What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Among the Recipes
"This fabulous jaunt through the City of Lights will leave readers breathless and longing for more from Cram." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
A fun, food-infused romp through pre-pandemic Paris—the perfect antidote in these challenging times.
Paris may be for lovers, but cookbook author Genna McGraw is definitely not looking for love. She’s looking for escape and she's looking for a good runny Brie to pair with a smooth Bordeaux. Where better than Paris?
In Love Among the Recipes, Genna goes to the City of Light to get away from her philandering husband and write a “crossover cookbook/guidebook” that matches Parisian sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre with recipes for bistro-style French dishes. All goes well…for a while. Genna dabbles in romance with dishy French lawyer Pierre Leblanc and makes friends at her French class with New York transplant Marsha Renfrew.
And then there’s big, blunt Bill Turner from Australia. Does he really eat crocodile steaks for tea?
But when Genna’s family crashes her new life in Paris, a crisis forces her to choose how she wants to live. Will she have the courage to embrace an uncertain future and risk losing everything?
Or will she discover love in all its flavors?
A fun, food-infused romp through pre-pandemic Paris—the perfect antidote in these challenging times.
Paris may be for lovers, but cookbook author Genna McGraw is definitely not looking for love. She’s looking for escape and she's looking for a good runny Brie to pair with a smooth Bordeaux. Where better than Paris?
In Love Among the Recipes, Genna goes to the City of Light to get away from her philandering husband and write a “crossover cookbook/guidebook” that matches Parisian sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre with recipes for bistro-style French dishes. All goes well…for a while. Genna dabbles in romance with dishy French lawyer Pierre Leblanc and makes friends at her French class with New York transplant Marsha Renfrew.
And then there’s big, blunt Bill Turner from Australia. Does he really eat crocodile steaks for tea?
But when Genna’s family crashes her new life in Paris, a crisis forces her to choose how she wants to live. Will she have the courage to embrace an uncertain future and risk losing everything?
Or will she discover love in all its flavors?
368 pages, Paperback
Published October 20, 2020
12 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Carol M. Cram
13 books71 followersCarol M. Cram is the author of five novels including her latest "The Choir", an historical novel set in Yorkshire in the 1809s.
In her beautifully wrought novel, The Choir, set in 1890s England, Carol Cram deftly composes a lyrical portrait of courage, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of music. This story is rich with history and heart, and will remain with you like a favorite song. (Herb Williams-Dalgart, author of The Jingle Boys and The French Girl's War
Cram has also written a contemporary novel ("Love Among the Recipes" that received a Publishers Weekly starred review and three award-winning historical novels about women in the arts. "The Towers of Tuscany" was published by Lake Union Publishing in 2014. The novel was awarded the Chaucer Award (Chanticleer Reviews) for best historical fiction and Editor's Choice by the Historical Novel Review. "The Towers of Tuscany" tells the story of a woman painter in fourteenth century Italy. "A Woman of Note" was published in 2015 by Lake Union Publishing and was awarded the Goethe Award for Best in Category (Chanticleer Reviews) and Editor's Choice by the Historical Novel Society. The novel is set in Vienna in the 1830s and tells the story of a woman composer. Carol's third novel, "A Muse of Fire" (Kindle Books & New Arcadia Publishing 2018) received a Bronze for Best Historical Fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Awards and the Goethe Award for Best in Category. Set in 1809 in London, the novel delves into the riotous world of early 19th Century theater.
Carol is podcaster and travel blogger. She hosts The Art In Fiction Podcast on which she interviews novelists inspired by the arts. Her travel website Artsy Traveler (www.artsy-traveler.com) features artsy travel experiences throughout Europe, North America and beyond.
Carol has enjoyed a great career as an educator, teaching at Capilano University in North Vancouver for over twenty years and authoring fifty-plus bestselling textbooks on business communications and software applications for Cengage Learning. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. She and her husband, painter Gregg Simpson, share a life on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada.
In her beautifully wrought novel, The Choir, set in 1890s England, Carol Cram deftly composes a lyrical portrait of courage, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of music. This story is rich with history and heart, and will remain with you like a favorite song. (Herb Williams-Dalgart, author of The Jingle Boys and The French Girl's War
Cram has also written a contemporary novel ("Love Among the Recipes" that received a Publishers Weekly starred review and three award-winning historical novels about women in the arts. "The Towers of Tuscany" was published by Lake Union Publishing in 2014. The novel was awarded the Chaucer Award (Chanticleer Reviews) for best historical fiction and Editor's Choice by the Historical Novel Review. "The Towers of Tuscany" tells the story of a woman painter in fourteenth century Italy. "A Woman of Note" was published in 2015 by Lake Union Publishing and was awarded the Goethe Award for Best in Category (Chanticleer Reviews) and Editor's Choice by the Historical Novel Society. The novel is set in Vienna in the 1830s and tells the story of a woman composer. Carol's third novel, "A Muse of Fire" (Kindle Books & New Arcadia Publishing 2018) received a Bronze for Best Historical Fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Awards and the Goethe Award for Best in Category. Set in 1809 in London, the novel delves into the riotous world of early 19th Century theater.
Carol is podcaster and travel blogger. She hosts The Art In Fiction Podcast on which she interviews novelists inspired by the arts. Her travel website Artsy Traveler (www.artsy-traveler.com) features artsy travel experiences throughout Europe, North America and beyond.
Carol has enjoyed a great career as an educator, teaching at Capilano University in North Vancouver for over twenty years and authoring fifty-plus bestselling textbooks on business communications and software applications for Cengage Learning. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. She and her husband, painter Gregg Simpson, share a life on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
February 4, 2021
Q:
Genna was beginning to wonder if a lifetime of penny-pinching had unbalanced him. (c)
Q:
She decided that asking him to fix the television, which so far had emitted only static, was tantamount to throwing herself off the top of the Eiffel Tower. (c)
Q:
I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations. (c)
Q:
She was ready to tackle the cemetery. (c)
Q:
When she snapped on the living room light, the Odalisque on the wall over the couch was, as always, looking over her shoulder, her gaze inscrutable, as if she had mastered the art of being in the world without making judgments. Naked and exposed, but not in the least embarrassed, the courtesan seemed to say, Look at me. I’m as good as you are. We are equals because we are human. “It’s you and me,” Genna said to the picture. “Two chicks on their own in Paris.” (c)
Q:
Unlike in life, mistakes in cooking often led to amazing taste combinations. (c)
Q:
By the end of the evening, he’d convinced her that the entire Australian continent was one writhing mass of venomous beasts all hell-bent on murder. (c)
Q:
I’m not sure what to think anymore.” Genna knew exactly what to think, but with a valiant effort, she kept her mouth shut. (c)
Q:
Something inside her shifted. Just hours before, her future had felt cold and hopeless. Now, she envisioned a new future, one that glowed with the promise of fresh beginnings.
For the first time since leaving home, she realized that Drew had done her a favor. (c)
Q:
She’d often noticed that when Canadians traveled, they treated every Canadian they met as their long-lost cousin fresh in from a spell on the tundra. (c)
Genna was beginning to wonder if a lifetime of penny-pinching had unbalanced him. (c)
Q:
She decided that asking him to fix the television, which so far had emitted only static, was tantamount to throwing herself off the top of the Eiffel Tower. (c)
Q:
I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations. (c)
Q:
She was ready to tackle the cemetery. (c)
Q:
When she snapped on the living room light, the Odalisque on the wall over the couch was, as always, looking over her shoulder, her gaze inscrutable, as if she had mastered the art of being in the world without making judgments. Naked and exposed, but not in the least embarrassed, the courtesan seemed to say, Look at me. I’m as good as you are. We are equals because we are human. “It’s you and me,” Genna said to the picture. “Two chicks on their own in Paris.” (c)
Q:
Unlike in life, mistakes in cooking often led to amazing taste combinations. (c)
Q:
By the end of the evening, he’d convinced her that the entire Australian continent was one writhing mass of venomous beasts all hell-bent on murder. (c)
Q:
I’m not sure what to think anymore.” Genna knew exactly what to think, but with a valiant effort, she kept her mouth shut. (c)
Q:
Something inside her shifted. Just hours before, her future had felt cold and hopeless. Now, she envisioned a new future, one that glowed with the promise of fresh beginnings.
