Recipe for a Charmed Life (2024)

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely loved The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by this author. What I liked about that book was the fact that the romance was secondary to the plot, it was just touched on, and Recipe for a Charmed Life was mostly a romance. I wanted more of Georgia May finding herself. I really wish the author hadn't made this character fall instantly in love after leaving a cheating boyfriend. Georgia May should have been focusing on her cooking, finding her gift and her relationship with her mother. All the googly eyes and swooning made the book drag for me, and I almost DNF.

I didn't buy into all of the coincidences that happened like the chef cutting the tip of her finger off when Georgia May just happened to be eating at the restaurant or her mother getting in contact with her just as she loses her boyfriend, job and home and not asking for a phone number in this day and age...who does that!? I was rolling my eyes and laughing.

Let's end on a more positive note. I loved the special gifts the Stevens women have, all of them different. I loved reading about the cooking and the recipes but this book fell short and just didn't have the magic that Linden's previous book had.

This book is a culinary delight for a food enthusiast like me, tantalizing with its mouthwatering recipes and vividly described San Juan Island landscapes. I'm captivated by the idea of visiting this enchanting place to savor lavender farms, explore wineries, indulge in seafood, and bask in the special magic that infuses the air.

The heart of the story revolves around Georgia, who carries the scars of her mother's abandonment from a young age. Raised by her Texan farmer father and aunt on a secluded ranch, Georgia's passion for cooking is ignited by Julia Child's show and books, leading her down the path of becoming a chef. Her journey takes her to Paris at the age of twenty, where she works her way up from the bottom to become an aspiring sous chef, driven by her dream of owning her own restaurant. However, the relentless pursuit of her ambition, coupled with stressful work conditions, takes a toll on her inspiration, and she gradually loses her sense of taste, mirroring the bitterness that life seems to be dishing out.

A pivotal moment comes when Georgia's life takes an unexpected turn. Confronted by a deceitful food critic and a shocking revelation about her boyfriend's infidelity, she decides to take matters into her own hands, leading to a scandalous act that changes her destiny. As a result, she loses the remainder of her tasting abilities, leaving her hopeless and adrift in a competitive culinary world.

In a twist of fate, Georgia's estranged mother reaches out to her, inviting her to San Juan Island near Seattle. This invitation presents a chance not only to rediscover her culinary spark but also to uncover long-buried family secrets. The island's enchanting aura and her mother's intriguing neighbor, though seemingly aloof, draw Georgia in. As she embarks on a journey of healing and self-discovery, guided by the delicious flavors of the island, Georgia also finds an unexpected companion in her mother's enigmatic neighbor. Together, they navigate animosity, forming a connection that holds the promise of something more.

This novel expertly weaves elements of magical realism, women's fiction, and romance into a poignant narrative. It's a story that urges readers to find purpose in their own lives and muster the courage to pursue their dreams. I wholeheartedly recommend this unique and inspiring book.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital review copy of this heartfelt novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:

medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter<

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Rachel Linden for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 1.9!!**

What makes the PERFECT recipe?

Is it the ingredients? The ease of the directions? The time it takes to cook? The uniqueness of the dish itself?

Or is it a particular combination of ALL of these elements...where if even one is a bit off, it can cause you to push the cookbook with that recipe WAY to the back of the cabinet, never to be seen again?

In the case of Recipe for a Charmed Life...I kept wondering why on earth I was reading the same 'directions' over and over....and how the finished product could seem like it was missing HALF of the necessary ingredients to make the dish sing...or even make it palatable!

Georgia May Jackson in an American in Paris...and after many years at the grindstone, she feels like she's poised to have her big culinary breakthrough. Her job at the fancy Parisian restaurant has helped to hone her skills, and her hunky chef boyfriend Etienne has been by her side for years too. So you can imagine Georgia's surprise when she walks into the walk-in freezer after hearing a strange noise and sees Etienne uh, 'pounding' something...or someone...other than food. 🤢 Georgia is disgusted and heartbroken, and in a fit of revenge she decides to sabotage her restaurant and quit. But she's about to lose something she never bargained on losing, a chef's greatest asset: her sense of taste.

In a perfect bout of coincidental timing, Georgia then receives a letter from her estranged mother and finds out she is currently living in San Juan Island outside Seattle, Washington. Her mother all but begs her to come spend some time with her on the island, and Georgia hopes that the trip will somehow bring her senses back to life. Once she arrives, she's a bit overwhelmed by her free spirited hippie mom...and MORE than a bit puzzled at the mysterious power her mother has to make things grow out of season. Georgia's mom knows that she needs a culinary jump-start, so she decides to introduce Georgia to the lovably gruff Oyster-Farmer-Next-Door, Cole. (Yup, an Oyster Farmer). He introduces her to the local cuisine and slowly begins to open up...and a relationship of sorts begins to bloom between the two.

But when it comes to Cole...is there more to his story than he's willing to share? Will Georgia win her sense of taste back to land her dream job in Paris? What is the strange family secret Georgia's mother keeps mentioning? What about Georgia's DAD? And even though Georgia thought she had the picture perfect career at an arm's reach...has her recipe for a Charmed Life changed...entirely?

I'm far from a foodie, but I DO love a good coming-of-age and finding-yourself tale...and toss in some beautiful locations, magical realism, a bit of family drama AND a hint of romance, and it seemed like this would be a light, breezy read with a bit of emotion sprinkled throughout. What I did NOT expect, however, was a plot that was predictable AND also far-fetched...ALL at the same time. This was not so much a problem in the beginning, and when Georgia lost her sense of taste, I actually thought this was going to be a thoroughly emotional and unique journey and one of the focal points. I quickly learned, however, that any and all dramatic tension was going to revolve around the unveiling of family secrets....and trust me, between Georgia's family and Cole's past...let's just say Dr. Phil would have had plenty to keep him busy.

Cole, whose sole defining trait at the beginning of the book was his orange rubber overalls (they were mentioned at LEAST four times) was not the most miserable or grumpy archetype of this sort that I've ever read....but once I got to know him more, it wasn't his jumpsuit that I found offensive, but his moral character. To say he has made some questionable choices is putting it mildly, and aside from that it was hard to 'fall in love' with the character that was basically described (over and over) as a Captain Planet wannabe who is apparently very reminiscent of Ian Somerhalder (this reference is ALSO made over and over). Georgia's mom and dad were also more of the same, one the stereotypical hippie with a capital H and the other a stereotypical gruff cowboy type...and as a reader, you are told how to picture them and what to think about them too.

And speaking of repetition...this book is chock full of it. Georgia would sometimes have a revelation, then basically rephrase and sometimes even restate the same thoughts multiple times... sometimes even in the same chapter! I'm sure many authors do this to some extent, but if the writing is complex and layered enough, it isn't noticeable...but I kept noticing it everywhere, to the point where at times it was very distracting. There were also passages where one character told us some backstory....and then had to tell ANOTHER character the same story, in detail, later in the book...for no reason whatsoever. Whenever it feels like an author is giving me more page filler than necessary plot, it is SO hard to stay focused and intrigued....and for a book that should have felt as light and crispy as the macaroons Georgia kept mentioning, it felt more like Eggs Benedict! 🍳

Rather than forcing SO much into a book that didn't need all of the drama, I wish Linden could have taken the opportunity to explore what is ACTUALLY like to lose your taste, how it affects people in the culinary community and beyond, and also to just have Georgia sort of come into her own without NEEDING magic and an island to make it all happen. The magical realism touches didn't feel magical to me, but rather like the book could have lost ALL of them without missing much in the long run. Because I wasn't a huge fan of Cole in general, this didn't need to be a love story and to be honest, with Georgia needing to reconnect with her parents and work through all of THAT trauma too, it was just a bit overwhelming after a while. Despite the uncertainties, the 'main' plot was SO predictable it was practically telegraphed from page one, and some more surprises and emotional growth in our MC truly could have taken it to the next level...but instead, even Cole's oysters dipped deeper than Georgia. 🌊

It's hard to say which is more subjective, reading or eating. Everyone has a unique palate, and the food you loved at 5 years old may sound disgusting at 45. But by the end of the book, I think in some way I knew EXACTLY how Georgia felt.

Try as I might...I just couldn't taste a thing.

