The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

So when I needed to chose a cake, coconut seemed the right fit. This affinity came from my grandma who used to make a wonderful coconut cream pie. It would get dry and crunchy after a few days, but I ate it anyway (don’t judge me). As a child, I used to sneak bowls of shredded coconut into my closet and eat it. I love it the way some people love chocolate. I could have chosen any kind of cake, but I love coconut.Baking, in general, is more science than anything else, but because it’s food it sparks scent and taste memories-a perfect touchstone to Lou’s past.

Baking him a birthday cake and delivering it at an unexpected time helped set up that moment.Baking a cake is a systematic and precise process.I needed a reason for Lou to surprise her fiancé and catch him with another woman.

So, dear reader, how did coconut cake make it into the book? Let’s look at my rambling thought process. Point is, it’s all there for a reason, even if it’s because the actor we based the character off of has a lopsided grin. We create elaborate back stories for secondary characters that may never make it into the book. We invent facial tics and favorite curse words. Where to set the story, when to set the story, eye color, hair color, car color. Its only a matter of time before they fall in love.but when the truth comes out, will it be possible to overlook the past and savor a future together?'- Back cover.Writers make a lot of decisions when creating their worlds. Accepting the Englishman's challenge to prove there's more to the Milwaukee food scene than cheese and beer, Lou introduces her friend to the city's best. The day that Al's review runs, he meets Lou drowning her sorrows at a pub, and the two strike up a conversation. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service-unleashes his worst. When a tip sends him to Luella's, little does he know he's arrived on the worst day of the chef's life. Sardonic British transplant Al writes pseudonymous, scathing restaurant reviews for the local paper. She's just baked her fiancé a rich, delectable coconut cake, but when she drops by his apartment with the birthday surprise, she discovers him in the buff-with an intern. She cheerfully balances business, friends, and fiancé. 'In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chef Lou Johnson works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling restaurant, Luella's, into a success.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert