The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs

by Dana Bate

Hannah Sugarman seems to have it all. She works for an influential think tank in Washington, D.C., lives in a swanky apartment with her high-achieving boyfriend, and is poised for an academic career just like her parents. The only problem is that Hannah doesn't want any of it. What she wants is much simpler; to cook. When her relationship collapses, Hannah seizes the chance to do what she's always loved and launches an underground supper club out of her new landlord's town house. Though her delicious dishes become the talk of the town, her secret venture is highly problematic, given that it is not, technically speaking, legal. She also conveniently forgets to tell her landlord she has been using his place while he is out of town. On top of that, Hannah faces various romantic prospects that leave her guessing and confused, parents who don't support cooking as a career, and her own fears of taking a risk and charting her own path. A charming romantic comedy, The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a story about finding yourself, fulfilling your dreams, and falling in love along the way.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Adult Fiction, Food

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2012

About the author

Dana Bate is the author of TOO MANY COOKS, A SECOND BITE AT THE APPLE (published in the UK as THE STALL OF SECOND CHANCES), and THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO LOVE AND SUPPER CLUBS (published in the UK as THE SECRET SUPPER CLUB), which earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly and has been translated into five languages. Before writing fiction full time, she was a Washington producer and reporter for PBS's Nightly Business Report, where she won the Gerald Loeb Award for a series she produced on the Indian economy. She lives outside Philadelphia with her family.

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I weirdly liked this book. Even though the main character was a bit much for me and totally self-absorbed at times, I liked it. Probably because the author does a kick-ass job describing DC and the food the main character is making. She also included recipes in the back I want to try sometime soon as well.

"The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs" has Hannah Sugarman at a cross-roads in her professional/personal life. She works at a think tank she really hates and has a boyfriend she really loves. She really would love to quit her job and just cook full-time, but disappointing her parents (both professors) and her boyfriend is something she's not quite ready to do. When her relationship with her boyfriend crashes and burns, Hannah is forced to move out and needs a way to make some money. When her work friend Rachel suggest that they do an underground supper club, Hannah thinks she may have a way to feed her need to cook and save some money. Things would be great except she's hosting the supper club in her landlord's home without his knowledge. And he's running for a council seat in Dupont Circle with one of his mission's to wipe out the restaurants or other entities running around serving food and liquor without a license.

As I said above, Hannah bugged me. I think the reason why is that I didn't get a sense she was trying hard at all. If she didn't want to work at the think tank then quit. Doing a terrible job wasn't winning me any favors. Same issue with her passive aggressively cooking when she's angry at her boyfriend. Or when she talks crap about her boyfriend's parents while they are eating dinner, or talks crap about a new love's interest's mom's cinnamon buns. So yeah, Hannah talks a lot of crap. I wanted to feel for her, but honestly most of the issues/problems are a result of her doing whatever and actually being shocked when she's called out.

The other characters are sketched out pretty well. You get a sense of Hannah's work nemesis and her boyfriend. I loved Hannah and Rachel together, but found it sad when Hannah called Rachel her only DC friend when Rachel rightfully calls her out for being self absorbed. Hannah's landlord was great and I started to wish for a book told from his POV.

The writing was good I have to say. Dana Bate does a good job of describing the food that Hannah is making, but also why Hannah is making certain things and what her food is trying to evoke with regards to eating/memories. The flow was off a bit though. Things get bogged down around the 80 percent mark (IMHO) and then I found myself skimming just a bit to get to the end.

The setting of D.C. was written very well here. Bate has obviously been to the nation's capitol and doesn't just describe random places and have her character get from to and fro in 10 minutes (not even with the Metro people). She describes Georgetown, the farmer's market (I miss them right now), Dupont Circle, Chinatown (which is the world's saddest Chinatown), the Army Navy Memorial, and a whole host of other places that I have been. I really enjoyed this book so much since there's not a lot about DC I am in love with these days. This book brought it all back though.

The ending was a bit abrupt. I wish that Hannah had more closure (yeah I hate that word) with her boyfriend and that we could have skipped a head a bit. Still I give it four stars for holding my interest and making me laugh out loud several times.

[Juliet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. This is the most awful thing I've read in years. The main character is so hateful that the most enjoyable section of the book is the "crisis" scene in which someone finally shouts at her. Sadly that's about the only trouble she gets in, despite spending hundreds of her parents' dollars on obscure groceries and thinking bitchy thoughts about everyone around her for the entire thing. I'm not sure which part of the book was the most painful to read - perhaps her monologue about how difficult it is to be part of a generation encouraged by their parents? No, I think it was when she pronounces a character a worthless coward for moving away from a fire. Content warning for a weird and flippantly handled sexual assault scene. ("Sorry about that," says the cute, bumbling eye candy - "I offended this guy once so now I invite him to my parties where he assaults my female friends to annoy me back. My bad.") Maybe the book's better if you're really, really into cooking? Probably not, though.

