Plot:

When Isabel meets Edward, both are at a crossroads: he wants to follow his late wife to the grave, and she is ready to give up on love. Thinking she is merely helping Edward’s daughter who lives far away and has asked her to check in on her nonagenarian dad in New York – Isabel has no idea that the man in the kitchen baking the sublime roast chicken and light as air apricot souffle will end up changing her life. As Edward and Isabel meet weekly for the glorious dinners that Edward prepares, he shares so much more than his recipes for apple galette or the perfect martini, or even his tips for deboning poultry. Edward is teaching Isabel the luxury of slowing down and taking the time to think through everything she does, to deconstruct her own life, cutting it back to the bone and examining the guts, no matter how messy that proves to be.

Review:

“A place in your head where you are at peace with your life and your decisions”

“I secretly admired the diner’s cozy solitude – she was sitting, reading, savouring the wine and her own company.”

I feel like I’ve been transported in the. From the moment I read the first line in this novel I received in my monthly treat of #weareresposed this novel was the perfect read for me at this moment in time.

For a moment wasted is a moment you cannot ever take back.

Reading two different ends of marriage has been interesting. Edward and his love for his late wife was so lovely to read about.

I felt for Isabel and her crumbling marriage. I loved the dinner dates as they proved to not only teach her delicious recipes, they have taught her areas of life that she needed to reflect upon and realise she needs to be more confident in herself and realise what she wants from life. I loved some bits of this novel:

I’ve always wanted to go to New York City. I remember being 9 years old. A class task we were given involved writing what you wanted to do. I wrote to go to New York City. Therefore I have yet to actually complete this journey and I cannot wait to ever complete it. Hearing about the entire city and the wave of confidence it gives you would motivate me so much.

I loved learning about the receipts and watching Isabel grow and watching their relationship unfold. She became confident in herself and what she has been capable of and that is something to be proud of. That’s something that made me really enjoy this novel.

4/5 Stars