What do you think?
Rate this book
Brooklyn in Love: A Delicious Memoir of Food, Family, and Finding Yourself
From the author of Paris, My Sweet comes the story of a modern woman embracing love, motherhood, and all the courses life has to offer,
On an island where finding love can be just as hard as finding a dinner reservation on a Friday night, Amy Thomas never imagined a family would fit into her lifestyle. So when Amy finds herself turning forty, moving to Brooklyn, and making way for a baby with a new man in her life, she realizes that starting over may be her biggest opportunity yet.
But how do you balance staying out all night dancing with staying up all night soothing a baby? Can a lifelong city girl trade in spontaneity for domesticity? Set amid the backdrop of Brooklyn and Manhattan's foodie scenes, Amy sets out to make her second act even sweeter than the first.
On an island where finding love can be just as hard as finding a dinner reservation on a Friday night, Amy Thomas never imagined a family would fit into her lifestyle. So when Amy finds herself turning forty, moving to Brooklyn, and making way for a baby with a new man in her life, she realizes that starting over may be her biggest opportunity yet.
But how do you balance staying out all night dancing with staying up all night soothing a baby? Can a lifelong city girl trade in spontaneity for domesticity? Set amid the backdrop of Brooklyn and Manhattan's foodie scenes, Amy sets out to make her second act even sweeter than the first.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2018
17 people are currently reading
724 people want to read
About the author
Amy Thomas
38 books84 followersAmy Thomas is the author of Brooklyn In Love: A Delicious Memoir of Food, Family and Finding Yourself, a follow-up to the best-selling Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate).
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter, writes about food and travel for publications such as The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler, and remains devoted to all things sweet.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter, writes about food and travel for publications such as The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler, and remains devoted to all things sweet.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 28, 2018
I honestly don't know how I feel about this one. It made me hungry with all the food descriptions, and I loved getting an inside look at places around New York. That said, I didn't feel like the author was very relatable. She pretty much came across self-absorbed and whiny most of the time.
February 17, 2018
When I requested this on NetGalley, I was taken in by the title. Brooklyn in Love. It seemed quirky to me, different. I enjoy memoirs, as they are a way of getting to know someone through their writing and experiences in life. I was curious to see the links between the words food family and finding yourself, and just a look at the cover of this book (also very cute, quirky and original) I finished the book in a matter of hours. I was that absorbed in the writing.
As a person who is not from the USA, or New York but has been there, I could identify with the busy bustle of Manhattan. This was something I immediately loved when visiting New York City. I'm a city girl at heart, but enjoyed accompanying Amy on her retelling of her journey in this book. I have never been to Brooklyn, and have only seen it on TV, in films or travel shows.
This book wasn't just any "stroll around the local neighborhood," though. It's a culinary treat. I could smell and practically taste the cakes, pastries and treats and different dishes Amy ate in her daily life in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Paris. I have a Geography degree and adore traveling. The book was also a travel log for me. I've been to Paris, and loved it. Amy effortlessly captures the essence of what Paris and New York are. From the chic and homely eateries to the world-famous sights, I really felt as if I were there.
Apart from all this, there's a deeper, more personal side to this book. I enjoyed seeing the more intimate parts of Amy's life, love, loss joy worry. I identified greatly with the happiness found at being in a relationship, at the difficulty finding housing and making a life for yourself in the big city (multiple times, no less) with the pull and rush of being back somewhere you love and where you really feel at home.
This memoir made me ask questions: what is happiness really? Is "home where the heart is?" I found Amy to be a very strong and resilient person throughout, and was rooting for her. I rejoiced and identified with her passion for Sex and the City and her boxset of the series (a passion I share for mine). It was a perfect personal detail given that much of the story took place in New York.
By the end of this book, I was sorry it had ended. I felt I really wanted to go to New York again and to see the city and also Brooklyn for myself as it certainly seems like an interesting melting pot of an area. In answer to the questions I had, I think, really "home" is where you want it to be, where feels best for you. 5 stars to this beautiful memoir! It made me feel hope, loss happiness and so many other emotions. For me, that's the best type of memoir there is. Brooklyn in Love is truly powerful.
Thanks to Amy Thomas and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. It was a real pleasure to review this and to be a part of the blog tour. I'm looking forward to reading Paris, My Sweet, a Year in the City of Light next!
As a person who is not from the USA, or New York but has been there, I could identify with the busy bustle of Manhattan. This was something I immediately loved when visiting New York City. I'm a city girl at heart, but enjoyed accompanying Amy on her retelling of her journey in this book. I have never been to Brooklyn, and have only seen it on TV, in films or travel shows.
This book wasn't just any "stroll around the local neighborhood," though. It's a culinary treat. I could smell and practically taste the cakes, pastries and treats and different dishes Amy ate in her daily life in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Paris. I have a Geography degree and adore traveling. The book was also a travel log for me. I've been to Paris, and loved it. Amy effortlessly captures the essence of what Paris and New York are. From the chic and homely eateries to the world-famous sights, I really felt as if I were there.