[Stephanie (Stepping Out Of The Page) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Secret Supper Club (published as The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs in the USA) is Dana Bate's debut novel. I hadn't read any reviews of this book before I picked it up myself, but I didn't hesitate to accept it for review, the story sounded entertaining and easy to read, which it was.

This is a chick-lit book and will most probably appeal to all chick-lit lovers out there, with a good sense of realism, strong characters and a good dose of romance! From the title of this book, you can tell it's about a Secret Supper Club - something I didn't even know existed before picking this up! If you're a fan of cooking, this should certainly appeal to you. I personally don't cook, but still found the food aspect of this book to be interesting and with the growing UK popularity of cookery programmes, I'd imagine that this will be a huge hit for foodies who want to read some light fiction!

Although a Secret Supper Club and cookery is the main theme of this book, it's certainly not overwhelming - it's balanced out with other aspects of, our main character, Hannah's life, from her difficult work situation to her relationships. Overall, I thought that the book was balanced well but I must admit that I did become a little bored when Hannah's job was the main focus and because of this, I felt the book dragging quite a bit - simply because I wasn't interested in her job or the logistics surrounding it, it was rather mundane. I liked reading about the organisation of the Supper Clubs and the 'mystery' surrounding them (Who would turn up? Would all go to plan?) and I found myself wanting to rush through parts just to get to read about another Supper Club dinner!

I really liked Hannah and reading about her friendships and relationships. Hannah felt like such a genuine person, so real and easy to connect to. I wasn't expecting so many smiles from this book, but her attitude made me laugh quite a few times - she really felt like an awesome person to 'know'. The highlight of this book for me was reading about her relationships with Joshua and Blake, but Blake in particular as we discovered how opposed he is to Supper Clubs! As Hannah felt so real, it wasn't difficult to sympathise with her, worry with her and be happy with her too. The other characters we are introduced to are also very well developed and tangible.

I thought that the idea of this book was a good one and though sometimes a little silly (in a good way!) at times, it did seem realistic for the most part. Hannah really made this book a hit for me and her strange situations made me smile. I enjoyed reading about Hannah and her relationships most of all. If you're a bit of a 'foodie', I think you'd enjoy this even more than I did - there is even bonus material including recipes from the book! If you just like watching the odd cookery programme, I'm sure you'll enjoy this too. For a reasonably quick and easy read, this is recommended.

[Kristina Coop-a-Loop · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded the sample of this for my Nook and about half-way through the twenty pages or so I was given for free I decided, nope. There's no way. The heroine seems to have a sense of humor, but it's the same old thing. She's in a relationship with the wrong man even though he seems like the right man because he's hot, he has an exciting job, etc., and his parents don't like her because they're uptight but she's clumsy and a bit of a wild spirit...yeah, been there, read that. I could already see how the rest of the book was gonna go so I stopped. It's so annoying when I, as the reader, already can see what's so wrong but the main character remains oblivious...until the right man shows up. Blah.

[Chelsey Wolford · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason I always find myself lost and mesmerized in the books that surround food of any sort. This book may very well be my favorite book so far this year. I was just so lost in the literature and lost in Hannah’s world of carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, and coffee cakes galore! Books that have anything to do with food or a main character that loves to cook and bake are just really hard to beat. There is just something about them that feels extra cozy and all the more real to me. Hannah Sugarman is down on her luck. How awesome is the last name ‘Sugarman’? Her parents are displeased with her and she has just been dumped. Yes, this is how most of these stories start off, but trust me Hannah’s story is worth sticking around for.

A Secret Supper Club? If you would have asked me yesterday I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what that was or even if it was real. This Secret Supper Club becomes a group of characters that I found myself falling in love with. My favorite scenes were scenes where the Secret Supper Club met and shared dinner and lots of funny stories. I must say that you should not read this book if you are extremely hungry because Hannah and her crew will have your mouth watering. When Hannah describes whatever it is she might be cooking I have a hard time not getting lost in daydreams. Everything sounds so dreamy and the imagery surrounding the food is to die for. Literally, wanted to reach out and grab everything she talks about.

Even though this book is about a Secret Supper Club, that is not all that the story focuses on. We follow Hannah as her life begins to unravel and then get sewn back together again. She enters new relationships and brings a very lively cast of secondary characters to the table. I also loved the setting, which is Washington D.C. I have just recently started noticing that a lot more books are being set here as opposed to New York City or San Francisco. I like reading about the fast-paced city life and I love how Hannah’s pace seems so calm despite what is going on around her.

If you love Chick-Lit fiction or anything about food, then I highly recommend you give Hannah Sugarman and Dana Bate a try! This is Dana Bate’s debut novel and I must say Ms. Bate, I am pretty impressed!

***A HUGE thank you to the publishers at Hyperion for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***

[Heidi]

Super cute, reads like a romantic comedy watches and I loved it

[Deanna Martinez-Bey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the storyline and characters!

[Cintya Larasinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaahhhh... Suka BANGET buku ini!!! Deskripsi dalam The Secret Super Club dengan plot, tokoh, tempat, peristiwa sangat menarik, menyenangkan dan lumayan kocak dan romantis banget. dan aku cukup senang Penerbit Gramedia mau menerjemahkan buku Dana Bate ini. dan kuharap Penerbit mau bersedia menerbitkan novel Dana Bate lagi, mendadak aku menyukai penulis Dana Bate, The Secret super club, Hannah Sugarman wanita sangat menyukai memasak, jago membuat kue wortel dan sangat bahagia di dapur, mimpinya adalah menjadi koki profesional namun sayangnya, kedua orangtuanya berprofesi Profesor tidak menyetujui mimpi Hannah. mereka membuat pengorbanan memberikan pendidikan Hannah yang terbaik sehingga dia punya banyak peluang karir. jadi untuk menghindari perbandingan, Hannah menghabiskan hari-harinya bekerja di Think Tank yang sangat menonjol di Washington di mana para sarjana berbicara serta menulis tentang kebijakan publik. itu bukan pekerjaan yang ideal dan tidak pernah dinikmati Hannah hanya untuk menjaga orangtuanya puas dan kebahagiaannya yang tertahan.
belum lagi Hannah diputusin sama pacarnya Adam dan Hannah harus mencari rumah baru, sebelum diputusin hannah sempat tinggal serumah milik Adam. di Church Street, dia menemukan apartemen bawah tanah untuk menyewa tidak jauh dari kantornya. pemilik Rumah deret, Blake Fischer, pemuda kuper, Eksentrik dan suka mengatakan ungkapan berhubungan laut namun menggemaskan.
pada suatu hari, Blake akan pergi urusan pekerjaannya selama 2 minggu atau 1 bulan, dia menitipkan kunci rumah pada Hannah. Hannah yang begitu tampak kehilangan semangat hidup. Sahabatnya, Rachel sangat tahu cinta Hannah untuk makanan. Rachel pun mendorong dia untuk memulai perjamuan klub sendiri. Karena secara teknis sebuah restoran tanpa izin, mereka harus merahasiakannya dan sehingga mereka memulai sebuah blog untuk Dupont Circle Supper Club. Sayangnya karena beberapa kerusakan air di rumahnya (pada hari perjamuan pertama), Hannah harus menemukan tempat baru untuk acaranya. namun dengan ide gila, diam2 Hannah mencoba untuk memanfaatkan rumah baru milik Blake. Pemiliknya berada di luar kota dan dia memutuskan untuk menggunakan apartemennya untuk perjamuan santap malam. Malam adalah sukses besar dan begitu lancar, Hannah dan Rachel tetap menggunakan rumah Blake untuk menjadi tuan rumah makan malam rahasia mereka - yang popularitasnya mulai meningkat yang mengejutkan. Keberhasilan klub malam menyoroti perasaan Hannah dari ketidakpuasan dengan pekerjaannya - meskipun fakta bahwa dia sangat baik apa yang telah dilakukannya.
Buku ini penuh dengan hidangan menggoda yang dijelaskan indah dan dijamin membuat mulut menetes. Karakter utama begitu menyenangkan dan blak2an pula.
Ini adalah buku yang sulit untuk memadamkan karena ada begitu banyak tantangan yang Hannah harus diatasi. Pemiliknya berjalan sebagai calon Penasehat Komisi dan bertentangan dengan perjamuan klub rahasia ketika ia membaca artikel tentang hal itu di koran.

Namun ia tidak tahu bahwa Hannah ada di balik operasi ini. bisakah Hannah terus mengambil risiko yang diperlukan untuk mengejar pekerjaan impiannya? Bisakah dia menahan panas dingin atau itu yang terbaik ia tetap keluar dari dapur milik Blake Fischer?

