As a book from Canada's Rapid Reads Program - short books written by bestselling authors designed to help adult readers achieve their literacy goals - From Scratch is an interesting cross between a non-fiction self-help book and a quaint story about small town life. I have read a couple of books from the Rapid Reads program and enjoy seeing how some of my favorite authors tackle the short format required for these books. I loved reading Eva's growing enthusiasm and confidence as she navigates a college business course as a mature student and embarks on a business plan with a goal to start her own business. By the end, even my own lack of confidence at the thought of starting a small business was significantly diminished.

Overall, another worthy addition to the Rapid Reads program of books. ( )

Really enjoyed the story. Wish it was longer and more detailed. The writing was very good. It was a sweet story. But the book only 100 pages left you wanting more ( )

Edit: I originally gave this book a 1 star review. However, since then the author reached out to me to let me know that the book is for ESL and/or those with literacy issues. That explains why I found the writing too simple. This critical piece of information was never mentioned when the review copy was requested, nor was it mentioned upon delivery. It also is clearly marked as adult fiction on the ARC. Knowing who the audience is vastly improves my rating and opinion of the book, so I have adjusted my review to reflect that.

Original Review:
To begin with this really isn't a book. I would describe it as a novela. Also, this "book" is being promoted as an adult novel, but the writing is way to simple. It reads like a middle grade book, and had it been promoted as a middle grade book the rating would probably be higher. There was no depth to the story at all. There was a lot of dialog that was unnecessary and used to tell the reader how they should feel rather than using passages that make the reader feel something. Basically it was all tell and no show. The message of not giving up and starting small to work your to success are good themes. But they were delivered in an uninteresting and simplistic way. Again, it would be a great read for pre teens!

I received this book from the publisher via librarything.com in exchange for an honest review. ( )

"From Scratch" is a book I received from Early Reviewers. This was an easy read, a book I read while traveling. The book is about a woman's journey to starting her own bakery, after the cafe where she works closes down. I would classify this book as a "nice" read. Not much substance, easy to digest, sweet--sort of like the cookies prepared by the main character, Cookie. I found some of the her personality traits to be a bit annoying. As a person in her 30's, why would Cookie think she could not do anything in the workforce other than baking? And why would she be paying for her grown up daughter's college education, if they are financially on the edge? How about student loans or having her daughter get a job to pay for her own education? I thought Cookie lacked self-confidence and backbone. The romantic interest was also rather on the wimpy side. Cookie and Murray were interested in each other for years, but neither took a step to advance past a friendship at the cafe in which Cookie served Murray his coffee? Like I said, nice read, but not much substance. Spoiler: it all works out in the end. ( )

I received this book from LibraryThing. Thank you for the chance to read it. However, I do not recommend it. It's the story of Eva trying to put a small business together when her employer must retire due to health reasons. The story also centers around her daughter and Murray, Eva's love interest. This tale has no depth and no qualities for recommending it. ( )