Considering Us by Jenn Bouchard (Book Review)

Big thank you to the author for an advance copy of this delightful book.

Chef Devon Paige fears her career and life are over when an ill-fated affair becomes public in a very big way. After losing all but one of her high-end clients, all she wants to do is retreat to her beloved studio apartment in Boston while she tries to figure out what to do to salvage her reputation, but fate- it seems- has other plans. Following her spectacular downfall, her best friend refers her to a job at the prestigious boarding school Rockwood in New Hampshire. With no other options in sight, and despite "the one who got away" working at the school, Devon accepts. Thus begins the first of many second chances for Devon Paige.

I'm a big fan of redemption stories and second chances. Especially after major public embarrassments. I'm always rooting for people to be better and have a better life. Most people. Devon is no different. After working for upscale clients, she gets sucked into a romance with an unhappily married man and gets ruined (because the woman always gets ruined, right?), and she has to figure out how to keep her life going while dealing with the very public backlash of her affair.

Being tucked away at Rockwood might have been just what she needed, if there wasn't someone on the school's underground newspaper with some sort of vendetta against her. Adding to that, the undeniable chemistry she still has with the man she had a one night stand with 15 years before, and she fears scandal will just follow her wherever she goes.

I found Bouchard's writing to be very accessible and the story to be a fast, light read. There's a hunky paramedic, a lovelorn coach, and even a professional basketball player with crippling imposter syndrome and a bad case of introversion. Not to mention loads of little historical facts that made this former historian-in-training smile more than once, and pop culture references you'll only get if you're 40+ (or Gen X at heart).

There is plenty of food talk, but not so much as to overwhelm the reader. Bouchard also (thankfully) manages to avoid too many food metaphors or puns.

Considering Us is chock-full of second chances, so if you love the second chance trope, you're going to absolutely love this story.

Things to love:

- Second chances

- Foodie references

- Historical fun facts

- '80s & early '90s pop culture references.

If you're looking for a light read that will make you smile (and maybe a little hungry), this is the book for you.