Book Review: Recipe for a Charmed Life

 

After a day of unrivaled disappointments, a promising young chef finds every bite of food suddenly tastes bitter. To save her career, she travels to the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her estranged mom, and discovers a family legacy she never suspected in this delicious novel from the bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie.

American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal—to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply...vanished.

When she receives a surprising invitation from her estranged mother, Georgia flees to a small island near Seattle hoping the visit will help her regain her spark in the kitchen. There she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes. But there’s something about the enigmatic island Georgia just can’t piece together. Good luck charms keep appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonist (and annoyingly handsome) oyster farmer. And her mom keeps hinting at a mysterious family legacy.

With the clock ticking and time running out to win her dream job in Paris, Georgia begins to unravel some astonishing secrets that make her wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look—and taste—very different than she ever imagined.

My Review

I love when I can fully immerse myself into a book. That is what happened with this one. I started reading it and got lost in it. It is so good. I finished it in a matter of hours! I loved the characters. 

Georgia may have gone over the top with her reaction when she discovered her boyfriend cheating but I don't blame her either for acting out. I loved the idea that her loss of taste had to do with her feelings. When Georgia's mother explaining how her gift was stowed upon her, I instantly got Practical Magic vibes. 

I like the romance that was budding between Cole and Georgia. It was a sweet romance. They both found what they were looking for in each other. Reading this book is like receiving a hug from your Nana.