Turning Tables: A Novel

Erin's been living the cushy life of the stereotypical Manhattanite. She's got the quasi glamorous marketing job, and reaps the benefits such as fancy dinners at numerous glam restaurants with the faceless waiters who all blend into one another. Until one day, it's all taken away. Her firm downsizes and she's one of the casualties. Suddenly, she's jobless and the prospects seem pretty grim.Her dad's golf buddy, liquor distributer Harold, says he can get her a job at Roulette, a glitzy restaurant not unlike those she frequented. He's padded her resume a bit to his clients who agree to hire her. Her trainer on the job quickly figures out just how unqualified she is and gets Erin to admit her sum total waitressing experience: one summer at seventeen on Long Island. Cato quickly decides he will take her under his wing, and train her to be as impeccable as he is at his job.Unluckily for Erin, Chef Carl does not share Cato's affection for Erin and is constantly letting her know what an imbecile he purports her to be. The owner Steve isn't much fonder of her. Steve tells Carl he can't fire her as Harold does business with him and overlooks Steve's dishonesty at times. Knowing this, they hatch a plan to do whatever they need to to get her to quit. Cleaning the basement, rat droppings, taking inventory, hanging from a harness to clean the chandelier. Then there are the men Erin meet in the restaurant. What's to come of that?This book was written by identical twins Heather and Rose MacDowell. I've seen a trend in the last few years of dual writers teaming up to write a novel in the chick lit genre (Nanny Diaries and Botox Diaries, I'm looking at you). If you've read The Perfect Manhattan (another tag team effort), this book is in a similar vein. Less dark and druggy though. This was fluff at it's finest. A quick read, ended it with a smile. I definitely look forward to more from the MacDowell twins.

This was a great story that had me up at night so I could find out what was going to happen next. Having been both a waitress and a bartender (though, in places not even close to the high end establishment that the protagonist, Erin, manages to secure a job at) I found myself laughing out loud at the situations she finds herself in. It was fun to get an inside glimpse of what the kitchen in one of the top restaurants in a bustling city would be like. Suffice it to say, I'm glad I don't have to deal with one of Erin's typical days. I loved the different setting this story took place in, along with the crazy cast of characters that populated it! Very entertaining read. Perfect to get lost in during a day at the beach!Noreen Riley is the author of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Her Brother's Shotgun Wedding.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! solidly written, and the author clearly knows the restaurant business which makes an interesting background to the this chick lit story of personal growth, and finding a new love. Recommended.

Gifted author! Stellar work on what life is like work in a five- star restaurant industry, with a BA in marketing theory. Characters depicted are three-dimensional; and the various plots outlined within the book are very much life like!. You really get a feel for what is to be expected of you when you work in a MIchelin restaurant! . You really need a professional IQ (140+;) and a photo memory to flourish as a waitstaff in that type of environment. Overall Kudos for the book. A gifted, prosaic work!Michael B Kucala, MBAChicago

I loved this book, clearly she was WAY over her head in this job. Like the first night when she wore the wrong shoes and fell flat on her face. As a former cocktail server, server, restaurant mgr, you will laugh out loud and both sympathize with erin and how she handles the job.A true tale of lousy tippers and restaurant life, you,ll never look at fine dining the same. Like she said, BELIEVE IT we couldn,t make this up if we tried. READ THIS. susie shaw

Excellent book.

This is delightfully witty and fun. Perfect for all waiters and waiteresses. Light hearted and funny. This is an all around great first book from these authors i can't wait to see what they roll out next. Waiting eagerly.

The Ladies did outstanding research on this book. Anyone who has ever worked in an upscale restaurant can feel the pain, joys, and moments of plotting murder that are cleverly written into each page. excellent ending.

Bof bof...Pas mal mais un peu léger et bateau, même pour de la chick lit.