Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid

by Cari Schaeffer

At twenty-nine, Olivia is a strong, capable chef on an upward career trajectory when a cheating husband, a shattered friendship, a nagging mother, and nepotism at work conspire to bring her to her knees...and almost living in her car. It's time to pivot. What's a girl to do when everything falls apart? Why, open your own business and jump in face first and with eyes firmly shut, of course. Thank God for friends! At least, for friends that don't steal husbands, that is.

Olivia enters the oh-so-glamorous business world of sleeplessness, drunken guests, gossipy clients, freebie seekers, and networking groups. Enjoy the buffet of crazy characters Olivia must balance on her plate as she steams ahead. Will she end up putting curtains in her car to dress it up, or can she make a go of it before she blows her lid?

510 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2022

Reviews

[Heather Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from this author and she now has a new fan. I love a good but a little funny book. This is the perfect book to read when you need to let go of some stress in your life. This story had me right from chapter one and I could not put it down so I read this book all the way through. I can’t wait to see what she will write about next.

Olivia is a well known chef and she is only twenty eight. She loves cooking for people. Olivia had it all: a good career, a husband, and good friends. She is shocked when she finds out her husband has been having an affair with one of her friends. Olivia moves away from them and finds a small restaurant job. She thinks she has life in order to be let go from the restaurant. There is only one other job she can do and that’s being a bartender. Olivia is going to open her own restaurant with the money that she’s going to save. Will she get her dream restaurant or will it be out of her reach?

[Lorrene Huisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very relatable in every which way. I loved the concept of the story, the characters, the way everything flowed, and how realistic the writing and the plot of the book was! Wonderful read!

I loved this one, as I have said, how relatable it was. Hitting the rock bottom of life. thinking you had the perfect life, and then learning you do not actually. What kind of life do you want? Who is gonna support you if the person you always thought would? Cause now they can't due to their actions! Olivia was very relatable. She was easy going, but wanted to be a top chef, but the life she had going until she hit the ground running, was never an option. From people that really cared about her and loved her, which she learned over time, she achieved what she thought would be impossible for her life. The power of friendship was golden in this book, as well as following your dreams and believing in yourself. Loved this book and author's writing! Character development was strong as well. The story carried itself well! I very much enjoyed it!

Lovely book that I quickly became immersed in and could not put down! It was by far a must read for sure! Highly recommend this read, if you have not had the pleasure of reading it yet! A sensational read!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid is the latest offering by Cari Schaeffer. I loved this fun story- it is full of humour, mayhem, and antics. It’s a story about starting again, of taking a plunge and hoping things work out for the better. Or is that, worse?
Olivia has had the rug pulled out from under her feet, her ‘perfect life’ in tatters after her husband is caught cheating with her best friend- while her work situation pushes her ever closer to the edge. It all results in leaving her emotionally battered and bruised. So, she picks herself up, makes some difficult decisions, and begins to pick up the pieces to start over by investing in herself and her hopes and dreams. But has she taken on too much? Will she succeed, or will her dreams go up in smoke? And most importantly, can she keep it all together without blowing her lid? This is definitely worth the read to find out…
Happy Reading!

Thank you, Cari Schaeffer!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and engaging romance, which kept me happily turning the pages late into the night. Chef Olivia is twenty nine and professionally is doing well, but personally, things are not so great. Having to deal with a cheating husband, a husband stealing ex-friendship, a nagging mother, and nepotism at work, Olivia thinks it’s time for a change. Just as everything is falling apart, Olivia decides to open her own business, she’s just thankful for her friends. Entering the glamorous business world of sleepless nights, over working, drunken guests, gossipy clients, those wanting freebies, and networking groups, Olivia has to balance everything on her plate in order to make a go of her new business. The storyline flowed well and has a mix of crazy characters in it, who all bring something different to the story. I loved Olivia as she’s a very likeable and relatable main character, and I was really cheering her on!

[Mona-Is-Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel I read by Cari Schaeffer. After reading some pretty heavy material, I was desperately in need of something to take my mind off the darkness. I immediately was drawn into Olivia’s world. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her situation. When it rain, it pours! Olivia had so many challenges to face, a rocky marriage, a messy divorce, a shady friend’s betrayal (because let’s face it, sometimes the break up between friendships is harder than relationships!). When she loses her job I was ready to throw my hands up in the air for her! I love how she persisted. Despite her controlling mother and all of the other growing pains that comes from starting a new business. With all that was going on in her life, no wonder finding love was hard. She was busy trying to find herself!

