Be Ready When the Luck Happens Book Review

I received a copy of Barefoot Contessa Parties as a wedding shower gift back in 2001 and have been an enormous fan of Ina Garten ever since.

I own every cookbook she’s written, I’ve loved her Food Network show, and I laughed my pants off at her pandemic cocktail video that went viral in 2020.

As soon as her memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, came out, I had it downloaded to my Audible app on my phone and ready to go. It was so worth the wait.

Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.

And if you want to catch up on who Ina Garten is and why she’s so amazing, check out my list of all the best recipes from the Barefoot Contessa Collection here.

Summary of Be Ready When the Luck Happens

Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.

From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.

Book Stats

Published: October 1, 2024
Pages: 320
Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir
Get Your Copy: Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook

Recommended Format: Ina Garten narrates the audiobook herself. Not only does she have a lovely and soothing voice and narration style, but it adds such a personal touch to the read. I listened to the audiobook but used my Kindle copy to see the photos that illustrate each chapter. If I had to choose one vs. the other, I’d choose the audiobook every time.

What I Liked

Here’s what I would tell my best friend about the book:

1. I Love Origin Stories: Just ask my husband — I love learning how heroes get their capes. I want to see that story arc that takes them from bespectacled journalist to high-flying superman. Learning how my idol, Ina Garten, went from a young girl to a Food Network Queen was absolutely thrilling for me.
2. Personal and Charming: Ina doesn’t hold back with the details of her life. She reflects on a difficult childhood, personal challenges throughout her career, and even troubles in her marriage with grace for both herself and those who hurt her. She uses humor to keep things light and the story never gets too dark.
3. Romantic and Inspiring: I personally found the details about Ina’s life long love with Jeffery to be some of my favorite bits. As anyone who has been married as long as I have knows, marriage is difficult and it was wonderful to hear how the couple not only faced challenges but came out stronger and crafted a beautiful life together.
4. Foodie Heaven: If I could pick any celebrities to have lunch with, hands-down Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner would be at that table. As a food blogger over at Peanut Blossom, I gobbled up every moment where Ina talked about her foodie inspiration and approach to menu planning and entertaining.

What I Didn’t Like

Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.

The only think I could possibly think to say about not liking this book is that I wish it was longer. I could have listened to Ina chat about her personal stories for days and days.

Overall Score

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I give Be Ready When the Luck Happens 5 stars. I clung to every word and looked forward to all my car rides while listening to this book on audio. I may even re-read it at some point, something I almost never do.

If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.

Similar Books You’d Enjoy

If you enjoyed Be Ready When the Luck Happens, you might also like reading:

20 Book Club Books for Food Lovers

Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies Book Club Kit

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris Book Club Kit

Best Recipes from The Barefoot Contessa Collection