Alice's Review: Seeing Me Naked

Summary:  Elisabeth Page is the daughter of Ben Page, yes, that's right, THE world famous novelist. And yes, she's also the sister of Rascal Page, world famous novelist in his own right. So what does Elisabeth do? Much to her family's disappointment, Elisabeth is a pastry chef. And a pretty damn good one, at Beverly, the hottest restaurant in LA.  The last relationship Elisabeth had was with Will, a man she grew up with and whose family ran in the same social circles as her family. But Will's constant jaunts around the world have left her lonely and brokenhearted in L.A.  That is until Daniel Sullivan bids on one of Elisabeth's pastry tutorials at a charity auction. Daniel is everything her family is not: a basketball coach, a non-intellectual, his family doesn't summer on Martha's Vineyard, and the only metaphors he uses are about passing the ball and being a team player. But somehow they fit.  Between her family, Will, and the new cooking show that Elisabeth is recruited to star in, Elisabeth's life is suddenly incredibly new and different--the question is, can she embrace being happy or has her family conditioned her to think she's just not good enough? ~powells.com

Review:  The more novels I read by Liza Palmer, the more I fall in love with her work.  She gives her readers well-rounded characters.  They could be your friends or neighbors or even members of your own family.  Seeing Me Naked is no different.  In this novel, the story focuses on Elisabeth Page, an up and coming pastry chef at one of Los Angeles’ hottest restaurants.  She’s lived a fairly anonymous life even though her father is a world famous novelist.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in this novel.  The characters are all unique and interesting.  There is a surprise on every page.  Seeing Me Naked feels a lot like a coming of age story.  It’s a journey of self discovery, risk, and acceptance.  I loved Elisabeth. I loved her humor, her family, her tenacity.   Overall, I really enjoyed this story.  There was one moment in particular I did not see coming at all.  Best part was neither did the characters.  There was a collective gasp heard by all.   

Seeing Me Naked is an unexpected foodie’s dream, complete with a few recipes at the end that I am anxious to try, especially the Yogi Tea.  Ms. Palmer wrote Elisabeth so well that I really felt her love for cooking.  There were so many times I wanted to dive into the pages and sample one of her pastries or that pumpkin flan. 

 I am saving the best for last in this review.  As much as I enjoyed the story, the romance, Elisabeth and her quirky family, my absolute favorite part was getting to see California through Elisabeth’s eyes.  From the farmer’s markets to her drives up the coast, she left me itching to take a trip to the west coast.  My only wish is that Elisabeth be my tour guide.

Final Take: 4/5
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