. Right off the bat, she gets sabotaged in a kitchen where she’s working, ends up being fired and blacklisted at all vegan restaurants in Los Angeles. Not one to let herself get down in the dumps for long, Clem figures out a way to start making money, leading a vegan cooking class out of her own kitchen and trying to save enough money to open up her own restaurant; which she hopes happens sooner rather than later. She has the perfect restaurant location all picked out until someone else comes along and moves in before she has enough funds. Much to her horror, the restaurant going into her perfect space is called The Silver Steer, and Clem about has a heart attack that her perfect vegan restaurant location is now home to a place where meat is front and center and the owner, Zach, is as gorgeous as they come. In a true opposites attract romance, Clem and Zach hit it off and start an unlikely relationship.
I found the romance between Zach and Clem to be the weakest part of the book. I can’t say I liked Zach all that much. He’s a great businessman but his attitude throughout much of the book was off-putting and some of the things he said to Clem were harsh and mean. He gave the excuse of “it’ll always be like this between us” which I guess meaning they’ll always be intense and argumentative, but I never felt a strong connection between them and it wasn’t a relationship that I was really into at any point of the story.
Oh the vegan theme…it got really preachy at times. The author really went overboard with the vegan theme having multiple characters at one point or another go on about how vegan is best and if you don’t eat vegan you’re just eating crap. And so on and so on. I found the constant vegan = best, anything else = not, to be excessive and it ended up just making me pissy to be honest, and craving a burger.
I did enjoy the play between Clem and her wide range of friends. The banter was fun, their personalities came alive during the friendship scenes and this was the highlight of the book for me.
I ended up liking Clem well enough. Her vegan preachiness aside, I did like seeing her go from being blacklisted in the restaurant industry after she was set up, to making a successful career for herself by doing what she loves to do and making it happen on her terms. But overall, I can’t say I was blown away with this story. There were some fun moments, but the romance was weak and there was way too much focus on all things vegan. But oddly enough, I find myself curious about what’s up next and I may give the sequel a shot, putting it on a short leash.
Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched
Ok, so obviously I did give this one a shot and was pretty disappointed so it will be a fairly short review.
First up, there is way too much rehashing of book 1. Maybe the author wanted to be absolutely sure that if you didn’t read book 1, you’d know exactly what was going on in the sequel, but there was too much that was repeated and in great detail. On the plus side, the vegan theme seemed to be taken down a notch, thank God. Clem is still all about everything vegan, but it didn’t quite so in your face this time around.
My biggest annoyance came from Zach (shocker since I didn’t much care for him in the first book) and his overbearing mother. His relationship with his mom is a bit strained, she’s snooty and acts above everyone else, but after Zach and Clem get engaged, his mom takes over as the wedding planner. She wants to do everything her way, Clem basically wants to do the opposite but Zach is too passive about all this. He really just wants Clem to just accept everything his mom wants to do instead of sticking up for his fiancé and telling his mom to back off. It was a frustrating storyline and one that I had a hard time getting into.
One of my favorite parts of the first book was the interactions between Clem and her circle of friends. This doesn’t happen in Hitched that much and I missed it. Sure, Clem’s best friend Sara is around, but the friendships didn’t have as big an impact for me here as they did before.
Looking at the two books together, I wasn’t overly impressed with the stories. While each book had a few fun moments, and Clem was likable for the most part, there just wasn’t anything that drew me in but rather plenty of moments that had me shaking my head in frustration.
Rating:
Skinny Bitch In Love: C-
Skinny Bitch Gets Hitched: D
June 17, 2013
Three Stars: An informative book on veganism.
Clementine puts the finishing touches on her perfect vegan dish. It is now ready to be served to the renowned food critic. When the dish comes back after only one bite, Clementine is horrified. Turns out, someone in the kitchen sabotaged her by adding butter to her vegan cuisine. Clementine is fired on the spot, and her name is blacklisted among all the vegan restaurants. Determined to succeed, Clementine enlists the help of her roommate Sarah and she starts a vegan cooking class. Her little cooking class leads to all sorts of trouble, from a betrayal to a romance. Can the Skinny Bitch claw her way back and make a name for herself?
What I Liked:
*I am not a vegan, and I must admit I know little about the vegan life style. After reading this book, not only was I well informed on vegans, but I was actually convinced that being a vegan is not such a bad thing. I think too many of us our under the impression that vegans eat bland rabbit type food and they refrain from sweets and indulgences. Not true. Skinny Bitch, Clementine, proves that she can out cook the best of them, and that you can indeed have your vegan cake and eat it too.
*I admired Clementine’s tenacity. After being sabotaged, she refuses to give up. She fights and claws her way back by starting a small cooking class and then a little bakery business, all in hopes of opening her own restaurant. She refuses to have things handed to her, and I had to admire her fierce determination to stand on her own two foot feet.
*I liked that this book had many themes. Not only does it educate the reader on vegan eating, but it also touches on family, friendship, romance and then the not so fun stuff like betrayals, sabotage, theft and broken friendships. This book features the good and bad and all the highs and lows of daily life.
And The Not So Much:
*The romance is annoying. Basically, Clementine falls for a man who is her complete opposite, he is a man of wealth and a carnivore who is set to open a large steak restaurant. There is an immediate attraction between the two, and then the romance becomes a series of fights and making up. Seriously the entire book, whenever the two get together they end up fighting. It becomes old after awhile.
*Even though I admired Clementine, she irritated me as well. She was quick to pick fights with others, and she almost ends up ruining a friendship. She is at times very difficult.
*In the beginning, there is a whole story line involving Clementine’s father, how he taught her to cook and was her hero until he was diagnosed with cancer. It seems that her father’s illness is going to be a central part of the story, but by the end, it just fades out and there is no resolution. I was left wondering if he died or if he somehow recovered.
*This is a personal preference, but I always love getting a couple of food recipes at the end of a food book, and I was certainly hoping to find a couple of the vegan recipes at the end, but sadly there are none.
