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Perfect Blend
From Sue Margolis, the beloved author of Forget Me Knot and Gucci, Gucci Coo, comes a clever, capricious novel about lust, longing, and sizing up the competition. After enduring her share of commitment-phobic boyfriends, Amy Brown trades in her high-powered PR job and designer shoes to embark on the journey of single motherhood. Now, with a rambunctious boy of six and chaotic shifts serving decadent muffins and high-octane brew at a local coffee bar, Amy could use a fix herself—preferably the sexy, smoky-eyed grande type.No one is more shocked than Amy to discover that Sam Draper is made perfectly to hot, sweet, and delicious. There is just one teeny problem. He’s the architect for the neighborhood’s brand-new Bean Machine, her employer’s fiercest rival. Still, Sam is sexy, fun, and really likes Amy’s son, Charlie. Amy can’t resist the steamy passion—or the feeling that Sam is hiding a secret or two. Could there be something rotten in the beans that make up the Machine’s secret blend? Or is it something more personal? Harnessing her untapped yet formidable journalistic skills, Amy blows the lid off a story that will change her life, but will Sam stick around to share it?Perfect Blend is as addictive as a Frappuccino—but not nearly as fattening.From the Trade Paperback edition.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
11 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Sue Margolis
19 books138 followersSue Margolis is the author of nine books, which have more than half a million copies in print from Bantam Dell. She lives in England, where she's at work on her next novel.
Sue worked as a reporter for the BBC, before leaving broadcasting to write her first novel. She lives in London with her journalist husband Jonathan. They have three grown up children. Sue’s hobbies include napping, constantly interfering in her children’s lives, not going out, eating - especially the remains of the previous night’s take-out curry straight from the fridge, and watching made for TV true-life movies in her PJs.
She died of lung cancer, aged 62.
Sue worked as a reporter for the BBC, before leaving broadcasting to write her first novel. She lives in London with her journalist husband Jonathan. They have three grown up children. Sue’s hobbies include napping, constantly interfering in her children’s lives, not going out, eating - especially the remains of the previous night’s take-out curry straight from the fridge, and watching made for TV true-life movies in her PJs.
She died of lung cancer, aged 62.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
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December 9, 2011My online book club was reading this book. I picked it up several times but was never able to really get into the book. The author would have several long paragraphs before or immediately after introducing the character, to provide background information. I found that annoying.
Read
February 23, 2021I decided against continuing seeing the crudely descriptive intimate scenes.....rather something with more to the imagination so to speak; rather based on true stories these days at least(not that I thought this was) anyway, not my preference.
June 20, 2017
Perfect Blend: A Novel looked promising. A novel about coffee - yummy! But my goodness, it was slow. And the characters were a bit flat even with the author's paged filled background history! And don't get me started on the story!
July 11, 2016
This book had a lot of potential for an enjoyable chick-lit/romantic comedy type book. I struggled to connect with the characters, find the plot, and maintain interest in the book. Paragraphs dragged on about side information, there were too many different areas of potential plot line but ultimately there was no conflict, no real interest, and the relationships that did develop and evolve throughout the story were too 'picture' perfect to be believable, or enjoyable. Ultimately it was too much crammed into a short book.
January 24, 2011
This book was a delight to read. I found this book after finishing a great, but very intense Jodi Picoult novel. I was looking for a light-hearted romance, and this book was perfect. It had a great storyline, the characters were lovable, and parts of the book were so funy that I actually laughed out loud a couple of times. So if you are looking for a fun and flirty story, and you love coffee, Perfect Blend is the book for you.
July 8, 2011
Wasn't sure I was going to finish this one, but glad I did. Had a slow beginning and I thought it was going to be all about coffee. But, it quickly picked up and was a page turner. A very cute story with a happy ending! A super summer read.
abandoned
March 14, 2013Too much back story with each and every subject and the story got lost.
Frustration!
Frustration!
October 28, 2013
A schizophrenic story with many themes. All were seen to completion, but there something is missing in that process & the end isn’t very satisfying.