All in all, this was a great read! Fall down Olivia’s rabbit hole of a chaos and root for the underdog with me!

[Heidi Sturgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia seems to have it all , a job she lives , a husband and good friends . Her world comes crashing down when she finds her husband cheating on her with her best friend 😱 what in the actual !?

Olivia is a go getter and isn’t going to wallow , she moves to a small town and works in a family owned restaurant and just as things start looking better she is let go to make space for a family member who can’t even cook 🙈😱🥲 again Olivia doesn’t wallow she picks herself up and gets a bar tending job and uses her tips to build her own catering business , I say you go girl ! 🥰

This was a brilliant read ! I cried , yes, I’m built differently 😂but I laughed so much more ! Olivia is so relatable and there’s so many times I quoted pieces of what was happening to my kids and friends around me and more than once I had to hear how it sound just like me ! 😂😱❣️📕especially when it came to things Olivia’s mum would say 🙈😂

A highly recommend read 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐️

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia's life is perfect...until it isn't. Her husband cheated on her with her best friend, she loses her job, and her mother....well she's a fine piece of work!! I mean, we all love our mom's but Olivia's mom is a special one. LOL Olivia is at rock bottom and she's doing all that she can to start a new rise to the top. She loves to cook but is struggling to find a job doing what she really loves so she settles. That is, until her friend Taylor comes up with a plan. Will this work? Does Olivia have it in her?

This is such a fun and relatable book! Olivia's mom is probably my favorite character mainly because she reminds me of my own mom in a way. She really does love Olivia but sometimes that love can be overwhelming. This is a fast paced and witty book as well! I look forward to reading more books by this new-to-me author!

[Dawn Daughenbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars
Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer is a fast paced story packed with adventure, humor and little bit of whit. I truly enjoyed reading this book as with all of her books they are very entertaining and keep you turning the pages. This is a story about Olivia and her not so put together life that the moment. She recently caught her husband cheating on her with who she thought was her best friend and she lost her job. Her life is a bit of a mess at the moment. But she is trying puck up the pieces and is going to try and follow her dreams. Is it way to much or will she overcome the obstacles before she blows her lid? I highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens next I cant wait to see what she brings us next

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this story and I mean everything. Although my life circumstances do not relate with the story, it was somehow easily relatable. The writing is so engaging that I could easily picture myself in Olivia’s shoes. Her friendships good and bad were certainly relatable. The mix and range of characters certainly made things entertaining.
From page one i was fully engaged. I made sure this was downloaded on all devices, so whenever I had the chance I could pick it up and read it, lunch breaks, waiting rooms, lulls at work. I typically don’t enjoy reading on my phone (the iphone mini is NOT for reading) but I put that all aside to continue reading this.
Schaeffer’s Cooked: The Chef blows her lid, is a must read if your looking for something light hearted yet engaging.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun interesting story. Olivia is the main character and while she is organized and determined she seems a little scatterbrained at times. I feel this. When she seems the most crazed is when everything is happening at once, deadlines, phone calls, that mother, that soon-to-be ex-husband. Once Olivia realizes she is getting overwhelmed I love how she breaks things down and gets things done. She really shows how amazing she is.

Most of the other characters in this story add to Olivia’s fun filled crazy life. Her choices, while are completely her’s, are based around many of the people in her life. Which makes Olivia the most relatable character!

This story has a fun realistic vibe throughout. I can easily encourage others to read it and look forward to other adventures in Olivia’s life and what others this author can come up with.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid
By: Cari Schaeffer

This is the first book I have read from this author. I love a good good thats funny and all well written. This book had me right at the start. It was so good. Olivia is a well known chef and she is only twenty eight. She loves cooking for people of all ages and sizes. Olivia had it all: a good career, a husband, and good friends. She is shocked when she finds out her husband has been having an affair with one of her good friends. Olivia moves away and finds a job at a small restaurant. She thinks she has life in order to be let go from the restaurant. There is only one other job she can do and that’s being a bartender. Olivia is going to open her own restaurant with the money that she’s going to save. Will she get her dream restaurant or will it be out of her reach?