Skinny Bitch in Love was an interesting book that taught me a great deal about the vegan lifestyle, and I can say that I have found a new respect for those who are vegan. I liked learning all about the vegan lifestyle while following the ups and downs of Clementine. If you are curious about vegans and want to learn more in an entertaining way, definitely give this book a try.
Favorite Quotations:
“Actually,” Sara said, “being a Skinny Bitch is about cutting the crap out of your life. So buh-bye.”
“Some people are just toxic, even if a quarter of the time they mean well.”
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@
Clementine puts the finishing touches on her perfect vegan dish. It is now ready to be served to the renowned food critic. When the dish comes back after only one bite, Clementine is horrified. Turns out, someone in the kitchen sabotaged her by adding butter to her vegan cuisine. Clementine is fired on the spot, and her name is blacklisted among all the vegan restaurants. Determined to succeed, Clementine enlists the help of her roommate Sarah and she starts a vegan cooking class. Her little cooking class leads to all sorts of trouble, from a betrayal to a romance. Can the Skinny Bitch claw her way back and make a name for herself?
What I Liked:
*I am not a vegan, and I must admit I know little about the vegan life style. After reading this book, not only was I well informed on vegans, but I was actually convinced that being a vegan is not such a bad thing. I think too many of us our under the impression that vegans eat bland rabbit type food and they refrain from sweets and indulgences. Not true. Skinny Bitch, Clementine, proves that she can out cook the best of them, and that you can indeed have your vegan cake and eat it too.
*I admired Clementine’s tenacity. After being sabotaged, she refuses to give up. She fights and claws her way back by starting a small cooking class and then a little bakery business, all in hopes of opening her own restaurant. She refuses to have things handed to her, and I had to admire her fierce determination to stand on her own two foot feet.
*I liked that this book had many themes. Not only does it educate the reader on vegan eating, but it also touches on family, friendship, romance and then the not so fun stuff like betrayals, sabotage, theft and broken friendships. This book features the good and bad and all the highs and lows of daily life.
And The Not So Much:
*The romance is annoying. Basically, Clementine falls for a man who is her complete opposite, he is a man of wealth and a carnivore who is set to open a large steak restaurant. There is an immediate attraction between the two, and then the romance becomes a series of fights and making up. Seriously the entire book, whenever the two get together they end up fighting. It becomes old after awhile.
*Even though I admired Clementine, she irritated me as well. She was quick to pick fights with others, and she almost ends up ruining a friendship. She is at times very difficult.
*In the beginning, there is a whole story line involving Clementine’s father, how he taught her to cook and was her hero until he was diagnosed with cancer. It seems that her father’s illness is going to be a central part of the story, but by the end, it just fades out and there is no resolution. I was left wondering if he died or if he somehow recovered.
*This is a personal preference, but I always love getting a couple of food recipes at the end of a food book, and I was certainly hoping to find a couple of the vegan recipes at the end, but sadly there are none.
Skinny Bitch in Love was an interesting book that taught me a great deal about the vegan lifestyle, and I can say that I have found a new respect for those who are vegan. I liked learning all about the vegan lifestyle while following the ups and downs of Clementine. If you are curious about vegans and want to learn more in an entertaining way, definitely give this book a try.
Favorite Quotations:
“Actually,” Sara said, “being a Skinny Bitch is about cutting the crap out of your life. So buh-bye.”
“Some people are just toxic, even if a quarter of the time they mean well.”
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@
April 24, 2013
Firstly I must say that this was a Goodreads First-Reads Winner! Thank you very much to Kim Barnouin & Simon and Schuster Canada for letting me read this book!
While reading this book I constantly thought to myself how similar this is to various television shows. Should you read it you will understand, for now please forgive the few references!
I must say that if you are a not a female or perhaps a slightly effeminate male please steer clear. This clearly is meant to be directed towards a female audience... think chick-flic.. bad almost Friends like sitcom.. There you go. That's what I personally kept getting out of this. The one upside that perhaps is interesting is the author's ability to make vegan food sound very appealing.
The book itself is extremely dialogue driven. The scenes usually consist of a cooking class where this is a 90% female sounding board for relationship advice and scheming (think desperate housewives), a kitchen, or some random romantic spot. One concern I had was with the main character's slightly odd internal monologue. This appears quite consistently and I really thought that it wasn't always necessary. Example: He kissed her "said something sweet with sexual innuendo" inner monologue of 'oh yeah rip my clothes off.' of course please take this as a very broad example, but in my opinion not necessary and doesn't need to be repeated. Honestly I found that most of the situations throughout the book were repetitive at times and not overly inspired. Most resulted in a lot of speculation and "bitching" before resolving quickly and uneventfully. Most settings/scenes have more dialogue then description unless it should come to the food. I think if an equal amount of time was put into other descriptions, as the rants about the food dishes were, it might make for a bit more of an in-depth read. There are more dialogue (by conversation, or text message)type crisis vs environment event driven type crisis and these consisted mainly of the character happening upon something randomly in the street. Another thing I didn't quite get was the love triangle. The main character's need to not only want to screw the "super hot zillionaire" but then try to maintain a "friendship" with this other guy she didn't like but couldn't seem to get over, it just didn't make sense. Cliche's of gay friends, quirky roommates, relationships and much more abound.
I do understand the audience that this type of book would appeal to but sadly it just didn't include me. If you are a female and love savory descriptions of food with a constantly flipping love interest plot and tons of dialogue then I think you will enjoy this. This is not a place to look for an in-depth read. I will give it a 3 stars just because it did make me smirk the odd time and the food descriptions made me almost consider switching from meat..almost. The story, just not there for me. Perhaps the other ones in this series are better?
Thank you again to Simon and Schuster Canada and Kim Barnouin for giving me the chance to read this. It's always a pleasure to be able to sink my teeth into a new book! I think I will pass it on to perhaps get a female perspective on it.
While reading this book I constantly thought to myself how similar this is to various television shows. Should you read it you will understand, for now please forgive the few references!
I must say that if you are a not a female or perhaps a slightly effeminate male please steer clear. This clearly is meant to be directed towards a female audience... think chick-flic.. bad almost Friends like sitcom.. There you go. That's what I personally kept getting out of this. The one upside that perhaps is interesting is the author's ability to make vegan food sound very appealing.
