Georgia's Kitchen

by Jenny Nelson

At thirty-three, talented chef Georgia Gray has everything a woman could want—the top job at one of Manhattan’s best restaurants; a posse of smart and savvy gal pals who never let her down; and a platinum-set, cushion-cut diamond engagement ring courtesy of Glenn, the handsome entertainment lawyer who Georgia’s overbearing mother can’t wait for her to marry. The table is set for the ambitious bride-to-be until a scathing restaurant review destroys her reputation. To add salt to her wounds, Glenn suddenly calls off the wedding.

Brokenhearted, Georgia escapes to the Italian countryside, where she sharpens her skills at a trattoria run by a world-class chef who seems to have it all—a devoted lover, a magnificent villa, and most important, a kitchen of her own. Georgia quells her longings with Italy’s delectable offerings: fine wine, luscious cheeses, cerulean blue skies, and irresistible Gianni—an expert in the vineyard and the bedroom. So when Gianni tempts Georgia to stay in Italy with an offer no sane top chef could refuse, why can’t she say yes?

An appetite for something more looms large in Georgia’s heart – the desire to run her own restaurant in the city she loves. But having left New York with her career in flames, she’ll need to stir up more than just courage if she’s to realize her dreams and find her way home.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Food, Romance, Foodie, Italy, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2010

Reviews

[Melodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the top of the heap to the bottom of the pile. Such is what happens to Georgia, a motivated, talented chef in NYC. Lost her job and her man in one day. What better way to lick your wounds than to fly off to Italy for the summer? I know my summary is a bit glib. There is plenty of heartbreak, soul searching and some humor in this story.
Overall, I enjoyed it.Coming to terms with how your life is turning out vs your expectations, dealing with family issues. Such is the stuff of maturing. Georgia is finding all that out. And all the cheffie stuff and yummy descriptions of food made for a satisfying light read.

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting to see just how dramatically things can change in five years.

In 2015, one food critic's negative review could not damage a chef or a restaurant's reputation given the power and impact of social media. A restaurant's customer reviews would hold much more weight than one irate food critic whose daughter got the "short end of the stick."

In spite of this, I did enjoy the novel.

[Patti TheLoveJunkee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author blurb prett much nailed the story, so I'm just going to go straigh into my thoughts:

I enjoyed this book. For as much as I hate to cook, I apparenty like stories about cooks - go figure. It sort of reminded me (very loosely) of the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun...(yes, I know it's a book and no, I never read it *gasp!*)

Georgia is the type of character that starts off thinking she knows what she wants, but what she's got isn't it. Then, she loses her job and her fiance on the same day - and realizes she has a perfect opportunity to start over. Her dream job turns out not to be her dream job, but she makes a conscious decision to learn from it, making new friends and using the lessons she learns in Italy as the foundation to pursue her dream of opening her own restaurant.

I like how she was honest with herself that she wanted to be in a relationship; she missed the sharing and intimacy (and sex) that goes along with all that being a couple entails. For whatever reason, while her girlfriends were sympathetic, I didn't really care for their characters - they felt materialistic and shallow.

I did like the fact that Georgia's business partner was her friend and not a lover. It seems that frequently a female heroine has to rely on the romantic interest in all aspects of her life; that was not the case in Georgia's Kitchen. The way the partnership came around felt full circle to me - a relationship built on respect for each other's talents.

The ending is not what I would call a typical HEA, more like an open-ended HEA if you will. Don't get me wrong, it was good and I as the reader was happy - I'd love to see Georgia again in a small cameo in a future book, you know, just to check in and see how she's doing.

[DeB · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for something very light, that I would hardly notice I was reading in between courses of more substantial books and demanding reviews. Georgia's Kitchen fit the bill - or menu. Chef loses job, fiancée, finds job in Italy, makes wonderful dishes titled in untranslated Italian, no recipes included, has fling, hopes to fulfill dream of having her own restaurant, hunky man and baby. One happens, the end drops off suddenly and there is no sequel which obviously was expected.

Did what I wanted it to do but not great.

[Angelc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Georgia Gray is a chef at one of the best restaurants in NYC and she's engaged to marry Glenn, an entertainment lawyer. But in a flash, everything goes down the drain. The playboy owner of the restaurant fires her after they get a bad review, even though it's his fault! Then her engagement gets broken off-all in the same day! She escapes to Italy, where she finds a new job as a chef, and a handsome new love interest, and maybe even finds herself.

This was a nice piece of women's fiction, nothing too terrible happens, but nothing too exciting happens, either. I think cooking fans would be love this, as well as those in the restaurant business. However, I was expecting more out of the romantic storylines, but both of her love interests fizzled fast!!

I like the message of empowerment the book gives to women and Georgia was very likable. She was strong but vulnerable at the same time. I really liked how she took a stand and didn't look the other way when she found out about the drug problem Glenn had been hiding from her.

There were a lot of secondary characters in the book, but I never really connected with any of them besides Georgia. The bulk of the novel was about the restaurant industry itself, which wasn't really my cup of tea.

This book was a little slow and didn't have enough romance for me. I'd recommend it to cooking enthusiasts and those in the restaurant industry.


book was sent by publicist in exchange for an honest review

reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in the mood for an escape to Italy but your bank account doesn't quite agree, have a look at Georgia's Kitchen, a charming book that will transport you to a trattoria nestled in Tuscany's rolling hills. You'll also spend a good deal of time in bustling New York City, where Georgia lives full-time as a chef until her career takes a hit from a bad review and her romantic relationship crumbles. Off to Italy it is, then, for Georgia, where her passions become clear to her -- and to a local named Gianni.

Georgia's Kitchen is a fun, delicious read that just may inspire you to dig deeper and follow dreams simmering below the surface. Nelson's writing is descriptive but tight -- and foodies will love reading about Georgia's exquisite creations, particularly as she strives to create the Tuscan trattoria's signature dish. This book would be great to take on vacation or even just to cuddle up with for a little while each evening, savoring each chapter. Four espresso cups out of five!

[Chocolate & Croissants · Rating 2 out of 5]

Georgia's Kitchen was a book that I was instantly drawn to given there was cooking, New York City and Italy. Who would not be drawn to this? This is where it ended for me. I am not sure if my expectations for the book were too high or I had a notion in my mind how the book should read. For me I found the book to barely simmer as Georgia's story of moving to Italy and cooking was developed. The book did not have any spice for me. By the time it picked up in the last 75 pages it was too late for me to really enjoy the book.

[Litsplaining · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book 2.5 stars.

Trigger Warnings: fatshaming, death of grandparent, and drug use

After a decade of having this book on my shelf and TBR, I finally finished it. Sadly, this book was just okay to me. I honestly don't have strong feelings about it now that I finished.

Pros: Jenny Nelson is quite the atmospheric writer. You can tell that she did a wealth of research on Italy and the NYC restaurant scene, the inner workings of the restaurant business, and how she user her knowledge of fashion. This all shows in how detailed her book is when it comes to the outer trappings of the characters' wardrobe, likes/dislikes, and interests. These books allowed the reader to have a lot to latch onto as we visualize the happenings of the book. There are moments where Nelson gets too in the weeds on designers and upper crust references, but it was a fun scavenger hunt for me, so I didn't mind. The one place where this did come as a hindrance is that Nelson would misuse ten-dollar words she'd randomly thrown in, and this would drive me up a wall.

Cons: Because Nelson's book is so detailed the choice to not break the book into sections made this book's scenes all run together. For example, Georgia goes from being employed in NYC at a top restaurant and waiting to hear the happenings of a review to being fired and dumped and then she jets off to Italy to work in her mentor's kitchen within a span of a few pages. She then pops up in Tuscany exploring, and it took me a moment to realize that Georgia had been there awhile and the author had time jumped from the last chapter. If Nelson and the editor had broken this book into sections (ex: NYC, Tuscany, Back to NYC, etc.),scenes like this would have flowed better.

In this same vein, there were so many moments that Georgia spends pages worrying over, only for them to fizzle out when they occurred. This continuous cycle of big moments becoming anti-climatic made the second half of the book tedious. And without the breaking up of the book into sections, the moments that were built up only for them to let me down as a reader had rolling my eyes.

Now for a super picky critique, this book feels so obviously pre-WNDB Movement with the way Georgia utters prejudices about NYC cabbies and diversity and the random reference to the God, Ganesh, out the blue. These quirks to Georgia's character gave her the vibe of one of those alleged trendy whites one sees on social media today who steal pieces of BIPOC culture and remix it to fit their lifestyles not knowing what they're saying or doing. While these moments are few in the book, they are clunky and could've easily been cut since they add nothing to the story.

TLDR: If you need a good fictional women's lit pick after you've read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert or Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, you may enjoy this book.

[Tashinka Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book. A chef who gets a bad restaraunt review and loses a fiance all in one day takes a trip to Italy. While there she cooks wonderful food, works on mending her broken heart and starts to make a plan to open her own restaraunt in the city she loves. New York City. Italy and New York City AND good food. Who doesn't like a book about that.

[Becki Couch tompkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, sweet story.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read Georgia's Kitchen initially merely for the Italian connection. I counted on this book allowing me to live out my passport-laced fantasies. Georgia's Kitchen did that and more.

Georgia's the head chef at hot spot Marco, a restaurant that's booked up months in advance. She's not allowed much leeway with the menu, and her boss is slimy, but she's head chef and loving it. Georgia's engaged to entertainment lawyer Glenn, and life couldn't get much better. Until it gets worse. Marco receives a scathing review because her boss sleeps with, and promptly rejects, a food critic's only daughter. Someone has to take the blame, and Georgia's that "someone". The same day she's fired, her fiancee calls off their wedding, because he realizes that their relationship hasn't been working for some time. Georgia, jobless and fiancee-less, flees to Italy to work with her mentor Claudia Cavalli for a few months. Despite a few early disappointments in Italy, Georgia makes new friends and enjoys the change of scenery. When she receives an incredible job offer she needs to make a decision- does she take it and continue living far away from everyone and everything that she loves, or does she return home and finally start following her dreams.

Jenny Nelson wrote a light and entertaining novel about a young woman looking for happiness and learning to stand on her own two feet – without a boyfriend, her best girlfriends, family, and the familiar surroundings of New York. What she finds out is that it’s ok to ask for help when you need it. The people who mean the most usually want to be asked. Nelson’s characters are believable but I wish some of them had been developed a bit more. For example, I wanted to know more about Georgia’s girlfriends than what they wore. Bernard definitely has an interesting story but maybe it went through a huge edit. I was glad when he made an appearance again later in the book. Georgia was a character that I could root for, even if she did manage to make a few mistakes in her personal life along the way. I especially liked Georgia's parents in the book- they were well-meaning, yet intrusive. Her mother, especially, was initially unable to come to terms with Georgia's career choices, but the fact that she loved Georgia and only wanted the best for her was obvious.

The book was a scrumptious treat from start to finish, between the descriptive and mouth watering foods described to the warm terracotta of Tuscany to the desire for Georgia to open her own restaurant. The Tuscany part of the book was my favorite. That and the food descriptions throughout. Nelson’s writing had me craving good Italian food. My only complaints would be the five extra pounds I gained in reading (and eating my way through this book) as well as how a few things towards the end just fell so seamlessly into place. It just all seemed a little too easy at times. Thankfully, this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of this fun and ultimately inspiring read!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review is now on http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com

Georgia’s life seems to be right on track. She is the head chef of Marco, a popular hit restaurant in New York City, which is about to receive a three fork review that will set Georgia on the path of her dreams. Her upcoming nuptials are only weeks away and soon she will have almost everything she has planned, aside from the children. Unfortunately for Georgia, plans change, life throws curve balls and people are finicky. All in one fateful day Georgia’s life changes setting her on course to rebuild and rediscover herself. Georgia finds herself in the heart of Italy opening up a restaurant for a friend while learning and healing. What Georgia once found to me the most disastrous day of her life, ends up to be the best thing that could ever have happened to her. With determination and hard work, Georgia leaves Italy to make her dreams come true, finding happiness in the process.

Georgia’s Kitchen was a delightful read for me. I really enjoyed how the story starts and end in New York City while stopping off in romantic Italy for a spell. The chef topic and culinary aspects were wonderful and well researched. The author was authentic and seemed to know her way around the biz. I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. They were all well developed and understood. Each brought a little something different to the story and I can’t imagine the novel without each of them. This novel encompassed a lot of topics and I felt each was explored adequately. Georgia’s fateful day almost makes the reader happy for her, even though you know you’d be devastated at the time. The character has obvious talent and charm that ensures the reader she will be okay no matter where she plants her feet.

The writing style of this novel was my least favorite part. While most of it was easy to read, some parts were a little difficult for me to move though as they bored me with too much detail. These sections had detail that was not pertinent to the storyline. I understood them because of the culinary references but didn’t really feel they were quite needed in the book. They seemed to take away from the book rather than add to it for me. Overall, I read this novel fairly quickly and enjoyed it! It is worth the time and effort to read, especially if you love culinary novels or a good chick lit. The novel is very up to date in its terms and internet media references. I enjoyed many aspects of this novel despite the very few counterparts. I would recommend it to a friend and I look forward to more from this debut author!

[Domenica Puglisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo aver finito il mese precedente con una storia impegnativa e avendone iniziato uno che parla di schiavitù questo mese, ho pensato di iniziarne anche uno più leggero. E devo dire che ho scelto bene.
Un libro veloce da leggere, senza tante pretese ma che mi ha tirato su il morale.
Qualche mese fa pensavo di non leggere più libri dove, con un schiocco di dita, la carriera che desideri si "materializza" e tutto diventa facile, proprio per l'esatto opposto, cioè la mia depressione arrivava alle stelle. Ma questa volta, anche se la storia si ripete, mi ha dato una piccola scossa e fatto venire delle idee. Che non realizzerò dall'oggi al domani ma che potrei tra qualche tempo...
Una trama semplice e lineare: Georgia è una chef che, dopo una recensione negativa, non meritata, si ritrova senza lavoro e, come se non bastasse, senza futuro marito. A poche settimane dal matrimonio con Glenn, problemi e incomprensioni, fanno si che la coppia si divida.
Così, senza riuscire a trovare un nuovo lavoro, molla tutto e parte per l'Italia dove la sua ex insegnante sta per aprire un nuovo locale nella campagna Toscana.
Un lavoro a tempo determinato ma che, con un gruppo ben affiatato, si trasformerà in un buona opportunità di crescita personale. Perché forse a Georgia mancava qualcosa e non dal punto di vista lavorativo, c'è qualcosa che la blocca per fare il grande passo, aprire un ristorante tutto suo.
Avrà l'opportunità di gestire una cucina di un nuovo albergo a Taormina, insieme a Gianni, di cui si è innamorata. Ma il dover restare "bloccata" la fa desistere e così, rientra a New York.
Una serie di situazioni fortunate, tanti incontri con le persone giuste e capisce che non per forza il locale deve essere "suo" ma che possa essere "nostro". Comprende che se si trova il giusto appoggio, le persone giuste con cui condividere un sogno, questo non varrà di meno, anzi che si possa realizzare ugualmente e anche meglio!
Ognuno farà la sua parte e con una parte della squadra del vecchio locale, a partire dal direttore di sala Bernard, suo vecchio amico, e ora socio, il sogno inizia a prendere forma e il locale può aprire in breve tempo.
Georgia in alcuni tratti può risultare antipatica ma è solo il suo carattere che poco a poco si ammorbidirà... per il resto bei luoghi, belle passeggiate tra le Avenue di New York, la campagna toscana e siciliana; tanti buoni piatti che vi faranno venire l'acquolina in bocca.
Niente di più che una bella lettura rilassante senza essere troppo banale.

[Nely · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know I read all these books of girls running off to Italy to find themselves... (i.e. Under the Tuscan Sun, Eat Pray Love, etc.) why didn't I ever think of that? Gosh!

When Georgia's life comes crumbling down around her she picks up the pieces by changing location, lifestyle, leaving family and friends behind. She finds herself working with an old friend at an up-and-coming restaurant, with a staff that's helpful and encouraging, she makes new friends and even finds a love interest in a neighbor... but although Italy holds its appeal, her dream has always been to own a restaurant in New York.

Ms. Nelson creates a wonderful protagonist in Georgia. She's tough but you can't help to feel bad for her with all the unlucky events she's going through. You like her from the start and will definitely be rooting for her. The supporting characters were just as fun and endearing. But my favorite were the descriptions of Tuscany itself. You will find yourself picturing the rustic backdrop, hearing the sounds and smelling its scent. Ms. Nelson definitely captures the tiny details and creates a very vivid setting. And then there were the descriptions of food - the details were so rich that I could actually envision and practically smell what was being cooked. Mouth watering.
All in all, fans of chick-lit, romance and foodies will all find something in Georgia's Kitchen. It is light, entertaining and very charming. It is the perfect summer read and one that I can definitely recommend.

This book was provided for review by BookSparks PR

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

From My Blog...[return][return]Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson is an excellent woman-conquers-adversity summer read. Georgia is the head chef at Marco, “the” swanky Manhattan restaurant, a job she is truly passionate about and she is about to marry Glenn, a successful attorney. Suddenly, in a series of rather bad luck events, her world begins to fall apart leading to the demise of Georgia’s career at Marco and for me, the beginning of the novel. Nelson writes a charming, feel good novel, which is a quick read with precise details and fabulous characters. The reader can almost see, feel, hear and taste everything experienced in Tuscany, due to Nelson’s rapt attention to details. Georgia is an immensely likeable main character the reader will be rooting for as well as enjoying Huggy’s enthusiasm, being enchanted by Bernard’s devotion and enamored with Ricky’s sweet nature. My first impression of the novel was not a positive one with the superficial attitude of Marco himself, the snobbery and the illicit drug use. Had I not been reviewing this book I would have quit at that point, but I am glad I persevered. Georgia’s Kitchen, while fairly predictable, is a delightfully charming feel good book. I would recommend Georgia’s Kitchen to anyone who is looking for a light and happy read.

[Idea Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overwritten and under-edited with a side order of irrelevant detail. I know under-editing and overwriting could be synonyms and that's how most sentences are in this book. I know more about the fashion preferences of an unnamed client of a support character than I know about the cooking skills of the main character - a professional chef, by the way. Did the readers really have to sit through a metaphor for every annoying trait of every random passerby, a detailed memory about that particular view, this tree, things that don't even add to the story?

I came to this book assuming it would be about food (because look at the title and the blurb) but I was willing to concede that it might have just been the setting for the story of the main character. But one third into the book, Georgia is still stumbling around in a job she clearly has no interest in (considering how LITTLE food is actually described so far as compared to her complaints about everyone and everything she encounters), lugging about a cheating cokehead ex-fiance that she has no great affection for (all she seems to miss is validation of being in a couple). A fairy godmother in the form of a former (never mentioned before) mentor shows up offering her a gig for six months in Italy. I call deus ex machina. I gave up by this point.

What a waste.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the kitchen and I love novels to read in-between my mysteries. When I was reading a Goodread's update, this book was introduced to me. I looked at the synopsis and thought it was interesting. I was correct.

A talented, young, woman Chef, Georgia Gray is head chef at Marco's in Manhattan. Everything is going Georgia's way, she is a head chef, engaged to be married, and dreaming of owning her own restaurant one day. There is one small indicator that things might change. Chef's do not normally wear rings. It is just too dangerous, however Georgia's Glenn insisted that she wear her engagement ring. Funny thing that...

Marco, the owner of the trendy restaurant has an eye for women and does not practice discretion. He decides to enjoy a young nineteen year old that is a daughter of a prominent culinary critic for the Daily News. The critic is justifiably angry, so, she takes it out on the review she is writing. Marco, in his blindness to himself, decides to fire Georgia, after all it must be her fault.

Tarred by the review and unemployed Georgia escapes back to Tuscany. Several life lessons are taught and learned and finally, Georgia returns to NYC.

I won't spoil the journey by saying more. This is a lovely book to read with a glass of wine and a cozy sitting space.

[Scoyphenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but several things stood in the way. The unnecessary descriptions of people’s clothing took away from the story rather than adding to it; most of the characters were flat; the chef-heavy language without context was dull; and last (but certainly not least) I didn’t like Georgia.

She lacked depth of feeling. For example, when she split up with her fiancé after a seven-year relationship there was no sense of mourning or regret. No. Her primary concern was OMG how will I ever have a baby?! That theme threaded throughout the book and read like a cliche of Thirty-something Professional Woman.

Her animosity toward her parents didn’t make sense: her mother was critical and annoying, but the fact that her parents love each other doesn’t make them monsters. Or bad parents. Her dad was lovely.

She fell for everyone and always for no good reason. “I don’t really know you, but I’ll go to Sicily with you for the weekend because you’re hot. Oh, you’re kind of dull, but I’ll sleep with you because you’re hot. You’re good in bed! It doesn’t matter that we can’t have a conversation and that you condescend to me because, you know, sex.”

Nope didn’t like Georgia one bit.

I was curious enough to finish the book, but it didn’t do much for me.

[Christi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, who wants to join me in a nice cheese course and a glass of wine? After reading this, you will. I really enjoyed this book and Georgia’s journey made me envious. I liked the story and the characters. Reading the first 100 pages or so I was a bit impatient, I wanted to get past the info provided on the book jacket. Things really picked up once Georgia traveled to Italy. The group of characters in Italy and the lessons learned were delightful. But come on… the best parts of this book were the experiences in the various kitchens and the assortment of meals. Simply put, this book is delicious. However, kudos to the author for a well-written, well-rounded story. I always admire when an author can include a romantic relationship, even make it a catalyst and yet it feels like you are reading more than a romance. This is a great example of such writing. I recommend this tasty treat. Read and enjoy!

[Kelly Olexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. LOVED IT. I've been going on a bit of a path of books written about chefs or cooking and this one did not disappoint. One thing I don't like is predictability, where a book is centered around some cheesy predictable boy meets girl story-line. I read this on the plane on the way to my vacation and wrapped it up the first day- it drew me in that much, and it's also not a "heavy" read. The author has a great sense of humor and the story is about Georgia's life, not just her brokem romance, but also about losing her prized job at a restaurant and how she began to really dig deep and start over. I loved how the story started stateside, jumped over to Italy and ended up back stateside...I found this book charming, funny and wonderful. Plan to see if this author has written other books because I want to add them to my list of "to-read".

[Jimena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had all the ingredients for me to absolutely love it: great food, New York and Florence (both places dear to my heart), a brave heroine in a soul-searching journey. It ticked all the boxes but it was still a bit disappointing. The secondary characters are not well developed (Georgia's friends in particular) and it left me wanting more. Having said that, it is still a very fun read and I love the lessons learned by the main character: it's ok to be alone and it's ok to ask for help. Stop looking at what you don't have and focus on what you do have. The message is great and I love the ending (fulfilling your dreams won't necessarily look like you thought it was going to look like), but it left me hungry for more depth.

[Joelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgia Gray has it all. She's head chef at a NYC hotspot and is engaged to be married. Just when Georgia thought that she had everything she ever wanted, her life is turned upside down when what was to be a three fork review, ends up being a 1/2 fork and her coke addict fiance dumps her. Nursing a broken heart and crushed ego, Georgia heads for the vineyards of Tuscany to strengthen her cooking skills and to learn that life isn't always about having the husband, the baby and the restaurant. In this debut novel by Jenny Nelson, we sometimes find that life doesn't always go according to plan and that a little heartbreak is really the push we need to gain what we want.

[Roselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the dialogue between characters and how Jenny Nelson, the author, described the surroundings and the cooking that constantly happens throughout the book. It kept me interested till the end. Looking forward to more books by this author. Plus, for some reason, I thought it'd be like "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes, which was all pretty much a narrative of the author's experience. Barely ANY dialogue. As a reader, I need dialogue to keep me interested and Jenny Nelson fulfilled that completely and knocked out my previous assumption of similarities between the two authors.

[My Book Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debut novelist Jenny Nelson does an excellent job creating dialogue that sounds just like I’d expect a 33 year old to talk to a former coworker she considers a friend. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Grammy (Dorothy’s deceased mom) and Dorothy (Georgia’s mom) and Georgia. Those relationships were very telling, authentic, and pertinent to the development of the characters.

It was incredibly refreshing to read a book with a female protagonist who didn’t fall apart and who didn’t do the happily ever after!

[Laura Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was caught up in the life of Georgia Gray from the moment I started this book. I read this book in a few hours on a Sunday afternoon and it had me whisked away to the streets of New York and the vineyards of Italy, if only for an afternoon. Nelson's writing is very good and it let me lose myself into another world, imagining myself as Georgia and having her adventures as a chef. This book has it all, romance, disappointment, excitement, and triumph. The book was a great read and I hope you will all check it out.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another foodie novel with the main character being Georgia Gray who is the head chef at a trendy New York restaurant. She gets badly reviewed & takes the fall for the loser owner of the restaurant (her boss) and suddenly her life goes from bad to worse as she loses her job, her career and her fiance. With all of that, she takes a temporary move to Italy to regroup and cook there and slowly rebuild her life. She eventually returns to New York and in the course of the following year re-establishes herself as a restauranteur in New York but now with the new twist of owning her own restaurant.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Georgia had a New York smart sense of humor I could relate to, and the usual questionable taste in men. I especially enjoyed her travels...Italy was a wonderful diversion, and then back to the City. I also related to her "mother issues" and loved Sally the doggie. Having lived in NY, loving the sites and sounds of Christmas in NY, being an avid cook of all things Italian, this book just did it for me. While I enjoyed her little romantic escapades, they took a back burner for me to her friendships and determination to make her own dreams come true.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't great literature, but it was one of the best books in the light reading with a woman main character of a marriageable age trying to make a go of her life genre that I have read in a while. Her career and the dreams around it took center stage as often as her love life (if not more) and the book also had a couple of minor characters, women with high powered careers, who found happiness as well so it didn't feel as if the book was judging women who were passionate about their work and punishing their choices.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun Novel about Georgia Grey, a Chef with a top job at one of Manhattan__s best restaurants, but who is fired after the restaurant gets a bad review (because of her boss). She sets out to reclaim her reputation and with the hopes of one day opening her own restaurant. The novel takes place in NYC and Italy, where Georgia goes through many ups and downs, before finally coming into her own.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I love change your life stories. And I love the see women ending relationships to the wrong men! Plus food books are the best!