Item: Recipe for a Charmed Life
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Rachel Linden

“Heartfelt, heartwarming, joyful, and uplifting. You can't go wrong with a Rachel Linden book.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

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. As she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes, Georgia realizes there is something about the enigmatic island she just cannot piece together. Good luck charms start appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonistic (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.

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.

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Recipe for a Charmed Life

by Rachel Linden

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Dec 31, 2023

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