A Taste of Fame

A Taste of Fame is the second installment in the Potluck Catering Club series of novels by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson. In this novel, the group of friends and fellow caterers who call themselves, you guessed it, the Potluck Catering Club win a berth on a reality TV show, the Great Party Showdown. From the publisher’s description:

Is America ready to meet the Potluck Catering Club on reality TV?

The women of the Potluck Catering Club have a growing business. They even became the subject of a budding filmmaker’s class project. Problem is, they didn’t read the fine print when they signed off on his documentary. When he enters the club in the reality show The Great Party Showdown, the ladies of Summit View, Colorado, must head to the Big Apple for the unexpected adventure of their lives.

Between navigating New York City, dealing with cutthroat contestants, and trying to maintain their close friendship in the surreal world of reality TV, the Potluck women must keep their eyes on the prize–a cool million dollars–and work together if they’re going to make it back home in one piece.

A Taste of Fame serves up the perfect blend of humor, misadventure, and mouthwatering recipes. Fans new and old will love this exciting trip into the wild world of competitive cooking!

As I said, this is the second in the series and, as such, the authors seem to devote a lot of word space filling the reader in on each character’s back-story, something I generally appreciate if I have not read the prior books in the series (and in this case, I hadn’t). I felt, though, that I was given too much back-story with far too much detail, to the point that it grew somewhat tedious and confusing. Also, this is an ensemble story, each chapter told in a different character’s first person point of view. An effective storytelling tool, except I kept forgetting to check the chapter heading to see who was speaking! I’d read a few pages and then have to flip back.

That being said, once the back-story got out of the way and once I remembered to see who was doing the telling, the latter part of the book was far more entertaining than the first. Is someone out to wreck the Potluck Club’s chances? Will they win? Who’s sending the mysterious notes? Will Donna fall in love with David or with Wade?

Full of personal drama, quirky characters, and an interesting glimpse into the Potluck Club’s catering world (Dressed as gorillas? Caterers do that?), A Taste of Fame was, at the end, a light, fun, entertaining read. And, as a bonus, the authors have included recipes from the story in the back of the book! I made the Mississippi Mud Cake last Saturday and it was a hit!

If you’re interested in more Potluck Catering Club recipes, be sure to check out their cookbook, The Potluck Club Cookbook! I know I plan to make a few Potluck dishes myself.

Thanks to Revell publishers, together with the authors, for sending me these complimentary copies!

Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….