This is as cute as it can be. Street-smart chef Rachel and booksmart (and hot) writer Alex simply belong together. And I want friends like Rachel has and all the food she can make and more!!!
Yummy, this book is - literally, because this read can stimulate your taste buds immediately and I would not recommend to read it when hungry.

So why 3 stars? Because while I have enthustiastically enjoyed all the lightness and cuteness, I also think that the heavier, meatier parts were downplayed. Not that they are chosen not wisely - they are and I think that most modern woman can identify with some of them or at least they can recognize their dark shadow. But they are not played well. I would love more messimess, more rawness and brokenness, simply more of the deep conflict - and then the deep healing.

But I understand that this is a first book in the series, so fingers crossed for more food for thought!

Saturday Night Supper Club is a delightful book which follows Rachel Bishop, an accomplished chef, who’s life seems to unravel in a very short space of time and she is left jobless and despite the high pace, stressful life that comes with being a professional chef, without it… who is she?
Alex is a writer who writes a critical piece on online criticism. His article features a food critic’s review on Rachel’s restaurant which unintentionally pushes her into a negative light. In an attempt to rectify this mistake Alex offers to help anyway he can which draws the two characters together.
The Saturday Night Supper Club touches on finding one’s identity, features a sweet romance and loving friendships and some advice one can take into consideration in their own life. It also, as the title may reveal, features a lot of food and with a warning early on in the book from the author about the potential of getting hungry while reading it might be wise to grab a snack while you read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

THE SATURDAY NIGHT SUPPER CLUB by CÀRLA LAUREANO is a delightful romance novel with a really good Christian message.
It is the story of a dedicated, award winning chef, Rachel Bishop,, who has worked her way up from helping at a restaurant when she left home at the age of fifteen, to having a major share in her own restaurant, Paisley, at thirty.
We see how fickle social media can be when she becomes the victim of a vicious smear campaign, which is made worse when essayist, Alex Kanin, writes an article which causes her partners to buy her out of her restaurant and leave her high and dry.
With all the people who matter in the restaurant business suddenly not taking her calls, she takes Alex up on his offer to help her find an investor in a new restaurant. This is how the Saturday Night Supper Club starts.
I love the way the characters are so natural, and also the humour throughout their conversations. Alex and Rachel start out really badly, with Rachel hurt and angry and Alex trying to make things right because he feels guilty for ruining her career.
We see how important it is to follow one's own dreams and not compromise in order to please others. We also see how one needs to nurture one's relationship with the Lord, and choose what really is important in life.
I can highly recommend this novel - it is a really enjoyable read. In fact I will definitely be reading it more than once!
I was given a copy of the book by Tyndale House Publishers from NetGalley. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I'm a huge fan of the authenticity in Laureano's past work, and her latest book delivered! The author develops a trust with the reader early on and keeps it, delivering characters to root for, interesting and unconventional plot points, and page turning romance. Can't wait to read the rest in this series!

As Carla Laureano is an author new to me, I had no idea what to expect of her book. Would it interest me and hold my attention?? I am delighted to say that this book kept me mesmerized from beginning to end!! This novel has truly captivating powers to keep the reader engaged ! It not only tugged at my heartstrings, but educated me in the food science as I learned culinary terms that I had never heard of before.

The character descriptions were so realistic and vivid that I felt that I knew each one in a very personal way. They were so easy with whom to identify. Their challenges, hurts and accomplishments became part of me. I cried with them and rejoiced as well! As the main character , Rachel , cooked her way to happiness, I became knowledgeable about choosing the proper ingredients to make a creative, delicious dish. Yes, she educated me in a very unusual way!!

The plot was intense at times and filled with unexpected twists and turns. This author created a very different storyline that stresses the need for God to be allowed to plan and carry out His wishes for our lives. We must put our trust in him. This Christian message is one that shines out throughout even the roughest, most hurtful times of life.