Apart from all this, there's a deeper, more personal side to this book. I enjoyed seeing the more intimate parts of Amy's life, love, loss joy worry. I identified greatly with the happiness found at being in a relationship, at the difficulty finding housing and making a life for yourself in the big city (multiple times, no less) with the pull and rush of being back somewhere you love and where you really feel at home.
This memoir made me ask questions: what is happiness really? Is "home where the heart is?" I found Amy to be a very strong and resilient person throughout, and was rooting for her. I rejoiced and identified with her passion for Sex and the City and her boxset of the series (a passion I share for mine). It was a perfect personal detail given that much of the story took place in New York.
By the end of this book, I was sorry it had ended. I felt I really wanted to go to New York again and to see the city and also Brooklyn for myself as it certainly seems like an interesting melting pot of an area. In answer to the questions I had, I think, really "home" is where you want it to be, where feels best for you. 5 stars to this beautiful memoir! It made me feel hope, loss happiness and so many other emotions. For me, that's the best type of memoir there is. Brooklyn in Love is truly powerful.
Thanks to Amy Thomas and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. It was a real pleasure to review this and to be a part of the blog tour. I'm looking forward to reading Paris, My Sweet, a Year in the City of Light next!
April 10, 2018
I really enjoyed the predecessor to this story when I read it a couple of years ago, so to say that I was anticipating BROOKLYN IN LOVE is a bit of an understatement. It was still fun to see all of Amy's food recommendations and to hear her story continue, but I didn't quite love it as much as the first. Still, there were definitely some places added to my list of places to go to in NYC!
December 15, 2017
Amy Thomas's heartfelt memoir of a modern woman embracing marriage and motherhood is a New York City fairy tale, complete with dazzling romance, delicious food, and the perfect happy ending: Brooklyn ever after.
February 4, 2018
I received a free e-book copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Brooklyn in Love is a memoir of the author's return to New York after the time she spent in Paris, of her looking for-- and finding-- love, and starting a new family. She describes her return to the dating life, finding a new partner, moving in together, and, later, becoming pregnant and giving birth. All along, she talks about the life of a foodie in New York: visiting restaurants, cafes, bakeries and so on. These parts of the book take on a form of subchapters devoted to the owners and chefs of particular restaurants the author has visited. She also discusses living in New York, looking for a new apartment, and her move from Manhattan (I think) to Brooklyn.
The book is very readable (easily digestible, I should say), but there is not much more substance to it than what can be seen on the surface. The parts concerning the author's private life are okay, but the details are not particularly memorable (except for some issues that I think boil down to cultural differences between the US and Europe). The parts regarding the eating opportunities in New York were, in a way, frustrating. Some felt interesting, even inspired, but a few of them read exactly like scripts for the listening part of a Cambridge ESL exam. (And as an ESL teacher I can tell you, I've had my share of these exercises). I was much more interested in the author's own reflections regarding the places she visited than in guidebook-like snippets describing restaurants. After all, if I wanted to read a guidebook, I would be reading a guidebook.
All in all, while Brooklyn in Love is a good one-time read, I don't think I will want to revisit it in the future.
Brooklyn in Love is a memoir of the author's return to New York after the time she spent in Paris, of her looking for-- and finding-- love, and starting a new family. She describes her return to the dating life, finding a new partner, moving in together, and, later, becoming pregnant and giving birth. All along, she talks about the life of a foodie in New York: visiting restaurants, cafes, bakeries and so on. These parts of the book take on a form of subchapters devoted to the owners and chefs of particular restaurants the author has visited. She also discusses living in New York, looking for a new apartment, and her move from Manhattan (I think) to Brooklyn.
The book is very readable (easily digestible, I should say), but there is not much more substance to it than what can be seen on the surface. The parts concerning the author's private life are okay, but the details are not particularly memorable (except for some issues that I think boil down to cultural differences between the US and Europe). The parts regarding the eating opportunities in New York were, in a way, frustrating. Some felt interesting, even inspired, but a few of them read exactly like scripts for the listening part of a Cambridge ESL exam. (And as an ESL teacher I can tell you, I've had my share of these exercises). I was much more interested in the author's own reflections regarding the places she visited than in guidebook-like snippets describing restaurants. After all, if I wanted to read a guidebook, I would be reading a guidebook.
All in all, while Brooklyn in Love is a good one-time read, I don't think I will want to revisit it in the future.
July 17, 2021
The author wrote another memoir about her time in Paris and the food she enjoyed there. In this one she returns to New York and at age 40 decides to see if she can find a soul mate. In the course of the book she finds and marries her husband, and has a baby. She also includes descriptions of food in Brooklyn. It wasn't a bad read, but it didn't thrill me either, although the food descriptions were enticing for the most part.
October 4, 2021
3.5 stars.
Thomas’ writing style is right up my alley. The typos, however, were a distraction from an otherwise fun narrative.
Thomas’ writing style is right up my alley. The typos, however, were a distraction from an otherwise fun narrative.
