Hot Mess

Wow I enjoyed this book! It's my first 5 star read in a while. Emily Belden is one of the rare ones!

The beginning of this book was so artfully tense that I put it down many times, even considering not continuing. Which, having already read Husband Material and loved it, seemed strange. So I continued on.Is this a love story? Kind of. But really it’s more of a life story. Allie really comes into herself as the story rolls on. Is it with the help of Benji? Kind of. Inasmuch as Benji and his “antics” cause Allie so much heartbreak, they also provide her with the ruler by which to measure other bits of her life - her growth, her maturity, her self-identity, her self-satisfaction. They’re the glasses that enable her to see herself clearly, and then use that clarity to move on.So is this a love story? Well, yes - it’s a self love story. And I don’t mean that in a self-centered kind of way, because Allie does quietly grow out of that too. But in more of a self-realization kind of way. You have to love yourself before you can love anyone else - at least with the dedication and loyalty your relationship deserves, whether that is friendship, marriage, or anything in between.So stay the course when you pick this book up. Allie seems kind of sad and prickly in the beginning, but you’ll see - she’ll grow into a very fine lass.

I read Emily's first book and memoir Eightysixed and laughed out loud at many parts and LOVED it!! Her writing style is conversational and so relatable. I was so psyched to read her novel Hot Mess and was totally satisfied! I found myself wondering about the story and what was going to happen to the characters when I wasn't reading it and when I was reading it was like rollercoaster of emotions, twists and turns I didn't see coming. Again, so satisfying. Allie, the main character, is lovable and enviable and I was rooting for her throughout all her ups and downs.I can totally see this book becoming a TV series and/or movie.

I don't normally read this genre, so take this review with a grain of salt. Hot Mess tested my patience. First, the main event described in the flap copy doesn't happen until half way through the story. Second, I found myself very annoyed with the main character up to this point for being so wrapped up in saving her manchild boyfriend from himself that she lost sight of her own identity. However, when the main event finally comes, Allie shows some serious growth and the second half of the story is much more engaging and even becomes kind of sweet. Overall, it's an easy read with an entertaining look into the high-end culinary world and plenty of sex.

I may be biased , but this charming and funny look into Chicago’s food scene, set around the life of a woman who stumbled into it was a great read. Perfect for a sunny day on one of. Hicag’s epic beaches. Well done, Emily!!!

HOT MESS by Emily BeldenWell, the title is correct – this book is a hot mess. If you can get past the f bombs and constant sex, one dimensional characters and thin plot, there might be a half way decent short story good for an hour or two on a long plane ride.So, what is good about this book. There are complete sentences. There is a plot with a beginning, middle and, thankfully, a conclusion. Once Benji is out of the picture so to speak, the book improves. The story concerning the restaurant is not half bad. The love story is juvenile and unbelievable.So – if you don’t mind the language, the immaturity of all the characters and the constant focus on sex, this book might, repeat, might, be worth spending an otherwise boring afternoon with it.By the way, even though this book is about food and cooking and restaurants , there are NO recipes or even lucid discussions about actual food.1 of 5 stars

This story is obviously written to appeal to women and as a woman, I felt that the story was diminished because of the foul language. Using the F-bomb just for the sake of F-bombing is unnecessary and quite frankly unappealing. There were times when I thought of abandoning the book because of the language. The story was a good story and moved at a good pace. If the book would not have had all the "F" words just randomly thrown in I would have given my rating of this book two additional stars.

I’m not in the know on the Chicago food scene, so I didn’t have any guesses on who’s who as the author suggested some may guess, but it was a throughly entertaining read for me! I found myself looking forward to every chance I got to read more of this book.