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michellehenriereads 's review for:
Recipe for a Charmed Life
by Rachel Linden
My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.
Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction, Magical Realism
Spice Level: Medium. Previous sexual relationships are mentioned, but there is nothing on the page.
The primary focus in RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE is on Georgia and her journey—that's why I think it can qualify as Women's Fiction in addition to romance. I enjoyed Georgia with her big dreams of being a chef in a French restaurant. Her background twisted and turned—and it was a lot of fun to see how she worked through all of those tough things like abandonment and not fitting in.
The love interest is Cole, and I was surprised when he suddenly had a chapter about 40% into the book. But I liked getting his perspective, though he doesn't have as many chapters. His traumatic background turned him into something of a Byronic Hero—he needed someone like Georgia to pull him out of his head.
One thing that is great in this book is how each character has to solve their own problems and can't rely on the other to do the heavy lifting.
The one thing that I hung me up a bit was how Cole caved into telling Georgia all his secrets so easily. It would have made more sense (to me) if she was the one who extended herself first because he was so private.
This was a heartwarming read. IF you're triggered by drug addition, car accidents, or abandonment, there might be some moments that are hard. Each one of these is handled with care.
Happy reading!
Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction, Magical Realism
Spice Level: Medium. Previous sexual relationships are mentioned, but there is nothing on the page.
The primary focus in RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE is on Georgia and her journey—that's why I think it can qualify as Women's Fiction in addition to romance. I enjoyed Georgia with her big dreams of being a chef in a French restaurant. Her background twisted and turned—and it was a lot of fun to see how she worked through all of those tough things like abandonment and not fitting in.
The love interest is Cole, and I was surprised when he suddenly had a chapter about 40% into the book. But I liked getting his perspective, though he doesn't have as many chapters. His traumatic background turned him into something of a Byronic Hero—he needed someone like Georgia to pull him out of his head.
One thing that is great in this book is how each character has to solve their own problems and can't rely on the other to do the heavy lifting.
The one thing that I hung me up a bit was how Cole caved into telling Georgia all his secrets so easily. It would have made more sense (to me) if she was the one who extended herself first because he was so private.
This was a heartwarming read. IF you're triggered by drug addition, car accidents, or abandonment, there might be some moments that are hard. Each one of these is handled with care.
Happy reading!