June 28, 2025
I'm a Queens person but I like to think I'm open-minded, so I put aside my borough loyalty and picked up this memoir, "Brooklyn in Love."
On the positive side, the writing is breezy and compulsively readable. There are no awkward pauses or stilted language. It's slickly written and I wasn't surprised to hear that the author was previously in advertising. In fact, parts of the book are intentionally written like ads - descriptions of notable bakeries, restaurants, bars, etc., that the writer is trying to promote. It's not that much different from those "Cookbook Memoirs" where the writer interrupts her narrative many times to insert a recipe.
However, the author's smug tone that posits Brooklyn (the Rich White Gentrifier version) as the be-all and end-all of existence made me want to throw the book off the Hell Gate bridge. Brooklyn only exists for her as a land of hedonism, an amusement park where she can gorge on organic and locally made food to her heart's content and continue the mindless, self-indulgent lifestyle she enjoyed in Paris. Ms. Gentrification even disparages the local Brooklyn bodega as dirty (as if Paris didn't have dog poop everywhere).
Reading this, I feel sorry for the poorer people still living in Brooklyn. Not only are the rents too high, but you have to rub shoulders with obnoxious out-of-towners like Amy Thomas who think Brooklyn exists only to give them the "good" life.
Yuck. I feel like I got food poisoning just by reading this book. I thank God everyday that I don't live in Brooklyn. I'll be reading more Queens-based authors from now on.
On the positive side, the writing is breezy and compulsively readable. There are no awkward pauses or stilted language. It's slickly written and I wasn't surprised to hear that the author was previously in advertising. In fact, parts of the book are intentionally written like ads - descriptions of notable bakeries, restaurants, bars, etc., that the writer is trying to promote. It's not that much different from those "Cookbook Memoirs" where the writer interrupts her narrative many times to insert a recipe.
However, the author's smug tone that posits Brooklyn (the Rich White Gentrifier version) as the be-all and end-all of existence made me want to throw the book off the Hell Gate bridge. Brooklyn only exists for her as a land of hedonism, an amusement park where she can gorge on organic and locally made food to her heart's content and continue the mindless, self-indulgent lifestyle she enjoyed in Paris. Ms. Gentrification even disparages the local Brooklyn bodega as dirty (as if Paris didn't have dog poop everywhere).
Reading this, I feel sorry for the poorer people still living in Brooklyn. Not only are the rents too high, but you have to rub shoulders with obnoxious out-of-towners like Amy Thomas who think Brooklyn exists only to give them the "good" life.
Yuck. I feel like I got food poisoning just by reading this book. I thank God everyday that I don't live in Brooklyn. I'll be reading more Queens-based authors from now on.
June 13, 2020
Recensione
A me basta il nome Sarina per accampare diritti da recensore. Lei è mia, il mio tesssssoro - da leggere rigorosamente con la voce di Gollum quando tiene in mano l'anello! Adoro questa autrice, che scriva sola o in coppia. MM o MF non fa differenza: quando leggo le sue storie, so di trovare la giusta dose di tutto. Potevo quindi lasciare questa lettura a qualcun'altra?
Ora lo posso dire... ho accampato i miei diritti senza leggere minimamente la trama, tipico da me! E' stato, quindi, una dolce scoperta. Ma veniamo ai fatti!
È universalmente noto che sono una donna cazzuta.
La nostra protagonista Rebecca - per gli amici Becca - si presenta così. Come darle torto! E' quella che si prende cura degli altri, che fa la cosa giusta al momento giusto: lavora nei Brooklyn Bruisers, squadra di hockey, ed è una piccola schiacciasassi pronta a gestire tutto. Quello che non si aspetta è di cadere sul ghiaccio in modo stupido e di essere costretta a stare a riposo.
Sono due anni che questa squadra di hockey è tutta la mia vita. Restarne fuori per due settimane? Impensabile.
Becca non vuole ascoltare il medico, non quando la sua squadra è a un passo dalla qualificazione ai playoff: non vuole deludere i giocatori, l'allenatore, nè tantomeno il presidente, il sexy Nate Kattenberger. Immaginatevi quindi la faccia di Becca quando Nate si presenta a casa sua che divide con la sorella, il fidanzato di lei e il loro neonato... soprattutto se i ragazzi sono mezzi nudi dopo una delle tante sessioni tra le lenzuola, con buona pace di Becca - terza incomoda a casa sua.
Nate e Becca si conoscono da anni, da quando Nate era agli albori della sua ascesa e aveva bisogno di qualcuno che gli ricordasse di mangiare o cosa fare.
Sono diventati amici - oltre che assistente e capo - anche se le cose sono cambiate quando lui è diventato il genio dell’industria tecnologica, il multimilionario dalla mente brillante e il proprietario oscenamente sexy di una squadra di hockey. Lavoravano fianco a fianco finchè Becca non è stata rilegata a Brooklyn e la distanza tra loro è aumentata.
Entrambi nascondono una cotta per l'altro da anni, non si sono mai sbilanciati per non perdere il rapporto costruito, ma cosa succederà quando l'infortunio di Becca si rivela più serio di quello che sembrava? Nate vuole prendersi cura di lei... come amica, giusto? E se si facesse quel saltino nel vuoto?
