Book Review: Effie Olsen’s Summer Special | Rochelle Bilow

I don’t know what is going on with the new releases coming out this Tuesday, but this is the second book I read this week set in Maine (though this one is much less creepy) and it’s also the second book I read this week centered around a chef (only this chef is very much alive, thankfully!). What are the odds?

Rochelle Bilow’s Effie Olsen’s Summer Special is a contemporary romance publishing this week that features childhood best friends who fell apart, only to reunite years later and find a chance at romance alongside all of those memories.

What is Effie Olsen’s Summer Special about?

Effie Olsen thought she’d never settle down on the tiny Maine island where she grew up, but she’s returning from a whirlwind sixteen years as a professional chef in far-flung countries for one summer and one summer only. Her hometown boasts one of the best restaurants in the US, and lucky for her, Brown Butter needs a sous chef. Effie is eager for a chance at redemption after her last job went up in flames, but reluctant to set down roots in a place that reminds her of the ghosts of her past.

Until, that is, she runs into Ernie Callahan, her onetime best friend who now works in the very same restaurant. Early morning swims and late-night games of truth or dare with Ernie remind her of what she’s been missing while traveling the world. He knows her better than anyone, and it doesn’t hurt that his smile lights her up brighter than the lighthouses dotting the craggy coastline.

But Brown Butter has a secret that’s bursting at the seams, and if Effie doesn’t keep it, her job will vanish into the foggy Maine air. As summer draws to a close, she realizes a second chance at her dream job and the perfect guy are both within reach. The salty seaside town of Alder Isle is the key to Effie’s sweet ending…. All she has to do now is learn to let her heart lead the way.

What did I think?

This book is heartwarming! I felt like I was transported to that coastal setting on Adler Island, Maine right alongside Effie. I could smell the salty air and butter heating up for those fresh lobsters at Dougie’s lobster roll truck on the corner! I loved the small town vibes of Adler Island, I honestly want to live there.

The story centers around two former best friends, Effie Olsen and Ernie Callahan. Sixteen years ago on the night of gradation, Ernie confesses he is in love with Effie. This sends Effie fleeing that island faster than she could get a ferry off of it. Effie goes on to become a professional chef where she has worked in kitchens around the world.

Adler Island may be tiny, but it turns out it is no slouch in the culinary world, with a Michelin-starred restaurant called Brown Butter sitting right on the coastal island and in need of a sous chef for the summer. Effie decides to return home for the first time in a long time and spend the summer working at Brown Butter (it doesn’t hurt her decision that she sort of lit her career on fire at her last job, which as we know is a big no-no for a chef).

Effie makes another big mistake when she gets drunk and spends the night with the head chef Jarrod after her interview and job offer. Jarrod is the exact wrong type of guy to go for in every way, and it’s made worse by the fact that if the news of their liaison gets out, her career is over. Women have a much harder time than men in the culinary industry when it comes to judgment. And when I tell you that you will absolutely despise Jarrod, I’m not kidding. He is the worst!

I was so excited when Effie and Ernie finally run into one another a day after she arrives on the island. It took a few chapters longer than expected, which gave me time to get to know Effie. That girl is in her head constantly. She has shed her wild, mischievous side for a highly organized, routine-oriented life. But running into Ernie certainly seemed to bring back what I can assume is the old Effie (and one I liked much more than the Effie who arrived on the island).

Add to the complications that Ernie works at the Brown Butter with her, and Effie is still worried he hates her, things get complicated. But what I loved about this book is that it wasn’t overly angsty in terms of the relationship. Effie and Ernie have a beautiful love story and arc across the book. Things progress the right way, and they never have that moment of teary, misunderstood break up. It’s clear their friendship and history add a level of trust that most of us can only dream of in a new relationship.

I loved this book! Definitely one of the best romance books I’ve read in a while. There was one thing unrelated to Effie and Ernie that I didn’t love in how the story wrapped up, but otherwise this is a phenomenal, heartwarming love story in an adorable seaside town with lots of delicious descriptions of food and a great supporting cast.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.

If you liked Effie Olsen’s Summer Special, what should you read next?

About the Author

Rochelle Bilow is a food and romance writer who previously worked as the social media manager at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. A graduate of The French Culinary Institute, she has also worked as a line cook, a baker, and a wine spokesperson. Her first book, The Call of the Farm, a swoony farming memoir, was published in 2014. Raised in Syracuse, New York, Rochelle now lives in northern Vermont.