Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Books, and Roselle Lim for the opportunity to read and review her wonderful debut novel - 4.5 stars for a feel good, magical read.
Natalie has been estranged from her mother for years. Her mother was agoraphobic and wouldn't allow Natalie to pursue her dream of going to culinary school and becoming a chef, like her grandmother that died before she was born. When Natalie returns home after her mother's death, she doesn't recognize the once vibrant neighborhood that she left. However, she realizes that her grandmother's restaurant is now hers to reopen, with the help of her special cookbook. She visits a neighborhood seer who says that she must first prepare 3 dishes from that cookbook to help 3 friends. Natalie still resents the neighbors for not helping her mother more but presses on. Unfortunately, while the recipes seem to help, things go very wrong. Can she restore the restaurant, the neighborhood and the people in it?
This is just a good, fun read, made special by the inclusion of the recipes. Well, the ARC didn't include quantities, just the ingredients themselves, or I'd be in the kitchen now making some of that food! I loved the magical qualities that food possessed in this book, not unlike the role food plays in all of our lives and relationships. Bravo for a great debut!
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