«Bec, ascolta, mi scuserò di nuovo e porterò il culo fuori dalla tua stanza. Ma per l’amor di Dio, aiutami a capire: sei incazzata per il bacio? O sei incazzato perché ho smesso?» «Non è una domanda semplice.» Ovviamente. Spaesato, aggrotta la sua bella fronte. «È a scelta multipla, però!»
L'amicizia si scontra contro il muro di sentimenti più forti ma tenuti segregati nel profondo... e quando tutto sembra essersi messo sul giusto binario, il treno BecNate è pronto a deragliare, in modo definitivo. Il disastro è assicurato? Beh, scopritelo voi!
Sarina Bowen si conferma una sicurezza nel mondo romance, ancora meglio sul ghiaccio di una pista da hockey! In "Brooklyn in love" ci sono veramente tante dinamiche: il rapporto capo/assistente, lo sport, l'amicizia tra due amici, la ragazza determinata che non ci sta a farsi mettere i piedi in testa... abbiamo proprio l'imbarazzo della scelta!!
Se Becca è una donna cazzuta, Nate si presenta in tutto il suo splendore: sexy come il peccato, bello come il sole e molto di più! E' un miliardario, un genio, eppure non ha quella boria tipica della categoria. Lui è ancora il ragazzo nerd che si isola quando gli altri gli parlano, troppo preso dal trovare una soluzione; il motivatore dal cuore in mano che sa quanto sia difficile salire la china, partire da zero e farsi da soli.
Ma non è solo la storia di Becca e Nate, ci sono tantissimi spunti per altre storie: per il prossimo libro, faremo un passo indietro, andando a conoscere l'amica di Becca - Georgia, ma spero di leggere di tutti gli altri protagonisti. Perchè le storie di Sarina Bowen sono come i biscotti: uno tira l'altro!
Se cercate una storia divertente, leggera, romantica e competitiva... Brooklyn in love fa a caso vostro!
A me basta il nome Sarina per accampare diritti da recensore. Lei è mia, il mio tesssssoro - da leggere rigorosamente con la voce di Gollum quando tiene in mano l'anello! Adoro questa autrice, che scriva sola o in coppia. MM o MF non fa differenza: quando leggo le sue storie, so di trovare la giusta dose di tutto. Potevo quindi lasciare questa lettura a qualcun'altra?
Ora lo posso dire... ho accampato i miei diritti senza leggere minimamente la trama, tipico da me! E' stato, quindi, una dolce scoperta. Ma veniamo ai fatti!
È universalmente noto che sono una donna cazzuta.
La nostra protagonista Rebecca - per gli amici Becca - si presenta così. Come darle torto! E' quella che si prende cura degli altri, che fa la cosa giusta al momento giusto: lavora nei Brooklyn Bruisers, squadra di hockey, ed è una piccola schiacciasassi pronta a gestire tutto. Quello che non si aspetta è di cadere sul ghiaccio in modo stupido e di essere costretta a stare a riposo.
Sono due anni che questa squadra di hockey è tutta la mia vita. Restarne fuori per due settimane? Impensabile.
Becca non vuole ascoltare il medico, non quando la sua squadra è a un passo dalla qualificazione ai playoff: non vuole deludere i giocatori, l'allenatore, nè tantomeno il presidente, il sexy Nate Kattenberger. Immaginatevi quindi la faccia di Becca quando Nate si presenta a casa sua che divide con la sorella, il fidanzato di lei e il loro neonato... soprattutto se i ragazzi sono mezzi nudi dopo una delle tante sessioni tra le lenzuola, con buona pace di Becca - terza incomoda a casa sua.
Nate e Becca si conoscono da anni, da quando Nate era agli albori della sua ascesa e aveva bisogno di qualcuno che gli ricordasse di mangiare o cosa fare.
Sono diventati amici - oltre che assistente e capo - anche se le cose sono cambiate quando lui è diventato il genio dell’industria tecnologica, il multimilionario dalla mente brillante e il proprietario oscenamente sexy di una squadra di hockey. Lavoravano fianco a fianco finchè Becca non è stata rilegata a Brooklyn e la distanza tra loro è aumentata.
Entrambi nascondono una cotta per l'altro da anni, non si sono mai sbilanciati per non perdere il rapporto costruito, ma cosa succederà quando l'infortunio di Becca si rivela più serio di quello che sembrava? Nate vuole prendersi cura di lei... come amica, giusto? E se si facesse quel saltino nel vuoto?
«Bec, ascolta, mi scuserò di nuovo e porterò il culo fuori dalla tua stanza. Ma per l’amor di Dio, aiutami a capire: sei incazzata per il bacio? O sei incazzato perché ho smesso?» «Non è una domanda semplice.» Ovviamente. Spaesato, aggrotta la sua bella fronte. «È a scelta multipla, però!»
