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| To be in Chicago and get to hear this live! |
“[E]very bit as juicy as the dishes it describes.” —SPLASH
Twentysomething Allie Simon is used to playing by the rules—until Chicago’s most sought-after, up-and-coming culinary genius, Benji Zane, walks into her world and pulls her into his. The only thing more renowned than Benji’s mouthwatering masterpieces and equally luscious good looks? His struggle with addiction and his reckless tendency to live life on the edge, no matter the havoc he wreaks along the way. But loving someone means supporting him no matter what, or so Allie tells herself. That’s why, when Benji’s offered the chance to light up foodie hot spot Randolph Street with a high-profile new restaurant, Allie takes the ultimate risk and invests her life savings in his dream.
Then one day Benji disappears, relapsing to a place where Allie can’t reach him. Left with nothing but a massive withdrawal slip and a restaurant that absolutely must open in a matter of weeks, Allie finds herself thrust into a world of luxury and greed, cutthroat business and sensory delight. Lost in the mess of it all, she can either crumble completely or fight like hell for the life she wants and the love she deserves.
With razor-sharp wit and searing insight, Emily Belden serves up a deliciously dishy look behind the kitchen doors of a hot foodie town, perfect for fans of Sweetbitter and The Devil Wears Prada.
If you're for some reason not sold by the above description or the fact that literally everyone that has read it loves it... read my spoiler free review here. Then click here and BUY THE BOOK!
SERIOUSLY YOU'RE GONNA READ THIS BOOK! Why you may ask? 1) Do you like food? 2) Are you a millennial? 3) Are you a messy bitch that loves drama?! 4) We ALLL know you answered "YAAASSSSS" to the 3 aforementioned questions! So... Just do it!
You will not regret it! Honestly, have I ever steered you wrong?!
You have been warned... let's go!
I've been waiting for Emily's next work since Eighty-sixed and Hot Mess is finally here!
Day One:
- Finally saw a Sweetbitter commercial prior to opening the book, I finally get the reference.
- “I told myself a complicated story about how difficult people don’t deserve love and he was from the simpler ones. If we only allowed ourselves to care deeply about those who can reciprocate our affection the way we’ve grown accustomed to, did we have any business calling that love at all?” - favorite line of the whole book
- I feel like I know Allie Simon and I’m rooting for her success, whether it be in this relationship or in her career. I want her to succeed the way I would a girlfriend.
- “... But I realize those are questions I don’t need answers to. They are sprinkles of the past that should be left exactly there because everyone and everything is alright now.” - Hot Mess
- “To give someone a much-needed, well-deserved second chance and let them run with it.” - Hot Mess
- Allie going all in is so dumb. I can’t imagine having saved $30k and instead of paying of my (undergraduate student loans- undergraduate is the operative word, cause your girl is now ranking up those graduate student debt too) and going all in for her boyfriend to live his dream, her four month, live in boyfriend... I’m literally hyperventilating and yet I have to know what happens next!
- “Yes. Yes, I’m in.” - Allie Simon // “Oh god. I’m nervous” - me
- An Allie tattoo?! That’s the kiss of death, Benji!
- Happy to know she’s not as delusional as she seems, she too wants to know how he afforded the tattoo.
- I realized during Benji’s soliloquy about the restaurant’s name, that I do not like Benji. {Though I do like the name}
- Omg Rita is a godsend. God bless, Rita. Giving Allie that tough love and real talk she wouldn’t hear from her friends.
- SHE STILL DOES IT. I know that she’s going to give away that $30k in one way or another and now I’m crying over this anxiety.
- Allie’s $30K contribution to Here, makes Schwartz and Sandoval’s $10k each to Tom & Tom a little better, admittedly LVP & Ken Todd know how to make money and none of the people involved are recovering addicts, at least not publicly.
- I lost $500+ on a dog scam this past year and I’ll honestly never be the same, so Allie’s recent cavalier attitude over this “$30k investment” is making me nervous af.
- The only good thing is that the $30k went directly to Angela. At least it’s a legit buy-in even if it’s not going to have Benji as the chef.
- I don’t like that allie doesn’t seem concerned by benji handling all the pop up money and I certainly don’t like benji calling Angela fat.
- I can’t put this book down.
- “I’m going into business with a person who has tattooed my name on his body. I suppose now is probably a good time to start trusting him.” NOPE, BAD CALL- DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200.
- I want to make Angela proud so rather than calling it the ‘restaurant industry’, I’ll call it the service industry ... is it as tumultuous as Benji’s lifestyle lends itself to be?!
Day two:
- Took two days but I’m back in the habit... chapter thirteen here we go!
- Allie’s mothers reaction is the correct reaction to signing over $30k!!
- “I’m not an idiot.” Yes, Allie you are.
- 3am?! He relapsed! Where’s your phone, Benji! Where’s the cash money, Benji?!
- HE HIT HER! Accident or not. He hit her.
- Yeah, I’d want him out too... but is he coming back?
- How hard did he hit her with an open palm for her eye to swell?!
- She texted Angela?! To meet up?! Oh have times changed...
- I’m sorry is she not gonna tell Angela about Benji?!
- Allie wants an apology, relapse admission & to get Here up and running... I think she’s delusional af
- Allie and I have very different feelings over this knife set being left behind
- Allie is really naive about addiction... as if we didn’t know... you’d think she’d have done the work — she probably would be a lot less shocked if she had.
- This is all gonna work out somehow right?! Like Emily wouldn’t do this to us right? Emily, you wouldn’t fuck with my emotions like this for your girl, Allie Simon to lose $30k !!
- Allie’s friends aren’t wrong for refusing to help. She should call the wife {Rita} and/Or Sebastian... or go alone and not bring her friends in. The last thing is to call their friendship into question
- Allie being made at her friends kinda proves that’s she’s a dick and maybe a little bit selfish, dare I say.
- “Benji is gone.” Damn, I felt that.
- Well, we got here... I knew it was coming up— but still....
*insert Dorinda Meadley*
Day 3:
- Here we go, day three! We’re gonna do it!
- Chapter 17, let’s go
- Everyone needs a mental health day, Connor. Jeez
- This is the level of adulting I understand— being in my mid 20s and having $30k, nope but being in my mid 20s, heartbroken and distraught and eating ice cream- that’s where I’m at.
- She also managed to get through season two and into season three, bravo Allie. Straight edge binging, I see what you did there emily.
- Uh oh, Angela wants her car back, of course, but the conversation to come after, yikes!!
- “A huge part of my life is over and I had no say in it and that makes me sad.” If that ain’t the reason I hate change, I don’t know how better to articulate it.
- Angela is a seasoned sailor / ship captain to say the least.
- A little over a month. Yikes.
- Allie putting off calling Rita is dumb as fuck.
- Omg Allie is a dumb fuck. She thought she could get $30k back lol
- Angela wants her to quit her job 😱 well fuck
- I too would call my mom, Allie, but they certainly couldn’t do anything
- Allie seems kind of dumb, I’m sure it’s because of this horrendous situation but CLEARLY— it was Craig, Angela, Benji and her so if Craig and Benji are out- it would fall on the two women... like CONNECT THE FRICKIN DOTS!
- “I know you thought Benji was the main character of your life story, but that’s actually you. You’re the star of your own show and that show must go on.” Bravo, Mrs. Simon.
- Okurrrrrrr Tabitha.
- Ohhhh Allie would be the draw. Nicely done, Angela!
- Ugh, Allie having to resign is so sad. It’s a shame she couldn’t get promoted and then get put on hold. Like the creative director job was her essentially stepping away from her hands on role anyways. But that’s realistic life bs.
- Damnnnn he wasn’t paying his cell phone bill woof.
- Fuxkkk everything is falling into place.
- Wonder if his declaration of rehab and then doing it on his own with Allie ever actually happened??
- Ordering food for a restaurant sounds stressful af and I thought ordering for 33 women was hard.
- God bless, Jared of Marcel & Sons.
- Are there really this many hot men in the service industry? Or is it Chicago?!
- I want to go to these fine dining establishments that cost $275 a head but for free.
- This is literally like the worst case scenario of a break up.
- Allie wondering if Benji is trying to get ahold of her and I’m wondering how anyone could go about life in 2018 without a cell phone ... like is that even fathomable??
- Angela handles Allie’s outbursts really well. I’ve decided she’s the ‘A’ I like in this situation.
- “I don’t think it’s him you miss. You miss the food times you had with him. And the special way he made you feel. Those are tough losses because they’re things you can’t repeat with any other person. But you’re got to leave room in {your heart} for someone else to do their thing.” - Mrs. Patty Simon coming in with the Mom insight yet again.
- Poor Sebastian, thinking the last 43 days that Benji was holding a grudge and that he was wrong. Poor guy. Hopefully the Head sous chef is still an option with Tabatha.