This quick paced novel is definitely a five star book!! Don't miss this excellent read!

This book was received as a gift. The thoughts and opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Calling all foodies . . . this book is for you! If you like culinary delights then Carla Laureano has given you a definite treat with this story. The central character is a chef that has made her way up the ranks with hard work and perseverance. She's achieved the pinacle of her career by owning her own high-end restaurant.

It's all going so well until a petty food critic takes his shot. Thanks to social media things get out of control and Rachel quickly finds herself in a storm not of her making.

I am probably the complete opposite of a foodie, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The food sounded yummy and all the culinary details were interesting. But what kept me turning the pages was the personal relationships that developed. Most of us have been caught up in something that was out of our control. Carla Laureano has given us a very real set of characters and allowed us to follow along through the storm and its aftermath. I was left remembering that sometimes a disaster allows the slate to be wiped clean. Often times the replacements for that which was destroyed are better than the original.

Rachel Bishop is a successful chef living out her dream - part owner and head chef of her own restaurant Paisley. When a well-known food critic publishes an unfavorable, unfair review of her restaurant, things quickly spiral out of control and Rachel loses it all - her restaurant and her reputation and good-standing in the food world. Alexander Kanin is the writer/author who in an attempt to bring awareness to the dangers of online criticism and negativity in the media publishes an essay that becomes the catalyst to the demise of Rachel's career. When he realizes what he's done he decides to do whatever he can to help her.
What I loved about this book - Through the wonder of fiction I was able to live vicariously through Rachel a life that in all likelihood I would never be able to live - that of a young urban Christian woman with a successful career in the food world! I also loved the romance between Rachel and Alexander and how it all developed.It was realistic and yet so perfect! And I can't leave out a mention of the role that their faith in God through Jesus Christ played in their relationship and lives, which is why I love Christian Fiction so much.
This book is the perfect combination of my fascination with all things Food Network and better-than-a-soap-opera romantic comedy/drama....quite simply, it was delicious and satisfying! Carla Laureano is a new-to-me author that is now one of my favorites and I will be anxiously awaiting to devour the next book in the Supper Club series!
I received this book through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I'm not what anyone would call a foodie. I enjoy food, but I'm not too adventurous in my tastes. That didn't stop me from enjoying this book. The descriptions of the food and food service were detailed enough that I didn't feel lost, but not so overly complicated that I felt overwhelmed. They just added to the view of the characters.

Speaking of characters, I thought the main characters Alex and Rachel were very well fleshed out. Laureano gave enough of their story to help me connect and understand their flaws. She also didn't reveal too much at once which kept me interested. Alex seems perfect sometimes, but his flaws are more subtle. Rachel's insecurities are more obvious, but I really came to understand her better as she came to understand herself. The secondary characters were interesting enough that I look forward to hearing their stories in future books.

The faith aspect was subtle during most of the book. It's sometimes difficult to bring out the faith of the characters so that it's clear while also making it feel authentic. For the most part this book did a pretty good job. There were a few times where I thought faith should have played a larger role in conversations and decisions, but I enjoyed seeing both of the characters grow and mature.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I'm almost embarrassed by how quickly I read it. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one.

This is the perfect read for a foodie, but even if you’re not a foodie, one can appreciate all the wonderful descriptions of food.

I really enjoyed this book. It had good Christian themes and had a really good message. I love books that I don't have to worry about giving to my mom to read. The kind that have no cursing or sexual content. This was AA+. Well-written and well-plotted out. I loved the characters in it also.

culinary-fiction, food, christian-romance

Charming and witty with just the right amount of romance, Saturday Night Supper Club was a delicious read.
What I loved :
The food! The descriptions had my mouth watering! Be forewarned, don’t read when you are hungry!!
Rachel’s relationship with her friends, they were always there for her supporting her through the good and the bad.
The accurate portrayal of a chefs life.. it’s not all glitz and glamor that you see on t.v, it’s hard gritty work..
What I didn’t like:
Nothing.. I can’t think of one thing!

I really enjoyed reading Saturday Night Supper Club, it was my first book by Carla Laureano, but I will definitely be reading more!

That you Netgalley & Tyndale publishing for a e copy of this book .. all opinions are my own

I always love it when I expect one thing from a highly anticipated book and I come away with so much more. My little review won't be able to do justice, but I'm still going to try!

"The Saturday Night Supper Club" has been on my must read list for months, and I was thrilled to get an advance copy to read (GoodReads giveaways are worth the effort!).

I knew the basics of the story. An award-winning chef gets tangled up in the controversy surrounding an article and review that go viral, and she ultimately loses all she's worked hard to achieve.

Said article writer then reaches out in apology, and to make amends, he offers his help as she begins a new and exciting venture, called The Saturday Night Supper Club. It's all things food and a decent romantic tale.

But Carla Laureano's novel is about so much more. It's about being true to how we're made, investing in people with our gifts and talents. About taking risks and revealing the truth about ourselves, becoming vulnerable as we become transparent.

It's about realistic and not so realistic dreams, and what we're both willing and required to do to arrive at those dreams fulfilled. And it's about a man and a woman who fall in toe-curling, squeal with delight, remember what it was like love.

And other things like that. Friendships, partnerships, and relationships. And it is so, so good. I'm actually a bit upset with myself for devouring the story so quickly! Now, I'll be waiting forever for the next book to release!

Because there simply must be another book!

What a tasty story. I wish there was recipes but then at the same time I don’t think I would ever cook anything close to the fancy food described in this story. Luckily this isn’t a cook book and the real story is a journey into self discovery. I loved that both Rachel and Alex had opportunities to grow and see themselves differently. I thought they were a great complement to each other. Each was very well drawn and despite baggage was able to see good in the world. I thought including Rachel’s spiritual journey was wonderful but could have been fleshed out a bit more. As written now it didn’t feel as life altering and I think it was supposed to be.

I do look forward to more in this series! Hopefully Ana and Melody will get time to shine and find someone to match their lives.

The Saturday Night Supper Club Is a great book about food - nah - it has the aspect of food but it is a book of regrowth it gets you to care along with the characters a lot of feelings and the author has you visualizing everything intricately. You find yourself so enthralled and involved in the characters lives and you are having so much fun - I mean who doesn't love food? Who doesn't love GOD - well there are some who don't but I'm sure you're not one of them;)

The Saturday Night Supper Club is another wonderful story by Carla Laureano. It’s a delightful romance with realistic characters and situations. Both Rachel Bishop and Alex Kanin reminded me of myself because they both seemed to always be striving to prove they were worthy. As a life-long striver, I could relate to their struggles, and those struggles were really what made the book meaningful to me. In addition, it was easy to fall in love with both main characters, especially Alex. He was such a good, decent man. Definitely book boyfriend worthy. The supporting characters were interesting, and I can’t help but hope there will be other books written telling their stories. Of course, I might have a secret desire just to spend a little more time with Alex and Rachel. Finally, there was a lot of culinary terminology used, which was quite educational, and the supper club sounded like so much fun, I think I want to start one.

The cover art captivated my attention...however, the story line captured me completely. Well written. Enchanting. I loved it. You will too.

The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Story Notes

Carla Laureano brings a fun story to life in the Mile High City that will leave your mouth watering for the amazing food being made and just maybe falling a bit in love with the art of cooking.