Jika kau menyukai memasak, maka kau pasti akan menikmati buku ini. :D

[Donna Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part about this book, it’s like Bridget Jones' Diary. The worst part about this book, it's like Bridget Jones' Diary. Think about it, if that’s the worst part, then this is an amazing read. Has something ever come along just when you needed it, a book or TV episode or movie or call or email? This book was really what I needed. When I started reading this I didn’t want to stop so once I’d read it, I reread it. This was like an effervescent cocktail, a delectable rich chocolate decadent cake with cream cheese icing and blackberry jam filling and fresh strawberries all at once. It was too much but enough. The heroine, Hannah Sugarman is an instant classic. Why? You already know her. She is your friend or sister, she’s a co-worker or Aunt or Mom or cousin, you just know her, she's that authentic. You cheer for her, you groan for her, you sometimes close your eyes and think really? She hopelessly flawed yet hopefully enchanting. When I won this from the Goodreads First Reads Program I was wondering if this was going to be throwaway chicklit fluff, but it wasn’t it, it had a lot more eccentric integrity. I enthusiastically await for the movie, may I be so bold as to suggest Richard Armitage as Blake?

http://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/08/30/t...

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was our book club book for this month, and I really wanted to like it. I love food and I enjoy reading about food. I'm also a sucker for a good romance. I will admit that I struggle with some first person narratives, but mostly if I don't like the narrator. In this case I really dislike Hannah. She really frustrated me because I felt like she whined a lot about her life and not being treated like a grown up, but she never really acted like one or took responsibility for herself and her life. I also get sick with dread when I read about people who put themselves into situations like Hannah does, where she throws her job away with nothing else planned, who takes things so lightly. Personally I feel like she never will learn that her actions have real consequences if she has someone there to bail her out each time. I guess I should say Hannah at least seemed like a real person, a real person I dislike. It also irritates me because people seem to think all people her age are like that, but I know lots of much more responsible people that age.

I also thought the food element was something of a let down. I suppose it is that I just finished Delicious, by Ruth Riechl, who really knows how to write about food.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was such a disappointment to me.I The story was so frustrating I didn't even finish the book. The main character -- Hannah Sugarman is a wimpy, 30 year old woman who lets everyone push her around -- her boyfriend, a nasty bully at work, her business partner and her parents. She works in a job she hates because her parents want her to do it, she (illegally and beyond her better judgement) uses her landlord's apartment to host "supper clubs" because her close friend and business partner pushes her into it, she doesn't go after the career she wants and is perfect for because her parents think cooking is "not a job". She is spineless! All I wanted to do was scream at her to grow a pair, AND the plot has so many holes in it you could drive a truck through it! You can see every plot twist coming from a mile off and finally I got so disgusted I stopped reading the book. I absolutely don't recommend this book.

[Rukhsar (rukhsandbooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was honestly a very blah read. I don't know how it was on my to-read list or who recommended it to me.

I didn't enjoy it because I felt like it didn't add anything to my life or make me think about anything.

It had so much potential to be a really reflective read for many that are in Hannah's shoes and unsatisfied with their careers but it didn't reach that potential.

I only finished this book because I tend to finish all the books I start.

This is definitely one of those light summer/pool side reads and nothing more.

Blake definitely sounds interesting though. I want to know why he had a such a great kitchen if he never cooks.

[Linda Larsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a complete downer of a book. Hannah has one disaster after another in her life with absolutely no breaks and she has no spine whatsoever. You just want to shake her until her teeth rattle. Deeply, deeply frustrating and unsatisfying book.

[E M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm 100% biased because Dana is a friend of mine..and featured a reference to a buxom TV financial news reporter named "Erica". She swears its coincidence, but you be the judge :)

[Paige Osborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so amazing. I loved how much culinary terms and references in the book. Witch I loved so much.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty painful. Main character has zero backbone.

[Jenna Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book.

[Karma Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot going on in this book. Sometimes I wanted to yell at Hannah, sometimes I felt bad for her. But mostly, I wanted to yell. She is a people pleaser in the extreme in that she stays in a job she hates so she does not disappoint her parents. Her true passion is cooking and baking but her parents dismiss it as a hobby and have steered her toward more "serious" pursuits. She moves into a basement apartment after her boyfriend dumps her and develops a sort of friendship with her quirky landlord, Blake. She starts an underground supper club with her work friend, Rachel. Against her better judgement, she uses Blake's house for the dinners when he is out of town. All of this spells imminent disaster and the story delivers. It is Hannah's journey to realize what she wants and have the strength to finally go for it. 3.5 stars

[Cheryl Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I'm not keen on reading books set in America due to all the different names for things/spellings etc I gave this a go because I'm interested in cooking.
Quite a good story,I loved the descriptions of all the food,Googled a few dishes I'd never heard of & planning to cook a few of them.
From the start this story wasn't predictable & I wasn't sure which direction it was going in which made it more enjoyable to read.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and quick read. While I sometimes got annoyed at the protagonist, Hannah Sugarman, she does redeem herself. A great read if you want something fluffy and quick and you love food. I really enjoyed how the author described the supper club menus and how Hannah cooks/bakes. Makes me want to try more adventurous recipes in the future!

[Rina Suryakusuma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loveeeeee
walaupun tokoh utamanya kadang suka babbling, tapi saya senang dengan karakternya yang apa adanya

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and didn’t want to put down. Great weekend read. Hannah struggles with doing what she is passionate about versus what is expected of her.

[Adri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars

You guys, this is a monumental moment in my life: I have finally found a fantastic food fiction book! I have been waiting for this since I was in middle school, I am not even going to lie to you. I have bought—in vain, might I add—so many books, romantic comedy or not, that have tried to combine fiction and cooking unsuccessfully (to put it nicely). Anyone who knows me knows that two of the subjects I am most passionate about are the culinary arts and literature—it even used to be a pipe dream of mine to own a bakery. I have been waiting so long for there to be a GOOD writer who could capture the essence of the experience of cooking for others and eating—someone who can authentically translate those feelings onto the page, and I have finally found her.

Dana Bate, thank you so much. This book has quickly skyrocketed itself onto my all-time favorite list.

Not only is this novel a quick read because it's a) hilarious, b) insightfully witty, and c) amazing, but it doesn't skimp out on the "food" part of "food fiction." The main character, Hannah, is so passionate about creating culinary experiences for other people and her love of sharing good food is absolutely infectious. Not only does she encapsulate the technique of making food, but she is able to share the deep emotional connection that all humans share with food, whether they realize it or not:

Growing up outside of Philadelphia, I never wanted for diner food, whether it was from Bob's Diner in Roxborough or the Trolley Car Diner in Mount Airy. The food wasn't anything special—eggs and toast, meat loaf and gravy, the omnipresent glass case of pies—but I always found the food comforting and satisfying, served as it was in those old-fashioned, prefabricated stainless steel trolley cars. Whenever we would visit my mom's parents in Cranbury, New Jersey, we'd stop at the Claremont Diner in East Windsor on the way home, and I'd order a fat, fluffy slice of coconut cream pie, which I'd nibble on the whole car ride back to Philly.

I'm not sure why I've always found diner food so comforting. Maybe it's the abundance of grease or the utter lack of pretense. Diner food is basic, stick-to-your-ribs fare—carbs, eggs, and meat, all cooked up in plenty of hot fat—served in an environment dripping with kitsch and nostalgia. Where else can you get scrambled eggs and toast all day long? Where else are a jug of syrup and bottomless cup of coffee de rigueur? The point of diner cuisine isn't to astound or impress; it's to fill you up cheaply with basic, down-home food.

Here is an author who understands how visceral of an experience eating and cooking is! This is a book that contains passages upon passages of amazing emotional descriptions about food and humanity—passages in which I want to live. Not only does it talk about Hannah and her quirky secret dinner club, but it also tackles subjects like parental expectations, it brings up a lot of women's rights discussion topics (like people who believe that if a woman WANTS to work in the kitchen, that she is taking steps backwards in feminist progression), it deals with dating and the various douchebags it brings into our lives, and just so much more—all in an amazingly funny and cutting voice that embodies a lot of insight and wisdom (in the end). Hannah's mishaps with her office job and all of the shenanagins she gets into with her super secret culinary operation are just hysterical and, to put it bluntly, fun to read.

I found this novel to be more than satisfying in many ways. It's one of my favorite books, like I said, and I perk up just thinking about it. Not only is it entertaining and relevant, but it also contains some important points and some great messages. I loved pretty much everything about it.

If you are like me and you've been struggling to find a book that combines the better elements of literature and cooking—and been disappointed when all you find is cliche romances in which there are recipes at the back of the book and all the two main characters do is lick chocolate batter off each other's sexual regions—then pick up this book because it will definitely do it for you.

Such a fantastic read, I just can't say enough about how stellar it was; I'm so happy to have it on my shelf so that I can pull it down when anyone tries to talk smack about food fiction. Read it!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first heard of The Secret Supper Club, I was excited. I’m not a big foodie – I like eating food, but I can’t cook and overly complicated food is not for me as I am a massively fussy eater who firmly believes fish fingers are the best food, ever – but I adore books that feature food, and I love to watch shows like Come Dine With Me. Books like that are always a winner because food is pretty much something everyone loves. Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t like food? No. I didn’t think so! I was really, really excited to receive a copy to review and after a very busy two weeks at work, this was the most perfect read for me to sit and relax with.

The Secret Supper Club is about, believe it or not, a secret supper club! A secret supper club is basically where a bunch of people attend what is essentially a dinner party, and they pay for the privilege. It’s something Hannah has wanted to do ever since she heard about them, but boyfriend Adam has always said no. But, when he breaks up with her and she moves into the basement of the brilliant Blake, she realises there’s no time like the present to begin her own secret supper club, and so, the Dupont Circle Supper Club is born. However after realising just how small her own kitchen is, she and best friend Rachel decide the only way they can pull off this illegal venture is to host it in Hannah’s landlord’s ridiculously large & beautiful house when he’s away in Tampa due to work commitments. As the secret supper club becomes more popular, though, Hannah has to make sure no one knows its of her doing and has to make sure it stays underground, but as she and Blake become closer and closer, will Hannah’s secret operation ruin absolutely everything?

The Secret Supper Club blew me away; I loved everything about it. I loved Hannah, I loved the idea of a secret supper club, I loved Hannah’s best friend, Rachel, I loved to read about the food Hannah was making even though none of it ever made any sense to me (fish fingers, folks, fish fingers), and I loved Blake. I thought it was one of the most enchanting, enjoyable reads I’ve read in ages. It was so good that I raced through all 480 pages in a matter of hours, the writing being so good that I could barely put it down to walk my dogs or eat some lunch (the lunch bit is necessary because this book doesn’t half make you hungry). The idea is genius. I had never, ever heard of such a thing as a secret supper club until this novel, but I think it’s great. Obviously, illegal, but fabulous nonetheless. Hannah was such a brilliant lead character, I absolutely adored her. I was a bit worried at the start there, that she couldn’t see what a total and utter jerk Adam was, but she wised up sharpish, and she turned out to be one of the warmest, wittiest characters I’ve read in a while. I loved the secrecy of the supper club, but most of all, I liked the friendship that began between Hannah and Blake. It was a slow-burner, but it was slow in the best possible way. To paraphrase the wonderful Blake, it had me hooked!

I can hardly believe this is Dana Bate’s debut novel. It seems so unreal, because it is just SO good. It’s a totally magical novel that kept me enchanted the entire way. Dana’s writing is out of this world, she really gets you into Hannah’s head and I just loved it. She’s easily one of the best first-person writers out there. She knows her stuff and The Secret Supper Club is a pure triumph. This is an author to watch, no doubt about it. I adored everything about the novel and it made me feel so warm and happy inside, which is always the mark of a good book. Right from the off, Hannah is a character you instantly love, she’s the kind of character you instantly want to be friends with. I know I did. Her kitchen skills are ace, and she blew me away. The whole novel blew me away, it’s such a clever novel, and it just has a bit of everything – humour, romance, characters to root for, utterly brilliant writing; it had everything I ask for in a Chick Lit read, and if there’s one debut author you need to try and one debut novel you need to read it’s this one, because you won’t forget it.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girls Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is the debut novel of Dana Bate and I’ll say right off that I loved it! It is a charming, fun book and yet serious at the same time. It’s about a woman trying to find herself in the often times confusing paths of life and making mistakes along the way. It’s about love, secrets, and most of all descriptions of tantalizing dishes that will leave your mouth watering for sure. What a wonderful novel!

Hannah is in her twenties and seemingly has everything going for her. She’s well educated and smart with a good job and an ambitious boyfriend who she lives with. Sounds good right? Hmmmm, maybe not since she’s extremely unhappy with her good job and it turns out that her boyfriend doesn’t think she’s good enough for him anymore. He used to think her quirkiness and smart mouth were cute but she’s bumbled once too often for his liking and he’s kicking her to the curb. So she’s single and wondering once again what to do with her life. What Hannah loves most is to cook but her parents, both professors at a University, think that is a complete and utter waste of an intelligent woman. Hannah’s dream is to someday run her own catering company but the question is will she ever be able to realize it.