L'amicizia si scontra contro il muro di sentimenti più forti ma tenuti segregati nel profondo... e quando tutto sembra essersi messo sul giusto binario, il treno BecNate è pronto a deragliare, in modo definitivo. Il disastro è assicurato? Beh, scopritelo voi!
Sarina Bowen si conferma una sicurezza nel mondo romance, ancora meglio sul ghiaccio di una pista da hockey! In "Brooklyn in love" ci sono veramente tante dinamiche: il rapporto capo/assistente, lo sport, l'amicizia tra due amici, la ragazza determinata che non ci sta a farsi mettere i piedi in testa... abbiamo proprio l'imbarazzo della scelta!!
Se Becca è una donna cazzuta, Nate si presenta in tutto il suo splendore: sexy come il peccato, bello come il sole e molto di più! E' un miliardario, un genio, eppure non ha quella boria tipica della categoria. Lui è ancora il ragazzo nerd che si isola quando gli altri gli parlano, troppo preso dal trovare una soluzione; il motivatore dal cuore in mano che sa quanto sia difficile salire la china, partire da zero e farsi da soli.
Ma non è solo la storia di Becca e Nate, ci sono tantissimi spunti per altre storie: per il prossimo libro, faremo un passo indietro, andando a conoscere l'amica di Becca - Georgia, ma spero di leggere di tutti gli altri protagonisti. Perchè le storie di Sarina Bowen sono come i biscotti: uno tira l'altro!
Se cercate una storia divertente, leggera, romantica e competitiva... Brooklyn in love fa a caso vostro!
February 28, 2018
I've read Paris My Sweet with a pen and notebook on the side, taking careful notes about the most delicious places to try in my top favorite city. Many notes are still there, waiting for me to start checking thiose places, one by one.
Meanwhile, the author returned to NYC and Brooklyn in Love is the account of her searching for a home at home, while looking for love and discovering parenthood. Altough the return is not easy, because expat experiences are changing and challenging, food and sometimes good drinks are the best ingredients to create the sense of belonging, involving the author and inspiring for settling down.
'Coming home after two intensely profound and fulfilling years in the most beautiful city in the world was harden than moving abroad to a city where I knew no one. There was no distraction of a foreign culture, no challenge of learning a new language or meeting new people, and no promise of what might be. There was no French romance. I was back in familiar territory, among people, places and things I knew and had always loved...and yet everything had changed - most of all me'. But life is going to settle slowly, and the story goes in the most natural and simple ways: setting up a profile on an online dating network, getting settled with the new job, finishing writing Paris My Sweet, dating, exploring NYC through its iconic eating destinations and food fixations of the season. Exploring the freedom while struggling to keep up a relationship, but jumping to projecting a possible parenthood story with the 40s just around the clock.
There is no drama or suspense when it somes to the everyday life story, but what makes the big difference is the food, and its histories, the stories behind the success of a location or a delicious dish. The writing flows, inspires and makes you hungry. Hungry for the Brooklyn that I personally love and miss a whole lot. But it makes me miss also the plates I haven't had yet. From the entire memoir, the food part is what I loved the most because it is inspiring, charming and always interesting. Either you are a travel or a food writer, you will find a lot of good samples of writing in this book.
Maybe the rest of the book doesn't sound so exciting and fascinating - after all, we all have a life to live - but it is inspiring in its simplicity and genuine soul searching.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Meanwhile, the author returned to NYC and Brooklyn in Love is the account of her searching for a home at home, while looking for love and discovering parenthood. Altough the return is not easy, because expat experiences are changing and challenging, food and sometimes good drinks are the best ingredients to create the sense of belonging, involving the author and inspiring for settling down.
'Coming home after two intensely profound and fulfilling years in the most beautiful city in the world was harden than moving abroad to a city where I knew no one. There was no distraction of a foreign culture, no challenge of learning a new language or meeting new people, and no promise of what might be. There was no French romance. I was back in familiar territory, among people, places and things I knew and had always loved...and yet everything had changed - most of all me'. But life is going to settle slowly, and the story goes in the most natural and simple ways: setting up a profile on an online dating network, getting settled with the new job, finishing writing Paris My Sweet, dating, exploring NYC through its iconic eating destinations and food fixations of the season. Exploring the freedom while struggling to keep up a relationship, but jumping to projecting a possible parenthood story with the 40s just around the clock.
There is no drama or suspense when it somes to the everyday life story, but what makes the big difference is the food, and its histories, the stories behind the success of a location or a delicious dish. The writing flows, inspires and makes you hungry. Hungry for the Brooklyn that I personally love and miss a whole lot. But it makes me miss also the plates I haven't had yet. From the entire memoir, the food part is what I loved the most because it is inspiring, charming and always interesting. Either you are a travel or a food writer, you will find a lot of good samples of writing in this book.
Maybe the rest of the book doesn't sound so exciting and fascinating - after all, we all have a life to live - but it is inspiring in its simplicity and genuine soul searching.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
February 28, 2018
Brooklyn in Love is essentially part 2 of author Amy Thomas's adventures, this time returning home to NYC and staring a new phase of her life.