The book itself is extremely dialogue driven. The scenes usually consist of a cooking class where this is a 90% female sounding board for relationship advice and scheming (think desperate housewives), a kitchen, or some random romantic spot. One concern I had was with the main character's slightly odd internal monologue. This appears quite consistently and I really thought that it wasn't always necessary. Example: He kissed her "said something sweet with sexual innuendo" inner monologue of 'oh yeah rip my clothes off.' of course please take this as a very broad example, but in my opinion not necessary and doesn't need to be repeated. Honestly I found that most of the situations throughout the book were repetitive at times and not overly inspired. Most resulted in a lot of speculation and "bitching" before resolving quickly and uneventfully. Most settings/scenes have more dialogue then description unless it should come to the food. I think if an equal amount of time was put into other descriptions, as the rants about the food dishes were, it might make for a bit more of an in-depth read. There are more dialogue (by conversation, or text message)type crisis vs environment event driven type crisis and these consisted mainly of the character happening upon something randomly in the street. Another thing I didn't quite get was the love triangle. The main character's need to not only want to screw the "super hot zillionaire" but then try to maintain a "friendship" with this other guy she didn't like but couldn't seem to get over, it just didn't make sense. Cliche's of gay friends, quirky roommates, relationships and much more abound.
I do understand the audience that this type of book would appeal to but sadly it just didn't include me. If you are a female and love savory descriptions of food with a constantly flipping love interest plot and tons of dialogue then I think you will enjoy this. This is not a place to look for an in-depth read. I will give it a 3 stars just because it did make me smirk the odd time and the food descriptions made me almost consider switching from meat..almost. The story, just not there for me. Perhaps the other ones in this series are better?
Thank you again to Simon and Schuster Canada and Kim Barnouin for giving me the chance to read this. It's always a pleasure to be able to sink my teeth into a new book! I think I will pass it on to perhaps get a female perspective on it.
July 27, 2016
I read this book curious because I read "Skinny Bitch" and it was nice enough.
The vegan preaching in this novel is not that annoying for me because I'm vegetarian but I understand if a meat eater feels the book maddening.
The unbearable part of the book is the main character:
- An arrogant (I'm-better-than-you-because-I'm-vegan) snob vegan cook who repeats constantly the skinny, shiny or tight clothes she wears that make her look 'gorgeous'.
- Everywhere in the book she talks about her vegan scones and how good they are.
- She sounds so shallow. It seems the first and decisive thing that matters for her in men is the body, also their style to dress.
- She is a vegan who gives such importance to fashion, this tiny dress who made her look 'gorgeous', this other shirt, the skirt and the sandals...The book has lots of phrases like: "Everyone's parents and grandparents and bored-looking siblings were heading toward the main entrance. No one else was wearing incredibly cool four-inch over-the-knee ecru faux-suede boots, though".
- She is in love with a millionaire meat eater, which is not such a big deal as the fact that he lied to her and he despises constantly her hard-working style of living. She knows a vegan British cook "with cute accent" (she repeats it many times) who is in love of her and who is very kind and cares about her but she didn't feel the spark when kissing so she runs again for the meat-eater.
- Swearing each phrase doesn't make people sexy.
- Even if for the cook subject many words come from French, she used a lot of unnecessary French words. Using French words doesn't make people look smarter or classy.
Now I know that it is not only the stinky preachy vegan hippies who can be annoying, but there are uptight vegan empty heads out there too.
May 30, 2013
I think I am like most readers when it comes to picking out novels, if the title sounds interesting, you can count on me to read it! And with a title like “Skinny Bitch in Love”, of course I’m going to want to find out about this book.
First off, let me say that I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Everything that I do say here is my personal opinion, so if I offend you I am truly sorry.
While the title of this book lead me to believe that it was going to be funny, in all honesty there were parts of this book that I had a WTF look on my face I am sure. From the start of the book, Clementine’s character explains that if you don’t eat vegan you are filling your body with “crap”. I do understand that people have their own beliefs when it comes to what you should eat, but during the course of this book, I felt as though I was being preached at because of my eating habits.
The back and forth arguments and then makeups between Clementine and Zach were very…. Boring and annoying to say the least. When it came to their relationship, they would have an argument never want to talk to each other again, and then a few days later make up. It was as though they couldn’t decide if they wanted to be together or not.
The only part of this book that I did actually enjoy was the fact that Clementine showed her determination to do what she wanted to do, without help from anyone else. She wanted to open her own restaurant, and she did that without accepting handouts from Zach.
I have to say overall I was greatly disappointed with this book, and I wanted to stop reading it several times. However I forced myself to finish because I knew I couldn’t give an honest review if I stopped halfway through it.
First off, let me say that I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Everything that I do say here is my personal opinion, so if I offend you I am truly sorry.
While the title of this book lead me to believe that it was going to be funny, in all honesty there were parts of this book that I had a WTF look on my face I am sure. From the start of the book, Clementine’s character explains that if you don’t eat vegan you are filling your body with “crap”. I do understand that people have their own beliefs when it comes to what you should eat, but during the course of this book, I felt as though I was being preached at because of my eating habits.
The back and forth arguments and then makeups between Clementine and Zach were very…. Boring and annoying to say the least. When it came to their relationship, they would have an argument never want to talk to each other again, and then a few days later make up. It was as though they couldn’t decide if they wanted to be together or not.
The only part of this book that I did actually enjoy was the fact that Clementine showed her determination to do what she wanted to do, without help from anyone else. She wanted to open her own restaurant, and she did that without accepting handouts from Zach.
I have to say overall I was greatly disappointed with this book, and I wanted to stop reading it several times. However I forced myself to finish because I knew I couldn’t give an honest review if I stopped halfway through it.
May 23, 2013
ARC provided by NetGalley
My rating - 3 1/2 star
This is my first ARC and I was very excited when my approval came through.
Firstly, I am not familiar with the cook books made popular by Kim Barnouin (which I don't think has any relevance if you wanted to read this book). Secondly, I kind of want to try some of the vegan food mentioned in this book.
