The Icing on the Cake by Alison Kent

THE ICING ON THE CAKE
Author: Alison Kent
Source: Gifted

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: HCI; 1 edition (August 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0757315356
ISBN-13: 978-0757315350

SUMMARY:

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match . . . dot com!  An on-line dating service is not Michelle Snow's idea of how to find love but when the Big 3-0 hits, Michelle decides she has nothing to lose since she hasn't brought a date home in ten years, she's professionally burned out, and her climb up the corporate ladder has come at the expense of abandoning her sweet dream: to own a boutique cupcakery.

Todd Bracken, early 30s and a successful technology consultant, isn't exactly a player after being off the market for ten years, and pours himself into his dual passions of martial arts and home-sweet-home renovations. Only there's no one to come home to so he decides to give Match.com a try. Todd isn't so sure the Internet dating scene is his thing—until a message pops up in the wee hours on a weekend night: "I like your smile." Todd likes—a lot—the whole package that glides into a French bistro in Washington, D.C.

It's serious mojo-at-first-sight but there's a glitch: Todd and Michelle live in different cities. Will love find its way in the digital age with a You've Got Mail courtship when video cam kisses just aren't enough? And when Todd challenges Michelle to not only go for her dream but let him share it, will they be able to make it happen together despite obstacles more plentiful than a shower of rainbow sprinkles? 

MY THOUGHTS:

When I first ventured into reading this book,  I didn't realize it was based on a true story.  Yes, the book is part of the True Vows series that is reality based romance, but it never really clicked with me until I looked up the publisher site.  Imagine having your love story written into a book? How amazing is that?


What I loved about Michelle and Todd was the fact that they both were hesitant on starting a full fledged relationship.  Michelle had been hurt in the past, and Todd had never found that special someone to make it click as a true relationship.  When the two meet online under the site Match.com, they are both surprised at the ease of the first date.  They both can't believe how connected they are after only a few dates.  I also loved Todd and his sense of humor.  It was refreshing and much needed after reading sob filled romances lately.  I loved how he could easily bring a smile to Michelle's face when she needed it.  I also loved how Michelle never gave up her dream of opening her own bakery.  For someone who clearly loved to bake, it was the perfect life choice for her.  When she gets laid off by her real estate company, I cheered at the fact that now she would be able to continue her dreams of opening a bakery.  


One of the other great points of the book that I fell in love with was the relationship between Michelle's parents.  They were fun and carefree with a twinkle of love that has made it through the years.  I loved her mother's support and love of baking she passed on to her daughter and her fathers sense of humor filled the pages with a supportive touch.  Plus the descriptive words of the recipes had my mouth watering and craving sweets the whole time I read this book.


If there was any bad parts of the book that needs to be addressed, it would be the lack of story arc.  While I enjoyed the build of the quick and sweet romance,  I felt there was no real story arc or hurdle for the romance to have.  No secret affairs or secrets that would be found in a regular romance book.  Yet, since this is based on a reality based romance, I was pleased to know that there are still hopes and dreams at a perfect relationship for the singles out there.  


I think the one reason this book was such a great read for me though was because in a round-about sort of way, this is how my husband and I met.  We didn't sign up through a dating site, but we were friends that flirted online first and blossomed into the relationship that we have now.  Yes, online romances can happen and Todd, Michelle, my husband and I are all proof of that.

To check out their real bakery, check out Michelle and Todd's site here: Frosting A Cupcakery

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!