I spent most of this book alternating between wanting to finish the story and wanting to go try my hand at cooking the dishes described. I love to cook and love to try out fresh new ideas and this book gave some real inspiration for my future dishes. But there was so much more to this book than just the food being made and it is this that I will share here. The story begins in the kitchen, naturally, of the Denver high end restaurant Paisley, where Rachel Bishop is the executive chef. Winning the prestigious James Beard Award has made her one of the top chefs in the country but Rachel would rather be part owner of Paisley than run the kitchen of a top restaurant in a more major city. She has all she ever wanted and more and is loving the fast paced race of getting everything made and plated for her customers each day. Enter the article of one Alex Kanin, who wrote to show the damage someone can do with social media and its followers. He left out specific names but still implied enough to ensure Rachel was one of the main characters of his focus. Add to this a disastrous cut-and-pasting-together of an impromptu interview Rachel gives when she is accosted by a reporter outside her restaurant and Rachel’s name quickly becomes mud with everyone online. Losing not only her reputation but her partnership in the restaurant, Rachel will now have make her way in a world that employs based on reputation and experience – one she just lost and the other doesn’t seem to be important anymore. Alex never imagined that his article would go viral and cause the exact kind of damage he was railing against. Realizing he has cost Rachel everything about her career, Alex approaches her with an apology and a proposition to help her regain what she lost. And so, the Saturday Night Supper Club was born! Using their combined skills Alex and Rachel will create a unique experience that not only inspires praise but will help Rachel become the most requested chef in Denver once again. Along the way, each of them will learn more about themselves and what exactly they are holding most dear. Trust and friendship that start out grudgingly given become more readily offered and even lead to a deeper relationship than either of them dreamed they could ever have. It is the understanding that both of them, while coming from broken homes, have much to offer the world and others just by doing what they were called by God to do. And further they will see that although fame and money are nice to have, there is joy and contentment to be found in embracing who you were created to be. I loved the story that was developed in these pages. There were real fears, real struggles and real situations that anyone could be facing every day and it made for a good connection with the characters portrayed. How many of us hope and pray that who we are is acceptable to those around us? And how many of us are afraid to be who we really are because its not like those who seem to have it all? Ms. Laureano quietly eliminates those questions with Alex’s very empowering statement ” If God had wanted you to be anything other than who and what you are, He would have made you that way.” In her careful and kind way, Ms. Laureano tackles head on the thoughts that we need to measure up to anything other than God’s expectations of us – and even when we don’t, there is grace and mercy to catch us when we fall. This is the kind of book that when you read it, you hope it will become a movie at some point. I would really love it if it became a Hallmark movie, because then it would stay true to the writing and have a chance to really shine. And in spite of the predictability that seems to hover over every Hallmark movie, this story would be fresh, new and have enough surprises to keep it from being seen the same as others. I’m also hoping this is the beginning of a series as hinted at on the cover with the writing “a supper club novel”. I would love to see where Ms Laureano would take Rachel’s friends, Alex’s sister and his best friend Bryan. There is some great potential for stories with the fun characters she has already created in this book. I will most certainly recommend this book to others and am looking forward to Ms. Laureano’s future works.

I received this E-book free of charge from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

If you ask readers what plot points or ideas they don’t like in novels, there is always one that comes up: the impossibly good-looking hero or heroine. Others dislike too-rich heroes. Or writers. Or all of the above. I confess: I’m one of them. I especially don’t like the impossibly handsome rich writer (except for Richard Castle, but we all know he’s a joke).

The Saturday Night Supper Club has all these things (except for Richard Castle.) Despite that, it’s a great read—almost perfect contemporary Christian romance. It’s also a lesson in the power of the media—especially social media—to work for good and for evil.

And the food … I wanted it all. Well, except the chard. And the fennel. It was a weed where I grew up, and we were all told not to eat it.

Anyway, about the book …
Rachel Bishop is the darling of the Denver casual fine dining scene until a misplaced comment to the wrong person goes viral. Writer Alex Kanin unintentionally started the whole media firestorm, but doesn’t realise the full extent of the repercussions until he tries to apologise to Rachel, and finds his article has cost Rachel her job.

Yes, he’s the impossibly handsome writer whose debut memoir jumped to the top of all the right bestseller lists. He’s also rich, thanks to a couple of timely investments, and grew up in a well-off immigrant family. In contrast, Rachel left home without graduating high school, and has risen to the top of her profession through hard work and determination.