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny and entertaining romance. Olivia is quite relatable. She's starting over after life kicks her a few times (cheating spouse, job loss, etc..). With the help of friends, she overcomes these challenges and shows to be strong, resilient and quite the badass. The characters in the book are fantastically written from the guilt spewing mom to the crazy ex all the way to the sexy lawyer. The story line is quite engaging and entertaining. There is plenty of humor in the story. It flows so well together. I love the whole premise of her being a personal chef and building from there. She's very independent. Her match has such chemistry. Perfecto! I would give this book mroe than 5 stars if I could. A definite must read for the contemporary romance lovers out there.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun and entertaining read. From the very beginning I felt a great connection with Olivia, she was a really down to earth person just trying to rebuild her life after everything that had happened to her. She was a really relatable person and I felt like this gave the story a realistic feeling to it. The authors writing was great, the book flowed so well it was easy to get lost in it. The characters development over the story was great both the main and secondary ones. Friendship between the characters really shone through in this book and how they all supported Olivia in her new venture.
Overall this book was a really great read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid is as entertaining as it is fun. Relating to the main character Olivia was a breeze. She is really well written with complexities yet she is simplistic and just wants to find happiness again. There is just a way about this character that made the story come to life.

Cari does romance, wit and mayhem so well that it is hard to put the book down because it is so enjoyable.

With her friend, Taylor at her side Olivia picks herself up, pulls her big girl panties up and starts out fresh. At times I really wanted to strangle her ex-husband and mother but got over it.

If you need a fun pick me up and even if you don’t make sure you grab a copy of Cooked today. I promise you will love it.

[Tausha Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer. I loved this book. It was so good and you could really see being friends with the main character in this book. Its the story of up and coming Chef Olivia who has just found out her husband is cheating on her with her best friend. She has also just lost her longest job she's had in a kitchen as a chef because she is a woman. Olivia feels like her life is falling apart so what do you do when your life falls apart? You start over and jump right in. She decides to open her own restaurant. Along with her soon to be ex, her ex best friend and her mom who is getting older and is very demanding Olivia thinks she can make it all work out. With the help of true friends and some hard work Olivia might just make it after all. Loved this sweet story!

[Jules Herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character in this wonderful book, Olivia, is a prime example that when times are tough you should never give up! So, so much happens in the life of this talented chef ( I am not going to say too much and give it all away...you need to read the book!) but with the support of her best friend Taylor and some other amazing people she meets along the way, she makes it through to forge a brand new life. Of course no path in life ever runs completely smooth now does it? Her manipulating Ex and her Mother who at first I really couldn't stand but later came to realise truly loves her daughter, definitely try hard to complicate her life.

[Kerry Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book from start to finish and Olivia is the whole reason why. She is such a fantastic lead character. I loved how she found a way to push through everything that was happening around her and to take a chance at something she wanted. I connected with her story immediately and knew she was someone I wanted to do well.
The story itself is enjoyable. It matched Olivia and her personality perfectly and I found it to be such an easy read. It was fun to read right from the word go and the author did a great job at making it relatable to most of the intended audience. This was a great book that is highly entertaining and definitely worth the read.

[Robin Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid

Poor Olivia I all I can say. Her marriage falls apart, she picks up the pieces but her Mother..... Blanche reminds me of a friend's mom. I have heard so many stories about this woman and 95% of those stories do nothing but infuriate me.

Even with her mother being the way she is Olivia doesn't stop putting her life back together and searching for her happiness.

The characters are all over the place in personality and quite entertaining. Lots of frustrating feelings for me but also plenty of laughs.

She is a new to me author and I fully intend to make sure she's not a one and done for me. I was drawn in from the beginning and it never let me go.

[Diane]

Cari Schaeffer has written a witty, fast-paced book. The characters are beautifully written. Olivia, our chef has been dealt quite a hand in life. When life tries to bring her down, she picks herself up with the help of her close friend, Taylor. Olivia faces challenges that kept me turning the pages to find out what else could possibly happen to her. The author did a great job making me feel the joys and struggles that Olivia faced as if I was right next to her.
This book had me from the first page to the last, and I would highly recommend reading it.