This was a light hearted read so if you were looking for a break between some of your more heavier emotional romantic novels this could be a good pick. Especially if you are a fan of good food and love.
If you are looking for a book full of hot steamy sex, angst and alpha males this is not the book for you.
What this book had going for it:-
There is a bit of a love triangle between Clem, Zach and Alexander. Zach is a arrogant, egotistical, over-confident business owner and Alexander is a sweet, kind and generous British chef (I am a bit partial to a guy with an accent).
The description of the food was mouth watering (hence my earlier comment of wanting to try it).
There is a little bit of backstabbing centred around Clem, which I think is reflective of the food industry anyway so it fit in with the story really well.
What the book lacked:-
You get to know a lot about Clem and her background but not so much Zach. You probably get to know more about Josie (Zach's sister).
I would have liked a little bit more description with the love scenes. You got the lead up, but then it kind of fizzled.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I would love to see a spin off with Alexander's story.
My rating - 3 1/2 star
This is my first ARC and I was very excited when my approval came through.
Firstly, I am not familiar with the cook books made popular by Kim Barnouin (which I don't think has any relevance if you wanted to read this book). Secondly, I kind of want to try some of the vegan food mentioned in this book.
This was a light hearted read so if you were looking for a break between some of your more heavier emotional romantic novels this could be a good pick. Especially if you are a fan of good food and love.
If you are looking for a book full of hot steamy sex, angst and alpha males this is not the book for you.
What this book had going for it:-
There is a bit of a love triangle between Clem, Zach and Alexander. Zach is a arrogant, egotistical, over-confident business owner and Alexander is a sweet, kind and generous British chef (I am a bit partial to a guy with an accent).
The description of the food was mouth watering (hence my earlier comment of wanting to try it).
There is a little bit of backstabbing centred around Clem, which I think is reflective of the food industry anyway so it fit in with the story really well.
What the book lacked:-
You get to know a lot about Clem and her background but not so much Zach. You probably get to know more about Josie (Zach's sister).
I would have liked a little bit more description with the love scenes. You got the lead up, but then it kind of fizzled.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I would love to see a spin off with Alexander's story.
June 22, 2013
MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT
Clementine has just about hit the pinnacle of being a vegan chef, when at only twenty-six, she is sent in to cook for the ill chef and THE main LA critic is coming into review the restaurant. All goes well until she is sabotaged by a fellow worker who adds a bit of unauthorized butter into a sauce. The whole staff is fired and Clem in blackballed. Not wanting to give up her Santa Monica lifestyle, she decides to start a cooking school and meal service. Her first client is the guy who dumped her six months ago and she gets another shock when she shows up and his fiancee meets her at the door of her dream home. As Clem winds her way through descriptions of food and the different men she meets in her quest for the right ones, you learn a bit about the vegan lifestyle and how it might work for you.
When the site where Clem had dreamed about opening her own cafe is rented to serve as a steak house, she goes a bit ballistic. She storms right over to confront the owner, Zach, who of course turns out to be just right for her. Even though their different backgrounds and life philosophies are completely different, they do seem to work it all out. Her roommate Sarah is a real kick and serves as a "project" for Clem to help prove just how good her lifestyle can be for one's body since Sarah does end up losing weight and feeling better. This is dialogue driven snark so you know how much I enjoyed this! It is a well written beachy, chick-lit read and I can see this as a series as Clem helps convert more people to the vegan lifestyle.
LOVED IT
Clementine has just about hit the pinnacle of being a vegan chef, when at only twenty-six, she is sent in to cook for the ill chef and THE main LA critic is coming into review the restaurant. All goes well until she is sabotaged by a fellow worker who adds a bit of unauthorized butter into a sauce. The whole staff is fired and Clem in blackballed. Not wanting to give up her Santa Monica lifestyle, she decides to start a cooking school and meal service. Her first client is the guy who dumped her six months ago and she gets another shock when she shows up and his fiancee meets her at the door of her dream home. As Clem winds her way through descriptions of food and the different men she meets in her quest for the right ones, you learn a bit about the vegan lifestyle and how it might work for you.
When the site where Clem had dreamed about opening her own cafe is rented to serve as a steak house, she goes a bit ballistic. She storms right over to confront the owner, Zach, who of course turns out to be just right for her. Even though their different backgrounds and life philosophies are completely different, they do seem to work it all out. Her roommate Sarah is a real kick and serves as a "project" for Clem to help prove just how good her lifestyle can be for one's body since Sarah does end up losing weight and feeling better. This is dialogue driven snark so you know how much I enjoyed this! It is a well written beachy, chick-lit read and I can see this as a series as Clem helps convert more people to the vegan lifestyle.
July 6, 2013
Before I start my review, let me say that I am not a vegan/vegetarian. I don't judge those of you who are, but I am not a vegan. Just wanted to get that out of the way.
The first thing that drew me to this book was, quite honestly, the cover. You know I like cartoonish covers, so it's not that surprising. I thought it was a fun cover and after reading the blurb I was convinced I had to read the book. Plus, you all know just how much I love chick lit.
I loved Clem. She was like a breath of fresh air. She's a very strong woman, she doesn't beat around the bush, you won't see her trying to sugarcoat things and she's one of those women that want to do things on their own, no matter how difficult the road to get there is. I also liked how ballsy she is. Yup, she's my kind of gal :-)
Zack is...well, he's hot. Infuriating sometimes, but hot. I think the reason he was attracted to Clem was because she was so different than what he was used to. I could actually feel that at times he was frustrated by her unwillingness to accept help, but he eventually came to terms with it.
By the way, when you read this, make sure you have some tasty noms nearby. There were these scenes with cooking and...man, did they sound tasty! Besides the food and the romance, you get some funny scenes too.
I am wondering if this book will turn into a series. I would so read it if it did. So go ahead and read Skinny Bitch in Love if you're in the mood for some fun reading. You'll love it :)
The first thing that drew me to this book was, quite honestly, the cover. You know I like cartoonish covers, so it's not that surprising. I thought it was a fun cover and after reading the blurb I was convinced I had to read the book. Plus, you all know just how much I love chick lit.