I have to admit, I liked this book just a bit less than Paris My Sweet , but that's really only because New York city doesn't hold all the promise of adventure and romance that Paris does. That being said, Brooklyn in Love is much like its predecessor in terms of giving the reader a grand tour of the city and all the best places to eat.
I enjoyed following Amy as she returns back home and tries to find her footing again in the once-familiar city. I can relate to moving away and coming home only to feel like you're out of sync with the goings-on, but like Amy, I've found that the best way to reestablish your place is to jump right in. Not only does Amy dive right back into NYC living, she jumps back into dating, and it was interesting to read about her ups and downs in the dating world, and subsequently the house-hunting and new-mama worlds. Amy does a wonderful job of intertwining her story with the stories of various restaurants and chefs, and it's nice to experience the eats of NYC through the eyes of someone who knows and truly loves food. Once again, there are plenty of great eateries mentioned and conveniently listed at the end of the book, and I already have a few places marked in case I ever visit the city again.
All in all, Brooklyn in Love is part memoir and part food guide, but it's all a happy ending for Amy--or rather, a happy beginning to the next phase of her life. If you're looking for a realistic take on NYC, both the good and the bad, or planning a trip and needing some help planning your eating itinerary, this is the book for you!
I have to admit, I liked this book just a bit less than Paris My Sweet , but that's really only because New York city doesn't hold all the promise of adventure and romance that Paris does. That being said, Brooklyn in Love is much like its predecessor in terms of giving the reader a grand tour of the city and all the best places to eat.
I enjoyed following Amy as she returns back home and tries to find her footing again in the once-familiar city. I can relate to moving away and coming home only to feel like you're out of sync with the goings-on, but like Amy, I've found that the best way to reestablish your place is to jump right in. Not only does Amy dive right back into NYC living, she jumps back into dating, and it was interesting to read about her ups and downs in the dating world, and subsequently the house-hunting and new-mama worlds. Amy does a wonderful job of intertwining her story with the stories of various restaurants and chefs, and it's nice to experience the eats of NYC through the eyes of someone who knows and truly loves food. Once again, there are plenty of great eateries mentioned and conveniently listed at the end of the book, and I already have a few places marked in case I ever visit the city again.
All in all, Brooklyn in Love is part memoir and part food guide, but it's all a happy ending for Amy--or rather, a happy beginning to the next phase of her life. If you're looking for a realistic take on NYC, both the good and the bad, or planning a trip and needing some help planning your eating itinerary, this is the book for you!
June 20, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five stars for BROOKLYN IN LOVE, and not only because I know Amy Thomas, her husband Andrew, and their charming kiddo “Peanut,” who is about the same age as my daughter. First, this book’s food descriptions are fantastic, and made me miss restaurants SO much.
.
While Amy’s journey through New York’s restaurants and bakeries made me nostalgic during this lockdown for beautiful food other than that cooked myself or delivered from our favorite neighborhood takeout spots, this book touched more than that. She deftly weaves in her decision to abandon Manhattan for another borough (although where I live in the Bronx isn’t as romantic-sounding as Brooklyn), a crazy apartment search, and having an (only!) child later in life, and a lot of it matches my same experiences. We had our baby when I was 36 - “advanced maternal age” - and I also dearly loved and desperately miss babywearing her as we adventured around the city. My husband and I used to go out to try hot new restaurants all the time, but now that we’re parents, we mostly like staying in.
.
Maybe her story and voice aren’t for everyone, I don’t know, but they definitely touched me and I looked forward to my daily walks while I had this audiobook going. Recommended, particularly if you’re an older mom of an only female child who also loves NYC and food? Ha!
.
Format: NYPL audiobook, via Libby
Read for:
✅ 2020 Reading Women Challenge Prompt 21 - A book about food
.
While Amy’s journey through New York’s restaurants and bakeries made me nostalgic during this lockdown for beautiful food other than that cooked myself or delivered from our favorite neighborhood takeout spots, this book touched more than that. She deftly weaves in her decision to abandon Manhattan for another borough (although where I live in the Bronx isn’t as romantic-sounding as Brooklyn), a crazy apartment search, and having an (only!) child later in life, and a lot of it matches my same experiences. We had our baby when I was 36 - “advanced maternal age” - and I also dearly loved and desperately miss babywearing her as we adventured around the city. My husband and I used to go out to try hot new restaurants all the time, but now that we’re parents, we mostly like staying in.
.
Maybe her story and voice aren’t for everyone, I don’t know, but they definitely touched me and I looked forward to my daily walks while I had this audiobook going. Recommended, particularly if you’re an older mom of an only female child who also loves NYC and food? Ha!
.
Format: NYPL audiobook, via Libby
Read for:
✅ 2020 Reading Women Challenge Prompt 21 - A book about food
February 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this memoir and following the authors journey after returning to NYC from having spent a few years in Paris. Single and wanting to immerse herself in the NYC scene, we follow her through, jobs, dating, finding love, marriage, having a baby and that wish of hers to move to Brooklyn.
