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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was such a cozy, sweet book!
I really liked the setting of San Juan Island, and how special it was to Georgia and Star. There’s a little magical realism involved in the plot, but I’d say it’s a very small amount; however, the way it lends itself to the story was done really well.
The descriptions of food throughout the book were so fun, and I felt like I could see the food so clearly. I loved the way Georgia felt in her element when she was creating in the kitchen, and how passionate she was and how hard she worked. I also loved seeing her relationship with Star develop, and some of the deeper issues they got into. It was also fun reading about Georgia and Cole, and their silly and smart banter.
There are a few storylines to follow, and while the food one was the big focus, I do wish there was some more depth given to the other plot lines- I had a hard time at certain points feeling as connected to the story/characters as I wanted to be, and I think some things should have been given more time. That said, I was definitely invested in the story and how things would come together at the end.
Pick this one up if you want a comfy, foody, and warm-hearted read!
Thank you Berkley for the free copy of this book.
I really liked the setting of San Juan Island, and how special it was to Georgia and Star. There’s a little magical realism involved in the plot, but I’d say it’s a very small amount; however, the way it lends itself to the story was done really well.
The descriptions of food throughout the book were so fun, and I felt like I could see the food so clearly. I loved the way Georgia felt in her element when she was creating in the kitchen, and how passionate she was and how hard she worked. I also loved seeing her relationship with Star develop, and some of the deeper issues they got into. It was also fun reading about Georgia and Cole, and their silly and smart banter.
There are a few storylines to follow, and while the food one was the big focus, I do wish there was some more depth given to the other plot lines- I had a hard time at certain points feeling as connected to the story/characters as I wanted to be, and I think some things should have been given more time. That said, I was definitely invested in the story and how things would come together at the end.
Pick this one up if you want a comfy, foody, and warm-hearted read!
Thank you Berkley for the free copy of this book.
Book Summary:
Georgia May Jackson may be an American, but she is determined to achieve her goal – running (and owning) a restaurant in Paris. That may be an impossible dream to some, but Georgia believes that hard work can get her there.
That is, until she wakes up one day to find her cooking ability gone, as if by magic. Given the chance to flee the location of all this trauma, Georgia heads back home to her mother. While in this small town, she learns the truth about herself – and her charmed life.
My Review:
Words cannot describe how badly I needed this book. Recipe for a Charmed Life is the perfect book to read when you need to escape reality. I mean it! It's light, fluffy, and sweet but has a strong center to hold it all together. It's perfect.
I do love it when magical elements meet the real world. It makes for a charming (forgive the pun) tale. Georgia's story may have been a little extraordinary at times, hitting that point of "hard to believe this is happening" levels, but it was still a fun read.
Personally, the turning point from interesting to delightful was when Georgia started learning the truth. It felt like the moment I had been waiting for...mainly because I was! This book is worth the read if you want something full of magic, cooking, and love.
Highlights:
Magical Realism
Chick Literature
Romantasy
Foodie Life
Thanks to Berkley and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Georgia May Jackson may be an American, but she is determined to achieve her goal – running (and owning) a restaurant in Paris. That may be an impossible dream to some, but Georgia believes that hard work can get her there.
That is, until she wakes up one day to find her cooking ability gone, as if by magic. Given the chance to flee the location of all this trauma, Georgia heads back home to her mother. While in this small town, she learns the truth about herself – and her charmed life.
My Review:
Words cannot describe how badly I needed this book. Recipe for a Charmed Life is the perfect book to read when you need to escape reality. I mean it! It's light, fluffy, and sweet but has a strong center to hold it all together. It's perfect.
I do love it when magical elements meet the real world. It makes for a charming (forgive the pun) tale. Georgia's story may have been a little extraordinary at times, hitting that point of "hard to believe this is happening" levels, but it was still a fun read.
Personally, the turning point from interesting to delightful was when Georgia started learning the truth. It felt like the moment I had been waiting for...mainly because I was! This book is worth the read if you want something full of magic, cooking, and love.
Highlights:
Magical Realism
Chick Literature
Romantasy
Foodie Life
Thanks to Berkley and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bit of a rushed plot. Everything happened in the last 1/3 of the book. There is so much build-up and tension, and I wish it had not ended so abruptly. The plot was so interesting. Wish they had explored the magical element a bit more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook. This was part romance, part family drama and part about finding yourself. After losing her boyfriend and job in Paris, Georgie gets a note from her mom who she hasn't known since she was a young child. She flies back to the states to a small beach town in PNW. She gets to know her mom and more about her mom's side of the family and their magical touch. She meets her handsome yet grumpy neighbor and tries to figure him out. I enjoyed seeing her fall in love with the town as well as all the people.
After walking in on her long term boyfriend sleeping around, Georgia throws away not only him, but also her position as a sous chef at the restaurant. As she cleans her wounds, she is hit with one worse…she has lost her sense of taste. When she receives an email from the mother she thought had left forever, Georgia figures getting away can’t hurt her current predicament and flees to the small island to get to know the mother she lost as a child.
Rachel Linden has such a way of writing a beautiful story, with just a touch of magic. I may not be a foodie, but I always enjoy reading about cooking, and the love that a good chef has for creating a fantastic meal. I really liked that the romance was not the main focus of this book, it was more about Georgia finding not only her lost family, but also finding a bit more of herself. That said, the romance was still there and completely satisfying for me. Throughout the story I just wanted to know what the secrets were that everyone was keeping! If you have enjoyed Linden’s past books, you will love this one just as much!
Short Synopsis: American chef Georgia May Jackson is living in France with dreams of her own restaurant. After an epically bad day, she is jobless and boyfriendless, so she decides to escape to the Pacific Northwest following a surprise invitation from her estranged mother. Here, she hopes to rediscover her "taste," which she has seemingly lost.
Thoughts: I absolutely loved the Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, so I was thrilled to see that Linden was back with another culinary/magical realism book. This was another sweet story, though a little bit predictable. Still, it was heartfelt and enjoyable.
Read if you like
-Foodie books
-Julia Child
-Pacific Northwest Setting
-Magical realism
Thoughts: I absolutely loved the Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, so I was thrilled to see that Linden was back with another culinary/magical realism book. This was another sweet story, though a little bit predictable. Still, it was heartfelt and enjoyable.
Read if you like
-Foodie books
-Julia Child
-Pacific Northwest Setting
-Magical realism
Synopsis: After Georgia loses her job in Paris and finds herself homeless, she takes a trip to San Juan Island (in Washington State) to reconnect with her mom. What she soon realizes is that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to gain the courage to chase your dreams.
Thoughts: This was a heartfelt and wholesome story that I found to be the perfect blend between magic realism, romance, and women’s fiction. I loved the emphasis on forgiveness and second chances and the foodie descriptions added some fun. The audiobook was narrated perfectly!
Read if you like:
-Magic realism/ romance blend
-Foodie books
-PNW setting
-Julia Child
Thoughts: This was a heartfelt and wholesome story that I found to be the perfect blend between magic realism, romance, and women’s fiction. I loved the emphasis on forgiveness and second chances and the foodie descriptions added some fun. The audiobook was narrated perfectly!
Read if you like:
-Magic realism/ romance blend
-Foodie books
-PNW setting
-Julia Child
This book was an absolute delight and I loved every minute of it! If a book has food in it I’m sold and this is a foodies dream. From Paris to San Juan Island there are so many incredibly gorgeous sounding food descriptions I was drooling and besides food you also get some romance, family drama and an unforgettable journey for Georgia. There was a little bit of magic in this book, both in the literal sense and just a sense of wonder and awe and I loved the special gifts the women in Georgia’s family had. A totally enchanting and heartfelt read that I just loved.
lighthearted
slow-paced