I loved Clem. She was like a breath of fresh air. She's a very strong woman, she doesn't beat around the bush, you won't see her trying to sugarcoat things and she's one of those women that want to do things on their own, no matter how difficult the road to get there is. I also liked how ballsy she is. Yup, she's my kind of gal :-)
Zack is...well, he's hot. Infuriating sometimes, but hot. I think the reason he was attracted to Clem was because she was so different than what he was used to. I could actually feel that at times he was frustrated by her unwillingness to accept help, but he eventually came to terms with it.
By the way, when you read this, make sure you have some tasty noms nearby. There were these scenes with cooking and...man, did they sound tasty! Besides the food and the romance, you get some funny scenes too.
I am wondering if this book will turn into a series. I would so read it if it did. So go ahead and read Skinny Bitch in Love if you're in the mood for some fun reading. You'll love it :)
June 14, 2013
**Provided by Netgalley and Gallery Books for an honest review**
I must say that I was disappointed by this book. The book title and the book blurb held such promise.
I felt completely preached to about vegan ways and the was far too much info regarding the foods and recipes used. It definitely felt more like a half assed book talking just about food with a few other story details twisted into with a romance that seemed to fall more or less flat rather than sizzle like you would have hoped.
I would recommend that you borrow this book from the library rather than buy it.
I must say that I was disappointed by this book. The book title and the book blurb held such promise.
I felt completely preached to about vegan ways and the was far too much info regarding the foods and recipes used. It definitely felt more like a half assed book talking just about food with a few other story details twisted into with a romance that seemed to fall more or less flat rather than sizzle like you would have hoped.
I would recommend that you borrow this book from the library rather than buy it.
November 30, 2015
I knew this was going to be... not great... but I'm sick and needed a trashy book to read in bed.
I wanted mindless drivel. Instead, I got the written equivalent of talking to an annoying vegan you've just met at a party and they're all, "I'm a vegan and veganism is awesome and carnivores are monsters and gluten is super bad for you and boo smoking and yay hot yoga and judge judge judge." You know the ones? The preachier, holier-than-thou vegans? Yeah. Them. Essentially that's the main character, so I spent the entire ordeal wanting to throw the book across the room.
I wanted mindless drivel. Instead, I got the written equivalent of talking to an annoying vegan you've just met at a party and they're all, "I'm a vegan and veganism is awesome and carnivores are monsters and gluten is super bad for you and boo smoking and yay hot yoga and judge judge judge." You know the ones? The preachier, holier-than-thou vegans? Yeah. Them. Essentially that's the main character, so I spent the entire ordeal wanting to throw the book across the room.
June 10, 2013
As a foodie, this is a good read with some romance thrown in. There were no smutty scenes, so if you are looking for a hot read, this is not it, in my opinion. It was a page turner for me because I had to find out how it ended.
You learn about how Clem grew up vegan, how she builds her Skinny Bitch empire, and how she looks for love after having her heart broken. Does she chose the one who is right for her, or the one who makes her toes tingle?
You learn about how Clem grew up vegan, how she builds her Skinny Bitch empire, and how she looks for love after having her heart broken. Does she chose the one who is right for her, or the one who makes her toes tingle?
February 17, 2013
Holy shit, this book is good! I'm trying to figure out which of my amazing girlfriends should borrow it first. Witty, funny, intelligent, and mouthwatering (in more ways than one). Yay, vegan chick lit!
April 7, 2013
I won this book! I can wait to read it!
November 24, 2021
LOTS to unpack here.
- good writing
- borderline fatphobia
- the names are so fucking stupid (in a funny way) and the main character refers to her love interests by their full names. it's always "Alexander Orr" this or "Zack Jeffries" that.
- everyone pretty is RAIL/EXTREMELY thin
- a key character lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks. you lose 2 pounds every week if you restrict to 1,200 calories (which is WAY less than you're supposed to and causes a bunch of shitty problems btw, so unless the said character was having less that, that's not realistic)
- the romance SUCKED. no chemistry AT ALL, no funny banter or conversations period, SUPER fast-paced, fade to black KISSES (literally what??? I've read books for MIDDLE SCHOOLERS more "smutty" than this and by that I mean there were descriptions for the kiss)
- the love interest was an ASSHOLE. he literally had no redeeming qualities.
- the characters were pretty well-rounded
those points don't even BEGIN to unpack what I feel but I don't feel like going super in-depth. so, to sum my review up: the book was ok, the writing was surprisingly good, the romance sucked ass. would I read it again? possibly. I suggest reading it just for the experience because one could argue this was a good book and others could make a strong argument that this book was terrible.
ALSO. this book was NOT preachy at all. yes, the main character did make some passive-aggressive comments but there was no "you need to be vegan or you're disgusting" - this is coming from a non-vegan.
- good writing
- borderline fatphobia
- the names are so fucking stupid (in a funny way) and the main character refers to her love interests by their full names. it's always "Alexander Orr" this or "Zack Jeffries" that.
- everyone pretty is RAIL/EXTREMELY thin
- a key character lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks. you lose 2 pounds every week if you restrict to 1,200 calories (which is WAY less than you're supposed to and causes a bunch of shitty problems btw, so unless the said character was having less that, that's not realistic)
- the romance SUCKED. no chemistry AT ALL, no funny banter or conversations period, SUPER fast-paced, fade to black KISSES (literally what??? I've read books for MIDDLE SCHOOLERS more "smutty" than this and by that I mean there were descriptions for the kiss)
- the love interest was an ASSHOLE. he literally had no redeeming qualities.
- the characters were pretty well-rounded
those points don't even BEGIN to unpack what I feel but I don't feel like going super in-depth. so, to sum my review up: the book was ok, the writing was surprisingly good, the romance sucked ass. would I read it again? possibly. I suggest reading it just for the experience because one could argue this was a good book and others could make a strong argument that this book was terrible.
ALSO. this book was NOT preachy at all. yes, the main character did make some passive-aggressive comments but there was no "you need to be vegan or you're disgusting" - this is coming from a non-vegan.