Hannah is lucky enough to find herself a decent, although really tiny, apartment with her landlord living upstairs. All is fine until her friend Rachel mentions supper clubs again. Hannah has been itching to run an underground supper club for a long time but her ex wouldn’t even hear of it. So she gives in and she and Rachel set about to planning it but on the big day of the supper Hannah’s apartment is flooded. There’s no way she can serve people in her place but her new landlord is out of town a lot and it doesn’t take long before the idea of holding it upstairs in his place is sounding pretty good to her especially since his part of the townhouse is awfully nice and would make a much better setting. The first supper club is a complete success and the girls are getting bookings left and right for more dinners. Hannah is thrilled and who cares if: number one supper clubs are illegal and number two she’s using her landlord’s place without permission. This just may be a train wreck waiting to happen…

Hannah is really a likeable character and although quite a lot younger than me I still really liked her and could easily relate to her. Her decisions when it came to men weren’t always the best but I think she just wanted to find love as so many of us do in our twenties and usually fail to realize when it’s staring us in the face. Hannah faces what so many of us face and that’s the decision to go with what our heart desires or to succumb to the pressures of those around us instead. Then of course there is the food. I’m naturally drawn to books that have people who love to cook in them and the luscious food described within the pages of this book are enough to satisfy any foodie. Just imagine – Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Asian Pears or Devils on Horseback (Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Honey-Laced Mascarpone) and both of these recipes are featured at the end of the book. Yummo!

The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate is a novel about realizing your dreams and following your heart. It’s a great read and for a foodie – well, even better. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and I hope there will be more from the very talented Dana Bate to come.

[Darcie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the outside, Hannah Sugarman appears to have it all: a successful boyfriend and an enviable job at a Washington D.C. think tank. But on the inside, Hannah feels like she’s living a lie. Her dream is to run her own catering company, an ambition not supported by her parents, prominent economics professors, and her boyfriend, Adam. To them, cooking is a hobby, not a career, especially for someone with Hannah’s intelligence. It’s not that Hannah doesn’t want to pursue her goals and forge her own path, but the pressure to follow in her parents’ footsteps makes her wonder if what she harbors is merely a pipedream.
But when Adam suddenly breaks up with her, claiming that she’s too unpredictable and volatile and that he needs someone more “gracious…subdued…serious,” Hannah decides, with a boost of confidence and assistance from her co-worker Rachel, to launch an underground supper club out of her landlord’s house. Without his consent. To Hannah’s surprise and delight, her secret, small-scale restaurant is a thriving success, not only regarding her culinary creations, but with men as well. Jacob Reaser, one of the attendees, turns on the charm with her, and Hannah lets herself fantasize that her life is finally turning around.
Unfortunately, her fantasy remains…a fantasy. While certainly thrilling, the whole supper club venture isn’t exactly legal, which creates levels of anxiety high enough to induce a heart attack for Hannah, when she and Rachel, time and time again, host their parties while her landlord is out of town. Further complicating matters, her landlord, a man with a penchant for pirate-speak, works in politics and is currently running for a local position in which he would work to shut down operations such as hers. And the cherry on top: Jacob has issues following through on his promises to call her and notably fails to confirm her Facebook friend request.
Will Hannah get caught red-handed? Will her dream of being able to cook full-time remain a dream, a mere hobby? Will she find love again or will she just churn about, searching but perpetually getting slapped with the brunt of Murphy’s law?
The Girls’ Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a can’t-put-it-down book that will have you laughing until your stomach aches, but will also teach you life lessons about pursuing your dreams, no matter what stands in your way. Dana Bate adeptly mixes relatable problems of a twentysomething girl with rich, vivid descriptions and witty, quick-paced humor. Oh, and she throws in a wonderful bonus at the end: a handful of Hannah’s super-club recipes. Whether or not you’re a foodie, this book is yummy from the first bite all the way until the very end.

[Fabulous Book Fiend · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this debut novel by Dana Bate! I had no clue what the book was going to be about but I love books that combine cooking and romance, like Jenny Colgan's 'Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe' so the cover suggested that I would like this one!

We meet main character Hannah who is in a bad relationship, a bad job and has a strained relationship with her parents. I began to sympathies with Hannah right from the start of this novel, which shows what a well-written character she is! I HATED boyfriend Adam and I could quite clearly see that she should not be in the job she is in, but instead following her passion for cooking. Her friend Rachel, landlord Blake and the people that she works with make up a strong cast of supporting characters, and I defy any reader not to fall utterly in love with Blake, I can almost picture his puppy dog eyes as I am writing this!

I found this book to be a compelling read, a real page turner, but it also compelled my appetite! The dishes that Hannah conjures up, the markets that she shops at just make me want to head the the fridge and recreate those dishes, find those fabulous fresh ingredients, and for me, the food in this book is an additional character, and one I totally supported! Be warned though, do not try reading this if you are in any way hungry or trying to watch what you eat. On the other hand, Hannah's description of the food is totally comforting and reassuring and so makes it a perfect read for when it is cold and miserable outside!

