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Sue Marko was born and (mostly) raised in Edmonton, Canada, where she grew up far more interested in sports and her social life than school and always had great interest and talent in the kitchen. She credits her culinary gift to her mother, who was a wonderful cook, creating almost everything from scratch with a strong emphasis on nutrition. Sue reluctantly earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in French minor from the U of A and went to work for a very large Canadian wine company where her passion for wine would be sparked and from there, wine and food would guide her life. Sue’s working territory included Jasper, AB where her obsession to be in the mountains would draw her to the calling of B&B ownership, where she could combine all of her work “passions”. For 14 years Sue ran the B&B, it sold in December of 2017 and she moved to the Okanagan Wine Country in British Columbia, Canada. Since her relocation she has furthered her wine education and opened a wine-focused business that she operates and enjoys very much. Sue invites very few guests to her home these days.
Reviewed by Deborah Lloyd for Readers' Favorite
Many people have a romanticized perspective of owning a bed and breakfast property. Sue and her boyfriend TR bought a house in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. At first, the transfer seemed normal until the previous owners did some odd things, like not moving out on the designated date. The many trials of operating a B&B are detailed in a short-story format in the non-fiction work, To BnB or Not to BnB: Deromanticizing the Dream penned by Sue Marko. The stories include funny, revealing, and sometimes almost unbelievable scenarios as guests can be clueless, rude, and sometimes frightening. The hard work involved, including maintaining the building, yard, rooms, cooking, etc., will provide new insights. Along the way, Sue includes helpful information such as needed certifications and safety concerns.
This book is an entertaining read and would be helpful to anyone who is considering buying a B&B or is already operating one. One of the interesting aspects is Sue’s ownership of her mistakes, stating she learned never to do that again. Her writing is realistic and honest; however, the text is sprinkled with a fair number of swear words, so readers should be aware. The process of selling the business also had its difficulties, but she was able to sell it after fourteen years of ownership. The best feature of this book is that it is eye-opening and will most likely affect readers as it promised – deromanticizing the dream. Author Sue Marko's To BnB or Not to BnB is a must-read for those interested in this business.
