Four Seasons at Angelino’s

By: Jamie Steinberg

If we were talking “Sex in the City” characters, Charlotte McPherson would be a Samantha. She’s a gorgeous red head who works as a publicist for a popular restaurant. When her recent relationship with her married boyfriend goes south, she seeks to give herself a fresh start to truly find love, maybe start a family and find happiness in her career. But is a year enough time to make all of your dreams come true? Find out with Four Seasons at Angelino’s.

When Charlotte isn’t putting up with her demanding bosses, she is traveling to different restaurant location launches all over the world. She’s also meeting fabulous men who she invests her heart in immediately. Whether it is Wyatt, a movie producer who she met standing in the rain who took her to grab a milkshake, Eric, the son of a wealthy businessman who lives in Tokyo, Pascal, an older businessman she meets in Paris or Ray, the hot bartender that gets around – she falls into the trope most women feel pressured into where you feel like you are on a timeline to be married and have kids, so she’s looking to find the one and get that white picket fence life beginning.

Deterring Charlotte from her quest are bosses Mario and Lorenzo – owners of Angelino’s. They constantly need her attention to make sure their flavor of the day and friends are having a good time during their trips while also barking orders at her for their specific desires of how the food and décor should be at each restaurant opening. Adding to the mix is maniac Melvin, who is the company’s accountant and Charlotte’s personal bully. With so much pressure on her shoulders, no wonder she seeks an outlet for all of her frustrations in the men she meets!

We get a brief glimpse into Charlotte’s gal pals, but not enough. At the beginning we are introduced to Sofia and Tracy, but neither play a prominent role in her the leading lady’s life until the very end. Breakup after breakup happens and yet we never get to see how they help their BFF pick up the pieces! Charlotte occasionally texts buddy Wyatt to check in and has a dinner or two each year with him. Otherwise, the greatest interaction we see between Charlotte and the close women in her life is when she goes to a friend from college’s wedding and towards the end of the tale when she joins Sofia during a Winter getaway. Don’t sleep on Tracy though, as she plays a prominent role later on.

The writing is decent by author Caroline McBride; however, my biggest disappointment with Four Seasons at Angelino’s lies in the love story – or lack thereof. Charlotte sleeps around (even going so far as to frequently have unprotected sex with a partner) and winds up in a sorted situation that only adds to the elephant in the room – her loneliness. She is simply more focused on locking down a man than feeling self-fulfillment. It isn’t until the very end that she truly realizes the right direction (and man) for her life.

If you liked “Sex in the City” and thought Samantha needed a spinoff, you should read Four Seasons at Angelino’s. If you were more of a Carrie or Charlotte fan and you thought life was meant for love, then pick up a copy and you won’t be disappointed.