May 28, 2013
(nb: I received an advance review copy from the publisher via NetGalley)
The "opposites attract" leitmotif is a standard in modern fiction. The straight cop ends up with the bumbling private investigator; the rich guy ends up with a streetwalker. The list goes on.
For the life of me, "Skinny Bitch in Love" is the first novel I've read where the attracting opposites are a vegan chef and a steakhouse owner.
That's what we find in Kim Barnouin's first novel, "Skinny Bitch in Love."
Barnouin has built a real-life reputation for her Skinny Bitch lifestyle books, teaching women how to eat better and unleash their inner "skinny bitch."
In "Skinny Bitch in Love," we follow Clementine Cooper, a rising star in the SoCal vegan restaurant scene. She's the sous chef at Fresh, a hot vegan bistro. One night, when the most important food critic in the area comes to visit Fresh, Clementine is on the spot. She prepares her best dishes, and knows she's nailed the test...except that somebody sabotages one of her dishes by adding butter. Clementine is fired within the hour, and she finds herself blackballed at every vegan restaurant in town. The idea that she'd resort to using BUTTER--oh, horror of horrors.
Clementine doesn't crawl into a bottle of organic wine, though. She begins pulling herself up, founding her Skinny Bitch cooking empire (although, empire is hardly the right word in the beginning). She offers personal chef services, in-home cooking lessons, and teaches a weekend vegan cooking class in the tiny apartment she shares with her roommate, Sara.
Her ultimate dream, though, is opening Clementine's No Crap Cafe, where she'd be in charge, serving her own vegan recipes to an upscale clientele. Ten or so tables, an amazing juice bar--she has it all pictured down to the Mediterranean blue walls and whitewashed floor. She even knows the perfect location: a vacant space right across the street from her apartment. She's dreamed of it forever. One day, she finds the space has been bought. Another restaurant will be opening there. Not a vegan place. Quite the opposite: Clementine's dream vegan cafe will instead be filled with an upscale steakhouse.
This nauseates her on so many levels, especially when the new owner erects a giant silver steer head on the wall facing Clementine's apartment. The sign is too much. Clem storms into the future steakhouse, and raises hell with the owner. Before long, she finds herself inexplicably, horrifically attracted to the guy. Worse still, Zach Jeffries may be planning to serve slabs of cow in Clementine's coveted space, but he turns out to be a really good guy. And Clem is reluctantly smitten.
Clem doesn't have time to sit around pining over her carnivore, though. Skinny Bitch has taken off. Clem is selling vegan recipes to bistros seeking to attract vegan customers. She's also started "Skinny Bitch Bakes," which stocks an ever-increasing number of cafes and restaurants with her healthy, decadent pastries, and whips up custom birthday cakes, cupcakes, and other treats for private clients.
Clementine has also found another sweet location for her restaurant. Her Skinny Bitch endeavors are making good money, but will it be enough? Add to this her puppy-dog eyed replacement sous chef at Fresh, a handsome Brit with a crush on her; television's most misogynistic chef, who throws down the gauntlet over eggplant Parmesan, and her conflicted emotions over the hunky, gazillionaire carnivore, Zach, and Clementine has way too much on her plate.
The main thing I liked about "Skinny Bitch in Love" is Clementine herself. She was born and raised on an organic farm, and she's been cooking vegan since she was old enough to lift a spoon. She didn't just hop on the vegan bus once it became trendy. She's lived that way her entire life, except for a rebellious period filled with In-and-Out Burgers, during which she felt constantly sick.
Also, the main story here isn't her conflicted romance with Zach, but her battle to get her career back on track. Her dream is to run her own cafe, true. Her true love, though, is cooking, and that's what her Skinny Bitch businesses are all about: her joy of cooking, and spreading her love of cooking--and eating--vegan to as many people as she can.
Most relationships are difficult, and Clementine and Zach have more than the usual early relationship jitters to fight. Their different backgrounds play a part, as does their competition in the restaurant business. Clem may be crushing for Zach, but Skinny Bitch is her true focus. I like that: she'd love to have the guy, too, but the important thing is what she's built for herself.
There are other, ancillary story lines that add to, rather than detract from, the book as a whole. Often times, such sidetracks are anathema to a well-told story, but they work in "Skinny Bitch in Love."
There aren't a lot of huge surprises here, and that's fine. There are plenty of scenes where we're in the kitchen cooking with Clementine, or watching as she teaches her class. The food is a big supporting character in "Skinny Bitch in Love," and I found myself craving one of Clem's tropical fruit scones or a nice plate of her vegan lasagna. For a confirmed omnivore like me to admit that means something.
Most of all, "Skinny Bitch in Love" is a quick, fun read. There are plenty of laughs, but the book never lapses into silliness. There's nothing goofy about Clementine. When she's in the kitchen, she has talent and skill, and she shows the same smarts running her business. She seeks advice when she needs it, but she is a smart vegan cookie. In this type of novel, so often the heroine is a dope who just stumbles around until she trips over a solution.
It's nice to read about a heroine who's sassy and smart, even if--like all of us--she's a little goofy when she comes to love. "Skinny Bitch in Love" is a tasty confection of a book, perfect for your summertime reading menu.
Highly Recommended.
The "opposites attract" leitmotif is a standard in modern fiction. The straight cop ends up with the bumbling private investigator; the rich guy ends up with a streetwalker. The list goes on.
For the life of me, "Skinny Bitch in Love" is the first novel I've read where the attracting opposites are a vegan chef and a steakhouse owner.
That's what we find in Kim Barnouin's first novel, "Skinny Bitch in Love."
Barnouin has built a real-life reputation for her Skinny Bitch lifestyle books, teaching women how to eat better and unleash their inner "skinny bitch."
In "Skinny Bitch in Love," we follow Clementine Cooper, a rising star in the SoCal vegan restaurant scene. She's the sous chef at Fresh, a hot vegan bistro. One night, when the most important food critic in the area comes to visit Fresh, Clementine is on the spot. She prepares her best dishes, and knows she's nailed the test...except that somebody sabotages one of her dishes by adding butter. Clementine is fired within the hour, and she finds herself blackballed at every vegan restaurant in town. The idea that she'd resort to using BUTTER--oh, horror of horrors.
Clementine doesn't crawl into a bottle of organic wine, though. She begins pulling herself up, founding her Skinny Bitch cooking empire (although, empire is hardly the right word in the beginning). She offers personal chef services, in-home cooking lessons, and teaches a weekend vegan cooking class in the tiny apartment she shares with her roommate, Sara.
Her ultimate dream, though, is opening Clementine's No Crap Cafe, where she'd be in charge, serving her own vegan recipes to an upscale clientele. Ten or so tables, an amazing juice bar--she has it all pictured down to the Mediterranean blue walls and whitewashed floor. She even knows the perfect location: a vacant space right across the street from her apartment. She's dreamed of it forever. One day, she finds the space has been bought. Another restaurant will be opening there. Not a vegan place. Quite the opposite: Clementine's dream vegan cafe will instead be filled with an upscale steakhouse.
This nauseates her on so many levels, especially when the new owner erects a giant silver steer head on the wall facing Clementine's apartment. The sign is too much. Clem storms into the future steakhouse, and raises hell with the owner. Before long, she finds herself inexplicably, horrifically attracted to the guy. Worse still, Zach Jeffries may be planning to serve slabs of cow in Clementine's coveted space, but he turns out to be a really good guy. And Clem is reluctantly smitten.
Clem doesn't have time to sit around pining over her carnivore, though. Skinny Bitch has taken off. Clem is selling vegan recipes to bistros seeking to attract vegan customers. She's also started "Skinny Bitch Bakes," which stocks an ever-increasing number of cafes and restaurants with her healthy, decadent pastries, and whips up custom birthday cakes, cupcakes, and other treats for private clients.
Clementine has also found another sweet location for her restaurant. Her Skinny Bitch endeavors are making good money, but will it be enough? Add to this her puppy-dog eyed replacement sous chef at Fresh, a handsome Brit with a crush on her; television's most misogynistic chef, who throws down the gauntlet over eggplant Parmesan, and her conflicted emotions over the hunky, gazillionaire carnivore, Zach, and Clementine has way too much on her plate.
The main thing I liked about "Skinny Bitch in Love" is Clementine herself. She was born and raised on an organic farm, and she's been cooking vegan since she was old enough to lift a spoon. She didn't just hop on the vegan bus once it became trendy. She's lived that way her entire life, except for a rebellious period filled with In-and-Out Burgers, during which she felt constantly sick.
Also, the main story here isn't her conflicted romance with Zach, but her battle to get her career back on track. Her dream is to run her own cafe, true. Her true love, though, is cooking, and that's what her Skinny Bitch businesses are all about: her joy of cooking, and spreading her love of cooking--and eating--vegan to as many people as she can.
Most relationships are difficult, and Clementine and Zach have more than the usual early relationship jitters to fight. Their different backgrounds play a part, as does their competition in the restaurant business. Clem may be crushing for Zach, but Skinny Bitch is her true focus. I like that: she'd love to have the guy, too, but the important thing is what she's built for herself.
There are other, ancillary story lines that add to, rather than detract from, the book as a whole. Often times, such sidetracks are anathema to a well-told story, but they work in "Skinny Bitch in Love."
There aren't a lot of huge surprises here, and that's fine. There are plenty of scenes where we're in the kitchen cooking with Clementine, or watching as she teaches her class. The food is a big supporting character in "Skinny Bitch in Love," and I found myself craving one of Clem's tropical fruit scones or a nice plate of her vegan lasagna. For a confirmed omnivore like me to admit that means something.
Most of all, "Skinny Bitch in Love" is a quick, fun read. There are plenty of laughs, but the book never lapses into silliness. There's nothing goofy about Clementine. When she's in the kitchen, she has talent and skill, and she shows the same smarts running her business. She seeks advice when she needs it, but she is a smart vegan cookie. In this type of novel, so often the heroine is a dope who just stumbles around until she trips over a solution.
It's nice to read about a heroine who's sassy and smart, even if--like all of us--she's a little goofy when she comes to love. "Skinny Bitch in Love" is a tasty confection of a book, perfect for your summertime reading menu.
Highly Recommended.
September 5, 2021
We follow Clementine who is given her big chance as a vegan chef to cook a meal for a food critic. A jealous coworker sabotages her and switches her vegan butter for the real thing. The critic knows it. She is fired and blacklisted from ever working in the area again. Clem is a determined young woman however. She starts a vegan catering business and gives cooking classes. She writes vegan menus for traditional restaurants. Her ultimate goal is to open her own restaurant. Her on again off again romance with a man building a local steak house got tedious after a while but overall this was an amusing romcom.
June 4, 2013
Rating: House/Well: Organic of course (no crushed beetles for red dye effect)
**ARC REVIEW**
I am not a vegan, thus I prepared myself for a little 'preaching' from a queen of Vegan eats. Kim Barnouin initially coauthored a couple successful "Skinny Bitch" cookbooks. I accepted the advanced copy because I thought it would be interesting to see how cookbook author would do on a romance story. Not only did I enjoy the 'opposites attract' love story, but the attention to detail for both the scene set ups and the food made everything sound so fantastic! Seriously, I am on the hunt for vegan butter & cheese!
The heroine, Clementine Cooper, is a hard working, off the organic farm, skilled with experience vegan sous chef. Her talents lead her from one great Vegan restaurant, to the next, excelling as she goes. With her eye on the food critic-prize, no doubt landing her a 'chef' title, Clementine is devastated when she is sabotaged and has to start over again. Ultimately, Clementine wants to own her own restaurant, catering vegan specialties.
We learn about her past heart breaking relationship and who her true friends are when her life seems to be going down the drain. Enter Zach Jeffries, the young, handsome, intelligent restaurant owner of a renowned steak house, The Silver Steer.