Amy's description of her journey to find herself and a life she has wanted, was a fun one to read. The author has a sense of humor and the way she expresses things we have all gone through makes, it very relatable to almost all.
She also has a love of food, so intermingled with her life story is her life around the many eating establishments in NYC and Brooklyn. It is definitely a book that will make you hungry, and want to try new places. This is a great story for people that both live in the NYC/Brooklyn area, or for those going to travel there.
Now I will have to read her first book, Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light, which I already have.
I would like to thank: NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this book.
Amy's description of her journey to find herself and a life she has wanted, was a fun one to read. The author has a sense of humor and the way she expresses things we have all gone through makes, it very relatable to almost all.
She also has a love of food, so intermingled with her life story is her life around the many eating establishments in NYC and Brooklyn. It is definitely a book that will make you hungry, and want to try new places. This is a great story for people that both live in the NYC/Brooklyn area, or for those going to travel there.
Now I will have to read her first book, Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light, which I already have.
I would like to thank: NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this book.
June 27, 2018
I was saving this book because I knew I would A) love it (having read her first book, Paris, My Sweet which not only satisfied a serious case of Francophilia but stuck-in-the-States wanderlust AND led me to the chocolate/pistachio escargot at Du Pain et Des Idées-HELLO! I mean, BONJOUR!) and B) tear through it (foodie memoires are basically my favorite genre). This one certainly did the trick. There's a little bit of Paris, lots of angsty 40-something trials and tribulations of finding love and motherhood, which will appeal to many and certainly didn't bother me (even though I'm not a mom, I could almost relate having raised a puppy!) but there's mostly TONS of New York City, which frankly has got me wanting to rent an Airbnb for at LEAST two weeks and explore the hell out of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Who am I kidding, mostly the bakeries, bars and restaurants! Who's with me?
December 30, 2018
Brooklyn in Love is the authors story of turning forty, moving back from Paris to Brooklyn, and finding love and making way for a baby all while telling the reader about the hundred's of great places to eat in Brooklyn, a list of her favorite dishes and a shout out to all the chef's who create these amazing meals.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the masses because I could have easily googled the best restaurants to dine in Brooklyn and their specialty dishes. I've read a lot of food memoirs and this lacked substance.
The author is modest but yet comes off as entitled at times and I'm just not interested in reading about the trials and tribulations of getting a reservation in Brooklyn.
If you are looking for an amazing food memoir with actual recipes, in addition to Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, try Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunée.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the masses because I could have easily googled the best restaurants to dine in Brooklyn and their specialty dishes. I've read a lot of food memoirs and this lacked substance.
The author is modest but yet comes off as entitled at times and I'm just not interested in reading about the trials and tribulations of getting a reservation in Brooklyn.
If you are looking for an amazing food memoir with actual recipes, in addition to Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, try Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunée.
January 1, 2019
Depending on what you want, this book hits the spot. If you want an easy beach read? Check. If you want something to hit that foodie-craving without the calories? Check. If you’re a mom or close to another mom and love to exchange stories? Check. But I’ll admit her writing style is sometimes a little lacking in depth and style. It’s interesting - don’t get me wrong - and I enjoyed it a lot. But it wasn’t an un-put-down-able book, and I would argue it has no lasting or deep truths. My guess is it isn’t meant to be that kind of book, and that’s ok. It’s a little mindless, a little predictable, but a good one for when you just want to cleanse your palate.
June 13, 2019
While I was expecting this to be less about family, I still relished this love letter to Brooklyn, Manhattan, & the food of NYC. I was thrilled to read a foodie memoir which deliciously reminded me of many meals I've adored & recommended other restaurants I haven't tried yet. The author also evoked so many of the same feelings I have for New York. I don't know if I would have loved the book as much if I didn't live in NYC, but luckily I do and enjoyed the book all the more so because of that. I'm now looking forward to picking up her earlier book about Paris as well.
If you're a foodie, & you either love NYC or have always wanted to visit, you'll enjoy this book.
If you're a foodie, & you either love NYC or have always wanted to visit, you'll enjoy this book.
March 18, 2020
I loved her first novel and was so looking forward to the next chapter in her life. Not that I didn't love this book, but it didn't quite live up to the 1st one. I did like the fact that Ms. Thomas weaved her love of food with her new life and stories of the restaurants together. The stories behind all of the restaurants that they went to was actually quite nice and that they seemed to tie in with the new chapters that she was living. And I do love the end of each chapter when she wrote about her favorites- cookies, desserts, favorite eateries. It made it all so much more personal.
February 6, 2018
Part memoir, part Brooklyn/NYC restaurant guide, Brooklyn in Love follows the story of the author and her husband as they meet, fall in love, marry and start a family in Brooklyn. Each chapter is 1/2 memoir, and 1/2 description of a restaurant genre in the NYC/Brooklyn area. Many different genres of food and drink are covered. A fun read and lots of good ideas for future restaurant adventures in Brooklyn.
