All You Can Dream Buffet

The All You Can Dream Buffet

Barbara O'Neal

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs—Barbara O’Neal’s new novel of food, friendship, and the freedom to grow your dreams brings together four very different women longing to savor the true taste of happiness.
 
Popular blogger and foodie queen Lavender Wills reigns over Lavender Honey Farms, a serene slice of organic heaven nestled in Oregon wine country. Lavender is determined to keep her legacy from falling into the profit-driven hands of uncaring relatives, and she wants an heir to sustain her life’s work after she’s gone. So she invites her three closest online friends—fellow food bloggers, women of varied ages and backgrounds—out to her farm. She hopes to choose one of them to inherit it—but who?

There’s Ginny, the freckle-faced Kansas cake baker whose online writing is about to lead her out of a broken marriage and into a world of sensual delights. And Ruby, young, pregnant, devoted to the organic movement, who’s looking for roots—and the perfect recipe to heal a shattered heart. Finally, Val, smart and sophisticated, a wine enthusiast who needs a fresh start for her teenage daughter after tragedy has rocked their lives. Coming together will change the Foodie Four in ways they could never have imagined, uniting them in love and a common purpose. As they realize that life doesn’t always offer a perfect recipe for happiness, they also discover that the moments worth savoring are flavored with some tears, a few surprises, and generous helping of joy.
 
Review: I have thoroughly enjoyed O'Neal's other books, but this one wasn't quite as delightful as the others.  Perhaps it was because the narrative was split between four different women, meaning that none of them were quite as fleshed out as I would have liked.  Or perhaps it was because each chapter contained a blog post, and I found the blogs a little annoying.  Or perhaps I just didn't buy into how such four completely different women could have formed a strong friendship without ever meeting.  This was still a nice book, just not as enjoyable as her others.

Rating: 3 stars