The Cassandra Cookbook
Shawn James
ISBN: 9781602642294
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing
Reviewed By Jennifer Walker
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Cassandra
Lee has spent nearly her whole life working in and building up her
parents' bakery, named for her, thinking it would one day become hers.
What she did not count on was that she would do such a good job that
corporate food giant ITC would want to buy it.
Although she is
heartbroken that her parents would want to sell the store, Cassandra
talks them into letting her represent them in the transaction so she
can make sure they receive the best deal possible. To further add to
her stress, she finds her fiancé in a compromising position that brings
their engagement to a halt (in her mind, at least). Her whole life is
turned upside down, but she knows she needs to keep it together to be
there for her parents.
Simon James is the market researcher at
ITC who has been assigned to head up the project in preparation for his
promotion to Product Manager. This project is his big break, and he
struggles with his new role while balancing advice from his mother and
his good friend, Smitty. Then, he and Cassandra meet and hit it off,
and he has to figure out how to keep the deal professional while
pursuing his feelings for her.
The Cassandra Cookbook
is a story of African Americans in the business world, showing how the
choices they make can determine whether they will succeed or fail – an
important theme, no matter your skin color. It is a classic tale of
good person does well, bad person does not, with a strong message that
you should consider how every choice you make affects other people.
While
the book is enjoyable, it needs editing for grammar and punctuation,
and the descriptions are so heavy-handed as to be distracting, rather
than helpful to the story. In addition, the first-person viewpoint,
jumping from person to person, makes for some confusion and distraction
for the reader. However, the story is compelling and the characters
life-like, giving an interesting behind-the-scenes view of both the
corporate business world and a successful bakery. It also gives some
insight on the issues that African Americans must deal with every day
in their quest to succeed.