December 28, 2019
Amy Thomas wrote a prior book about her years working for Louis Vuitton in Paris. In this book, she comes back to Manhattan and tries to settle in. She is approaching 40 and meets Andrew, but she isn't quite ready to settle down...unless she is. The memoir outlines her love story with Andrew while also discussing the many delicious bakeries and restaurants in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, where they eventually decide to live.
November 14, 2020
As someone who grew up in Brooklyn and loves food writing, I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, Amy Thomas shows her racism and classism within the first chapter and I couldn't get past it.
She calls egg sandwiches from bodegas dirty and Crown Heights a dodgy neighborhood (but don't worry, she says it only *used* to be dodgy, now that people like her have gentrified it, I'm sure she finds it a nice place to live).
She calls egg sandwiches from bodegas dirty and Crown Heights a dodgy neighborhood (but don't worry, she says it only *used* to be dodgy, now that people like her have gentrified it, I'm sure she finds it a nice place to live).
February 9, 2018
I followed Amy's blog, God I Love Paris, while she was working there for a few years and I enjoyed reading her first book, Paris, My Sweet. Her blog posts from her time there were short but thoughtful and Paris, My Sweet gave readers a deeper background into her stay in the City of Light.
Brooklyn in Love picks up after Amy moves back to NYC. She takes us through dating, meeting her husband, and adjusting to being in a long-term relationship after several years of flying solo. Their adventure of buying an apartment in Brooklyn sounds a lot like what we went though buying a house in Seattle (spoiler: not fun) and it was a welcome change to hear about the less glamorous side to having a baby.
Accompanying her personal milestones are culinary-themed stories of restaurants she takes us to along the way. We learn about Blue Hill (by Chef Dan Barber), the legendary home fries from HOME/MADE, the Il Buco restaurants, and more.
I am not a huge fan of New York City but this book makes me thinks there's something more to it after seeing it through Amy's eyes. The in-love feelings she has for her city can only be contagious and this book will definitely be shelved along side my other favorite memoirs.
This book came out yesterday, February 6th. Congratulations Amy on another wonderful book!
Brooklyn in Love picks up after Amy moves back to NYC. She takes us through dating, meeting her husband, and adjusting to being in a long-term relationship after several years of flying solo. Their adventure of buying an apartment in Brooklyn sounds a lot like what we went though buying a house in Seattle (spoiler: not fun) and it was a welcome change to hear about the less glamorous side to having a baby.
Accompanying her personal milestones are culinary-themed stories of restaurants she takes us to along the way. We learn about Blue Hill (by Chef Dan Barber), the legendary home fries from HOME/MADE, the Il Buco restaurants, and more.
I am not a huge fan of New York City but this book makes me thinks there's something more to it after seeing it through Amy's eyes. The in-love feelings she has for her city can only be contagious and this book will definitely be shelved along side my other favorite memoirs.
This book came out yesterday, February 6th. Congratulations Amy on another wonderful book!
March 19, 2018
Loved this yummy book! I want to live in Brooklyn, and be her friend! I loved the chapter about her wedding, I wish I could have been there, the desserts were perfect! The food descriptions are delicious! I want that ice cream! Next, I'm ordering her Paris book, my other favorite city! Macarons, stinky cheese, and eclairs!
July 29, 2019
I read Paris, My Sweet and loved it so I was excited to read this. I love anything set in NYC, my absolute favorite place and Amy is relatable and likable though I do feel she contradicted herself a couple times. Still an enjoyable read and she does a great job of transporting you to all her favorite spots in both The City That Never Sleeps and The City of Light.
January 14, 2021
At this point, Amy Thomas feels like a friend - one who is funny and smart and introduces you to all the best desserts, but is also vulnerable and honest about the path she took to where she is. Her writing is so encouraging and validating, and has given me a list of bakeries to visit on my next trip to NYC. It doesn’t get much better than that.
March 25, 2018
I came across this in the biography section and the title caught my eye because I visited NYC for the first time 2 years ago and fell in love in the city. A wonderful memoir and also a guide to the best places to visit. I love the listing in back of all the restaurants mentioned!
November 23, 2019
It was like reading a strangers diary with news clippings of food reviews peppered throughout. The authors personal story was bland and she came off as a bit self-centered. I actually liked the food descriptions and NY restaurant backgrounds. I think I would have liked the book much better if she had left out the personal babble and let the food culture of New York lead the story.
February 27, 2021
This probably leans a bit closer to 2.5 stars, and I can’t put my finger on exactly why. I love food memoirs, so this should be right in my wheelhouse. Instead it felt a bit like I was plodding through. Interesting premise, but the writing just fell a bit flat for me.
September 21, 2025
Delicious and honest look at love, motherhood and all life’s big changes . “This is exactly where I’m meant to be” ends a tour of both the food scene of NY and the scary journey into become a wife and mother and how women are just expected to balance it all . Loved the rawness of this book
December 1, 2017
Slightly tedious memoir of an over-privileged woman who becomes a mom.
I guess I would mine the resto reviews, but they don't even have their exact addresses.
I guess I would mine the resto reviews, but they don't even have their exact addresses.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews