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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Georgia aspires to run her own kitchen in Paris and is just about to get her dream, when her temper gets in the way. When her mentor tells her to take a few weeks to collect herself, she’s reluctant. But when she gets a letter from her mom who left when she was only eight, she decides this is just what she needs.
Her mom lives in the San Juan Islands which are outside Seattle, WA. She and her mom go about making up for lost time. Things take a turn when she meets her mysterious gorgeous neighbor who has some secrets of his own.
With the clock ticking and running out on her dream job, Georgia begins to wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look different than she ever imagined.
This was a super sweet story with a dash of clean romance. The story focuses mainly on Georgia’s personal life discovery where she realizes what she really wants out of life. A lot of this book was very convenient and that made it unbelievable, but if you just let go and go with the flow, you will really enjoy it. The characters in this story were well written and developed. The supporting characters were great and I loved the touch of magical realism. My favorite part of this book was that a lot of it takes place in the San Juan Islands which are in WA State. Let me tell you that the islands are just as gorgeous as the author makes them out to be, you should come visit!
If you are looking for a sweet woman’s fiction book with a touch of romance and magical realism, then check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, Berkley Romance @berkleyromance and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her mom lives in the San Juan Islands which are outside Seattle, WA. She and her mom go about making up for lost time. Things take a turn when she meets her mysterious gorgeous neighbor who has some secrets of his own.
With the clock ticking and running out on her dream job, Georgia begins to wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look different than she ever imagined.
This was a super sweet story with a dash of clean romance. The story focuses mainly on Georgia’s personal life discovery where she realizes what she really wants out of life. A lot of this book was very convenient and that made it unbelievable, but if you just let go and go with the flow, you will really enjoy it. The characters in this story were well written and developed. The supporting characters were great and I loved the touch of magical realism. My favorite part of this book was that a lot of it takes place in the San Juan Islands which are in WA State. Let me tell you that the islands are just as gorgeous as the author makes them out to be, you should come visit!
If you are looking for a sweet woman’s fiction book with a touch of romance and magical realism, then check this one out.
Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, Berkley Romance @berkleyromance and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book! I listened to the audiobook and it was great! Set on San Juan Island, WA, one of my favorite places in the world, this is the story of people who have lost their way and slowly find themselves and discover family and home.
So, I am actually giving this two star ratings, which average out to 4/5 stars,
For me: It's 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐
For others: This will probably be 5 stars, I'll explain ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is another case of bad labeling on NetGalley. If I saw this on Amazon, or at the store, where it was correctly labeled, I would probably not have picked it up because I know this is not my favorite genre. However, I can't just outright give this 3 stars simply because it wasn't my cup of tea. Based on Amazon and BN's sites, this book will be correctly labeled for the masses.
When I saw the labels "Sci-Fi Fantasy, and Romance" on NetGalley, mixed with the description and cover, I was fully expecting some fun witchy romance with lots of baked goods...I did not get that.
The first 6 chapters gave me all the drama and yummy writing I could hope for. In these chapters, Georgia's life is just beginning to fall apart, and chapter 7 is where we begin our main story...and also where I began to fall off.
Had this been labeled correctly, I could easily see it being 5 stars. I went into this expecting sci-fi romance and what it really was was a woman figuring out her life after she realized her "dream" was never really what she wanted. The story of Georgia finding her way in life, reclaiming her life's passion, and discovering what it is she truly wanted...THAT was a good story. The story of her reuniting with her mom and learning more about her family, THAT was a good story. The romance and fantasy...was an eh story. Ms. Linden is a great writer, I have no issues with her writing style and I can see that she is a wonderful author, if you go into this knowing it is an easy read, a lovely little escape into a whimsical world, then I think you would love this. It has romantic undertones and a mysterious power that just gives the story an added boost.
Do not go into this expecting romance and magic.
For me: It's 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐
For others: This will probably be 5 stars, I'll explain ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is another case of bad labeling on NetGalley. If I saw this on Amazon, or at the store, where it was correctly labeled, I would probably not have picked it up because I know this is not my favorite genre. However, I can't just outright give this 3 stars simply because it wasn't my cup of tea. Based on Amazon and BN's sites, this book will be correctly labeled for the masses.
When I saw the labels "Sci-Fi Fantasy, and Romance" on NetGalley, mixed with the description and cover, I was fully expecting some fun witchy romance with lots of baked goods...I did not get that.
The first 6 chapters gave me all the drama and yummy writing I could hope for. In these chapters, Georgia's life is just beginning to fall apart, and chapter 7 is where we begin our main story...and also where I began to fall off.
Had this been labeled correctly, I could easily see it being 5 stars. I went into this expecting sci-fi romance and what it really was was a woman figuring out her life after she realized her "dream" was never really what she wanted. The story of Georgia finding her way in life, reclaiming her life's passion, and discovering what it is she truly wanted...THAT was a good story. The story of her reuniting with her mom and learning more about her family, THAT was a good story. The romance and fantasy...was an eh story. Ms. Linden is a great writer, I have no issues with her writing style and I can see that she is a wonderful author, if you go into this knowing it is an easy read, a lovely little escape into a whimsical world, then I think you would love this. It has romantic undertones and a mysterious power that just gives the story an added boost.
Do not go into this expecting romance and magic.
If you are on the hunt for a feel-good story to kick off 2024, look no further than Recipe for a Charmed Life. This book is filled with drama, family, resilience, romance, passion, and like Linden's other books, good food! Oh, and the sweetest yellow lab that melted my heart.
Recipe for a Charmed Life starts in Paris where Georiga May is a sous-chef at a hot restaurant in Paris, when she discovers her boyfriend (also the head chef) is cheating on her with the new pastry chef. Then the rest of the night goes haywire, and she discovers that she has lost of sense of taste on top of everything.
While trying to decide what's next, she receives an email from her mother who she has not seen or heard from in 28 years, inviting her to a small island off the Washington coast. Georgia takes this as her sign and heads off to learn about her mother, and hopefully recover her sense of taste and passion for cooking.
I truly loved this book. I couldn't put it down and it filled my heart with so much joy, while also making me cry at times. It's a story that will give you all the feels.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Recipe for a Charmed Life starts in Paris where Georiga May is a sous-chef at a hot restaurant in Paris, when she discovers her boyfriend (also the head chef) is cheating on her with the new pastry chef. Then the rest of the night goes haywire, and she discovers that she has lost of sense of taste on top of everything.
While trying to decide what's next, she receives an email from her mother who she has not seen or heard from in 28 years, inviting her to a small island off the Washington coast. Georgia takes this as her sign and heads off to learn about her mother, and hopefully recover her sense of taste and passion for cooking.
I truly loved this book. I couldn't put it down and it filled my heart with so much joy, while also making me cry at times. It's a story that will give you all the feels.
Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.
2.5⭐ rounded up. Cute, light read but utterly predictable and full of convenient plot points that cheapened the story.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Setting: Island in Pacific NW (and Paris). Enjoyed the setting and food. Multiple story lines (family drama, secrets & sadness, + romance). I am open to the idea of magical realism (I honk that is what it’s called), but not sure it really added that much to this story. There was a lot here, but there was something that didn’t connect with me.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
It was a very cute story. A nice casual, quick read