The novel is set in Washington DC and I found this to be really refreshing! I love a city setting but I don't know that I have ever read a book set in Washington before, it really made me want to go and visit the city, and I thought it was beautifully described by Bates in this novel. Hannah's relationship with her parents is also nicely portrayed in this book, Hannah could have come across as spoiled or ungrateful, but she really doesn't and when shades of this begin in her personality, her best friend totally calls her on it, and I thought this was a very clever move by the author!

This book has the perfect mix of fabulous setting, wonderful characters and a totally believable gripping storyline. It is well written, and a great, fun read. I defy any fan of chick lit or contemporary romance not to find something that they love about this book!

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah Sugarman’s parents have guided her to a successful life. She works at a think tank in Washington D.C.; her boss is someone her parents know. She lives in a great apartment with her high achieving boyfriend. The only problem, Hannah isn’t happy. All she wants to do it cook. Cooking is not considered a successful career by her parents or her boyfriend.

When Hannah’s world turns upside down, she makes it an opportunity to do what she has always wanted and opens and underground supper club. Her supper club becomes the most sought after meal in town. But it is not quite legal. The health department does not check her out, she has no licenses, and is using her landlords apartment without his knowledge.

Hannah is one of my favorite characters. She is crazy (in a good way), independent, and funny. I was constantly laughing and hoping everything would work out for her. I easily related to her love of cooking, even though I don’t cook as fancy as she does. But I can hope to try some of the recipes included in the book. I loved watching her struggle with her guilt of using her landlords apartment and then cover her tracks when she leaves little clues behind accidentally. She is a horrible liar, but somehow she never gets caught. My favorite part was when she stands up to her parents. Finally telling them how she is done living her for them and is going to do what she wants to do.

Jacob and Blake were interesting. I knew something was fishy with Jacob and loved it when she confronted him. But was hoping he wouldn’t blow the whistle on her supper club, especially with Blake standing right there. Blake was amazing. Even with his pirate and fishing talk he was so likeable. It seemed that he just got Hannah. Although I don’t know of any men that would be able to forgive someone for the mess Hannah made of his home and career. I loved how supportive and pushy he was with Hannah’s career goals.

This was a fun and sometimes silly book. I loved learning about Hannah and her relationships. Definitely an easy read with a great story.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to say that I loved this book. It was really fun and I could really relate to Hannah. The author really made her seem like a real person, there was so much depth and history to who she was. I liked that she was unsure of herself and sometimes didn't know if her life was going in the right direction. I think that the way Hannah deals with her parents' conflicting expectations of her was really good. How she develops in the book is great and at times so funny I was chuckling to myself on the train, which was a little awkward I can tell you! I also loved that she was a little bit crazy and couldn't stop it from showing, it's great to know you aren't the only one.

When I was first recommended this book I had my doubts about how good it would be, even though I knew that my friend and I have very similar tastes in books. I thought, secret supper clubs, what on earth are they? How do they work? Etc etc. However, the story behind this completely turned my thoughts around. Even though I'm not a massive foodie - chocolate is my main culinary passion - this makes me want to try new foods and flavour combinations. You can tell that the author is really passionate about food like her main character.

As the blurb says, this really is a charming romantic comedy, frothy and fun but with a story that answers questions that we all have about our lives. I give this a 9 out of 10. It left me feeling really happy and enthusiatic about life.

Review first published at http://thebookworldofanne.blogspot.co...

[Princess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book! But at page 250, I finally gave up. I was never going to like Hannah Sugarman. It started off okay. I didn't find her too objectionable when she was with Adam and then when they broke up. But as the book progressed and she got deeper and deeper into the supper club prep, I found her more and more self-absorbed and whiny. The descriptions of DC and how many metro stops and how she got on and off the metro got to be a bit much for me as well. I guess, it just got too painfully awkward for me (I'm not a person who enjoys The Office and that kind of awkward which is how this book started to feel to me 2/3 through). I knew there was a "train wreck" coming, that everything was going to fall apart and that it would involve Blake (her landlord who obviously has feelings for her even though Hannah doesn't have a clue) and Jacob (are you really still that interested in him? He's just not that into you!). Instead, I read the online reviews and spoilers, found out the ending, and gave myself permission to put the book away.
I still might pick up another book by Dana Bate, I like her writing style, I'm just hoping that I won't be so turned off by her next set of characters.