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emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
I am a sucker for magical realism and loved the use of it in this book!
Georgia great up in Texas. Her mom left when she was about five and she never saw her again. Georgia believed she was the reason and never got past it.
Before her mom left, they watched Julia Child together. Georgia grew up wanting to be a chef and moved to Paris to pursue her dream. Right when it is finally in reach, Georgia loses her "spark" - and her ability to taste, everything tastes nasty to her. She is a bit lost and not sure what to do. An email from her long lost mother arrives and has Georgia headed for San Juan Island to meet her mother. And this is where the story truly begins.
There is some romance with Cole, her mother's surly neighbor with a past and some guilt he carries. And I did enjoy that. But for me the family drama - the secrets, the forgiveness and Georgia finding her true charmed life were what I enjoyed most.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Georgia great up in Texas. Her mom left when she was about five and she never saw her again. Georgia believed she was the reason and never got past it.
Before her mom left, they watched Julia Child together. Georgia grew up wanting to be a chef and moved to Paris to pursue her dream. Right when it is finally in reach, Georgia loses her "spark" - and her ability to taste, everything tastes nasty to her. She is a bit lost and not sure what to do. An email from her long lost mother arrives and has Georgia headed for San Juan Island to meet her mother. And this is where the story truly begins.
There is some romance with Cole, her mother's surly neighbor with a past and some guilt he carries. And I did enjoy that. But for me the family drama - the secrets, the forgiveness and Georgia finding her true charmed life were what I enjoyed most.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Dementia, Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Drug use
emotional
funny
medium-paced
This story touched on love, forgiveness, addiction, abandonment, grief, and following your dreams. One of things I loved about this book was how Georgia had an open heart and gave her mom a chance and listened to her with understanding. I felt like Georgia used Julia Child, her culinary idol, as a filler for her absent mom. She looked to her for guidance when she needed someone to talk to. Even if Julia was just a person on TV.
I almost feel as though we got 2 stories in this one. While we follow Georgia’s story, we also follow Cole’s story. He’s grieving while also keeping a huge secret as to why he’s on the Island. Him and Georgia didn’t have the best meeting, but get acquainted and become a help for one another along the way. I loved how Georgia and Cole’s relationship didn’t happen with a snap of the finger, and it all came together so well!
We are given an understanding of all the relationships of the main characters in the story. This made the story feel complete for me. Georgia and her mother and family. Georgia and Cole. Cole and his past, and relationships. This story was sweet, heartfelt, with some sadness within it as well!
The audiobook. It was also done well. I didn’t realize that narrator Traci Odom was the only narrator. Her Cole voice was so good! The audiobook was a bonus because I didn’t want to stop reading, so I was able to grab the audiobook!
I almost feel as though we got 2 stories in this one. While we follow Georgia’s story, we also follow Cole’s story. He’s grieving while also keeping a huge secret as to why he’s on the Island. Him and Georgia didn’t have the best meeting, but get acquainted and become a help for one another along the way. I loved how Georgia and Cole’s relationship didn’t happen with a snap of the finger, and it all came together so well!
We are given an understanding of all the relationships of the main characters in the story. This made the story feel complete for me. Georgia and her mother and family. Georgia and Cole. Cole and his past, and relationships. This story was sweet, heartfelt, with some sadness within it as well!
The audiobook. It was also done well. I didn’t realize that narrator Traci Odom was the only narrator. Her Cole voice was so good! The audiobook was a bonus because I didn’t want to stop reading, so I was able to grab the audiobook!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.
Just as she is close to achieving all of her goals of becoming a chef in Paris, Georgia's life seems to fall apart. So she agrees to a request to visit her estranged mother, as she takes a break from working.
This book has much of the charm that I love in Rachel Linden's stories. It is a magical realism story largely set in the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Add in Paris, and the locations are some of my favorites in the world. We also regularly learn about Julia Child, as Georgia reflects on her own approach to cooking.
The story incorporates lots of secrets and family drama. And those are paired with lots of emotional pain and lots of magic. I found that the romance took a backseat to other aspects of the plot. (It's telling that the romantic interest's name doesn't make it into the synopsis.) But I loved this for the story of a woman's journey that it was. Some of the content warnings for this one are a bit spoilery, so DM me if you want them.
Traci Odom narrated the audiobook spectacularly. She did an amazing job switching to Julia Child's voice in Georgia's head. And I greatly appreciate the inclusion of the recipes, acknowledgements and discussion questions at the end of the audiobook.
Just as she is close to achieving all of her goals of becoming a chef in Paris, Georgia's life seems to fall apart. So she agrees to a request to visit her estranged mother, as she takes a break from working.
This book has much of the charm that I love in Rachel Linden's stories. It is a magical realism story largely set in the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Add in Paris, and the locations are some of my favorites in the world. We also regularly learn about Julia Child, as Georgia reflects on her own approach to cooking.
The story incorporates lots of secrets and family drama. And those are paired with lots of emotional pain and lots of magic. I found that the romance took a backseat to other aspects of the plot. (It's telling that the romantic interest's name doesn't make it into the synopsis.) But I loved this for the story of a woman's journey that it was. Some of the content warnings for this one are a bit spoilery, so DM me if you want them.
Traci Odom narrated the audiobook spectacularly. She did an amazing job switching to Julia Child's voice in Georgia's head. And I greatly appreciate the inclusion of the recipes, acknowledgements and discussion questions at the end of the audiobook.
Cute, if predictable, story with some touching moments. Felt that it dragged in some parts.