Skip to main content

Review: One Way or Another: An absolutely hilarious laugh out loud romantic comedy

One Way or Another: An absolutely hilarious laugh out loud romantic comedy One Way or Another: An absolutely hilarious laugh out loud romantic comedy by Colleen Coleman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Katie Kelly is the main character of this book, and we meet up with her when life has gone wrong. She’s split up from her boyfriend Ben, her restaurant which was her pride and joy has gone bust, and now to make ends meet she’s working in a kitchen at an old people’s home, while sofa surfing on her friend’s couch.
One of the residents Martha, suggests that Katie applies to work for one of the best chefs in the country, and so she starts to go through the application process when she discovers a fellow contestant, is her ex Ben, but there can only be one winner.
I am going to start by apologising, as I know that books are difficult things to write, and an author will pour their heart and soul into it and lay themselves bare for everyone to either love or hate you, (preferably love you!) but I didn’t like this book at all. To begin with, it bugged me that the plot was so similar to something else I read recently, and I actually enjoyed the other book more. Then I found that I didn’t like the main character Katie, which was a real problem. I turned into a petulant teenager, and just “didn’t care” whether she got the dream job or not, I felt no connection with her. And then there was the fact that it all seemed a bit too unbelievable – her living arrangements drastically changed, and I not sure that would actually happen, the speed at which she got selected, and yes, accommodation would be provided, but not to that degree, and the ending – oh god, don’t even get me started – too perfect for real life.
The story didn’t grip me, and I was racing through it, not for the enjoyment but merely to get to the end. (sorry!)
You know the saying “to cut a long story short?” this felt like completely the reverse. It would have made an enjoyable novella, or short story, but this felt like it was being padded out in some areas, and I would skip along pages and pages of prose just to get to the point.
The book has also been described as “A totally uplifting laugh loud romantic story…” well, I must have completely missed those bits, because there weren’t any bits that made me laugh, let alone out loud.
However, if you love Hells Kitchen, or are a fan of Masterchef, then you will love this book. For me, the one part of it that I did adore was Martha. Her back story is the story that I wanted to read about as she seemed so interesting, and I felt she should have been the main character with Katie being the sub plot.
I’m afraid, this just wasn’t the story for me, but I hope that many people enjoy it.


View all my reviews

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW: Moonlight Over Studland Bay by Della Galton

  Moonlight Over Studland Bay – Della Galton published by Boldwood Books Samantha Jones works as an audio typist for a local company in Dorset. However, it’s not her dreams job. She wanted to devote, and expand, Purbeck Pooches, her pet sitting service. When best friend (and housemate) Abby has a baby boy Sam’s priorities change and she realises she wants more from her life. Does she want life to continue as it is or does she want to look for the perfect sperm donor – on a drunken evening Abby and Sam draw up the perfect "daddy" list. Sam’s world is soon rocked when her boss Rex accuses her of moonlighting and her parents who have run a B&B locally for years make a shock revelation. I’m going to say it from the start…I loved this book! Sam is a relatable character who knows what she wants from life, but she doesn’t want to upset, hurt or trample on people to get it. She’s just an all-round good egg!! There were times in the book when Abby made me laugh but a...

Review: One Enchanted Evening

One Enchanted Evening by Anton du Beke My rating: 4 of 5 stars Anton Du Beke has his finger in many pies, professional dancer, singer, entertainer and now he can add novelist to the list. One Enchanted Evening is set in the ballroom of a London hotel in the 1930s and tells the story of Raymond De Guise, the principle dancer, chambermaid Nancy, and porter Billy who all work downstairs, behind the scenes of the hotel. As you would expect dancing is a big feature in this book, but also surprisingly was the politics of the time, which I found added another dimension to the story. If you like Downton Abbey or The Halcyon (the ITV drama set in a hotel) or Upstairs Downstairs, you will love this book. An enjoyable debut novel from Mr Du Beke. View all my reviews

Diva written by Daisy Goodwin and published by Aria and Aries

  Opera singer Maria Callas known as “ la divina” with her fabulous voice was born with note only a gift of singing, but also the drama and beauty needed to succeed on the worldwide operatic stages. Sadly, liked a bird in a gilded cage, Maria’s life is lonely, and although surrounded by people and her husband she feels isolated. When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she's found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. And then, suddenly, it's over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces. This is a fictional account based on true events, think of The...