The Perfect Recipe for Love and Friendship + Giveaway
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: THE PERFECT RECIPE
FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
Author: Shirley Jump
Series: O’Bannon Sisters,
#1
On Sale: July 11, 2017
Publisher: Forever
Trade Paperback: $14.99
USD
eBook: $6.99 USD
The first book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump's new series featuring
the O'Bannon sisters.
Bridget O'Bannon is ready
for a do-over. After years of pretending she had a happy marriage and denying
that she missed the friends and family she'd left behind, she's headed home to
restart her life.
But working alongside her
family every day at their bakery isn't as easy as whipping up her favorite
chocolate peanut butter cake. Her mother won't give her a moment's peace, and
her sister Abby is keeping secrets of her own. And there doesn't seem to be
enough frosting in the world to smooth over the cracks forming between them.
Bridget can see the recipe
for a happy life—including the possibility of a new romance—written out before
her, but first she and her family will need to lay bare their secrets and
rediscover the most elusive ingredients of all: forgiveness, laughter, and
love.
My Review
This book is the perfect recipe for a wonderful summer read! Instantly, I connected with all of the O'Bannon sisters. One of the questions in the reading guide was which sister was my favorite: Bridget, Nora, Abby, or Magpie. To be honest, I loved them all. Each one was different in her own way; yet together they were stronger. A huge part of this had to do with their mother, Colleen. She was the glue that helped to bond them all together. Yet, at the same time at the end I was happy to see her acknowledge she was not perfect. However, her strength after the death of her husband and the girls' father is what helped Bridget get back on her feet. Back to the sisters.
Bridget found out just what she was made of as she picked up the pieces of her life. One of my favorite moments in this book was the "banana" scene with Nora. The more I got to know about Bridget's husband, Jim, the more I disliked him. I was happy to see Garrett come into the picture.
Nora was more stable and she seemed to have a closer bond with their mother. Although, this may have to do with the fact that Nora worked in the bakery with their mother.
Abby was more of the outspoken one and the black sheep of the family. However, don't let this fool you as she had a lot of love in her heart.
Magpie was just plain fun. She would say some of the funniest things. Plus, she has a cool name.
I hope to visit with the O'Bannon sisters again and get to see each of them get their happy ending as well as Colleen, who might be starting to get her second chance at love as well.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When she's not writing
books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley
Jump competes in triathlons, mostly because all that training lets her justify
mid-day naps and a second slice of chocolate cake. She's published more than 60
books in 24 languages, although she's too geographically challenged to find any
of those countries on a map.
Goodreads
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The door let out a little tweet-tweet when
Bridget entered the shop. She wandered the aisles, past the stacked bags of
birdseed, the elaborate concrete birdbaths, enough binoculars to stock a
Peeping Tom convention, and hundreds of birdhouses, in every imaginable shape,
size, and color. There were mini replicas of the White House, the Leaning Tower
of Pisa, and even Windsor Castle.
“There’s enough here that you’d never have to leave your house to
visit the seven wonders of the world.”
Bridget turned. A tall man in a dark suit stood beside her. He held
two different bird feeders and had a book tucked under one arm. But it was his
smile she noticed—nice, warm, friendly.
“How do you know which one to buy?” she asked.
“I don’t. That’s why I got two.”
Bridget laughed, the sound still feeling foreign and wrong. She
sobered and turned back to the long row of bird feeders. They all looked like
different versions of the exact same thing. Birds of all shape and feather were
pictured on the boxes, but none of them looked like hummingbirds.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
“I have this hummingbird in
my yard, and I wanted to feed him,” Bridget said.
“Hummingbirds are something
I know a little about. Blue jays and wrens, not so much, which is why I’m
hedging my bets with a double purchase.” The man held up the two different
feeders in his hands. “I’m sorry, I
haven’t introduced myself.” He put one of the bird feeders on a nearby shelf
and then extended his right hand. “Garrett Andrews.”
She shook his hand and realized it was the first time she had
touched a man since her husband had died. It was weird, but nice too. Garrett
had a firm, warm handshake, over a second after it began. “Bridget
Masterson…uh, O’Bannon. No, Masterson.”
His grin quirked. “Are you in WitSec or something?”
“WitSec?”
“Witness protection. Considering you’ve forgotten your last name.”
“Oh, no, it’s not that. I just…well, my husband just died and
well…” She shook her head. Why was she telling a perfect stranger all of this?
“I’m sorry.” His gaze softened. “My wife died two years ago. When
something like that happens, it’s as if your entire identity is ripped away.
Who are you, when you’re just one of a half?”
“Exactly,” she murmured, and then turned back to the feeders.
“So…hummingbirds?”
He took the change of subject in stride. He stepped forward and
waved a hand across the displays, like one of the models on The
Price Is Right. “Okay, you have a few options here. This one hangs from
a copper swing and has a weather shield. That’s really just a plastic umbrella.
You can put it in a tree—”
“I don’t have a tree close to the house. Is there something I can
put on the window maybe? He seems to really like my kitchen window.”
“This one would be great for that.” Garrett handed her another box.
A quartet of happy hummingbirds swarmed the feeder while a family watched from
inside, all wearing delighted smiles. Buy the Window Wonder
Feeder, the box said, and your family will be
entertained for hours! “It’s got a weather guard, a removable ant moat,
and holds eight ounces of nectar.”
She turned the box over. “Nectar?”
“Hummingbirds drink sugar water. You can make it yourself or”—he
gave her a long glance—“if you’re not up to that yet, this stuff is already
mixed.”
She took the red liter bottle from him and scanned the label. “I
just pour this in and that’s it?”
“Well, not exactly. You have to clean the feeder a couple times a
week. Wash it well, so it doesn’t get any mold in it. Then refill it and check
it every day or so to make sure there’s still some nectar in there.”
She had yet to get her act together enough to do laundry. The whole
thing seemed daunting, overwhelming. “That seems like a lot to worry about.
Maybe I should forget it. Or wait until a better time.” She reached to place it
back on the shelf.
Garrett put a hand on the box, stopping her. “I know right now that
even the simple act of picking out a shirt to wear takes more mental energy
than you think you have.”
Her eyes started to burn. She flicked her gaze to the tiled floor.
“But this will be good for you.” Garrett covered her hand with his
own. His touch was tender, understanding. Like they were the only two in the
world who knew this foreign language of widowhood. She didn’t move her hand,
not right away. For a second, she let the empathy wash over her, rush in to
fill the gaping holes in her mind.
“I don’t know.” She slid her hand out of his, pretending she needed
to brush a hair off her forehead.
“I do.” He reached in his jacket pocket with one hand and then slid
a business card between her fingers. “There’s my number. Text me, email me,
call me, any time of day, if you want any tips on hummingbirds or if you just
want to talk about how this whole thing sucks.”
“I…I…”
“I’m not trying to hit on you. I’m trying to help.” He gave her
that smile again and nudged the box toward her chest. “Buy the feeder. Hang it
up. Because it’s okay to let a living thing depend on you again, Bridget.”
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