LIght read about 2 chicken restaurants in a small town in Kansas. Author used to be from Pittsburg, Ks. and wanted to write a book about that area and the 2 restaurants. 2 sisters decide to have both restaurants in a reality show called Food Wars. Lots of craziness and arguments end up happening until they all come together in the end to better themselves and the restaurants. Some references to Kansas City.

To be honest I struggled a bit to stay interested. The premise is very cute, but the characters were pretty much all annoying.

Two sisters face off in a reality show restaurant battle in this story about family and second chances set in small town Kansas. In the tiny (fictional) town of Merinac there are two restaurants directly across from each other that both specialize in chicken. The founders of Mimi’s and Frannie’s were sisters. Customers have argued over which one is better since they opened a century ago.

Amanda and Mae grew up working for their mom, the owner and cook of Mimi’s. Mae now lives in New York City making her living as a guru of organization and tidiness, doing her best not to think about her untidy childhood. She’s also a social media influencer who is always framing up her next photo or composing her next post. Amanda still lives in Merinac and shockingly she married Frank Pogociello, heir to Frannie’s. Amanda now runs Frannie’s with her mother-in-law, Nancy. Her mom hasn’t totally disowned her, but Amanda is no longer allowed in Mimi’s and the two are not at all close.

Amanda has drifted along since her husband’s death, unsure what she wants to do with her life. She reaches out to the reality show Food Wars to pitch a competition between Mimi’s and Frannie’s. Amanda wants a change as much as anything. She just wants something to happen. One of the restaurants (Frannie’s, she’s sure) will win $100,000. Amanda knows the competition will increase publicity and sales for both restaurants making everyone’s lives better.

Of course, Food Wars wants good television, which means stirring the pot. Amanda and Mae will be challenged to find a way to stand together when their family secrets are shared with the world.

Do parts of this story sound familiar to you? K.J. Dell’Antonia lived in Kansas for a time and was inspired by two real-life restaurants in Pittsburg, Kansas. Chicken Mary’s and Chicken Annie’s were featured on The Travel Channel’s show “Food Wars” in 2010.

I gave this book four stars for the setting (small town Kansas), the cooking competition ala Food Network style, and fried chicken. I remember visiting my grandparents in southwestern Kansas and eating lots of fried chicken with mashed potatoes and cream gravy. Until her later years, the chicken was always straight out of Grandma's chicken coop. This is also a classic "two sisters who can't get along and take different paths" story. Mae has escaped by going to college and ending up in New York where she makes a name for herself as an organizer. Amanda married early into the family that runs Frannie's after growing up with her mom and sister running Mimi's. As the pot is stirred by an aggressive tv producer, family secrets are revealed as each sister tries to sabotage the other for the win. Those who grew up and/or lived in small towns will recognize many of the characters and situations.

Would love for this to be a series!!!! Great book!!!