[Wendy Wary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this novel and had a hard time getting things done until I finished it. Olivia is a loveable character, along with the friends she makes along the way. The author did a great job balancing good dialogue, a push and pull between lightness and heaviness, and wrapped it into a fun to read story that feels like a carnival ride. The range of people Olivia encounters while growing her business keep things interesting, and I liked how the author kept a bit of mystery around her two new suitors until the end. A fun read, for sure.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beyond relatable and I really loved it as a whole. The plot really flowed perfectly and the characters were very well developed. The story really had a little bit of everything including humor, mayhem, and some romance. Ever feel like your perfect life has been ripped out from under you? Ever had to pick yourself up, dust your self off, and start over? That is exactly what happens with our lead character. But will she be able to start over and be happy again? Well you’ll have to read it to find out for yourself.

[Alison Risher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good book about a woman starting a new chapter in the book of her life! The heroine finds herself in situations she never would have expected. Betrayal, deceit, and mystery abound. She also finds herself dealing with her aging mother who likes to heap guilt onto her only child. This book has so many things different readers can relate to on many different levels. The heroine learns when to ask others for help, even as she learns she is capable of much more than she ever dared to dream!

[Karen Pearman · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, let me begin by saying this book is hilarious. I laughed until I cried while reading this story. Some of the personal issues that the main character experienced were some I have had as well so I could totally relate. It was great to have a book where no matter what was thrown at her she did not give up on her hopes and dreams. Personally, this should be a book on all females “to read” list. It is an easy and fast read as I could not put it down. If you are a female and looking for a book that will make you laugh, look no further. Pick this book up and read it.

[Lucy Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines two of my favorite things- books and food. As someone who used to (and still does) dream of one day being a professional chef, this book gave my heart so much joy. It's mixed with heartbreak, adversity, tenacity, and humor! Honestly, this is a book I'll probably make my mom read! It's a bit of a longer book, but it's so worth it! I was enthralled with it from the first page! The author really knows how to suck the readers in, and I look forward to reading more books written by them!!

[Dessalynn Acosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer - Review by Dessalynn Acosta
4 out of 5 stars
Chef Olivia’s whole life is changing! After she finds her husband cheating with her best friend and loses her long-time restaurant position, Olivia has to start her life from ground zero. With a little help from her REAL friends and some sheer luck, Olivia is slowly becoming the chef she has always wanted to be. This novel is PG rated fun with real life situations, great read!

[Whisper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooked: the chef blows her lid by Cari Schaeffer was a super enjoyable read. The main character, Olivia, is a down-on-her-luck chef trying to cope with the hits life is throwing at her. Luckily, she has people that are there for her cheering her on. The romance in the book felt a bit forced and the ending rushed but neither took away from an intriguing, woman-powered story. This is one author that I'm definitely going to be following.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sure you’ll see this word in many other reviews, but the relatability factor of this book is remarkable. It pulls you in from the very beginning and continues to entertain you. This is definitely a feel-good book that you won’t want to put down once you start it. If you’re looking for a quick distraction from life, this is a great way to go! I love strong female leads, cute love stories, and relatable life issues. You can’t go wrong with this wonderful read!

[Nicole Tipps thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s her thyme to shine! Chef Olivia is the strong, capable young woman today’s society needs! The protagonist in Cooked: The Chef Blows Her Lid by Cari Schaeffer is a brilliant character with an array of emotions from sadness, empathy, anger, and even joy. As she comes into her own confidence through cooking and owning her own business, she discovers her true self! You absolutely need to add this to your reading list before the year is up!

[Daryian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2/5 Stars
This was my first read by the author and I enjoyed it! The characters are so likable, except Olivia’s ex husband and her mom at first. This book gave me a little dive into the cooking world. I also enjoyed how Olivia was a strong main character. She communicated what she needed without hesitation, even if it was hard or uncomfortable. This story is easy to read and dive into!

[Crystal Brehant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an inspiring story. I absolutely LOVED the main character. It was a humorous, light hearted read the kept me engaged. I love a story of a strong woman who was knocked down by life but not kept down. The story flowed really well and I will definitely be interested in reading more of this authors work