Review: Dollars to Donuts by Kathleen Kole

Title: Dollars to Donuts

Author: Kathleen Kole

Genre/Audience: Chick lit, adult

Publication: 2011

Source: For Review, CLP Tours

Summary: April Patterson, a "crafting" newspaper columnist, has recently moved from the city to a small, cozy suburb called Boxwood Hills. She's not alone though - she's got her sister, Jessica, her boyfriend, Kevin, and a whole mess of nosy neighbors who she'll avoid at all costs... until she can't, when she finds herself smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood mystery involving a garbage can, a dead rodent, and HER stained sweatshirt. What's a girl to do? She can deny all knowledge, avoid said neighbors, and attempt not to fall for the charms of Gerritt, the hunky new guy in town who just so happens to be staying with her and Kevin. Maybe small and cozy is NOT what April needed after all...

My Thoughts: Kathleen's novels are a breath of fresh air - fun, light, refreshing, and the perfect escape. A short while back, I had the pleasure of reviewing Kathleen's first novel, Breaking Even, and all in all, I just find Kathleen's stories to be a delight. Sometimes you just need to take a step back from life and read a fun book that will make you laugh, and shake your head at all the crazy antics. Dollars to Donuts is one of those books.

April is a pretty funny character. The very first thing we see her doing is totally screwing up her hair and trying to escape to her sister's salon on a bicycle, her main mode of transportation. She also takes a job as a columnist writing about crafts - which she has no interest in and no knowledge of, so we find her throughout the book working on various crafts in frustration, such as a pillow designed to look like a textbook - haha! So, I was quite entertained by April, but also at times grew frustrated for her and her flirtations with, and eventual interest in, Gerritt. Kevin seemed really nice and she had no reason to be so agitated with him. Aside from that indiscretion, though, I did like her. I also liked her sister, Jessica, who always seemed to be April's voice of reason.

If you're a fan of chick lit with a little pop of mystery, I think you'll really enjoy Dollars to Donuts. Like a lot of chick lit, it's not really thought-provoking or anything like that, but it is a lot of fun! I really look forward to seeing what Kathleen comes up with next!


My Rating: 3.5/5

Here I am with my book - I was so excited when it arrived and I had to show Kathleen!