Thank you to Heather Kim, Capstone, and Switch Press for a free copy of "Sweet Revenge: Passive-Aggressive Desserts for Your Exes & Enemies" for an honest review.

This book is full of simple, but amazingly entertaining recipes. Each one comes with very clear directions and helpful tips for how to up your game at any stage of learning how to be an amazing cook in your kitchen. The writing is so glorious snarky, sweet, and it will have you grinning the whole time. ( )

This book was surprisingly entertaining for a cooking book. It gives a whole new meaning to the kill them with kindness, but I guess in this case it would be kill them with kindness and sugar. My favorite recipe was the Pumpkin Spice Latte balls. They seemed really easy to make and coffee in the form of a dessert is always a good thing. I am not sure if I would want to share these with someone who wronged me, I feel as if it was too good for them! ( )

I loved this book. The tone, the photos, even the fun and interesting twists on foods that I'd never think of as 'revenge'... I'd easily gift this to any one of my newly broken-up clients. (I'm a dating columnist).

While some of the recipes were nothing special, the way in which they're presented - all new. Never have I ever thouight of making 'sweet revenge gifts - literally, killing them with kindness - and this book gives you everything it's got. Syrupy, sweet, deliciousnessness. ( )

I love this cookbook and can’t wait to try all the recipes, cool ranch sugar, Cheetos ganache and so much more! I think this will be a favorite of ours!!!

Received an arc from the publisher. ( )

Bad Break-Up? Kill 'em With Kindness. Bake The Hate Out!

This isn't your average cookbook/dessert book. I'm not even talking about the clever, punny titles for each dessert either. I mean, the recipes themselves have me raising an eyebrow. Do those flavor combinations really work? It seems odd, but I'm no expert when it comes to inventing new recipes. All I know is I've been surprised in the past by flavor combos, like spicy jelly and cream cheese. Ok, that might not be as daring as what I've found in this book. What do I mean? Flamin' hot Cheeto ganache. Peanut-Corn Chip candy (Fritos and Reese's Pieces candy). Cap'n Crunch Monster Cookies (M&Ms, Cornmeal, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Cap'n Crunch cereal). Would the average chef even consider these ingredients together? I think that's what makes this author, and jack-of-all-trades, unique. I'm curious how she ended up so daring with these flavors and ingredients. Was she always like that, even as a child, mixing Skittles, M&Ms and Reese's Pieces? Or was it a bad break-up that knocked her out of her comfort zone and into new areas to experiment? She's like Semi-Homemade's Sandra Lee gone wild. :)

Either way, anyone that enjoys making desserts, but is bored with the same old same old, this book would definitely be for them. Not only are the recipes different from what I've typically encountered, the little bits of information are helpful for making it, not to mention the funny quips related to Exs, or I think for anyone that has broken our heart and one time or another (romanticly or otherwise). Cooking can be like gardening: a way to gain peace, to beat out and bake away the frustration. Angry with someone that took advantage of you? Beat it out in the bread as you knead it, 'cause you don't knead, uh, I mean need them.

Just a word of warning, this book may not be for everyone. There's some mild language in it and the titles might send some into a tailspin. You're a piece of Sheet Cake or Go Fudge Yourself. Then again, there are other fun titles like I Couldn't Carrot All Cake, I'm Not Fondue You, and I Hate You A Latte. There are many more, but I don't want to spoil it. So there's the word of warning. Some might not care for a few of the titles, but really this is supposed to be a fun book that puts the spin on bad breakups as well as recipes. Turning them both on their head.

What I really liked was the introduction from the author. In her words,

"Kindness is rare, folks. It's radical. Like baking, kindness takes time, energy, and effort, and those efforts are wholeheartedly returned. Trust me, they are. Somehow, they always are. For me, those returns have been absolute happiness, in all its dippy, dumb, lovely, joyful glory." ( )