Table for Seven
Authors: Whitney Gaskell
Tags: #Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Sagas
PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF
Whitney Gaskell
WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT
“Gaskell’s novel depicts the fear and heartbreak that accompanies infertility with an emotional adeptness that few other authors could produce.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“
When You Least Expect It
is a book once you start, you will not put down until the last page is read.”
—Me, My Book, and the Couch
“Competently done and appropriately affirmative.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“
When You Least Expect It
is clever, poignant, and refreshing. The crisp writing, smart voice, and strong dialogue make it a fast-paced, engrossing read. Gaskell’s latest is hard to put down!”
—Jane Porter, author of
Easy on the Eyes
“With her signature wit, charm, and irresistible voice, Whitney Gaskell knocks it out of the park with this emotional powerhouse of a novel about—above all things—hope.”
—Melissa Senate, author of
The Secret of Joy
“Whitney Gaskell has so much talent it makes me want to throw myself through a plate glass window. I loved
When You Least Expect It
. Whitney brings us through all the heartache and triumph of the adoption process with relatable characters, memorable scenes, and much needed humor.”
—Kim Gruenenfelder, author of
Misery Loves Cabernet
GOOD LUCK
“Money doesn’t buy happiness, but you’ll have a blast reading along as Lucy (with her $87 million) learns that lesson.”
—
Redbook
“Gaskell has crafted an emotional roller coaster of a novel. The highs are funny and furious, and the lows will tug at readers’ heartstrings as they relish this superb tale of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”
—
Booklist
(starred review)
“Frothy wish-fulfillment fantasy.”
—
Publishers Weekly
MOMMY TRACKED
“There are few periods more challenging for women than the pre-school years, and this compassionate novel captures that time in all its endearing, slovenly, enchanting glory.”
—
BookPage
“An excellent read … Gaskell has so many fine points in this book, it was hard to put it down.”
—Coffee Time Romance
“[This book] celebrates motherhood, marriage, and friendship with humor and vibrant insight.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Poignant, funny, and peppered with snappy dialogue,
Mommy Tracked
is a great addition to the friendship book list, which includes
Waiting to Exhale, The Circle of Five
, and
The Dirty Girls Social Club
.”
—
Booklist
“It’s like reading a really juicy grown-up Judy Blume book.”
—WackyMommy
“Filled with humor, charm, and richly developed characters.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A laugh-out-loud, witty view of motherhood.”
—
Romantic Times
TESTING KATE
“Whitney Gaskell delivers a vibrant story and memorable characters that will appeal to chicklit and women’s fiction readers.… This storyline about the first year of law school remains fresh yet familiar in the capable hands of Gaskell.…
Testing Kate
is a testament to the remarkable skill of its author to turn a stressful situation like law school into a delightful novel.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Gaskell … relives the high school–like atmosphere with sharp dialogue and various forays into New Orleans culture.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“A very readable, enjoyable story, and readers will root for Kate all the way through and cheer her decisions at the end.”
—Romance Reviews Today
SHE, MYSELF & I
“Smart, funny, sexy, and refreshingly real … unputdownable.”
—Melissa Senate, author of
See Jane Date
“Engagingly written.”
—
The Boston Globe
“A warm, funny, charming, and engrossing story that will hook anyone who has a sister—and any lover of quality fiction who doesn’t.”
—Valerie Frankel, author of
Fringe Benefits
“A gossipy, funny book about women you’ll think you’ve met.”
—
The Facts
“Engaging … rapid page-flipping reading … Funny, intelligent, and rational, this book is a joy to read.”
—Curled Up with a Good Book
“A fresh, clever story about cold feet, morning sickness, and the one who got away.”
—Beth Kendrick, author of
Second Time Around
“Will appeal to readers of both chicklit and women’s fiction … You’ll find yourself laughing up a storm.… This reviewer is not only searching for the author’s backlist, but is also anxiously awaiting her future releases.”
—A Romance Review
“A witty, fast-paced, and intensely entertaining journey through the lives of three unforgettable sisters. Whitney Gaskell finds the humor and the heart in each and every one of her characters, a talent that makes the pages come to life and literally turn themselves.”
—Lindsay Faith Rech, author of
Losing It
“Whitney Gaskell delivers another winner. As funny as it is warm and touching, this is going on my keeper shelf along with all of Whitney’s books. Filled with her trademark mixture of humor and poignancy, it made me laugh, cry, and wish I had sisters! Can’t wait for the next one!”
—Lani Diane Rich, author of
Wish You Were Here
TRUE LOVE (AND OTHER LIES)
“Funny, romantic … an entertaining read with all the right stuff.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“A hilarious story about love and friendships … A compelling, thought-provoking and nevertheless entertaining book … breezy, delightful, and well worth reading.”
—The Best Reviews
“Witty, honest, and refreshingly fun.”
—Roundtable Reviews
PUSHING 30
“Feisty, poignant, sexy, and packed with delicious comedy.”
—Sue Margolis, author of
Forget Me Knot
“A breezy romp.”
—
The Miami Herald
“A sprightly debut … breezy prose, sharp wit … a delightful romantic comedy heroine.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Gaskell takes a familiar ‘oh-no’ chicklit theme and turns it sprightly on its ear.… What sets
Pushing 30
apart from others in the genre is Gaskell’s sharp writing and skillful handling of many plot strands as it weaves into a cohesive, thoroughly satisfying read.”
—
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Gaskell’s characters are funny and sexy as she incorporates serious issues of female friendships, family demands, and personal choices into her story.”
—
Rendezvous
“Witty and fast-paced, it’s great chicklit.”
—BookReporter
Table for Seven
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
A Bantam Books eBook Edition
Copyright © 2013 by Whitney Gaskell
Excerpt from
When You Least Expect It
copyright © 2010 by Whitney Gaskell
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
BANTAM BOOKS and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Gaskell, Whitney.
Table for seven : a novel / Whitney Gaskell.
pages cm
eISBN: 978-0-345-53577-1
1. New Year—Fiction. 2. Dinners and dining—Fiction. 3. Clubs—Fiction. 4. Friendship—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3607.A7854.T33 2012
813′.6—dc23 2011044940
Cover design: Regina Starace
Cover images: © Lisa Romerein/Getty Images (table); © Michal Krakowiak/Getty Images (landscape)
v3.1
Contents
Excerpt from
When You Least Expect It
january
TEQUILA SHRIMP
ARUGULA, FENNEL, AND ORANGE SALAD
SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BUTTER SAUCE OVER TARRAGON RICE
CHEESE PLATE
WHITE CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CRÈME BRÛLÉE TARTLETS
F
RAN WAS THE ONE who first suggested a New Year’s Eve dinner party. But it was Will’s idea to serve a different course every hour, on the hour, counting down to midnight.
“Then, for the last course, we can have something like cherries jubilee, which we’ll light up at the stroke of midnight,” Will said.
“Cherries jubilee?” Fran repeated doubtfully. Cherries jubilee reminded her of fusty country club dining rooms, the sort that were always decorated in shades of mauve and served the food buffet-style, with carving stations where thick slabs of chewy, flavorless roast beef were hacked off for each diner.
“Or something else that we can serve flambé,” Will said. “Bananas Foster? Baked Alaska?”
“What’s this sudden fascination with desserts that are on fire?” Fran asked, paging through
The French Laundry Cookbook
. A few of the pages were stained with what looked like splattered olive oil. Fran had a habit of propping cookbooks too close to the stove when she cooked.