For the first time since leaving home, she realized that Drew had done her a favor. (c)
Q:
She’d often noticed that when Canadians traveled, they treated every Canadian they met as their long-lost cousin fresh in from a spell on the tundra. (c)
November 4, 2020
Do lust and excitement end after we say the marriage vows or simply our understanding of the topics changes? Should we give up all our personal dreams and desires as we become parents? Do we lose ourselves in that struggle to give the best to our loved ones and forget about our needs in the process? Forget who we really are… Maybe other’s approval and verification is more important than our own wishes…
I honestly read a lot, a when I say a lot, I literally mean that. And after hours and hours of indulging myself with romance books, whose heroines are young and gorgeous women, I really believed it will be a nice change to read something different. Something refreshing as a book about a middle-aged woman trying to overcome hardship and re-discover herself. That’s why I chose the story of Genna. Escaping from her shattered life and reality, heart-broken after her husband’s misdeed, we see this middle-aged woman flying to Paris to focus on her passion. Trying to find the perfect recipes for her cookbook, mixing art and food, will she also find the perfect recipe for happiness? Will she find love and acceptance in spite of her family’s disapproval and lack of support? Will this kind-hearted woman give herself a chance of love with someone new or will she forgive her repentant husband?
The author definitely leads us on this grand journey to Paris, the city of light, giving lust descriptions and enough French phrases to make readers feel and visualize each glorious sight, each shop, each step though those cobblestone streets. Definitely, from beginning to end, the spirit and culture of Paris are so perfectly captivated and described. I had a huge desire to pack my suitcase and catch the first plane to Paris.
And the food….oh my God.., I could almost feel the delicious aromas and flavors of every dish Genna created. The whole book is centered on these mouthwatering delicacies, perfectly described as to make readers crave each dish.
As much as I was invested in the flawless descriptions and details of Paris and the tasty dishes, I simply couldn’t say the same about the plot and the characters. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t connect to Genna. I couldn’t feel what she was feeling, couldn’t understand her story as was intended to be. I could understand the author’s intentions behind Genna’s indecisiveness when it came to the men to some extent. It is not easy to turn a new page after years of being stuck in the same things. And I also liked the fact that she was not perfect, but quite oblivious with endearing clumsiness. She’s also kind-hearted and full of love, especially towards her grown-up children. But her story somehow felt awkward, not really natural and clichéd in many parts. The other characters added greatly to the whole, but at moments seemed too one-dimensional and simply annoying, especially Becky.
I also would have loved a faster pace as the book went too slow in some parts, and generally lasted longer than necessary. On the other hand, the epilogue was a great way to wrap up the whole story.
Overall, this cute story that cannot be simply labeled as a romance, but contains many other elements, combines food and art into one great trip to Paris and in the life of our heroine Genna. If you choose to read it, please do not do it on empty stomach, or at least make sure you have got a nice French restaurant nearby.
I honestly read a lot, a when I say a lot, I literally mean that. And after hours and hours of indulging myself with romance books, whose heroines are young and gorgeous women, I really believed it will be a nice change to read something different. Something refreshing as a book about a middle-aged woman trying to overcome hardship and re-discover herself. That’s why I chose the story of Genna. Escaping from her shattered life and reality, heart-broken after her husband’s misdeed, we see this middle-aged woman flying to Paris to focus on her passion. Trying to find the perfect recipes for her cookbook, mixing art and food, will she also find the perfect recipe for happiness? Will she find love and acceptance in spite of her family’s disapproval and lack of support? Will this kind-hearted woman give herself a chance of love with someone new or will she forgive her repentant husband?
The author definitely leads us on this grand journey to Paris, the city of light, giving lust descriptions and enough French phrases to make readers feel and visualize each glorious sight, each shop, each step though those cobblestone streets. Definitely, from beginning to end, the spirit and culture of Paris are so perfectly captivated and described. I had a huge desire to pack my suitcase and catch the first plane to Paris.
And the food….oh my God.., I could almost feel the delicious aromas and flavors of every dish Genna created. The whole book is centered on these mouthwatering delicacies, perfectly described as to make readers crave each dish.
As much as I was invested in the flawless descriptions and details of Paris and the tasty dishes, I simply couldn’t say the same about the plot and the characters. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t connect to Genna. I couldn’t feel what she was feeling, couldn’t understand her story as was intended to be. I could understand the author’s intentions behind Genna’s indecisiveness when it came to the men to some extent. It is not easy to turn a new page after years of being stuck in the same things. And I also liked the fact that she was not perfect, but quite oblivious with endearing clumsiness. She’s also kind-hearted and full of love, especially towards her grown-up children. But her story somehow felt awkward, not really natural and clichéd in many parts. The other characters added greatly to the whole, but at moments seemed too one-dimensional and simply annoying, especially Becky.
I also would have loved a faster pace as the book went too slow in some parts, and generally lasted longer than necessary. On the other hand, the epilogue was a great way to wrap up the whole story.
Overall, this cute story that cannot be simply labeled as a romance, but contains many other elements, combines food and art into one great trip to Paris and in the life of our heroine Genna. If you choose to read it, please do not do it on empty stomach, or at least make sure you have got a nice French restaurant nearby.
March 29, 2021
There has never been a more perfect candidate for the "awwww" shelf.
This book was just really nice. I know that sounds kind of mundane and like I'm kind of patting the book on the head and thanking it for trying but I really mean it. I really, truly enjoyed this and I very much recommend it to anyone who just needs a little something soft and sweet right now.
Genna is a cookbook author (not a chef as she frequently points out) on the other side of 45 who's reached a crossroads in her life. She's separated from her husband and after months of languishing in a dank basement apartment and putting off her latest book she's picked herself up, dusted herself off and moved to Paris to write a travelogue cookbook that pairs traditional French home cooking with famous French landmarks and locales. She's got herself a real French garret of an apartment complete with a cantankerous ancient landlord and funds to last her six months. Of course, though she'd swear otherwise, she's also ripe for a little romance. Maybe with the landlord's charming son who's only too happy to whisk Genna to various scenic spots in his sports car? Or perhaps the bombastic Australian visiting his son and nursing his own broken heart?
I admit my cynical book snob heart was all ready to slam this as another trite cozy with recipes but darned if it isn't totally heartfelt and true! Genna is just lovely. Also author Carol M. Cram really knows her French food! I was 100% prepared for the cheesiest possible recipe/local combos and Cram instead delivers thoughtful, inspired reasons for the foods she chooses and the places she pairs them with. The descriptions of every place she visits are incredibly vivid and hit Genna in profoundly personal ways. I would straight up buy this cookbook is what I'm saying.
Its Genna's incredible likeability that really drives the book. She's smart and funny but she's questioning whether or not she's wasted a huge portion of her life on someone who simply didn't deserve her. Her self esteem is all but non-existent and its wonderful to watch her journey toward loving herself again. Cram never gets preachy or pandering with Genna's journey you just travel this nice scenic road toward her discovering that she is a really great person worthy of love.
Paris is a completely realized character all its own. Cram's descriptions of the sites and sounds of the city are wonderful. There is a great deal of depth to how she sees the often trivialized "city of love" that makes this romance resonate in a way the typical bored housewife flees to Europe to find herself story almost never does. Everything is very genuine in Genna's world.
Most of the supporting characters are equally great. Genna's adult children are a strong presence throughout though they don't make an actual appearance until 3/4 of the way through the story. Again, this could have been very melodramatic as the kids try to convince to go home and poo poo her woes instead we get realistic conversations where Genna holds her ground and parents her adult kids like a champ. Her two love interests are each pretty great in their own ways and Genna's choice between them never becomes the focal point, you arrive there with her in a gradual, organic way and it just makes sense.
There are some convenient plot resolutions and a couple of extraneous characters who are there just to serve the plot who pulled me out of the story a touch but those are sincerely very minor nitpicks in an otherwise delightful read.
There's nothing better than a book delivering so much more than you bargained for. I will eagerly look for Ms. Cram's next book and will absolutely follow her career with great interest.
This book was just really nice. I know that sounds kind of mundane and like I'm kind of patting the book on the head and thanking it for trying but I really mean it. I really, truly enjoyed this and I very much recommend it to anyone who just needs a little something soft and sweet right now.
