Food Fight

by Anne Penketh

A food giant is brought down by a box of chocolates...
The year is 2009. Barack Obama is in the White House. British marketing executive Susan Perkins, estranged from her daughter and suddenly widowed, transfers to Washington DC looking for hope and change. But then her food multinational goes rogue. Betrayed by her employer, her quest for justice takes in Washington, London and Brittany, sexual harassment, attempted murder, the corporate greed of Big Food and a chance of reconciliation

"Heart-warming and very funny": The Guardian
"Addictive, insightful": The Independent
"Crisp and bittersweet": Godfrey Smith, novelist
"What happens when the pleasures of the palate intersect with the politics of Big Food": The Everyday French Chef
"A delicious foodie romance": Holly Kinsella, novelist

Genres: Contemporary

280 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2015

About the author

Lancashire lass who spent years abroad as a journalist and now based in London and Paris. ABBA fan and tap dancer

Reviews

[Meg Bortin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder why chocolates are so addictive? Trouble is on the menu as we follow a globe-trotting British woman into the secret world of a major American food corporation in Anne Penketh’s timely and provocative ‘Food Fight’. Penketh, herself a globe-trotting Briton who has reported from Paris, London, Moscow and Washington, turns the food industry inside out in this romp of a tale as we follow her engaging heroine on a voyage in search of justice. Along the way we encounter issues from mother-daughter relations to the Franco-British culture gap to dealing with grief after the death of a spouse. Lightly told, this story is a delicious read from the first surprising bite to its dark chocolate center, with sprinklings of British humor along the way. I couldn't put it down.

[JA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

I read the detective books first and can't wait for the next but this book is terrific. Please keep them coming.

[Jenee Rager · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is chicklit done right. After forcing myself to finish several bad to so-so books in a row I was in desperate need for a great book. Thank goodness "Food Fight" fit the bill. It has been a LONG time since I have come across a fiction book that not only manages to be informative about an issue, but avoids being preachy, and at several times causes me to laugh out loud.

Susan is one of the most relateable characters I've come across in years. After dedicating a good chunk of her life to the fictional company DeKrippes, sometimes at the detriment to her personal relationships, Susan finds herself widowed and in need of a change. She transfers from her home base in England to the corporations Washington, DC office. There she finds herself sexually harassed by her boss, lonely, and in charge of the company's new product, Guilty Secrets, that while deliciously good, may not be what it seems. Of course hijinks ensue, although no predictable ones and the book moves towards a fun conclusion.


* I won this book through a goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Sahil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway through the Goodreads First Reads program.

The book is a great debut novel by the author. The characters are well developed, and the plot is evenly paced. Crisp and bittersweet indeed! A very enjoyable read.