August 20, 2017
Perfect Blend is the 'fast food' of books: entertaining and satisfying enough, but not exactly mentally stimulating. Sometimes you just need a simple and fast read.
May 16, 2018
Fun, easy read. I actually laughed out loud a few times.
January 17, 2020
It was sweet of a little predictable. A feel good book that’s an easy read.
April 9, 2020
Very slow beginning but after 150ish pages it started to pick up. By the end I enjoyed an array of emotions and was happy to have finished this book.
January 4, 2022
Super cute chick lit. Loved all the characters and an easy read.
April 18, 2013
A Perfect Blend is a chic-lit with plenty of romance and even some suspense and mystery thrown in. Amy is a mother in her thirties who chose to have a child through the miracle of sperm donation instead of waiting for a man, due to a family history of early menopause. This is the story of her and her six year old son's, Charlie, life.
Characters
Amy: The main character of the book really shined for me. She was a very strong and independent woman, and a great mother to her son. She is often worried about Charlie not having a father, but I think she was doing just fine on her own.
Her dream is to break into journalism as a freelancer and make it big so she can work from home and spend more time with her son. For most of the story she works at a coffee shop, pulling in lots of hours to support her family.
I loved how she had a flair for interior decorating - all the neat little descriptions she rambled out really added a nice touch to the story.
Charlie: This is Amy's son. Sometimes he was a bit aggressive but for the most part he seemed to be a well adjusted kid. Some of the things he did really cracked me up, like constantly asking for a pet snake.
Sam: Ah, no story can be complete without the love interest. Sam and Amy's relationship gets off to a rocky start but they end up falling head over heels for each other in a short span of time. Sam seemed like a really great guy, caring and compassionate, but he did have some issues of his own to get resolved before the end of the story.
Victoria: Although she wasn't a main character, I feel like she had a major role in the story - it just wouldn't have been the same without Amy's insane sister. Victoria is a major control freak, and one of those moms who has to make everything perfect - no sugar for her child, plenty of activities, her kids can do no wrong... THAT mom.
She's always going around town, trying to be the boss of other people, making them feel degraded. Plenty of conflict with her ensues.
Brian and Bel: These where two of Amy's best friends, both working at the coffee shop with her, Brian owning it. They were both quirky and kept getting into relationships hat were completely wrong for them, when the entire story it was so obvious that they belonged together.
Plot
I really enjoyed this story and am so glad I picked it up. I haven't read a chic-lit in forever, and this one looked right up my alley.
Things I loved about this story?
1) I loved all the little tidbits about interior design, coffee, and journalism. I really felt like I walked away from this book just a little bit wiser.
2) The suspense in this book was a welcome change. While it was like every chic-lit around with a pretty predictable, happy ending, the rest of the story kept me guessing. You just have to read it and see all the scandalous lies for yourself!
3) Speaking of the ending, I absolutely L-O-V-E-D it!! It was so sweet and left me happy inside for the rest of the afternoon. :)
Writing Style
As for writing style, again, I love it. Sue Margolis sure had me hooked right from page one. Her style is witty an conversational, and I'll definitely be checking out more of her books.
Characters
Amy: The main character of the book really shined for me. She was a very strong and independent woman, and a great mother to her son. She is often worried about Charlie not having a father, but I think she was doing just fine on her own.
Her dream is to break into journalism as a freelancer and make it big so she can work from home and spend more time with her son. For most of the story she works at a coffee shop, pulling in lots of hours to support her family.
I loved how she had a flair for interior decorating - all the neat little descriptions she rambled out really added a nice touch to the story.
Charlie: This is Amy's son. Sometimes he was a bit aggressive but for the most part he seemed to be a well adjusted kid. Some of the things he did really cracked me up, like constantly asking for a pet snake.
Sam: Ah, no story can be complete without the love interest. Sam and Amy's relationship gets off to a rocky start but they end up falling head over heels for each other in a short span of time. Sam seemed like a really great guy, caring and compassionate, but he did have some issues of his own to get resolved before the end of the story.
Victoria: Although she wasn't a main character, I feel like she had a major role in the story - it just wouldn't have been the same without Amy's insane sister. Victoria is a major control freak, and one of those moms who has to make everything perfect - no sugar for her child, plenty of activities, her kids can do no wrong... THAT mom.
She's always going around town, trying to be the boss of other people, making them feel degraded. Plenty of conflict with her ensues.
Brian and Bel: These where two of Amy's best friends, both working at the coffee shop with her, Brian owning it. They were both quirky and kept getting into relationships hat were completely wrong for them, when the entire story it was so obvious that they belonged together.
Plot
I really enjoyed this story and am so glad I picked it up. I haven't read a chic-lit in forever, and this one looked right up my alley.
Things I loved about this story?
1) I loved all the little tidbits about interior design, coffee, and journalism. I really felt like I walked away from this book just a little bit wiser.
2) The suspense in this book was a welcome change. While it was like every chic-lit around with a pretty predictable, happy ending, the rest of the story kept me guessing. You just have to read it and see all the scandalous lies for yourself!
3) Speaking of the ending, I absolutely L-O-V-E-D it!! It was so sweet and left me happy inside for the rest of the afternoon. :)
Writing Style
As for writing style, again, I love it. Sue Margolis sure had me hooked right from page one. Her style is witty an conversational, and I'll definitely be checking out more of her books.
Read
October 18, 2014Review from when I read four years ago:
Overkill of coffee puns nonwithstanding, this was a pretty cute book. The Windsor Library is turning out to have a rather pleasing selection of rom coms in its fiction section. From what I can recall of this story, she decided to get an anonymous donation from a sperm bank, raises a son single-handedly, which turns out to be a bit of a problem when it comes to potential suitors accepting the mother-son package. There are all kinds of issues with her family as well. Overbearing sister who drives everyone nuts and has a bully son, father dating an alcoholic erotic poetess, mother living with a shaman, free spirit type. Her best friends are, naturally, made for each other, and they’re the only ones who can’t see it. I rather enjoyed the older Jewish coworker, as well as her Yiddish quips and sense of humor I got.
The perfect man gets scared away with the thought of being a father, as well as potentially being the biological father of Amy’s son. He gets over his dad issues eventually, she gets knocked up with his baby, happily ever after.
In the meantime, she discovers that this douche head of the Bean Machine is having some crazy illegal something or other put in these crazy coffee beans that only the middle class + and coffee lovers can afford. She becomes a star journalist with her feature outing this chemical, which is causing men, her boss and best male friend included, to grow moobs. Plus side, it takes place in London.
Overkill of coffee puns nonwithstanding, this was a pretty cute book. The Windsor Library is turning out to have a rather pleasing selection of rom coms in its fiction section. From what I can recall of this story, she decided to get an anonymous donation from a sperm bank, raises a son single-handedly, which turns out to be a bit of a problem when it comes to potential suitors accepting the mother-son package. There are all kinds of issues with her family as well. Overbearing sister who drives everyone nuts and has a bully son, father dating an alcoholic erotic poetess, mother living with a shaman, free spirit type. Her best friends are, naturally, made for each other, and they’re the only ones who can’t see it. I rather enjoyed the older Jewish coworker, as well as her Yiddish quips and sense of humor I got.
The perfect man gets scared away with the thought of being a father, as well as potentially being the biological father of Amy’s son. He gets over his dad issues eventually, she gets knocked up with his baby, happily ever after.
In the meantime, she discovers that this douche head of the Bean Machine is having some crazy illegal something or other put in these crazy coffee beans that only the middle class + and coffee lovers can afford. She becomes a star journalist with her feature outing this chemical, which is causing men, her boss and best male friend included, to grow moobs. Plus side, it takes place in London.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2013
I needed some chick lit this weekend. I needed to relax and not think too much. I picked this one up on a whim on my ramble through the shelves at the library.
This is the story of Amy, a thirty-something mother of six-year old boy, Charlie. She longs to break into journalism, but, in order to provide quality time with Charlie, she works at Cafe Mozart - a coffee shop on the outskirts of London, England.
There were subplots of her parents' and her sister's marriage's breaking up, trying to break into journalism, her friends' and coworkers' failed relationships, and her potential relationship with Sam, the architecht-artist, who may have fathered her child by sperm donation.
All in all a decent chick lit novel. Its very British. Part of why I liked it. It reminded me of the year I lived in England.
This is the story of Amy, a thirty-something mother of six-year old boy, Charlie. She longs to break into journalism, but, in order to provide quality time with Charlie, she works at Cafe Mozart - a coffee shop on the outskirts of London, England.
There were subplots of her parents' and her sister's marriage's breaking up, trying to break into journalism, her friends' and coworkers' failed relationships, and her potential relationship with Sam, the architecht-artist, who may have fathered her child by sperm donation.
All in all a decent chick lit novel. Its very British. Part of why I liked it. It reminded me of the year I lived in England.
January 14, 2011
Fun book about a single mom in Englad with an interesting group of close friends and family. Amy has chosen to become a single mom as she approaches 30 and hasn't met anyone special since early menopause runs in her family. Her son is now six and she meets the perfect guy. He has a brief moment when he gets scared and runs off but being the perfect guy he comes back. Nothing real surprising about the plot but the characters are interesting and there is a fun storyline about moobs (man boobs) and Amy solves the mystery of what is causing them. Title comes from the coffee shop that Amy's friend Brian owns and she works in. (and of course the coffee has to do with the moobs too).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2010
This was a good read, a little predictable but enjoyable none the less. The story is about Amy, a single mother and wanna be journalist, who is working at her friends chic coffee shop to be able to spend more time with her 6 year old son. She is surrounded by family and friends, all with their own amusing stories, making her way through the world. She hopes to have a career as a freelance journalist and maybe find love. Will she find the "perfect blend"?
January 5, 2015
This was a light, pleasant read. It was sweet and romantic, with an interesting plot and likeable characters. I loved that Amy had a strong, intelligent personality - unlike many chick lit women who come across as bland and only interested in landing a man. This was well worth the read. Minor spoilers - I felt like it was tied up a bit too perfectly in the end, especially with regard to Amy's career. I like the way the romance was resolved, though. Overall, a good read.
October 24, 2010
This book is so amazing, i don't know where to even start. Margolis has done such a wonderful job portraying the life of a single mother searching to find herself, as well as her Mr. Right. This novel is filled with heartbreak, longing, sweet moments, pure bliss, and true love. I've never been so upset to finish a book in my entire life, as I was with this one.
November 27, 2011
i really liked this book! i enjoyed the romance scenes and the overall story. there were a few too many plots that were mixed into one book, but overall a good pleasant typical chick lit book with some romantic scenes thrown in. a great story about the self sacrifice of motherhood and a believable plot.
July 14, 2016
It was alright. As one of those light hearted feel good stories, it did alright except that the transition was a bit abrupt towards the end when the trouble occurred - like as if the author only had a limited number of pages left and so she had to quickly jump to the good bits and even then it was not as good as the introduction in the beginning.
February 8, 2011
I just found out I have to have back surgery in a month. After my doctor's appointment, I went to the library and saw this book on the quick reads shelf. It seemed like the sort of book I need right now: quick, fun, absorbing, light (& British!).
April 5, 2012
This was a delightful novel, going beyond the average chic-lit with a secondary, investigative journalism storyline. This moved Perfect Bland from superficial escapism to a much more gripping read.
October 11, 2010
I gave up on this one pretty early on. Author tries too hard on an uninteresting story with uninteresting characters.
October 1, 2010
this is really cute!
October 30, 2010
Predictable but fun characters.
December 18, 2011
Silly and absolutely mindless. Perfect after a long day of work.
December 24, 2011
A quick, easy read in between book club selections.
August 10, 2016
Includes a tribute to Sue Margolis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews