The Restaurant (The Nantucket Restaurant series)

I'm sorry but this book was a simplistic disappointment. There is absolutely no depth to the characters-they are just "cardboard cutouts". There is no sense of realistic human emotion and they are far, far too economically well off to be relatable. Marriages end, kids are told over pasta and the head off to Dad's that weekend....no financial trouble, no conflict, no fear, no family history that informs us of why these three women are where they are. They are said to be accomplished but seem to need no intelligent self-preservation instincts. It's impossible to care what happens to them because they don't seem to. Everything is so glib and manageable I don't know why we would bother to follow this story to the end...I'm sorry I tied up time doing so. (I'm not usually this negative but what a waste of a summer reading opportunity.)

I don't like to give negative reviews but I quit reading this book after a few chapters because the writing is very simplistic. No depth. I'm sure it could be interesting from the owning and working in a restaurant point of view, but the writing is very choppy...too much "she said" then "she said" and another "she said." I rarely stop reading a book I purchase, especially given that it had a very good rating on Amazon, but felt my reading time would be better spent on another book.

I found this book’s quality of writing, level of editing, and storyline to be quite pedestrian. I almost gave up on it multiple times and it never got better. It also has some sexist areas. The only reason I gave it two stars is that it did take mind mind off the pandemic, elections etc. for a bit. I absolutely will NOT be reading anything from this writer again. This book was “served” to me multiple times on Amazon and I kind of feel I was duped.

I love books that incorporate food and family and was really looking forward to this. However, this was the most boring read I have had in a long time, and I read a lot. The dialog was uninspired - every character sounded exactly the same and even when she touched on a potentially interesting story line, there was no emotion or depth. I was constantly wondering how the characters really felt in the situation they were in and how a normal person would react. Even the most heart wrenching situations were dealt with like they were ordering a sandwich. I never felt any anticipation or surprise. She had the potential for really great characters, but they were like Flat Stanleys: "Here is Mandy in x situation. Mandy is sad. Mandy is confused. Mandy is making stuffed shells in a tomato sauce. The tomato sauce is red and smells good. Cooking gives her some comfort." (my version of a scene in the book) Even the descriptions of the food, restaurants and Nantucket scenery are flat. "We went to the new restaurant. The seating was a deep red leather. I had not been there before. He ordered a steak. He always orders steak. The meal was excellent. He dropped me at my condo. 'Goodbye, see you tomorrow.'" (again, my version of the scene) WHAT DID THEY TALK ABOUT?! HOW DID SHE FEEL DURING DINNER?! WHAT WAS SHE FEELING DURING THE CAR RIDE?! Such a shame. I guess if you are the type of person that does not like delving into emotions in emotional situations, this is a comfortable read. If you are the type of person who does not like any passion in their reading beyond; "He kissed me. It was a good kiss. I had butterflies in my stomach," This is your read. Definitely not mine. I'm not saying there has to be graphic scenes to make it interesting, but even if you are being discreet or modest, there are ways to describe the experiences people are having or had. I almost want to search out one of her other books to understand how she is a NY Times and Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author. Maybe this is just a dud, but I doubt it.

This was not a book I would recommend to anyone. These three sisters were indistinguishable from one another due to having been given zero personal character descriptions. The only thing differentiating them were their names and circumstances, otherwise all had the same personality which was none. I have never come across a book with so much descriptions of what they were eating, which I did not find to be the least bit interesting. Way too much detail about the food, including what sauces and spices were in the meals. I was surprised it didn't say what temperature the food was cooking at in the oven!!!! This book was definitely not my cup of tea (green tea boiled with a slice of lemon and a hint of milk and honey with a dash of peppermint).

The plot had SUCH potential!! Three sisters take over a restaurant their grandma secretly owned... so much conflict and growth SHOULD have ensued, but literally nothing exciting happened...ever. I can't believe how disappointing this book was! It fell so flat, with absolutely no climactic events. Everything was beyond predictable. Even things with potential conflict, such as cheating husbands/divorce, ended in the most boring and nonrealistic ways. SKIP. THIS. BOOK.

This book was so predictable and sap laden. Read the description and you have basically read the book. It’s annoying the way the author has to explain terms a restaurant uses like the reader is super dumb. Next, the characters are so shallow and have no depth. She makes their divorces seem like a cakewalk. I’ve been around friends who have gone through divorces, it’s never that easy. Basically, don’t waste your precious reading time on this book.

Very slow. All the relationships develop in the last 30 pages or so. Then, the last couple chapters are rushed and ending feels abrupt. Too much detail on food (plating, looks, taste) and not enough character development.

The characters were flat, the story line was non existent, there was nothing interesting about this book. How this was ever put into print is beyond comprehension.

Somehow Amazon recommended this book for me, and I thought it would be nice combination of a culinary journey and a virtual journey to Nantucket. Neither one happened. The description/recipes in the book - basic at best, and as far as Nantucket- I learned there is Whaler’s museum. The plot is shallow and predictable, although idea behind the book could really bring so much more with the war-time love story of the grandmother.
On the positive side - the book cover is very nice: both more appetizing and contains more information about Nantucket (a picture) than the entire book.