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7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 A Swan Dive into the Heart of Love Jun 02, 2009
By HH, author
A diner owner-operator named Bobby falls insatiably in love with a woman, Georgette, new to the small Arizona town where his business is located. That Bobby is married to Vanessa, co-operator of the diner and mother to their daughter Roberta, does not prevent him from divorcing his wife and marrying Georgette who then takes on the responsibilities, once Vanessa's, of running the diner with Bobby. Years into his marriage with Georgette, Bobby suddenly dies from heart failure. At the reading of his will, Georgette and Vanessa learn that Bobby has bequeathed the diner to both of them who then reluctantly agree to operate the business mutually. Therein lies the tension that underscores and kicks off BOBBY'S DINER, author Susan Wingate's second novel, a finalist in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Award.
The novel's initial premise, and the conflicts that naturally arise when sworn enemies attempt to run a business without pummeling each other in the process, meet the requirements to sustain a reader's attention for the length of a novel. But Ms. Wingate does not stop there. She infuses the story with a genuine sense of menace derived from the murderous intentions of local business magnates who covert the property upon which Bobby's Diner sits.
Ms. Wingate's ability to create fully-realized characters is reminiscent of author Larry McMurtry's almost unparalleled gift for allowing readers to befriend fictional personae. This observation will perhaps help to usher in the death knell of that most patronizing of terms, "chick lit." Ms. Wingate's prose resonates with bone-hard realism and delicate poignancy characteristic of all great writers, irrespective of gender. This reviewer intends to keep a sharp eye tuned to future works by Susan Wingate.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Bobby's Diner keeps you turning the pages Jul 11, 2010
By Gary Ponzo
"Author Gary Ponzo"
Susan Wingate does a wonderful job of making an entirely improbable situation seem so real and believable. I've read an older book of hers titled, "Of The Law," and although that one was intriguing (Actually very intriguing, but that's another review), this one has everything a reader could ask for. Great dialogue, gritty drama, and terrific writing. I could listen to Vannesa and Georgette get into it all night long. And so will you.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Diner Dive Dec 11, 2010
By J's view
The premise of Bobby's Diner is Bobby dies, and leaves his diner to his Ex wife, Vanessa and his current wife, Georgette. In addition to that is a daughter, who never forgave Georgette or Bobby for tearing apart her family. With this in mind, I expected some high drama, before the ladies realized they needed to work together, to make the restaurant a success. Then, I hoped to enjoy a laugh, while they tried to blend into a working a team, with some added community drama put in the mix. Instead, it was life is rough, and you just deal with it, and/or die. I found none of the characters meshing to give me that community feel, dysfunctional or otherwise. The author would give you a sterile description of one particular character and then shove them into the story. I didn't get the feel of people flowing together in to a comprehensive story and have them developing their identities in it. The ladies seem to reach a conflict and then just resolve the problem. Yet I couldn't see the solution in action. For example they had a conflict about the menu. Vanessa had an almost bullying attitude about wanting to serve diner food like they did in the old days and Georgette wanted to stick with her fancier fair. Georgette responded by showing her how to cook the new food and all was well. Another complaint I have is the author's need to insert the word of the day into various places in the book. I didn't find this to enhance the story but further alienate my ability to relate to the story. Near the end I just didn't care enough about the people in the book to really dwell on the ending. It was more about finishing the book so I could move on to another.
 great read, Apr 07, 2012
By Rochelle Sullivan
"sullysue"
best book i've read in a long time. got my attention and just couldn't put in down. hope to find more books by that author. would recmend anyone to read this book.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Hard to Finish Feb 18, 2012
By Amber Fox
I find it hard to critique something that I disliked so much. I got lost in the style of jumping back and forth between rapidly changing points of view. The author romanticizes her stealing another woman's husband. To get sympathy? I had a hard time feeling anything for the characters and especially for the main character. It had a get in your face sort of style, like someone forcing you to paying attention to their boring conversation. At times, I thought I would nod off. The book was full of run-on paragraphs. Two people talking in the same paragraph was confusing. More time developing the characters and less time on how much she loved her stolen husband would have been better.
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