The Only Game in Town
BY LACIE WALDON
In The Only Game in Town, Sally and Luanne’s feud leads to an underground muffin operation within the town of Redford. During the second competition, each team member had to keep at least one hand on a wall at all times to prevent from getting eliminated. Jess bought a variety of muffins from Sally and decided to give the oatmeal raisin one to Carter because she really wanted one with white chocolate chips. Even though I personally love oatmeal muffins, I have to agree that white chocolate is better. So, settle back with your book and enjoy this recipe for White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Muffins from Allrecipes.com. This delicious recipe would even give Sally a run for her money.
** Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the chance to read The Only Game in Town in exchange for my honest review. **
I love reading aloud to my kids for many reasons, not the least of which is that I get to read middle-grade novels. Sometimes, I feel like adult novels repeat the same plot lines again….and again….and again. Meanwhile, children’s novels are often whimsical, creative, and exciting. One of my favorite read-alouds was Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein, which was essentially Willy Wonka meets a library. I loved reading about all the quirky gadgets that Mr. Lemoncello built. It was just plain fun.
I mention the Mr. Lemoncello series because Lacie Waldon’s new book, The Only Game in Town, gives off serious Willy Wonka/Lemoncello vibes. In the book, the town of Redford is mourning the loss of their town benefactor, Jasper Wilhelm. Redford is the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone, and Jasper loved it with all of his heart. In fact, unbeknownst to the town, he and his grandson, Carter, had been anonymously donating money and scholarships to deserving town residents for years. Despite his constant invitations to visit, though, Jasper could never convince Carter to visit Redford himself.
Jasper was incredibly wealthy, and he used his vast resources to improve the town in many ways. It was no surprise that the entire town showed up to his funeral. Even Carter drove down from Atlanta in order to pay his respects. After the service, Jasper’s lawyer and the executor of his will, Novak, stood in front of the crowd and announced that Jasper was going to leave a $10 million fortune to two town residents. He paired up the residents into teams and announced that there would be a series of competitions to determine who would inherit the money. Much to his surprise, Carter was among the participants. Once the teams were announced, however, the town residents quickly realized that Jasper had something up his sleeve. Each pair consisted of partners who did not get along. From Luanne and Sally, who ran competing baking businesses, to Retta & Louisa, whose fight over a boy in high school extended into adulthood, no one wanted to work with their assigned partner. However, Jasper made this a requirement for the game, so each resident was required to put up with his or her assigned partner or forfeit the money.
The day Carter arrived in town, he had the pleasure of meeting Jessica Reid, or Jess for short. Jess is vivacious and fun– the kind of person who lights up any room she walks into. She was a gifted editor who turned down a flashy job in New York City in order to live in Redford. Now, she edits romance novels and occasionally wonders what her life would have been like if she had been editing best sellers instead. Carter meets her at a bar, where she is half-heartedly attempting to edit a novel, Then, her lifelong enemy, Nikki, walks into the bar. Jess thinks Nikki doesn’t like her because Nikki believes she kissed her boyfriend in high school. In reality, Nikki is jealous of the relationship Jess has with her dad, Ross. The encounter ends with Nikki’s friend, Lexi, dumping a daiquiri on Jess’s keyboard, which prompts Carter to “save” her by leaving the bar with her. Carter, who is impeccably dressed but predictable and muted in his personality, finds himself agreeing to a tour of the town. As he starts to fall for the enigmatic Jess, he doesn’t want to tell her that he and Jasper were behind the scholarship that put her through school.
As the game begins, Jess finds herself paired with Nikki, and Carter is paired with the friendly bartender, Bryce. As the competition goes on, Jess develops an important reason that drives her desire to win the money. With $10 million on the line, will the teams be able to work together to complete Jasper’s cooky challenges? Or, will their differences tear Redford apart?
The Only Game in Town is a lighthearted read filled with adventure, crazy challenges, endearing characters, and a dose of terrible reality television. Jess’s character is cute to the extreme, almost to the point where you could call her childlike. This bothered many other reviewers, but I liked it. You just have to go into this book realizing that it’s like reading the script to a Hallmark movie. Even though The Only Game in Town is listed as a romance, I would consider it more of a contemporary fiction book with romantic elements. Jess and Carter’s feelings toward one another grow throughout the book, but their relationship feels too juvenile to consider it a romance. Instead, it feels like a grown-up version of Mr. Lemoncello’s library. Honestly, that’s what endeared me to this book. I have been reading a lot of heavy books lately, and The Only Game in Town felt like a palate cleanser that left me feeling happy and optimistic. If you want to leave the serious books behind and read something that makes you feel good, it is a perfect selection. For that reason alone, I gave it four stars.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Rating System Explained 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: This was an amazing book, and I can't stop thinking about it. It impacted me emotionally or changed my perspective. My thoughts keep flickering back to it at random times throughout the day. I will absolutely recommend it to my friends or to one of my book clubs. 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: This was a really good book. Parts of it stuck with me, and I might mention it in a conversation. There is a high likelihood that I will recommend it to my friends or to one of my book clubs. 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️: I liked this book. It allowed me to escape from reality for a while. While I might tell somebody about it if I think it will interest them, I will probably not suggest it to one of my book clubs. 2 Stars ⭐️⭐️: There's something about this book that I didn't like. I wasn't willing to go all the way down to a one-star rating, but I'm definitely not digging it. I may recognize that this book is not for me, but it might be for other people. I will not recommend it to my friends or one of my book clubs. 1 Star ⭐️: My rarest rating. I really didn't like this book. Something in the story line upset me, and I probably "hate-read" the majority of the book. Not only will I not recommend it, but I will actively tell people that I did not like it.
Baking Through Book Club 