3 stars

3.5 stars, rounded up.. I did enjoy this title, but it was really, really slow at times & just needed some editing, perhaps. Just a little too much in the MC’s headspace & unnecessary details, maybe? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I really liked the premise of a burned out chef trying to get her mojo back after a bad relationship, but I wish there had been more magic realism than romance, as it felt forced at times. Still the story kept me up flipping pages & will likely try more from the author, so a mixed review from me, I guess…

I really loved The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie so I was excited for this one. I thought it was ok, but I felt like it tried to hard to be both a romance and a story about a woman coming into herself that it wasn’t really great at either. I have to say that insta-love is not my favorite, so if it is you may have liked the romance storyline better than me, but I especially hate when a woman who is righteously angry because a man wronged her instantly falls in love with the next guy she sees. Georgia May had the worst day of her life and all of her dreams of being a chef in Paris seem ruined. Plus she lost her job, her home, and her boyfriend in one fell swoop of a horrible decision. When a mysterious message comes with the promise to answers she’s longed for her entire life she leaps and goes to a small town in Washington state. I really liked the magical realism in the story. I liked Georgia May but I wanted her to spend more time figuring herself out and get more some depth to that. Overall it was a pretty decent read and I will keep reading more from this author.

(4.5 stars, rounded up)

The sights and smells of two fabulous places (Paris, France, and San Juan Island, Washington State) provide the backdrop of this lovely book. Recipe For A Charmed Life covers several themes, among them forgiveness of oneself and of others, the impact of family, especially the mother-daughter relationship, and about identity. There’s romance here, but I felt the best parts of the book dealt with Georgia (the main character) figuring out what she was meant to do with her life.

Georgia May Jackson is a sous-chef in Paris as the book opens. She has worked tirelessly for 12 years to get where she is, an especially hard road for a woman and an American woman at that. She is on the cusp of reaching her goal, being the head chef in a fine Paris restaurant, when things go spectacularly wrong. On top of the disaster I’m referring to, Georgia realizes she has lost her sense of taste, an impossible situation for a chef. Everything she eats tastes bitter, even something as sweet as the famous Laduree macarons. Because of these events, Georgia is looking for someplace to “lick her wounds” when she finds an unopened email from her mother, whom she hadn’t heard from in almost 30 years. The last time she saw her mother, was when she was 5 years old. She decides to accept the invitation to visit, in the hope of learning what made her mother leave, and also in the hope of regaining her spark in the kitchen (as well as her sense of taste!).

Georgia grew up feeling like a misfit on her father’s Texas ranch and fantasized about becoming a chef like Julia Child. She was a super-fan of Child’s cooking show (and often “talks” to Julia, asking what she would do). She treasures a small necklace her mother gave her before she left her - a four-leaf clover necklace that her mother said represented faith, hope, love and luck, the four elements of the recipe for a charmed life. Along the way, the author provides loving descriptions of the food, the smells, and the landscape of the island and Paris. I’ve been to Paris a few times (I have some family there) and the descriptions were spot-on. I’ve never been to the San Juan Islands but I have explored other areas of the Pacific Northwest and could picture everything Linden wrote about.

I love magical realism in books and this one had just enough to satisfy.

I wasn’t a fan of the backstory of why Georgia’s mother left and stayed gone, and why it had to be kept a secret for so long, but that’s a minor point. The other minus was the insta-lust aspect, especially as Georgia was coming off a heartbreak when she left Paris, although I liked the character of Cole and felt he had an interesting backstory of his own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wonderful story of family and life sprinkled with the magic of love.
~~~~~~~~~
There are so many interesting pieces to this story. We experience fabulous locales—tough family relationships; plus a lot of complexity with the characters.

The author does a wonderful job developing multilayers for each of the characters that include secrets and interests that have us buying into the story. Some of that I felt was hard to come to grips with especially when we’re talking family dynamics. But that did lead to a lot of intrigue within the story.

What I thought was fun and interesting was a little bit of a family specialty with magical touches. It became an important piece of the story as our main character dealt with her struggles, family pains, personal tragedy, and so much more.

Balancing everything out is helped by an unexpected romance with the grumpy hottie, of course. Interesting dynamics there too!

Overall, Recipe for a Charmed Life is a wonderful story of family and life sprinkled with the magic of love.
~~~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/recipe-for-a...

A chef losing her sense of taste?

How can Georgia go on?

And that wasn't the only disaster in her life. She found her boyfriend, also a chef, with one of the pastry chefs half undressed inside the walk-in freezer.

Georgia locked them in the freezer, fed a famous food critic a dish that had been ruined, and walked out.

The next morning, she realized she should not have done that because she was in line to become the chef of a famous restaurant.

The chef who was ready to grant her the title of head chef and her life-long dream was also very disappointed in her and suggested she go away for two weeks to try to get her inspiration back.

He doesn’t know that she lost her sense of taste.

With no place to go since she lived with her cheating boyfriend, she went to her friend's house.

Meanwhile, she received an e-mail dated five days ago from her mother who left her when she was five.

Her mother wanted her to visit because she had something to tell Georgia that she think will change her life.

After all this time? Should she go? Why does her mother happen to get in touch at this time in her life?

Well....Georgia does go and finds her mother living on a charming island with a very handsome neighbor.

Georgia is curious about what her mother wants to tell her and finally asks her.

RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE is a sweet, read with lovable characters, and themes that will make you think about your choices in life and if you have the power to help people see things through some talent you have.

It is also about forgiveness of yourself and others.

If you need something light, breezy, heartwarming, and fun add this book to your TBR.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute delight and I loved every minute of it! If a book has food in it I’m sold and this is a foodies dream. From Paris to San Juan Island there are so many incredibly gorgeous sounding food descriptions I was drooling and besides food you also get some romance, family drama and an unforgettable journey for Georgia. There was a little bit of magic in this book, both in the literal sense and just a sense of wonder and awe and I loved the special gifts the women in Georgia’s family had. A totally enchanting and heartfelt read that I just loved.

I was so incredibly excited to read Recipe for a Charmed Life after falling in love with Lolly's story in Lemon Drop Pie.

This book is less of a romance and more about one woman's journey to discover her past that will ultimately change her future. The magical realism elements in this one are super light so that anyone who isn't into that genre will hardly notice them with how naturally they are woven into the story in a really fabulous way. The plot surrounding her taste...a devastating blow to her career was very intriguing and one of my favorite aspects of the story.

Georgia's occupation as a renown chef will have your mouth watering at all the foodie descriptions throughout the book. This one has an island setting, touches of Paris cooking, and a romance that blooms from a misunderstanding into more.

For some reason I just didn't connect to this story and the characters. It's a perfectly lovely story but just missed the mark for me. I did feel like it might have been the abundance of family drama/trauma mixed with some lighter plot elements that just felt a tad disjointed. This one felt a bit more predictable and it didn't hit the mark quite like Lemon Drop Pie did.

The title drew me in. Something about books that have to do with food seem to draw me in. And especially if recipes are included, I always love that. I had no idea whether this book would have recipes and it does have a few at the end but since I chose audio version, it wasn't quite the same. Oh well!

In Recipe for a Charmed Life, Georgia is a successful chef in Paris. She is American, but cooking in Paris has always been her dream. At the start of our story, Georgia finds herself in a seemingly long string of unfortunate events and probably the most devastating is the fact that she seems to have lost her sense of taste!! Georgia is a chef! who can no longer taste! You can see why that is a HUGE problem here.

What I liked about this book is the slightly surprising turn it took into the slightly magical direction. I am often pleased by the "unexpected" in a book and especially in a book that looks to be a love story. I often find the love story genre to seem a little repetitious? or something? I'm sure it's me. Probably the books I tend to choose in that genre. Anyway, this one surprised me a little and I liked that.

My first Rachel Linden book was a fun one and I will choose print version next time I select her work so I can enjoy the recipes more!

This is an absolutely heartwarming, wholesome, uplifting story sprinkled with a little magic and I so enjoyed it. A bit of whimsy, a touch of Julia Child, and a heavy dose of setting as a main character = the most delicious dish.

**"A Recipe for a Charmed Life" is a delightful and heartwarming read that truly tickles the taste buds.** Georgia, an aspiring Parisian chef, faces a devastating crossroads when she loses her dream opportunity, her boyfriend, and even her sense of taste. This propels her to a picturesque Pacific Northwest island to reconnect with her estranged mother, embarking on a journey of self-discovery seasoned with a touch of romance and family drama.

**Georgia shines as a relatable and resilient protagonist.** Her internal struggles and growth feel authentic, making her a character we root for wholeheartedly. Cole, her enigmatic love interest, adds a touch of intrigue and charm to the mix, keeping the pages turning. The setting itself is a character – the quirky island community and rich descriptions paint a vivid picture that transports the reader.

**While some family drama resolutions might feel slightly simplistic, they don't detract from the overall charm of the story.** The book's true strength lies in its ability to make your mouth water. The food descriptions are so vivid and evocative, you can practically taste the words on the page.

**The audiobook narration is a particular treat, with the narrator's French accent adding authenticity and depth to the story.** This is another scrumptious and uplifting tale from the author, leaving you with a warm feeling and a renewed appreciation for the simple pleasures in life.

