Cake

A novel

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Pub Date 27 May 2019 | Archive Date 06 Jul 2019

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Description

Would you give to someone who desperately needed it, that which you could live without?Keely is the epitome of a self-made woman, her ability to make the right choices her superpower.

She doesn’t believe in looking back and has the drive, ambition, and financial means to create the exact life she wants to live—regardless of what her kids and her husband, Andrew, want or need. Michelle lives in stark contrast to Keely’s life.

She believes she was doomed from the start with a heartbreaking, poverty-stricken childhood. A string of bad choices in adulthood only intensifies her lack of faith in herself.

With her daughter safely away at college, she is left alone with her abusive husband, Ray. As the days drag on, she struggles to find a reason to continue. Until she meets Andrew. The two women’s worlds eventually collide, courtesy of their daughters, and both are forced to contemplate a time-worn question: is the comfort of a familiar self-constructed prison safer than the risk of trying to live a life of true freedom and potentially failing?

Cake asks how much the world has really changed for women—and for which women—by evaluating the progress of modern feminism. This novel examines privilege, the haves and have-nots, the ideals we choose to embrace, and the facts we forcefully decide to not see.

This story entices the reader to contemplate whether our material and emotional conditions arise from childhood environments, personal choice, systemic inequality, or a combination of them all.

Would you give to someone who desperately needed it, that which you could live without?Keely is the epitome of a self-made woman, her ability to make the right choices her superpower.

She doesn’t...


Advance Praise

"Nicole Brooks weaves a tale of inner and outer suspense, posing the question: which prison is worse, the one you make for yourself, or the one constructed for you? In this moving, delicate novel, two women with radically different lives both find themselves trapped. Cake is a fantastic exploration of how women are still coached to make decisions that will, in the end, imprison themselves—and how we can all break free."

— Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of The Child Finder

"Nicole Brooks weaves a tale of inner and outer suspense, posing the question: which prison is worse, the one you make for yourself, or the one constructed for you? In this moving, delicate novel...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781775155430
PRICE $5.92 (USD)

Average rating from 25 members


Featured Reviews

There are those people who have the strength to seemingly always make the right choices. Then there are others due to circumstances beyond their control, who don't or can't. this is a story of two women. One who seems to have everything, except empathy or compassion for those who are as successful as she.. The other lives with an abusive husband and while she would like to leave, she is afraid. A thought provoking book that will stay with you for a long time.

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Opens your eyes to the world of women who face each day with fear and terror when living with a monster. I really liked how the story alternated from the two women and their daughters. Really helps the reader to understand each life and how choices affect families. Well done!

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This novel is about two women and the very different lives that they lead. Keely is an empowered woman that has it all. She has the house, the trophy husband and three great kids. Still, she is bitter and cold towards those that should be the center of her heart. Her world revolves are her and her alone. She believes that life is a result of one's choices and only that person can change the circumstances. Michelle is a helpless and oppressed woman who has been abused from childhood. She feels that she doesn't deserve any better that what the universe has handed her. She is the victim of her circumstances. Her one accomplishment is her daughter Cassie. Michelle stays in her dark and lonely life to protect her daughter. Keely and Michelle's world collide when Michelle has an affair with Andrew, Keely's husband.
Keely is forced to deal with her inner demons and her past feelings, while Michelle comes to terms with the fact that she alone has to decide what her freedom will cost.
The author weaves an emotionally-charged story while challenging your view of what we value in this life.

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Many novels are written to a formula, variations on a theme; change the characters, create some different crises, but end on a similar and familiar note. Many readers are comfortable with such familiarity and predictability.

This is not that. There are ‘in your face’ messages in this book, the points are made in spades. Be prepared to become frustrated, angered, surprised, but most of all, I hope, sympathetic and empathetic.

The story is told through first person narratives of the primary characters, four women (the men play supporting roles only - one the caricature of the worst male characteristics; the other of the best). The reader comes to understand the characters, both good and bad traits, through their thoughts and conversations.

By far the most important issue dealt with is domestic violence against women. Michelle believes that, for whatever reason, she was born to suffer in this world. Her husband keeps her under control through a combination of brutal physical abuse, intimidation and the always present threat he presents to his step daughter. Michelle believes her only purpose in life is to protect her daughter. Even as she is successful in raising her daughter to become a caring, self confident young woman, she feels there is no escaping her situation, she is thoroughly and completely under his rule and command. Even when others offer alternatives she cannot risk the ever-present threat he presents to her beloved daughter. She comes to believe there is only one path of escape and comes very close to ending it all.

This is also a story of redemption. An overachiever, fitness nut, and successful business woman, Keely has always believed that the most important relationship she has is the one with herself. Husband and daughter are neglected and are secondary to maintaining personal beauty and her physical fitness business. She associates only with women of similar minds. But the future will reveal the huge fault in her belief system.

I was not entirely satisfied with the one-dimensionality of the characters. The dialogue failed to fully explore the character's personalities.

A story reflecting today’s world and attitudes it is valuable for its insights and attitudes. ‘Enjoy’ is not really an appropriate descriptor - perhaps ‘revelatory’ and satisfying are better words to describe my feelings having read this book.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This book follows Keely and Michelle... two women who live totally different lives. Keely is more "empowered" I'd say. She has the storybook life.. a husband, three kids, a beautiful home.... yet she's cold... and seems pretty selfish. She believes that life is a result of your own choices, and only you can change that so to speak. Michelle had a rough childhood where she was abused, she doesn't feel like she deserves any better than what life has given her. She is a victim of circumstances in her life. Her daughter is her life.
Keely and Michelle's lives intertwine when Michelle has an affair with Keely's husband.
I agree with others that the book dragged in certain areas. but overall, the storyline was good.

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CAKE is a fable, shaped like a contemporary romance, set in modern Canada. The juxtaposition of the two main characters, women of middle age but different economic levels, is quite enough by itself to lend contrast. Then not only does the husband shift from one of them to the other, their two children fall in love... it's much more neat and tidy than real life, unless it was an operetta, not a novel about domestic violence and prejudice.

Both these women are ensnared by illusions. Michelle is in the millennia-old trap of a downtrodden sex object, unused to love and thinking she deserves nothing. Keely has fallen for the consumer media generated projections of what success and happiness look like, but refuses the real thing when it threatens to break that illusion and ends up starved and alone. Both are so wrong!

Helpful side characters continually offer escape to them both. The happy ending is when they each manage to take it. And the big symbolic denouement is to 'let them eat cake'.

The major characters in the book are all amazingly realistic, pitch-perfect. I didn't resent the way everything worked into a Happily ever after until the end when I read through the 'study guide ' appendix. Only then did I realize I'd been ambushed by 'romance mode'. Very crafty, Brooks.

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Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a page turning domestic drama for me. It was about a few members of two different families that were intertwined for kind of unbelievable reasons (think soap opera) but nonetheless that made it interesting. I thought the characters were well developed and there were some good points about being a woman and having limited options when you make certain lifestyle choices.

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I received this novel via ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.

Two womens lives, a world apart, collide when Michelle, a downtrodden middle-aged woman, who has known only neglect and abuse from men, meets Andrew and falls in love. This will change forever, not only her lives, but the lives of those around her.

Thought provoking, this novel alternatively shocked and saddened me, but never bored me.

Read it.

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Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

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I began reading Cake by Nicole Brooks with some trepidation but I would have missed out big-style, had I not followed my instincts and read it anyway! I found the book to be most compelling and engaging.

Cake is told from several different perspectives, allowing the reader to gain an insight into the minds of various cast members, thus enhancing the story. As a result, I couldn't wait to turn to the next page to see how the characters' lives were progressing, either positively or otherwise. Nicole’s writing style is a good fit for me; easy-to-read, clear and with subtle dashes of humour, whilst delivering a rich portrayal of certain key characters. In Cake there is sadness by the bucket-load, along with some awe and shocks throughout, and this could have been a rather melancholic and sombre novel. However, Nicole Brooks cleverly levelled the equilibrium with some well-placed lighter, comedic moments. The themes at the core of this book are timely and relevant and this novel beautifully highlights concepts of violence, sexual identity, self-esteem, body image, and the need for acceptance. Definitely a provocative, fulfilling read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

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I recently read "Cake" by Nicole Brooks and I must say, it was a page-turning domestic drama for me. The story centers around a few members of two different families that are intertwined in somewhat unbelievable ways, but that's what makes it interesting. The characters were well-developed and I enjoyed reading about the different perspectives and struggles of being a woman and having limited options when it comes to lifestyle choices. The book touched on the age-old debate of nature vs nurture and how small choices made early in life can manifest into more complex issues as one grows older. The author's writing style allowed for the story to be told from several different perspectives and I found myself relating to at least one of the characters. Overall, "Cake" was an enjoyable and quick read that encourages readers to live authentically and be true to themselves. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an uplifting and thought-provoking read.

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