A possible love triangle is introduced, but Barnouin never keeps you thinking that this is what the story is about. The story is about Clementine lacing up her animal free boots and making a name for herself. Clementine doesn't want pity from others, she knows she can do it and only needs the support of those around her. She sticks to her guns even when wealthy love interest, Zach, showers her with no-strings-attached opportunities. The reminders that the two come from two totally different backgrounds and life styles never fades and it's up to them to work out the differences.
Best friends are essential in this book; they help with career or love advice and motivation. Her 'overweight' roommate, Sara, becomes essential to the 'vegan' aspect of the book. She agrees to try Clementines lifestyle as a way to lose weight and make a difference in her acting career and love life. Sara's approach to taking on the new diet is painless and the delicious food she devours only makes you think that you should try a couple of these recipes.
Even though Clementine describes her perception of meat-eaters as bloody or gruesome, I never felt like she was admonishing me for how I live. I took it as just her opinion and some helpful tips. My only disappointment with the book was that recipes were not included at the end. This might change after the publication date (crossing my fingers). I realize that this book will help promote Barnouin's cookbooks, but a reference to the meals she uses in this book would be greatly appreciated... and attempted.
**ARC REVIEW**
I am not a vegan, thus I prepared myself for a little 'preaching' from a queen of Vegan eats. Kim Barnouin initially coauthored a couple successful "Skinny Bitch" cookbooks. I accepted the advanced copy because I thought it would be interesting to see how cookbook author would do on a romance story. Not only did I enjoy the 'opposites attract' love story, but the attention to detail for both the scene set ups and the food made everything sound so fantastic! Seriously, I am on the hunt for vegan butter & cheese!
Please let her love it. Please let her write that Clementine Cooper, just twenty-six, is a chef to watch, that the ravioli melted on her tongue, that the explosion of squash and garlic in her mouth was like "being made love to with exquisite rough tenderness by your fantasy lover," which is how she'd once bizarrely described a shepherd's pie.Barnouin, Kim. Skinny Bitch in Love. Gallery Books. Expected publication: June 4th 2013. Kindle Edition.
The heroine, Clementine Cooper, is a hard working, off the organic farm, skilled with experience vegan sous chef. Her talents lead her from one great Vegan restaurant, to the next, excelling as she goes. With her eye on the food critic-prize, no doubt landing her a 'chef' title, Clementine is devastated when she is sabotaged and has to start over again. Ultimately, Clementine wants to own her own restaurant, catering vegan specialties.
We learn about her past heart breaking relationship and who her true friends are when her life seems to be going down the drain. Enter Zach Jeffries, the young, handsome, intelligent restaurant owner of a renowned steak house, The Silver Steer.
Zach Jeffries grew up slaughtering animals and thought nothing of selling twenty-seven-dollar burgers and spewing fuel emissions into the atmosphere. Being attracted to him was ridiculous. But I was. Very traitorously attracted.Barnouin, Kim. Skinny Bitch in Love. Gallery Books. Expected publication: June 4th 2013. Kindle Edition.
A possible love triangle is introduced, but Barnouin never keeps you thinking that this is what the story is about. The story is about Clementine lacing up her animal free boots and making a name for herself. Clementine doesn't want pity from others, she knows she can do it and only needs the support of those around her. She sticks to her guns even when wealthy love interest, Zach, showers her with no-strings-attached opportunities. The reminders that the two come from two totally different backgrounds and life styles never fades and it's up to them to work out the differences.
He stared at me. "Really. You like living in this dump? You like not being able to get hired in any of the restaurants you used to love eating in? You like having to tack up signs for your 'business' on the street lamps? Come on. And don't tell me you like baking cookies all night."
Okay, whoa. He actually air-quoted the word business....
"You know, Zach, I realized how messed up it was of you to ask me to show my life and my best friends's life as a way to dissuade your sister from our pathetic existences, but I got it, okay? Being twenty-six and trying to make it in L.A. isn't all fun and games. And she's eighteen and wearing her own cheap rings as her engagement ring. I get it. But you're insulting me and the way I live."Barnouin, Kim. Skinny Bitch in Love. Gallery Books. Expected publication: June 4th 2013. Kindle Edition.
Best friends are essential in this book; they help with career or love advice and motivation. Her 'overweight' roommate, Sara, becomes essential to the 'vegan' aspect of the book. She agrees to try Clementines lifestyle as a way to lose weight and make a difference in her acting career and love life. Sara's approach to taking on the new diet is painless and the delicious food she devours only makes you think that you should try a couple of these recipes.
"You're teaching him how to be with you, Clem. And he's teaching you how to be with him. You're gonna bump heads sometimes. You'll get pissed at him. He'll get pissed at you. You'll have amazing make-up sex."Barnouin, Kim. Skinny Bitch in Love. Gallery Books. Expected publication: June 4th 2013. Kindle Edition.
Even though Clementine describes her perception of meat-eaters as bloody or gruesome, I never felt like she was admonishing me for how I live. I took it as just her opinion and some helpful tips. My only disappointment with the book was that recipes were not included at the end. This might change after the publication date (crossing my fingers). I realize that this book will help promote Barnouin's cookbooks, but a reference to the meals she uses in this book would be greatly appreciated... and attempted.
July 31, 2017
Loved this
This is such fun and the food will make you wish you could have some, and I'm not a vegan. Chef Clementine is a great character and this book made me happy, we all need good escape, now more than ever.
This is such fun and the food will make you wish you could have some, and I'm not a vegan. Chef Clementine is a great character and this book made me happy, we all need good escape, now more than ever.
June 30, 2021
This was distinctly bad. But I enjoyed it.
"You're teaching him how to be with you, Clem. And he's teaching you how to be with him. You're gonna bump heads sometimes. You'll get pissed at him; he'll get pissed at you. You'll have amazing make-up sex."
May 12, 2017
This was a really good book.... honestly made me think about trying some of those foods tho, Like I will always be a meat lover, but those foods sound AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGG
August 26, 2018
Edgy these-are-the-facts-why-you-want-to-be-a-vegan.
July 24, 2019
Great pool/summer read. Having eaten vegan for a few years and working in the healthcare (nutrition) field, I enjoyed the premise as well as Clem.
November 18, 2020
Great book! Really enjoyed this one!
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