- “Poor guy. And screw Benji and the effect he has on people wherein he can totally fuck up yet everyone else finds a way to blame themselves”
- I’m not sure ignoring and blocking Sebastian’s email was a good move.
- Allie is daydreaming about living a sober life with Benji but he’s not back and she hasn’t heard from him since he hit her — love is wild, y’all
- Hal Huckby’s email is everything I ever wanted. I’m actually crying and how happy am I to know that his ‘Allie Simon’ continually refuses to accept his apology. If only our Allie Simon could be that strong.
- Allie getting her perspective and closure and paying it forward by replying to Hal’s email. BEAUTIFUL, Emily!
- The Real Housewives of Orange County is always correct Allie, even if you only have 2 hours of sleep.
- Awwwww Jared returns!
- “Little does he know, he can smile through those boy-next-door brown eyes until the sun rises and sets, but Benji taught me well that any man trying this hard to make me feel good about myself wants something in return” we’re all just trying to overcome baggage that people leave behind.
- Omg!! Y’all we’re the staff meeting prior to the opening!!
- I want to try Tabitha’s bombtastic food.
- Staff meals would be grand in every industry!
- This redhead has some nerve shit talking about her boss at her place of work!!
- Then they didn’t have the common sense to be apologetic.
- Angela firing them on the spot 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
- Allie’s story about being homesick and her mom ordering her room service has me legit bawling. Moms are the best.
This Domino’s certainly isn’t something Tabitha would serve at Here, but it’s really hitting the spot.
- Alright, buckle up! Settle in— it’s go time! Chapter 24, let’s go!
- Angela, Tabitha and Allie joking about their foodie celebrity crushes is amazing and them knowing about Jared and Andrew is incredible!! This is the comradery I'm gonna need to finish this!
- Chapter 25 and we hear, “eighty-sixed” YESSSSS EMILY!! Read Eightysixed!
- Clearly Benji wasn’t being honest about his mom. But I wonder if his mom had ever been horrible?
- I like this Jared. I hope Allie can convince Angela to let her ignore that rule.
- Benji smoked out of her parents wedding mug?! Boo, Benji // I guess I don't understand how one does cocaine: bathtub, coffee mugs, WTF?!
- These reviews though 👏🏼👏🏼 bravo allie, tab and Angela.
- Ohhhh the cupcake date with Jared!
- So Hannah... was Allie the other woman or was it her? Either way, she let us know he’s alive.
- Angela is great: “we need to up the order of paper towels” seriously the support this woman can fork out!
- A magazine article and perhaps an award for the restaurant! God bless
- WHAT. ITS BENJI ZANE. WHAT.
- BENJI ZANE IN THE FLESH IN HERE!!
- Ohhhhh so he probably wasn’t clean with Allie
- He still thinks Allie is his girl?! Homie is delusional
- “I would never intentionally hurt you, allie. Because when I hurt you, I hurt me. And I’m so tired of all the hurt.” BARF also— WHO IS HANNAH, BENJI?!
- The audacity of some men!! Benji has GINORMOUS BALLS
- WHERE IS ANGELA?! Dammnit
- Ok, he’ll stay single forever? RIGHTTTTT — I trust his sobriety over him being single forever
- Allie kisses benji?! Nooooooo
- She realizes that the passion and the heart and Blah blah blah
- FINALLY ANGELA // where have you been?!
- Oh no! And Jared saw?!
- At least Allie knows she’s emotionally drained Jazzy and Maya
- God bless, Rita coming in strong
- Oh damn your pride, Jared.
- Bravo, Allie— turning over the ring and the knives
- Angela is everything and right on the money of them deserving a show! A Bravo show at that!
- God bless, her and Jared figured it out!
- I know the story is no longer about Benji... but how did he get into the Award ceremony?!
- “Christ, Simon, you are one hot mess” 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
- A full page ad?! A tweet of declaration?! I’m just looking for a right swipe and a message back. Fuck.
- Omg omg omg did she make back her $30k?!
- “My nest egg is back, and it’s on steroids.” $100k. It’s fictional but I’m crying just imagining this actually happening
- Omg Angela wants to buy her out!! I knew Angela was the best!
- Oh good she did what I thought she would! Buy out at $30k and then stay as AGM! Literally the best of both worlds!
YAAAAASSSSSS Emily!!!
Fin.
xo,
KJB
Hope you enjoyed! Comment below your thoughts on Hot Mess... and if you didn't listen and read the spoilers anyway, buy the book and react right along with me!
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