OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hope" by dhtreichler.]

Hope is a fictional book written by David H. Treichler. He is also known as ‘Dhtreichler.’ The book is about a food blogger named ‘J.’ She is torn between the two men in her life. Xavier ‘X’ Francis is a very famous chef and has his own cooking show. He travels all over the world and introduces the most obscure and exotic restaurant locations to people. J’s blogs are mostly about watching his cooking shows and discussing them. After a night of cooking a meal together, talking, and being intimate with X, J begins to fall in love with him. The problem is that X is never in one place for too long and is always looking for his next big traveling adventure. Meanwhile, Harris ‘Ace’ Acevedo, a rich property developer, actually wants a committed relationship with J. So, who will J choose to be with? Will she follow her head or her heart? Find out in this intriguing book that skillfully explores relationships and powerful connections between food, family, friends, art, and love.

I enjoyed how this book actually teaches the reader about different dishes and cultures. The history, the preparation, the location, and the taste of different foods were all discussed. I liked learning about all the secret ingredients that chefs in different countries used to make an apparent simple dish have a distinctive taste. It was very clever to have X basically introduce different foods and locations to the reader during his cooking show. Then, J wrote her blog on the specific dish that X talked about, so the reader got her perspective as well. It was interesting how J got to know more and more about X through watching his show and seeing him talk about various foods. It’s clear that the author did a lot of research on all the dishes and wild locations.

I likewise liked that there was an unexpected curveball toward the end of the book. Something that at first seemed like a predictable love triangle had an unpredictable resolution, which I obviously don’t want to spoil. I will say that the resolution brought a certain touch of realism and was very thought-provoking.

Unfortunately, not everything in the book worked. The descriptions of the characters and the character development were both lacking. The main heroine was known simply as ‘J.’ We never find out her full name or that much about her, except that she is a pretty good food blogger. We don’t get much of a description of her or the other characters to know what they look like. It was mentioned that both X and Ace were good looking, but that was about as far as the descriptions went. I don’t usually need a lot of description, but a few important details about the characters would have been nice to include. I would have also liked to have more background information about each of the three main characters than what was mentioned, especially about J. She was almost the most mysterious character, and her motivations were the least clear of the three. That was odd, as she was also the narrator, and the story was from her perspective. Even the fact that she was Asian was not revealed until close to the end. We just never learn enough about her to really care about her as much as we probably should.

I’m rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. I liked learning about all the different exotic locations, the dishes, and obscure ingredients that were used. It was great the way the book showed how food, family, art, and love can all be intertwined. I also enjoyed the unique writing style of the book as well as the professional editing. I’m taking a star away because I thought that there could have been more descriptions and better character development. A novel that focuses so much on the preparation of food and its ingredients will obviously not be for everyone. It is not recommended for readers who like a lot of action and excitement in a book. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a slower read and like to learn about different foods, ingredients, and cultures.

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Hope
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In an experience of Iove, we find issues of culture. Thanks for a wonderful review

You had me at food and love! I am curious about the love triangle plot twist at the end. I agree that a revealing character trait introduced near the end of the story could have an unfavorable impact on a reader.

It's really jarring to read a book when it's has a lot of details but lacks basic substance, i.e., character development. I think I'll pass! Thanks for this review!

That's cool..new outlet in reading world..cultures teaches us different things and dishes are yummy

I love the thought of learning about different dishes and locations. However, the thought of someone trying to choose between 2 different men doesn't really appeal to me. So, I'll probably skip this one. Thanks for the information though!

I liked your review, but it sounds like this wouldn't be a good fit for me. I do like a lot of action. I, also, don't really care to hear about the different foods or ingredients, although I do like reading about exotic places. Thanks for the review!

I haven’t actually read this book but I have a pretty good idea of what it’s about and the qualities of it. Thanks for your review, I genuinely enjoyed reading it.

It's certainly new that we don't get to learn the main character's full name, along with the fact that the author seems to like referring to his characters by their initials. The premise is fascinating, but I wish more would be done with the development and description - I think I'll give this a pass for now. Thanks for the lovely review.

This sounds like a fun read for aspiring chefs who enjoy romance novels.

I wonder who she will choose to be with? I hope it's who you were rooting for, as there is nothing more disappointing than rooting for a relationship that doesn't end up going anywhere!

Great review!