Genna is a cookbook author (not a chef as she frequently points out) on the other side of 45 who's reached a crossroads in her life. She's separated from her husband and after months of languishing in a dank basement apartment and putting off her latest book she's picked herself up, dusted herself off and moved to Paris to write a travelogue cookbook that pairs traditional French home cooking with famous French landmarks and locales. She's got herself a real French garret of an apartment complete with a cantankerous ancient landlord and funds to last her six months. Of course, though she'd swear otherwise, she's also ripe for a little romance. Maybe with the landlord's charming son who's only too happy to whisk Genna to various scenic spots in his sports car? Or perhaps the bombastic Australian visiting his son and nursing his own broken heart?
I admit my cynical book snob heart was all ready to slam this as another trite cozy with recipes but darned if it isn't totally heartfelt and true! Genna is just lovely. Also author Carol M. Cram really knows her French food! I was 100% prepared for the cheesiest possible recipe/local combos and Cram instead delivers thoughtful, inspired reasons for the foods she chooses and the places she pairs them with. The descriptions of every place she visits are incredibly vivid and hit Genna in profoundly personal ways. I would straight up buy this cookbook is what I'm saying.
Its Genna's incredible likeability that really drives the book. She's smart and funny but she's questioning whether or not she's wasted a huge portion of her life on someone who simply didn't deserve her. Her self esteem is all but non-existent and its wonderful to watch her journey toward loving herself again. Cram never gets preachy or pandering with Genna's journey you just travel this nice scenic road toward her discovering that she is a really great person worthy of love.
Paris is a completely realized character all its own. Cram's descriptions of the sites and sounds of the city are wonderful. There is a great deal of depth to how she sees the often trivialized "city of love" that makes this romance resonate in a way the typical bored housewife flees to Europe to find herself story almost never does. Everything is very genuine in Genna's world.
Most of the supporting characters are equally great. Genna's adult children are a strong presence throughout though they don't make an actual appearance until 3/4 of the way through the story. Again, this could have been very melodramatic as the kids try to convince to go home and poo poo her woes instead we get realistic conversations where Genna holds her ground and parents her adult kids like a champ. Her two love interests are each pretty great in their own ways and Genna's choice between them never becomes the focal point, you arrive there with her in a gradual, organic way and it just makes sense.
There are some convenient plot resolutions and a couple of extraneous characters who are there just to serve the plot who pulled me out of the story a touch but those are sincerely very minor nitpicks in an otherwise delightful read.
There's nothing better than a book delivering so much more than you bargained for. I will eagerly look for Ms. Cram's next book and will absolutely follow her career with great interest.
October 5, 2020
If you’re not in an area where you have immediate access to gourmet French food, don’t read this. Throughout this entire book, I found myself craving macarons, creme brûlée, and all of the other dishes described in this. This was definitely a problem, considering I was in a state that definitely didn’t have gourmet food available.
This book follows, Gen, a middle aged cookbook author looking to escape from her cheating husband in Paris. Along the way, she makes a few close friends, and rediscovers romance. Along with mouthwatering descriptions of food and desserts, we are also treated to some of the most famous sites in Paris.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. I was drawn in by the cover, and the promise of food and desserts, but thrown off when I found out that our main character was 50. Not that this is a problem, but I’m used to reading YA, with characters closer to my own age. I really enjoyed the change though, it was a totally different feel than other things I’ve read.
Although I did shelve this book as a romance, this book didn’t focus on the romance aspect. It was more the journey of Gen finding happiness, and discovering herself. I really liked that, I loved reading her interactions with her friends and her kids, they were really a highlight of this story.
Although this wasn’t a genre I typically read, I really enjoyed it. This book is perfect for fans of food, Paris, and romance!
Thanks to Netgalley and Carol M. Cram for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
This book follows, Gen, a middle aged cookbook author looking to escape from her cheating husband in Paris. Along the way, she makes a few close friends, and rediscovers romance. Along with mouthwatering descriptions of food and desserts, we are also treated to some of the most famous sites in Paris.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected. I was drawn in by the cover, and the promise of food and desserts, but thrown off when I found out that our main character was 50. Not that this is a problem, but I’m used to reading YA, with characters closer to my own age. I really enjoyed the change though, it was a totally different feel than other things I’ve read.
Although I did shelve this book as a romance, this book didn’t focus on the romance aspect. It was more the journey of Gen finding happiness, and discovering herself. I really liked that, I loved reading her interactions with her friends and her kids, they were really a highlight of this story.
Although this wasn’t a genre I typically read, I really enjoyed it. This book is perfect for fans of food, Paris, and romance!
Thanks to Netgalley and Carol M. Cram for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
October 16, 2020
Love Among the Recipes a romance for foodies which I knew I would love. I was emerced in protagonist,Genna's world in the most romantic city in world, Paris. It was a great escape. I didn't want it to end.The characters came alive on the page. Gemma's family was somewhat of an annoyance but what family isnt ? The French sometimes hard to understand but an enjoyable read.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC. This was a honest review.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC. This was a honest review.
February 27, 2021
Love Among the Recipes is a story about Genna, a cookbook author who has been going through a rough time with her husband and has decided to follow her heart and visit Paris for a few months.
Paris is a dream come true, and though money is tight, Genna can’t help but fall in love with it more and more as she visits well known sites and is shown lesser known restaurants. She slowly gains new friends during her stay, some from embarrassing situations and others from French class and through a mutual friend. I honestly adored the descriptions of each new location, and how at times Genna would think of a recipe to go with it. However, the food was actually a very small portion of this book.
Genna, as a cookbook author, loves to try new recipes and is almost always thinking of a food dish (or soo we should believe). Yet food takes a backseat to her love life. Sure she thinks of some recipes and talks to every new person she meets about her cookbook, but most of the time it just tells us ‘Oh I thought of a new recipe! Insert name here’ followed by a brief description of how she would introduce it in her book. She spends more time explaining how the recipe and location pair together that we don’t actually get much food. Which was a huge bummer because I love books about food. For example, Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen was all about baking, and treats and cakes were mentioned almost every page.
As for her love life, Genna is trying to escape from her husband currently, which is why she went all the way to Paris. During her time away from him, she meets two potential partners. One is French, and one is Australian. Pierre is a lawyer and is also divorced. Bill’s wife died about a year or so ago and he is in Paris visiting his son. Genna goes out with both of them, exploring different sites and receiving their help to get inspiration for new recipes. They mostly talk about the location while Genna tries to untangle her emotions to figure out if she likes either of them.
My main complaint is that Genna constantly spoke of how her husband wronged her, but never actually specified what he did until 80% in. Which is weird considering 1) I figured it out from the first time she mentioned it, and 2) it’s actually in the synopsis. The description for this book literally tells us he is a ‘philandering husband’, so why can’t Genna tell us before 80%?? It was fine the first two or three times, but after that it just got annoying.
Overall, I was left feeling pretty disappointed. I still recommend if this interests you though, since I am sure some people will love it!
*I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.*
Twitter || Blog
Paris is a dream come true, and though money is tight, Genna can’t help but fall in love with it more and more as she visits well known sites and is shown lesser known restaurants. She slowly gains new friends during her stay, some from embarrassing situations and others from French class and through a mutual friend. I honestly adored the descriptions of each new location, and how at times Genna would think of a recipe to go with it. However, the food was actually a very small portion of this book.
Genna, as a cookbook author, loves to try new recipes and is almost always thinking of a food dish (or soo we should believe). Yet food takes a backseat to her love life. Sure she thinks of some recipes and talks to every new person she meets about her cookbook, but most of the time it just tells us ‘Oh I thought of a new recipe! Insert name here’ followed by a brief description of how she would introduce it in her book. She spends more time explaining how the recipe and location pair together that we don’t actually get much food. Which was a huge bummer because I love books about food. For example, Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen was all about baking, and treats and cakes were mentioned almost every page.
As for her love life, Genna is trying to escape from her husband currently, which is why she went all the way to Paris. During her time away from him, she meets two potential partners. One is French, and one is Australian. Pierre is a lawyer and is also divorced. Bill’s wife died about a year or so ago and he is in Paris visiting his son. Genna goes out with both of them, exploring different sites and receiving their help to get inspiration for new recipes. They mostly talk about the location while Genna tries to untangle her emotions to figure out if she likes either of them.
My main complaint is that Genna constantly spoke of how her husband wronged her, but never actually specified what he did until 80% in. Which is weird considering 1) I figured it out from the first time she mentioned it, and 2) it’s actually in the synopsis. The description for this book literally tells us he is a ‘philandering husband’, so why can’t Genna tell us before 80%?? It was fine the first two or three times, but after that it just got annoying.
Overall, I was left feeling pretty disappointed. I still recommend if this interests you though, since I am sure some people will love it!
*I received a free e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my review.*
Twitter || Blog
March 3, 2023
"Whoever said it was easy to walk away from one life and embrace a new one had almost certainly never tried it."
I was drawn in by the cover, and the promise of food and desserts, even more being European, I wanted to see the references, but I was kinda surprised, to say the least, when I found out the main character was 50. Not that this is a problem, don't get me wrong, but I’m used to reading YA, with characters closer to my own age or around the middle thirties... I really enjoyed the change though, it was a totally different feel than other things I’ve read, and I had fun.
March 16, 2021
Novel set in the city of light, love and food (PARIS)
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/RvfpLAXRdc0
Genna’s marriage in Vancouver is in trouble. So she decided to head for Paris for 6 months to work on a project. She has the idea for a cookbook combined with a guidebook and she intends to visit the big sights of the city and get a feel for which particular dish would marry up with the sight.
She tells her children of her plans, who don’t however believe she will undertake this sabbatical; they just don’t seem to know their mother! She arrives and leases an apartment from an older gentleman, deemed to be rather reclusive but she finds they get on very well. She meets his son Pierre (in fact he is her knight in shining armour at one point) but she just doesn’t feel a connection, even though he is hunky and good looking.
She joins a French class where she soon has gathered a lovely group of friends, including Marsha. People pass through her life, she meets people as she tours the sites, but even though she has moved several thousand miles away from Vancouver, her problems from home inevitably follow her.
Together with her various friends she makes her visits to the top attractions in and around the city. She decides, for example, that the Musée Picasso teams well with bouillabaisse, that the Tuileries – because of the colour of the trees and leaves – need to be paired with Salade Niçoise. Each place speaks to her in terms of feeling and vibe and she has soon accumulated her recipes (the author lists the pairings at the back of the book and you are given links to the recipes).
This is a wonderful novel for literary tourism. Paris is firmly set centre stage, there is art (the author runs the wonderful website Art in Fiction that collates novels that are inspired by the arts), there is terrific food – you will be taken to Café de Flor and further eateries – as the story unfolds; and of course there is drama, possibly romance….
A well put together novel that will transport you to the wonderful city of Paris.
YouTube review: https://youtu.be/RvfpLAXRdc0
Genna’s marriage in Vancouver is in trouble. So she decided to head for Paris for 6 months to work on a project. She has the idea for a cookbook combined with a guidebook and she intends to visit the big sights of the city and get a feel for which particular dish would marry up with the sight.
She tells her children of her plans, who don’t however believe she will undertake this sabbatical; they just don’t seem to know their mother! She arrives and leases an apartment from an older gentleman, deemed to be rather reclusive but she finds they get on very well. She meets his son Pierre (in fact he is her knight in shining armour at one point) but she just doesn’t feel a connection, even though he is hunky and good looking.
She joins a French class where she soon has gathered a lovely group of friends, including Marsha. People pass through her life, she meets people as she tours the sites, but even though she has moved several thousand miles away from Vancouver, her problems from home inevitably follow her.
Together with her various friends she makes her visits to the top attractions in and around the city. She decides, for example, that the Musée Picasso teams well with bouillabaisse, that the Tuileries – because of the colour of the trees and leaves – need to be paired with Salade Niçoise. Each place speaks to her in terms of feeling and vibe and she has soon accumulated her recipes (the author lists the pairings at the back of the book and you are given links to the recipes).
This is a wonderful novel for literary tourism. Paris is firmly set centre stage, there is art (the author runs the wonderful website Art in Fiction that collates novels that are inspired by the arts), there is terrific food – you will be taken to Café de Flor and further eateries – as the story unfolds; and of course there is drama, possibly romance….
A well put together novel that will transport you to the wonderful city of Paris.
October 17, 2020
If you’d like to escape the negativity of the world, pick up Carol Cram’s delicious love story about second chances. Genna McGraw has fled Vancouver for Paris to write her seventh cookbook, pairing the art and sights of Paris with traditional bistro recipes. Her marriage is on the rocks, her children are grown and living their own lives, and her life is in shambles. Genna needs a new beginning, or at the very least, she needs to find her confidence and, hopefully, the woman she was. She also needs to make decisions that will change her life forever.
Paris, the city of lights, the city of love, and the city of gastronomy and art, is as much a character in this charming novel as the cast of new friends and potential lovers. I know Paris well, and I know art history. I’m also a gourmet cook. Carol Cram has managed to whip up a delectable novel that had me craving food, craving to walk through art museums, and craving the magic of falling in love. She satisfied all my cravings, and she accomplishes this with wit, humor, beautiful descriptions, and meticulous attention to detail.
I loved every minute and never wanted it to end.
Paris, the city of lights, the city of love, and the city of gastronomy and art, is as much a character in this charming novel as the cast of new friends and potential lovers. I know Paris well, and I know art history. I’m also a gourmet cook. Carol Cram has managed to whip up a delectable novel that had me craving food, craving to walk through art museums, and craving the magic of falling in love. She satisfied all my cravings, and she accomplishes this with wit, humor, beautiful descriptions, and meticulous attention to detail.
I loved every minute and never wanted it to end.
July 26, 2021
Those that enjoy light Romance, food and Paris will enjoy this sweet story.
I loved Genna’s story. She’s so courageous to move to Paris, a country in which she barely speaks the language. Meeting people, making friends, taking it one day at a time. I wish I could be more like her!
The romance was sweet and wholesome, with several players, I was left to wonder who would be the man Genna chose to make a future with. Or would she leave them all behind to focus solely on her career? It was such a great story to get lost in! I don’t know much about Paris so many of the places Genna visited were a little lost on me, but I still enjoyed the descriptions and how she came up with a Recipe that matched the location.
I was happy with the ending but wished that it wasn’t the end. I really enjoyed the lovely stroll of this story.
I loved Genna’s story. She’s so courageous to move to Paris, a country in which she barely speaks the language. Meeting people, making friends, taking it one day at a time. I wish I could be more like her!
The romance was sweet and wholesome, with several players, I was left to wonder who would be the man Genna chose to make a future with. Or would she leave them all behind to focus solely on her career? It was such a great story to get lost in! I don’t know much about Paris so many of the places Genna visited were a little lost on me, but I still enjoyed the descriptions and how she came up with a Recipe that matched the location.
I was happy with the ending but wished that it wasn’t the end. I really enjoyed the lovely stroll of this story.
September 19, 2020
I lit a candle, drew a bubble bath and sunk down deep with this book.
It was such a fun read! The food made my mouth water and I even poured a glass of wine after my bath because this book had my taste buds yearning.
Genna is oblivious and cute. Her clumsiness is endearing and I absolutely adored the budding friendships in this book. I laughed and smiled at her awkwardness and how she literally tripped, all around Paris, haha.
I read this book in two days and look forward to more stories like this, especially on rainy, cold Autumn days.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this read for me in exchange for an honest review
It was such a fun read! The food made my mouth water and I even poured a glass of wine after my bath because this book had my taste buds yearning.
Genna is oblivious and cute. Her clumsiness is endearing and I absolutely adored the budding friendships in this book. I laughed and smiled at her awkwardness and how she literally tripped, all around Paris, haha.
I read this book in two days and look forward to more stories like this, especially on rainy, cold Autumn days.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this read for me in exchange for an honest review
September 16, 2020
Finished reading: September 15th 2020
"I think that's what we all want. To be left alone to make our own decisions, even if they're the wrong ones."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and New Arcadia Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
October 14, 2020
What’s a middle-aged woman to do when her husband cheats on her? Make for Paris as quickly as possible, obviously. Paris—the city of food, art, and love. All of Genna’s favorite things!
Genna is a cookbook writer, and her work in progress pairs places and paintings with their most appropriate meals. Some matches seem readily apparent: the Rose Window in Notre Dame Cathedral calls for a round, red strawberry tart. Other pairings reveal Genna’s whimsical way of thinking. Here’s why The Kiss in the Musée Rodin calls to mind crème brûlée:
It combined hard and soft together in one dish, like one of Rodin’s sculptures.
The cold marble came alive with the heat generated by the two bodies wrapped
around each other. What looked solid became malleable and alive.
As for love, Genna is a big-hearted woman who adores her grown children, attracts friends of all stripes, and worships food. And romance? In Paris, she’s surprised to find that men are still attracted to her. Will she fall for the suave, handsome Parisian or the Australian millionaire? Or will she try again with her repentant husband?
Love Among the Recipes is a confection of a story, as sweet and light as a macaron. (Did I mention that each chapter begins with a mouth-watering description of a macaron? Which means that there are almost forty types of macarons in the world, from Apple Cider Macarons—pale orange and filled with apple-nutmeg compote, to Roasted Fig Macarons—tinged purple and drizzled with alfalfa honey. Is your mouth watering yet?)
If you’ve about had it with this year, I recommend that you read this book and escape to Paris, where you, too, may find Love Among the Recipes.
Genna is a cookbook writer, and her work in progress pairs places and paintings with their most appropriate meals. Some matches seem readily apparent: the Rose Window in Notre Dame Cathedral calls for a round, red strawberry tart. Other pairings reveal Genna’s whimsical way of thinking. Here’s why The Kiss in the Musée Rodin calls to mind crème brûlée:
It combined hard and soft together in one dish, like one of Rodin’s sculptures.
The cold marble came alive with the heat generated by the two bodies wrapped
around each other. What looked solid became malleable and alive.
As for love, Genna is a big-hearted woman who adores her grown children, attracts friends of all stripes, and worships food. And romance? In Paris, she’s surprised to find that men are still attracted to her. Will she fall for the suave, handsome Parisian or the Australian millionaire? Or will she try again with her repentant husband?
Love Among the Recipes is a confection of a story, as sweet and light as a macaron. (Did I mention that each chapter begins with a mouth-watering description of a macaron? Which means that there are almost forty types of macarons in the world, from Apple Cider Macarons—pale orange and filled with apple-nutmeg compote, to Roasted Fig Macarons—tinged purple and drizzled with alfalfa honey. Is your mouth watering yet?)
If you’ve about had it with this year, I recommend that you read this book and escape to Paris, where you, too, may find Love Among the Recipes.
March 1, 2021
What a delight is LOVE AMONG THE RECIPES! Genna, a down-to-earth yet captivating woman in her fifties, flees from the breakdown of her longtime marriage to spend six months in Paris and write a cookbook inspired by various famous sites of the great city. Quite alone, she has managed to rent a very run-down apartment "steps from the Boulevard Saint Germaine." It looks as if it has not been renovated in sixty years, and the elderly obdurate landlord is not having any changes. As she walks out to the city she has only seen once more many years ago, we are with her every step of the way, from passing between gawking tourists at the foot of the Eiffel Tower to having a coffee in Deux Magots. In this time of lockdown when I have been SO longing to travel to Europe, I felt I was there.
She is not alone for long: she meets a charming French lawyer and a big burly widowed Aussie, and also becomes dear friends with her cantankerous elderly landlord, who visits her for dinner twice a week. In French class she will meet a new best friend, who has relationship troubles of her own. Meanwhile her grown children threaten to descend on her and her husband keeps trying by e-mail to bring her home.I was certain I knew how it could end, but I was very wrong!
I simply loved it! It will totally fly you away to that city on the Seine with its resourceful, gifted and charming heroine who is starting life again on her own terms. Read it; you'll love it!
She is not alone for long: she meets a charming French lawyer and a big burly widowed Aussie, and also becomes dear friends with her cantankerous elderly landlord, who visits her for dinner twice a week. In French class she will meet a new best friend, who has relationship troubles of her own. Meanwhile her grown children threaten to descend on her and her husband keeps trying by e-mail to bring her home.I was certain I knew how it could end, but I was very wrong!
I simply loved it! It will totally fly you away to that city on the Seine with its resourceful, gifted and charming heroine who is starting life again on her own terms. Read it; you'll love it!
October 5, 2020
This book is kind of split down the middle to me. There’s the part about food and travel, then there’s the part about Genna’s personal relationship dramas. I really enjoyed the parts about food and travel, less so the parts about Genna and her relationships.
Genna goes to Paris after getting a separation from her husband Drew. Can I call him Vile Drew like I’m Bridget Jones? Cause I feel like calling him Vile Drew.
It’s completely clear what Vile Drew did wrong. There is no doubt at all about what he did. But for some reason it wasn’t officially revealed until almost the end of the book, we honestly didn’t even need official clarification by that point.
Genna is in Paris now and she’s writing a cookbook. I love her cookbook idea, it’s unique and would definitely be a fun cookbook. She ties each Parisian location with a dish that reminds her of the spot. The dishes are symbolic most of the time, a layered dish might represent multiple colors in a piece of art in a museum.
I wasn’t a fan of Genna’s personality. She felt a bit prickly. She had some interesting potential love interests and some entertaining times in Paris. She really wants to stay but her cash flow will run out at some point and she dreads going back home. Although I wasn’t Genna’s biggest fan, I was definitely rooting for her to get to stay in Paris. I was always rooting for her not to go back to Vile Drew.
So, final analysis here, I’d have enjoyed this book more if I liked Genna more. But I liked her enough to want her to be happy. I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid food descriptions but could have gone for a lot less drama.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!
Genna goes to Paris after getting a separation from her husband Drew. Can I call him Vile Drew like I’m Bridget Jones? Cause I feel like calling him Vile Drew.
It’s completely clear what Vile Drew did wrong. There is no doubt at all about what he did. But for some reason it wasn’t officially revealed until almost the end of the book, we honestly didn’t even need official clarification by that point.
Genna is in Paris now and she’s writing a cookbook. I love her cookbook idea, it’s unique and would definitely be a fun cookbook. She ties each Parisian location with a dish that reminds her of the spot. The dishes are symbolic most of the time, a layered dish might represent multiple colors in a piece of art in a museum.
I wasn’t a fan of Genna’s personality. She felt a bit prickly. She had some interesting potential love interests and some entertaining times in Paris. She really wants to stay but her cash flow will run out at some point and she dreads going back home. Although I wasn’t Genna’s biggest fan, I was definitely rooting for her to get to stay in Paris. I was always rooting for her not to go back to Vile Drew.
So, final analysis here, I’d have enjoyed this book more if I liked Genna more. But I liked her enough to want her to be happy. I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid food descriptions but could have gone for a lot less drama.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!
October 20, 2020
Mother of two adult children, separated from her husband, and hoping for adventure, cookbook author Genna comes to Paris from Vancouver to write a book of recipes inspired by the City of Light’s museums, gardens, and monuments. She finds, as the title implies, love among the recipes. Love of many sorts: love of preparing and eating French cuisine, of course. But also love of family, friendship love, and, to Genna’s surprise, romantic love.
But which, if any, of the men fascinated by Genna will be the one? Her husband, pining away for her in Vancouver; the handsome and charming French lawyer, son of her elderly landlord; or the rugged Australian widower in Paris to visit his son?
Questions enough, perhaps, to keep the reader turning pages, but there are more. Will Genna run out of euros and have to return to Canada before finishing her book? Will two young women she befriends resolve problems they face? Will Genna ever tell her children who want her to return to her husband why she left him? These and other questions will keep readers turning the pages.
Love Among the Recipes also provides bounty for the armchair traveler or foodie to enjoy as Genna tours Paris, associating French recipes to locations. But what drew me the most is Genna’s kindness andoct generosity, which makes Love Among the Recipes not only an enjoyable read, but a wise one.
October 19, 2020
A delightful romance and armchair adventure, and an escapist balm for our unsettling times.
Genna--accomplished cookbook author, proud Canadian, betrayed loyal wife, and the mother of two adult children--takes creative control of her dissolving marriage by moving from Vancouver to Paris on a tight budget to pursue her passions for French cooking and all things Paris. Exploring the richly described streets and sights of the city, she meets over time an international cast of compelling men who open her eyes to the varieties of camaraderie found in new friendship. Encounter-by-encounter (and always with amazing food and the perfect wine), Genna tangles with the complexities of middle-aged romance, love, sex, and marriage, until she is forced to weigh her passions against each other to make a life-altering choice.
Delicious with the tastes, sights, smells, and sounds of Paris, this light, fun romp is an ode to middle-aged romance and affirmation that anything can--and will--happen to shift the course of a woman's life if she simply lives it with heart. I read Love Among the Recipes while sipping a glass of French wine, and I was sorry to see it end. Au revoir, Genna, and good luck. I look forward to reading other titles by this author.
Genna--accomplished cookbook author, proud Canadian, betrayed loyal wife, and the mother of two adult children--takes creative control of her dissolving marriage by moving from Vancouver to Paris on a tight budget to pursue her passions for French cooking and all things Paris. Exploring the richly described streets and sights of the city, she meets over time an international cast of compelling men who open her eyes to the varieties of camaraderie found in new friendship. Encounter-by-encounter (and always with amazing food and the perfect wine), Genna tangles with the complexities of middle-aged romance, love, sex, and marriage, until she is forced to weigh her passions against each other to make a life-altering choice.
Delicious with the tastes, sights, smells, and sounds of Paris, this light, fun romp is an ode to middle-aged romance and affirmation that anything can--and will--happen to shift the course of a woman's life if she simply lives it with heart. I read Love Among the Recipes while sipping a glass of French wine, and I was sorry to see it end. Au revoir, Genna, and good luck. I look forward to reading other titles by this author.
October 6, 2020
Love Among the Recipes was an enjoyable read with a few flaws.
Genna runs to Paris after taking a "break" from her marriage. At the age of 50, she has turned her love and passion of food into her career as a cookbook author, and she hopes that she will find inspiration in Paris for her recipes. She rents an apartment, finds new friends and tries new food.
This was a cute story, but very cliched and not much of an original story here for me. The middle aged woman who's husband cheats on her decides to leave her life and run off to a new country where she finds new hope. I really enjoyed the parts of the story that were about the food, although there just weren't enough of those parts for me. And I also had a bit of a hard time investing in anyone's storyline other than Genna's. While this was a fast, feel good story, I don't know that I will recommend it to many. Maybe an older demographic would enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinions.
Genna runs to Paris after taking a "break" from her marriage. At the age of 50, she has turned her love and passion of food into her career as a cookbook author, and she hopes that she will find inspiration in Paris for her recipes. She rents an apartment, finds new friends and tries new food.
This was a cute story, but very cliched and not much of an original story here for me. The middle aged woman who's husband cheats on her decides to leave her life and run off to a new country where she finds new hope. I really enjoyed the parts of the story that were about the food, although there just weren't enough of those parts for me. And I also had a bit of a hard time investing in anyone's storyline other than Genna's. While this was a fast, feel good story, I don't know that I will recommend it to many. Maybe an older demographic would enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinions.
October 20, 2020
This was an enjoyable read and a great escape to the City of Light - no plane ticket needed. The reader is given the grand tour of Paris attractions seen through the eyes of someone who is familiar with the city yet has a fresh take on everything as she pairs each site with a special dish featured in her cookbook. The book is peppered with French phrases - useful if a trip is in your future.
I especially liked reading a story about someone in middle age that has an active, productive life who is able to sustain herself through crises without ending up back on her old doorstep. I am not sure that the multiple opportunities that unfold for Genna is realistic but Ms. Cram keeps the reader guessing throughout as to what Genna will decide when she is ready to return home and provides a bit of a twist for her reader in the end. There is never a dull moment, I finished the book in one day, although in the end Genna's choice would not have been mine. Read and find out!
I especially liked reading a story about someone in middle age that has an active, productive life who is able to sustain herself through crises without ending up back on her old doorstep. I am not sure that the multiple opportunities that unfold for Genna is realistic but Ms. Cram keeps the reader guessing throughout as to what Genna will decide when she is ready to return home and provides a bit of a twist for her reader in the end. There is never a dull moment, I finished the book in one day, although in the end Genna's choice would not have been mine. Read and find out!
October 17, 2020
Calling all Francophiles!
Do you love Paris? Do you love classic French Cuisine?
If you’re longing to revisit your favorite Parisian spots, followed by a cafe creme or aperitif on the patio of a quaint bistro, then this book is for you!
Author Carol Cram effortlessly brings the romance of Paris vividly to life in Love Among The Recipes.
Follow protagonist Genna as she searches for the perfect recipes to include in her latest cookbook, while also searching her soul over what to do about her philandering hubby.
Settle down in your comfiest chair with a steaming chai latte and several delectable macarons, and get ready for a delightful excursion to The City Of Light!
Do you love Paris? Do you love classic French Cuisine?
If you’re longing to revisit your favorite Parisian spots, followed by a cafe creme or aperitif on the patio of a quaint bistro, then this book is for you!
Author Carol Cram effortlessly brings the romance of Paris vividly to life in Love Among The Recipes.
Follow protagonist Genna as she searches for the perfect recipes to include in her latest cookbook, while also searching her soul over what to do about her philandering hubby.
Settle down in your comfiest chair with a steaming chai latte and several delectable macarons, and get ready for a delightful excursion to The City Of Light!
October 18, 2020
Sweet and refreshing – like the perfect macaron!
An intrepid mom escapes her depressing midlife divorce by running off to Paris and hunting up new recipes. New relationships with strangers, lovers, family, and self ensue--all in a cascade of gently unfolding discoveries and dilemmas.
I really enjoyed the chill pace and light spirit of this novel It was the perfect escape from dreary weather, pandemic stressors, and political hyperventilations. It reminded me a bit of the North of the Tension Line series. A little slower-paced than some novels, maybe not so conflict-forward, but it’s all there. I loved the main character, and am ready for the next installment of her adventures!
An intrepid mom escapes her depressing midlife divorce by running off to Paris and hunting up new recipes. New relationships with strangers, lovers, family, and self ensue--all in a cascade of gently unfolding discoveries and dilemmas.
I really enjoyed the chill pace and light spirit of this novel It was the perfect escape from dreary weather, pandemic stressors, and political hyperventilations. It reminded me a bit of the North of the Tension Line series. A little slower-paced than some novels, maybe not so conflict-forward, but it’s all there. I loved the main character, and am ready for the next installment of her adventures!
October 11, 2020
Love among the recipes is a very beautiful novel about heartbreak, family and rediscovering yourself. I absolutely loved the story. It was perfect. Everything about the book was perfect. If you are looking for something light and different, must go for it! It’s great.
November 3, 2020
When I first read the synopsis of this book, I was immediately intrigued. I had never read a book that mixed romance with food and travels, so my curiosity and need for a light read made this quite an interesting reading experience.
I definitely spent the entirety of the book with “água na boca”, as we say in portuguese, wanting to taste every bite of what Genna was cooking. That in addition to the descriptions of amazing Parisian sites made me want to go to Paris as soon as I can, even thought we could definitely see that it isn’t as rainbows and unicorns of a city as we might think.
The book follows a Canadian mother of two, Genna, who got out of her flawed marriage and went after her dream of writing a travel guide type of cookbook in Paris, where she would pair a plate with each landmark, giving the reader an explanation of why she chose said plate.
We are introduced to a batch of characters who become a part of Genna’s life in the city of lights, some which spark a bit of romance in the protagonist’s life, some who bring some mystery and worrying to the plot. Overall they were pretty interesting, although I couldn’t fully connect to any of them.
Unfortunately, Love Among the Recipes didn’t blow me away! I was entertained, but didn’t see much of an evolution when it comes to plot – which I usually expect in my books.
Either way, with beautiful places and recipes for day, this is a story of love, life, and everything in between, perfect for fans of adult light romances who are looking for a quick read.
I definitely spent the entirety of the book with “água na boca”, as we say in portuguese, wanting to taste every bite of what Genna was cooking. That in addition to the descriptions of amazing Parisian sites made me want to go to Paris as soon as I can, even thought we could definitely see that it isn’t as rainbows and unicorns of a city as we might think.
The book follows a Canadian mother of two, Genna, who got out of her flawed marriage and went after her dream of writing a travel guide type of cookbook in Paris, where she would pair a plate with each landmark, giving the reader an explanation of why she chose said plate.
We are introduced to a batch of characters who become a part of Genna’s life in the city of lights, some which spark a bit of romance in the protagonist’s life, some who bring some mystery and worrying to the plot. Overall they were pretty interesting, although I couldn’t fully connect to any of them.
Unfortunately, Love Among the Recipes didn’t blow me away! I was entertained, but didn’t see much of an evolution when it comes to plot – which I usually expect in my books.
Either way, with beautiful places and recipes for day, this is a story of love, life, and everything in between, perfect for fans of adult light romances who are looking for a quick read.
October 1, 2020
Cram wrote a marvelous book. I loved the concept of a woman penning a cookbook pairing recipes with famous Paris sites. Genna moved to Paris, attempting to start a new chapter. I liked the different people she met. My favorites were Pierre and Bill. I'm not much of a foodie but I enjoyed the descriptions of the Paris landmarks. Paris is a fabulous city and full of magic whether in person or in a book. Drew was a complete sap and I had nothing but disdain for his character. The cover art is gorgeous. Dive into this one and Bon appetite. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the advance copy.
December 20, 2020
If you've been following my reviews for any time at all, you'll know that a book set in Paris with food content is basically an automatic addition to my TBR shelf. The idea of connecting specific locations with recipes for a cookbook is such a fun one, and this Francophile foodie truly ate it up (pun intended).
Genna McGraw is such a fun protagonist, and I love that she is in a different age bracket than so many of the heroines of romance novels. With two grown children out of the house and recently (unpleasantly) divorced, Genna heads off to Paris to write her newest cookbook, renting an apartment from a grouchy old gentleman. Said gentleman's son, however, is a warm (slightly hunky) French lawyer, with whom Genna quickly strikes up a friendship. Flitting between tourist sites, her French class, and a neighborhood Starbucks, Genna establishes a Paris crew, and it was so fun to see those relationships develop over the course of the novel.
Sadly, I was not especially impressed by the writing or plot development. Genna's reason for divorcing her husband was evident from the beginning, and I was frustrated by the efforts to turn it into a big reveal. Marsha's toxic relationship with Collin was distressing and the drawn out negativity, while honest to many people's experiences with abuse, didn't fit the rest of this feel-good novel.
Like many readers, I was more enticed by the food and Paris descriptions than by the characters and their relationships, but overall, it was a fun read, and I'm missing Paris a little extra after reading it.
Read as an e-ARC from NetGalley in partnership with BooksGoSocial. Opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.
Release Date: 20 October 2020
Genna McGraw is such a fun protagonist, and I love that she is in a different age bracket than so many of the heroines of romance novels. With two grown children out of the house and recently (unpleasantly) divorced, Genna heads off to Paris to write her newest cookbook, renting an apartment from a grouchy old gentleman. Said gentleman's son, however, is a warm (slightly hunky) French lawyer, with whom Genna quickly strikes up a friendship. Flitting between tourist sites, her French class, and a neighborhood Starbucks, Genna establishes a Paris crew, and it was so fun to see those relationships develop over the course of the novel.
Sadly, I was not especially impressed by the writing or plot development. Genna's reason for divorcing her husband was evident from the beginning, and I was frustrated by the efforts to turn it into a big reveal. Marsha's toxic relationship with Collin was distressing and the drawn out negativity, while honest to many people's experiences with abuse, didn't fit the rest of this feel-good novel.
Like many readers, I was more enticed by the food and Paris descriptions than by the characters and their relationships, but overall, it was a fun read, and I'm missing Paris a little extra after reading it.
Read as an e-ARC from NetGalley in partnership with BooksGoSocial. Opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.
Release Date: 20 October 2020
April 3, 2021
Paris may be for lovers, but cookbook author Genna McGraw is definitely not looking for love. She's looking for escape and she's looking for a good runny Brie to pair with a smooth Bordeaux. Where better than Paris? Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This was a great book and I enjoyed reading it.
April 10, 2021
I got this eARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review
DNF 41%
I had hoped this was going to be funny, light, alot of food and cooking with a dash of love. I was just left bored, the main character go around apologizing, and has some sort of trouble with Drew (ex husband?) and flirt, and are going to write a cook and guide book but apperaently can`t cook herself? It was just boring, i didn`t find it funny or interesting enough to finish.
DNF 41%
I had hoped this was going to be funny, light, alot of food and cooking with a dash of love. I was just left bored, the main character go around apologizing, and has some sort of trouble with Drew (ex husband?) and flirt, and are going to write a cook and guide book but apperaently can`t cook herself? It was just boring, i didn`t find it funny or interesting enough to finish.
October 10, 2020
RATING: 2.75/5 STARS
Love Among the Recipes by Carol M. Cram is an endearing novel that takes readers on Genna's journey through heartbreak, family, and rediscovery of what it means to find herself. This adorable story takes readers through the quaint cobblestone streets of Paris and into the kitchen filled with the delectable aromas of Genna's Parisian-inspired recipes and dinner parties! And also, the timing of the release of this novel could not have been more perfect as it releases within the same month as "Emily in Paris" on Netflix!
The author did a wonderful job capturing the culture of Paris and this was clearly evident throughout the book. Not only did she focus on tourist attractions such as the famous Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, but she truly did bring attention to other lesser known attractions and sculptures. It's clear that the author has done a lot of research into cultivating the perfect Parisian read, so I truly commend her for that! The detail she brings into relating different experiences and places Gemma visits to potential delicious recipes for her cookbook was my favourite part of the story. Additionally, I absolutely loved the little touches such as detailing a different macaron flavor at the start of each chapter.
However, I will say that I wasn't a huge fan of the flow of this story. It didn't feel natural and it felt as though a lot of different characters and experiences were thrown in haphazardly throughout or in the wrong times. The fact that the description of this book states that Drew, Gemma's husband, is a philanderer already gives away the fact his philandering is what drove Genna away to Paris. This shouldn't be the secret plot twist that the story builds up to, and even then it was revealed way too late into the book. I was also slightly frustrated whenever Genna experienced something wonderful in Paris and then whined and tainted it with a memory of Drew somehow (which happened way too often throughout the entire story), especially when this story was supposed to be about Genna moving on and rediscovering herself.
I personally think that the story would've worked better if it started off with Genna reminiscing about what drove her away since it was stated in the book description anyways, and then focused on her purely healing and actually moving on from her husband. The timing of the reveal just felt wrong to me. And the story just did too much telling instead of showing of what was going on. There were certain moments in the book, such as dates or hangouts, that were literally glossed through in a paragraph or two because it was just a narration of what happened instead of an actual experience that the readers could go through with Genna while it was happening. This negatively impacted my ability to emotionally connect with Genna.
I also felt like there could have been more work done on the characters themselves, as they either didn't have much development or weren't fleshed out or emphasized on enough (or too much when they weren't an important part of the story). I wasn't a huge fan of Becky, Genna's daughter, as she wouldn't even consider listening to her mother's side of the story. until she actually found evidence herself and then completely switched sides without hesitation. It always annoys me when characters are very one-sided and there isn't any growth or maturity in their thoughts throughout. I also felt like there was a lack of emphasis on Monsieur Leblanc and too much of an early emphasis on his son Pierre. This also relates to Genna herself and her relationships with her new friends and romances. I couldn't really understand her thought process, as at one point she was drooling over someone then immediately did a 180 even though there was nothing that led her to that new thought. Or when there was such a huge focus on one of her friends, only for them to basically disappear in the second half of the book. I liked how the story was trying to focus on all aspects of her life and not just the relationships, but I wish there was still some development within that instead of making it a product of random feelings and thoughts at the moment.
I really enjoyed the little epilogue of this story! It was an endearing way to wrap up everyone's stories. Everyone had adorable endings that made perfect sense and I felt like I got some sort of brief closure. But my only criticism is that I wish it was longer! I felt like it was rushed through too fast for the sole purpose of giving readers a quick conclusion.
Overall, this story is a delightful lighthearted read that makes readers smile and makes them want to book a spontaneous trip to Paris! With a little more character development and proper emphasis, a change in the flow and timing of the book's events and a bigger focus on experiencing the experiences instead of just narrating them, this story could be even better!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Carol M. Cram herself for providing me with an ARC of this story! I'm truly grateful I got to hear Genna's story and I can't wait to read more books from the author in the future!
Love Among the Recipes by Carol M. Cram is an endearing novel that takes readers on Genna's journey through heartbreak, family, and rediscovery of what it means to find herself. This adorable story takes readers through the quaint cobblestone streets of Paris and into the kitchen filled with the delectable aromas of Genna's Parisian-inspired recipes and dinner parties! And also, the timing of the release of this novel could not have been more perfect as it releases within the same month as "Emily in Paris" on Netflix!
The author did a wonderful job capturing the culture of Paris and this was clearly evident throughout the book. Not only did she focus on tourist attractions such as the famous Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, but she truly did bring attention to other lesser known attractions and sculptures. It's clear that the author has done a lot of research into cultivating the perfect Parisian read, so I truly commend her for that! The detail she brings into relating different experiences and places Gemma visits to potential delicious recipes for her cookbook was my favourite part of the story. Additionally, I absolutely loved the little touches such as detailing a different macaron flavor at the start of each chapter.
However, I will say that I wasn't a huge fan of the flow of this story. It didn't feel natural and it felt as though a lot of different characters and experiences were thrown in haphazardly throughout or in the wrong times. The fact that the description of this book states that Drew, Gemma's husband, is a philanderer already gives away the fact his philandering is what drove Genna away to Paris. This shouldn't be the secret plot twist that the story builds up to, and even then it was revealed way too late into the book. I was also slightly frustrated whenever Genna experienced something wonderful in Paris and then whined and tainted it with a memory of Drew somehow (which happened way too often throughout the entire story), especially when this story was supposed to be about Genna moving on and rediscovering herself.
I personally think that the story would've worked better if it started off with Genna reminiscing about what drove her away since it was stated in the book description anyways, and then focused on her purely healing and actually moving on from her husband. The timing of the reveal just felt wrong to me. And the story just did too much telling instead of showing of what was going on. There were certain moments in the book, such as dates or hangouts, that were literally glossed through in a paragraph or two because it was just a narration of what happened instead of an actual experience that the readers could go through with Genna while it was happening. This negatively impacted my ability to emotionally connect with Genna.
I also felt like there could have been more work done on the characters themselves, as they either didn't have much development or weren't fleshed out or emphasized on enough (or too much when they weren't an important part of the story). I wasn't a huge fan of Becky, Genna's daughter, as she wouldn't even consider listening to her mother's side of the story. until she actually found evidence herself and then completely switched sides without hesitation. It always annoys me when characters are very one-sided and there isn't any growth or maturity in their thoughts throughout. I also felt like there was a lack of emphasis on Monsieur Leblanc and too much of an early emphasis on his son Pierre. This also relates to Genna herself and her relationships with her new friends and romances. I couldn't really understand her thought process, as at one point she was drooling over someone then immediately did a 180 even though there was nothing that led her to that new thought. Or when there was such a huge focus on one of her friends, only for them to basically disappear in the second half of the book. I liked how the story was trying to focus on all aspects of her life and not just the relationships, but I wish there was still some development within that instead of making it a product of random feelings and thoughts at the moment.
I really enjoyed the little epilogue of this story! It was an endearing way to wrap up everyone's stories. Everyone had adorable endings that made perfect sense and I felt like I got some sort of brief closure. But my only criticism is that I wish it was longer! I felt like it was rushed through too fast for the sole purpose of giving readers a quick conclusion.
Overall, this story is a delightful lighthearted read that makes readers smile and makes them want to book a spontaneous trip to Paris! With a little more character development and proper emphasis, a change in the flow and timing of the book's events and a bigger focus on experiencing the experiences instead of just narrating them, this story could be even better!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Carol M. Cram herself for providing me with an ARC of this story! I'm truly grateful I got to hear Genna's story and I can't wait to read more books from the author in the future!
October 28, 2020
Right from the title, the reader senses a feel-good story coming on. Author Carol Cram had intended to write a much darker novel in 2020 but quickly realised it is perhaps neither the year, the time nor the environment for distressing scenarios. Instead she has written an enjoyably light-hearted tale, the mouth-watering descriptions of the amazing selection of macarons that introduce each chapter, setting the tone.
Genna, an author of cookbooks, has come to Paris to distance herself from what she sees as the wreckage of her marriage. With little money but much enthusiasm she sets out to explore the city and devise recipes that will evoke the city’s famous landmarks for a new cookbook. A range of sometimes predictably quicky and sympathetic characters flesh out the narrative, spiced up with a couple of somewhat ham-fisted anti-heroes. The culmination of the story is the dinner party Genna plans for her fellow French class students, an assortment of people she has met along the way, her children and, unexpectedly, her husband. Things go slightly awry, but everyone pitches in and all is well in the end – at the very least for Genna.
As Cram writes: ‘the novel is a cheerful, upbeat, and fun distraction during these interesting times that also explores the joys and challenges of creating a new life for oneself at any age'. While often predictable with some unashamedly obvious coincidences, it does not have a ‘happily ever after’ fairy-tale ending but a satisfying resolution of a woman of a certain age taking her life firmly in her own hands and leaving the men to sort out theirs.
Cram has done her culinary and cultural homework well. While we may not be able to visit Paris in the foreseeable future, we can follow the author in our hearts and minds as she explores, not only the city’s best-known attractions but also its lesser known streets and squares, all the while savouring her recipes and empathising with her efforts at communication in a language other than her own.
Genna, an author of cookbooks, has come to Paris to distance herself from what she sees as the wreckage of her marriage. With little money but much enthusiasm she sets out to explore the city and devise recipes that will evoke the city’s famous landmarks for a new cookbook. A range of sometimes predictably quicky and sympathetic characters flesh out the narrative, spiced up with a couple of somewhat ham-fisted anti-heroes. The culmination of the story is the dinner party Genna plans for her fellow French class students, an assortment of people she has met along the way, her children and, unexpectedly, her husband. Things go slightly awry, but everyone pitches in and all is well in the end – at the very least for Genna.
As Cram writes: ‘the novel is a cheerful, upbeat, and fun distraction during these interesting times that also explores the joys and challenges of creating a new life for oneself at any age'. While often predictable with some unashamedly obvious coincidences, it does not have a ‘happily ever after’ fairy-tale ending but a satisfying resolution of a woman of a certain age taking her life firmly in her own hands and leaving the men to sort out theirs.
Cram has done her culinary and cultural homework well. While we may not be able to visit Paris in the foreseeable future, we can follow the author in our hearts and minds as she explores, not only the city’s best-known attractions but also its lesser known streets and squares, all the while savouring her recipes and empathising with her efforts at communication in a language other than her own.
November 23, 2020
A hot soup harmonizes well with the winter season, salmon salad is perfect for lunch on a warm day. We know what wine goes best with chicken and what with roast beef. But have you ever wondered what dish fits the Monet water lily paintings, Notre Dame Cathedral, or the Musée de Cluny? They say art nourishes our souls. Well, that’s very true. But the author of “Love Among the Recipes” goes further and says that art can also feed our bodies. You just need to match the dish to the masterpiece.
The main character of the book is Genna. One day, she finds out about her husband's betrayal and decides to go to Paris. She has to think things through, but most of all she plans to find materials for her new cookbook/guidebook. She does not want to heal her broken heart, she does not look for a new love. On the contrary, she wants to be alone and contemplate the art of Paris. That's her plan, but as in a real-life, things will turn in a completely different direction.
If you're looking for passionate love scenes, you won't find them in this book because it's not a typical romance. The book has more descriptions of dishes and works of art than the love scenes. And this is what distinguishes it from similar books. I'm not a master chef, but even I felt like trying to cook a dish recommended by Genna. The descriptions of the dishes are really juicy. It's nice that the author decided to use more "literary" descriptions, instead of providing recipes with pharmacy accuracy. The book has a lot of dialogue, which I consider a plus in this case. It is more watching than reading, and the protagonists seem to be more real.
Who will like this book? Everyone who believes in the power of good food, art, and love. And what city goes perfectly together with that? Of course Paris! It’s like eggs and soufflés, or Roquefort cheese and walnuts, or macarons and café crèmes. So, sit down comfortably in your armchair and move into beautiful Paris and the wonderful pre-covid world.
Thanks to Netgalley and Carol M. Cram for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The main character of the book is Genna. One day, she finds out about her husband's betrayal and decides to go to Paris. She has to think things through, but most of all she plans to find materials for her new cookbook/guidebook. She does not want to heal her broken heart, she does not look for a new love. On the contrary, she wants to be alone and contemplate the art of Paris. That's her plan, but as in a real-life, things will turn in a completely different direction.
If you're looking for passionate love scenes, you won't find them in this book because it's not a typical romance. The book has more descriptions of dishes and works of art than the love scenes. And this is what distinguishes it from similar books. I'm not a master chef, but even I felt like trying to cook a dish recommended by Genna. The descriptions of the dishes are really juicy. It's nice that the author decided to use more "literary" descriptions, instead of providing recipes with pharmacy accuracy. The book has a lot of dialogue, which I consider a plus in this case. It is more watching than reading, and the protagonists seem to be more real.
Who will like this book? Everyone who believes in the power of good food, art, and love. And what city goes perfectly together with that? Of course Paris! It’s like eggs and soufflés, or Roquefort cheese and walnuts, or macarons and café crèmes. So, sit down comfortably in your armchair and move into beautiful Paris and the wonderful pre-covid world.
Thanks to Netgalley and Carol M. Cram for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews