Rating: 
Summary: Deliciously entertaining
Review: Ruth is having a bad day. Her estranged father Guy calls to announce that he broke both wrists, needs help caring for himself, and is moving in with her for a while. Her mother Hollis, who already lives with her and who detests Guy, announces her displeasure over it. Her husband Sam announces that he just lost his job. Her daughter Camille is a moody teenager who never announces much of anything. Ruth's family experiences a lot of turmoil as Hollis and Guy face off against each other, Sam starts thinking about a career change, and the financial concerns begin to mount. To attempt to cope with all this, Ruth does what she always does when under stress: she bakes cakes. For Ruth, cakes are her escape from the pressures of daily life. She even imagines being in the center of a huge warm bundt cake as a means of relaxing meditation. Can Ruth's cakes save the day in this crisis?
This may be a story of a family in crisis, but I wouldn't really call it a dysfunctional family. It is a family struggling to deal with the same pressures and problems that so many families do: aging parents, balky adolescents, unemployment, and midlife career crises. Jeanne Ray's novels are feel-good books full of warmth, humor, and wisdom. "Eat Cake" is no exception. In fact, as I read it I felt as warm and comfortable as if I were in the center of that fresh-from-the-oven bundt cake with Ruth. At the end of the book is a collection of recipes for cakes mentioned in the story. They include such delights as "Sweet potato bundt cake with rum-plumped raisins and a spiced sugar glaze" and "Almond apricot pound cake with amaretto." Read this delectable book, which can be devoured in a sitting or two, and then try your hand at one of the cake recipes. Bon appetit!
Eileen Rieback
Rating: 
Summary: delicious tale of life's possibilities......
Review: This is a warm and spirited story about discovering your true passion in life and making it an integral part of your everyday life. In this tale Ruth, devoted wife, mom and daughter handles her stress by indulging her love of baking. Life hands her a lemon and she manages to bake a lemon cake! When her husband is unexpectedly let go from his job, she bakes her stress away......when her long lost father suddenly turns up needing help while he recovers from a serious accident, Ruth continues baking her stress away.......when her father needs to move in (never mind that his estranged wife, Ruth's mother, is currently living there) and her teenage daughter seems to be pulling away from the family, Ruth does what she does best and bakes wonderful,beautiful and tantalizingly luscious cakes. When those around her begin to seek true happiness and joyful dedication to working at what they love and not settling for "just a paycheck", Ruth feels that her world is being shaken to it's foundation. Then a comment she hears changes the possibilities of her life. She rises to the challenge as best as she can and that is when the story is both heartwarming and inspiring.
This tale is a delicious story of family, love, understanding and helping those around you to open the door to the possibilities in their lives.
As a bonus, the author includes some outstanding cake recipes in the last section that will appeal to the baker in you.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet book is a delicious break from life
Review: This sweet book is a delicious break from life. Sorry, the dessert metaphors just seem appropriate. Ruth is a member of the sandwich generation; her oldest son is away at college, but she still has a teenage daughter at home and her mother moves in after she is robbed in the middle of a bridge game in her own home. Her husband's company is bought out and he loses his job, and her estranged father has a terrible accident and no insurance and moves in, too. Ruth's way to escape is to use visual imagery; her picture of solitude and bliss is not a mountain retreat or a deserted beach, but a cake. Yes, Ruth visualizes herself surrounded by walls of cake and is comforted. And when the going gets tough, Ruth bakes. Cakes, of course. Every day. Sometimes in the middle of the night, when sleep just won't come. As the family dynamic changes, they all must learn to adapt and adjust, and eat cake. Recipes included. Warning: do not read this book while on a diet. Jeanne Ray is one of my favorite authors, her books just touch the heart without being cloy or cutesy. Her characters are genuine and people you can care about, her stories are simple yet hit home. She still hasn't topped her first book, Julie and Romeo, which is on my top ten list of favorite books of all time, but this is a very enjoyable read. Her daughter is pretty talented, too - she's Ann Patchett of Bel Canto fame.
Rating:
Summary: So entertaining, yet touched my soul
Review: This would have to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. Jeanne Ray tells the story of Ruths life in a way that makes her faimly seem like the average type. Anytime i feel bothered or frustrated I now picture myself inside a deliously home made bunt cake. I love it and i want there to be a another story about ruths crazy life.
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