***Big thank you to Berkley and PRH Audio for my gifted copy of this book, all opinions are my own.***

This story is part romance, part family drama. Of course, it has the requirement of secrets, BIG secrets.

I'm not going to say much about the romance part. To me, it seems corny. It isn't sensible. Boy meets girl, boy ignores girl, boy avoids girl, oops, boy now likes girl. The end. Of course, to be politically correct, I should have used the terms Man and Woman.

The family drama and story is quite interesting. It involves a mother who seemingly abandoned her husband and daughter almost 30 years prior. The reader does not know the backstory. Nor, does the daughter. There is a bit of magic realism involved. Usually, I don't seek out books involving magic realism but this is pretty subtle and interesting. There is reconciliation that hits a road bump. The reader has to sit tight to see if it works out. The main character wants to become a chef, which plays an important part in the story.

I think that if the story had been restructured and the romance part left out, it could have been a home run for me. I enjoy family dynamics and drama. I love watching it play out. Each one always plays out a little bit differently.

I love the cover…..every bit of it reflects a part of the story.

The ending to the story was a happy ending though a little predictable.

And surprisingly, there were a couple of recipes that were important to the story) included after the epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, but I do love the way Rachel Linden incorporates a whimsical touch of magic into her stories.

After budding chef Georgia May Jackson loses her ability to taste, she flees her prosperous career in Paris and heads to a small island back in the US to reconnect with her estranged mother and hopefully regain her gift.

The delectable food descriptions, cozy setting, and romance that develops with the handsome oyster farmer were all great. With plenty of secrets looming in the background, I was initially very invested in Georgia discovering more about her mysteriously gifted family.

But woah—this was heavier than I expected. I tend to enjoy a gritty story, but this veered into a pile of traumatic pasts that unfortunately lessened its emotional impact for me. It was all a bit melodramatic, especially towards the end.

(heat level: kissing only)

Review coming soon.

Thanks to #berkley #berkleypartner for a copy of Recipe For A Charmed Life, a delicious new romance from @rachellinden_writer!

Georgia May Jackson is an American sous-chef living and working in Paris. She’s so close to landing her dream job she can taste it, no pun intended. Then one night it all comes crashing down, her career and relationship now a recipe for disaster. Adding insult to injury, she’s also suddenly lost her ability to taste- devastating to anyone, but especially so when it coincides with one’s own literal bread and butter.

As if her life wasn’t already a bitter enough pill to swallow, Georgia suddenly hears from her estranged mother, still living in the States. With her cooking career on the back burner, Georgia travels to her mother’s home, hoping to get the clarity, both personally and professionally, that she has longed for.

While Georgia’s mother, Star, is thrilled to be reunited with her now adult daughter, Star’s hunky neighbor/oyster farmer, Cole only serves to leave Georgia with an even more bitter taste in her mouth. Although she can’t make sense of Cole’s palpable disdain, she still finds the island- and her presence there-to be oddly magical. With all the necessary ingredients to starting over, can Georgia finally find the recipe for success?

Recipe For A Charmed Life was a magical read- equal parts romance and found family blended together for good measure. I enjoyed seeing Georgia redefine her passion, and reconnect with her roots. I did, however, find the important conversations between both Georgia and Star and Georgia and Cole needlessly drawn out. For the sake of the story, I understood holding off, but the realist in me felt these discussions wouldn’t have been tabled for another time otherwise.

That being said, I’d still recommend reading this book to those who love savoring stories about sweet second chances. Thanks again to @berkleypub, @uplitreads and @berkleyromance for this aptly titled treat!

I always look forward to reading the follow up novel to an author that I loved, as was the case after reading The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie last year. The writing and characters were just as charming in Recipe For A Charmed Life, with a small magical feel to the story. While I didn’t love it quite as much as Rachel’s last book, I still enjoyed the delicious food descriptions and felt swept away to the beautiful San Juan Islands. I visited them after graduating from High School and it was such a beautiful, magical and picturesque place that felt just as surreal to read about.

🎧I listened to the audiobook format, and really enjoyed this story this way. It was easy to immerse myself into the story of love, family, food, and found family. While I thought the narrator had a great voice, she felt like a more mature fit than what I felt Georgia’s character to be.

WHAT TO EXPECT
💖themes of family
✨magical elements
🌿self-discovery
🥐delicious food descriptions

Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy.

DIDN’T QUITE CLICK.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

Well folks, this one let me down a bit. Started off well and I was interested, and then things never picked up. It kind of felt one note throughout and I was waiting to feel INVESTED and that point never hit for me.

The cooking content was good, I love a book that makes me hungry. I liked the setting and there were aspects of the romance that I enjoyed too. It’s a slow burn with a dash of banter and forced proximity.

All of the family drama and secrets started to bug me too. I was tired of hearing I can’t tell you yet, OHMYGOSHJUSTTELLME. It felt added in to stretch out the book and I felt annoyed by this.

I liked that that Georgia had some growth and found where she wanted to be. I love a good full circle moment and this had the ones I was after.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Fiction + romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating boyfriend, a mother with drug abuse issues, parental abandonment, driving under the influence causing a car crash

Recipe for a Charmed Life is a magical novel that will charm you with its story of lost and found family, sacrifices for loved ones, the yearning for acceptance and forgiveness, and learning to live in the moment to reach our full potential.

Georgia May Jackson, who has worked hard for the past ten years, loses everything in one night. She not only loses her sense of taste but also finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her. In an impulsive move, she seeks revenge, which leads to disastrous results. As a result, she is on the brink of losing the opportunity to become the head chef at her dream restaurant in Paris.

Georgia winds up on San Juan Island in Washington, where she reunites with her mother, who deserted her when she was five. On the Island, she meets a surly and attractive oyster farmer whose profession is uncertain. Is he a CIA agent or an actor in a vampire TV series? No one knows.

As Georgia May tries to rekindle her spark for cooking and regain her sense of taste, she learns about her unique gift and the real meaning of family and home.

Throughout the novel, Georgia May seeks guidance from Julia Child, who imparts the most invaluable life lessons! Who knew?! I immensely enjoyed Julia’s wisdom. I need to take the time to Google to see if these are actual quotes from the famous chef!

I enjoyed reading The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, and this novel is no different. Rachel Linden has a talent for blending romance with magic to create a happy ending.

A moving second chance romance featuring a down on her luck American chef trying to make it in Paris who loses her sense of taste and takes some time off to reconnect with the mother who abandoned her as a baby.

Full of family secrets, grief, forgiveness and a touch of magical realism. This was good on audio narrated by Traci Odom and perfect for fans of Julia Child and books like The spice master at Bistro Exotique by Samantha Verant.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

⚠️CW: drug addiction, anxiety, fatal illness, car accident resulting in paralysis of a loved one

💋Steam level: kissing only

Georgia has grown up a lifelong Julia Child fan, because these are the last memories she has of spending time with her mother before she left and Georgia was left to be raised by her father and her Aunt Hannah and her mother, Star’s, name was never mentioned again. Georgia has been focused on becoming a chef in Paris her whole life and is currently a sous chef in a famous Paris restaurant and dating the head chef and has a unique ability to create dishes that leave the diners making life changing decisions upon eating her creations. That all comes to a halt when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her at work and reacts to it in a way that gets her fired and she loses her sense of taste at the same time. All she can taste is bitter, which reflects the current state of her life.
Then she receives an invitation from her estranged mother to come visit her in the San Juan Islands of Seattle, she decides that not only does she desperately want to see her mother after all these years, but a break from everything in Paris might be just what she needs to clear her head and her tastebuds. During her stay with her mother, she learns a lot about her childhood and what a charmed life really is.
This book is complete with delicious recipes, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of love.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

First and most important, I loved and adored Lemon Drop Pie by this author. It was such a happy and magical surprise for me. I also adore the covers of Rachel’s books. They’re so bright, they pop and make me want to pick them up. Sadly, though the plot in recipe for a charmed life just didn’t grab me like I wanted it to. It all seemed very convenient and predictable. I wish the magical elements were explained a little bit more and I’m just not a fan of insta love in books.

Read if you enjoy:
🧑‍🍳 Cooking
♥️ Instant romance
🪄 Magical stories
🥰 Second chance family stories

Thank you so much to @uplitreads, @prhaudio and @berkleypub for my copy!

A Recipe for a Charmed Life is a cozy story filled with magical realism, some food for thought (pun intended) and a whole lot of heart.

🥐𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?

I always like how Linden always has a deeper meaning in her stories while still keeping everything on the lighter side. Following Georgia as she works to find ways to bring back her sense of taste while also discovering what she wants from her work and relationships. All this mixed together for a pleasurable read. Plus, the characters in this story were all so charming and it was an absolute delight to become part of their world as I read. Especially since I love the PNW setting, since it’s one of my favorite destinations.

Oh! One more thing! Y’all know I’m a total foodie, so I was completely in love with all the food in this story, and Linden wrote in such a way that my stomach started growling and I found myself wanting to start making the same dishes at 11pm at night while I was reading.

✔️𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:

Rediscovering Yourself
Mother Daughter Relations
Romance
Magical Realism
Food
Amazing Ambiance in the PNW

🦪𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?

Steady

🥘𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?

Truly a lovely read with some sweet advice, and it even includes a recipes! Oh, and be warned: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK ON AN EMPTY STOMACH!

Thank you, Berkley Romance, and UpLit Reads, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. Charmed is how I feel after reading this story of mothers and daughters and a little light magic. The settings are evocative, both in Paris and on San Juan Island. The food sounds ethereal and delicious. And the people seem like good friends, who are flawed and well meaning like real humans.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Recipe for a Charmed Life follows Georgia May Jackson, a talented American chef, who is following her dream of opening a restaurant in Paris. When we meet Georgia, she is working as a sous chef at a popular Parisian restaurant and catches her boyfriend cheating on her with a fellow employee. Feeling angry and betrayed, Georgia abruptly quits her job.

Things go from bad to worse for Georgia when she also loses her sense of taste. How can she be a successful chef if everything she tastes is bitter? Georgia is at a loss for what to do until she unexpectedly hears from her estranged mother, who finally wants to reconnect and invites Georgia to visit her on San Juan Island near Seattle. Georgia reluctantly agrees, hoping a change of scenery will help her recover what she has lost and save her career. She has no idea how truly life-changing this trip will be...

I can't even express what a gem of a book this is. I immediately became so invested in Georgia's journey that I devoured this book in a day! Goergia reconciling with her mother and learning the truth about why she left all those years ago touched my heart, as did watching Georgia find herself again. The themes of forgiveness, second chances, and self discovery just really resonated with me, and I also adored the little touches of magic that Linden sprinkles throughout the story, especially the ones that pertain to the women in Georgia's family and their culinary gifts. They made what was already a wonderful story all the more special.

I listened to the audiobook (thanks for the ALC @prhaudio) while I read the print copy and just thoroughly enjoyed this immersive reading experience. Traci Odom narrates the audiobook and does an incredible job conveying all of the emotions Georgia experiences.

Recipe for a Charmed Life is truly a heartwarming and magical read.

Thanks so much to The UpLit Club and Rachel Linden for the gifted copy and for the opportunity to participate in the tour for Recipe for a Charmed Life.

Synopsis: After Georgia loses her job in Paris and finds herself homeless, she takes a trip to San Juan Island (in Washington State) to reconnect with her mom. What she soon realizes is that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to gain the courage to chase your dreams.

Thoughts: This was a heartfelt and wholesome story that I found to be the perfect blend between magic realism, romance, and women’s fiction. I loved the emphasis on forgiveness and second chances and the foodie descriptions added some fun. The audiobook was narrated perfectly!

Read if you like:
-Magic realism/ romance blend
-Foodie books
-PNW setting
-Julia Child

Georgia is left with few options when she hears from the mother who disappeared during her childhood. She decides to get the answers she's always wanted and leaves Paris for Washington. Those answers aren't quite as forthcoming as Georgia would like but she's finding her love for food and cooking returning.
Not unlike a few romances, Recipe for a Charmed Life starts with a cheating boyfriend and a job loss. I expected more magic and less realism - more of a balance between the two, at any rate - and was left a tad underwhelmed because of it. I wanted more of those feelings of wonder that comes with the magic.
That said, the book was an enjoyable read once my expectations were managed. I liked Georgia's character journey and how her family drama ironed out. The romance that resulted from her crash landing onto her mother's doorstep was thoughtfully done and I really liked the mysterious/annoying oyster farmer best of all.
Thank you to Uplit Reads for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Loved everything about this book, from the settings to the sweet romance to the elements of family and forgiveness 💕

Recipe For A Charmed Life is full of magical whimsy like the author's previous book, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie.

This story is full of discussions of wonderfully delicious French food and I was completely inspired to do some serious cooking. I was fascinated by the Paris restaurant scene as well.

Recipe For A Charmed Life seemed to have less romance than the prior book and read more like women's fiction, expanding its appeal to a wider audience.

I am excited to see what Rachel Linden writes next!