The Saturday Night Supper Club is the story of how Alex and Rachel work together to try and resurrect her career.
It’s a romance, so you know how that goes. It also has a solid Christian thread, in that both Rachel and Alex are Christians, and each has lessons to learn about the nature of God. But it’s not preachy, which is great.

Overall, The Saturday Night Supper Club is a great contemporary Christian romance, with wonderful characters, and wonderful food. I do hope there are a couple of sequels in the works!

Thanks to Tyndale Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Before I talk about the book itself, I first must swoon over Alex. He is a “specimen of pure male beauty” … “mussed brown hair”… hazel eyes … and a “chiseled jaw shaded with just the right amount of stubble.” Whew. I’m still fanning from our first glimpse of him. Add in his killer grin, great heart, and general swooniness? HUBBA HUBBA!

But in all his well-intentioned goodness, he inadvertently makes a mess of poor Rachel’s life. (We forgive him, of course, because … hello… did you not just read that paragraph right above this one?) And I love the fact that Laureano doesn’t let him off the hook as easily as we might be tempted to. Nor does she let Rachel get away with her own flaws. Together, they take the burnt mess of the great social media debacle and reframe it into a deep spiritual message that nothing is wasted in the hands of God.

This isn’t a mushy romance with little substance. In fact, I don’t think Laureano could write one of those if her life depended on it. Instead, we are treated to a deliciously swoonlicious romance inside a greater novel. A novel peppered with scrumptious food platings, descriptions that put you right in the heart of the urban-chic Denver setting, layered characters (main as well as supporting), and an authentic sincerity to the message.

Bottom Line: I’ve been waiting for what feels like FOREVER for a new novel by Carla Laureano (no, i’m not melodramatic at all, I promise), and The Saturday Night Supper Club not only hit the spot – it completely exceeded even my high expectations. This is a gourmet reading experience, fine dining of the written word. Yet at the same time, it’s completely relatable and engaging. Along with subtle humor and friendly composition, Laureano seamlessly weaves into this story the message of trusting God to waste nothing that comes your way (even if that involves a disaster of your own making) – as well as the strength that comes from true friendship and the breathless beauty of true love. Highly recommended both for foodies and for those of us who are afraid of the kitchen!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Ya'll know I love food. And books. And foodie fiction, which combines the culinary world and story SO WELL. The latest treat I have had the privilege of reading is the recent release from author Carla Laureano, aptly named The Saturday Night Supper Club.

The Saturday Night Supper Club impressed me in so many ways: from the vivid descriptions of place and tantalizing food, to the unique and relevant social media fallout angle as a story influence, and to the portrayal of a life journey filled with deep meaning and purpose. Perhaps the most prominent, though, is its complexity of characters and their respective interconnected relationships and backstories. These were revealed one morsel at a time, creating a character arc that is all the more meaningful because of the reader's understanding by story's end. This delightful complexity is what will make me proclaim Supper Club as a favorite and best-of-the-year read for many months to come!

If you will allow me to use a food analogy, I will further describe its awesomeness: The foodie atmosphere and eclectic setting are the appetizer, laying the foundation. The character transformation is the main course with great substance. The resulting romance is the dessert, like a salted caramel truffle, ending with a sweet note but not without its "salty" contrasts of reality.

Most impressive to me is that you cannot typecast Alex or Rachel. They are layered so well--- as you get deeper and deeper into the story you get equally deeper into who they are, why they make certain choices, and how they play off of and affect each other. There is a romantic aspect of this story, but it is almost distinct and separate from the personal growth of these characters and their friendship~relationship dynamic.

I just want more of this little story world, Alex's and Rachel's friends, and with the book 2 teaser at the end, I am up to my elbows in bliss because it's about Melody and BAKING!

Thank you to the publisher, Tyndale, for the review copy. This is my honest review.