What a lovely story. It is about Kate who is looking for the love of her life and thinks she has found him coming up to her 40th birthday. He turns out to be devoid of emotion but she carries on with the relationship even though he let her down miserably on a trip to France. She hangs in there but in a fit of desperation to change her life she volunteers at a home for "well to do ladies of a certain age" and finds Cecily. Cecily is a fabulous character with an acid tongue but as the story progresses the acid tongue becomes the push Kate needs to change her life for the better. It turns out Cecily is a great storyteller in her own right and Kate listens avidly. Cecily lends Kate a cookery book which in turn makes her life more bearable in the long term. We all have had a friend like Kate who hangs on too long to relationships which are going nowhere and I think we would all like a lady like Cecily to walk us along a path we cannot see for ourselves. Kate's mother is a strange one but in a way I liked her character even if she was a little self centred. Kate's close friends character wise were a great balance of "good and outspoken". The Note from the Author at the end of the book was really interesting and made the book all the more enjoyable. The food references which were many were fantastic and makes you want to get your own cookery books out. I really enjoyed this book

Loved this book, the story of Kate, who is fast approaching her 40th birthday. When she starts volunteer work she soon meets Cecily, an interesting character, full of stories about her past, many of which are linked to the cookbook she once wrote.

As Kate spends more time with her, she is influenced to change her life and go for what she wants.


This write has also been published as Stella Newman too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for a review copy.

Loved this book - friendships and food - a perfect combination. Cecily and Kate are brought to life beautifully and the story flows well.

At first I found the title confusing and I was finding it difficult to critique this book and to decide on the star rating. I left it for a few days but found that Cecily wouldn't leave me, This sharp-tongued nonagenarian leapt off the page and into my subconscious. Such a strong well written character, I couldn't stop thinking about her. In comparison I had found it hard to care for Kate, in fact like Cecily, I wanted to shake her, as she nursed a heart broken by her self-centred, self-indulgent lover, Nick. As for Nick, well......

The unlikely friendship that developed between these disparate women was grounded with their love of and their interest in food. On second reading I realise that it is a great read but oh, how I would have relished the recipes Kate made for Cecily as reminders of her diverse life and her great love of Samuel.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This book was given to me by netgalley on behalf of Zaffre books in return for an honest review.

Vicky Zimmerman has written before as Stella Newman, not that I’ve ready any but now I intend too.

This is a lovely warm tale of the brilliant Kate, finding herself and a new friend Cecily. An unlikely friendship forms between the two and the most amazing food is cooked and talked about. Kate’s love life, friends and job all receive a helping dose of magical ingredients that can be bought in any deli or supermarket.

Enjoy and go cook.

Holy cow this book!!!!!!!!

Time for honesty. To begin with, I was not a fan of Kate. Even more so of her so-called idiot of a boyfriend, Nick. But. She just grew stronger and stronger, more charming, more enlightened. To begin with I found her quite irritating just constantly finding excuses for Nick, she just wound me up with her constant thinking about Nick and wallowing in self-pity. But, something just clicked for me and I began to like her. She seemed more independent, happier, less wallowing. She still came across as serious, but more about the things that did matter.

I still didn’t like Nick at the end of the book. I won’t say much but he is definitely still a Dick in my eyes.

I definitely have to talk about Cecily. Her sassiness, her feistiness and her attitude were a breath of fresh air in this book. Compared to Kate’s seriousness, she was fun. I loved the story of her life. She comes across as an inspiration and I wish I knew her to sit down and talk to her, for her to talk sense in my life. I loved the cookbook, and wish I could get my hands on a copy.

The writing style of the book was fantastic. I was instantly invested with the characters, even if I didn’t like them to begin with. I wanted Kate to find her happiness. I will admit I did weep towards the end of the book. It was such a touching and emotional goodbye. The food that is mentioned sounds delicious, and I was hungry throughout the whole book.

What makes this an even more special book is that at the end, the author tells you her inspiration for the story. And it’s wonderful inspiration. To think that Cecily Finn was a real exceptional lady, and that her story, although embellished at times for the book, is just as amazing.

The story of a lovely, yet unusual friendship between two women, one at the latter years of her life, the other at a crossroads, both are lonely, vulnerable and unhappy. Cecily the feisty ninety-seven years old deals with her unhappiness by withdrawing or criticising those around her, just for a reaction. Kate blames her own supposed inadequacies on herself, and accommodates the needs of others, at the expense of her own wellbeing.

Kate is dreading being forty. When Kate's carefully nurtured, relationship with Nick and her job are threatened she falls apart spectacularly, blaming herself, and living on a diet of cigarettes, coffee and social alcohol to get her through the day. Volunteering brings her into Cecily's realm, they are so different yet both at a time of their lives where nothing is as they want it. Kate's dilemma gives Cecily a purpose.

Cecily gives Kate a cookery book, with pertinent life messages, it becomes the focus of their relationship, and the start of positive change for both of them.

The first few chapters of this story are so negative, you want to shake Kate out of her self-destructive cycle. I almost stopped reading, but when she meets Cecily the story's positivity explodes and you are glad you persevered

Well- written honest characters, a varied plot, especially with the flashbacks to Cecily's varied life and a lovely balance of humour, poignancy and wit make this a lovely reading experience.

I received a copy of this book from Bonnier Zaffre via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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'The Woman Who Wanted More' tells the story of Kate, who thinks her life is fine. She has been in the same job for years as she knows the ropes and it is comfortable to stay put. She has a good relationship with Nick who has recently suggested she move in with him. But then Nick has a wobble and needs some time to decide if he is ready to share his flat with Kate and, as a result, she starts considering what she really wants from both her relationship and her life.

Meanwhile, Kate meets Cecily while volunteering at the local care home. Cecily is in her 90s and well beyond the age where she feels the need to remain socially polite. Initially Kate finds her rude and difficult, however the two ladies find that they have a common interest in food and gradually a bond is created.

I loved both Kate and Cecily as characters. I could easily identify with Kate who is very forgiving and willing to set aside her own happiness to accommodate others. She has lost sight of the things which will really bring her joy, but gradually, if unwillingly at first, she realises that things are not right and it is lovely to see her blossom. Kate and Cecily are both lonely and vulnerable in their own way. Cecily also opens up as the book progresses and through her friendship with Kate she finds a legacy that she had thought would be missing from her life.

This book has left me with a warm glow, as though I have just eaten a very satisfying meal and am now sitting by an open fire... It did take me a while to get engrossed, but as soon as Kate met Cecily I felt the book really got going. There are some great characters, from the highly annoying Nick to Kate's rather scatty, but well-meaning mother. I highly recommend it, but be warned, it may leave you wanting to indulge in a highly calorific dinner or two.

My thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for a review copy of this book.

As I started this, I thought it was going to be a typical will they, won't they type novel. However, the story of Kate, her relationship with commitment phobic Nick and her friendship with 97 year old Cecily, sorry Mrs Finn, was engaging and heartwarming. We find out more about Mrs Finn's amazing life story, how food can bring people together and how following your passion can lead to amazing opportunities and the ability to finally see your worth. I really enjoyed this, snatching every moment I could to keep on reading.

So enjoyable! A wonderful read about a single woman approaching the big 4-0 and her approach to life.

Kate Parker is finally in love! Approaching forty, she is thrilled with how the relationship is going until Nick drops a bombshell. Suddenly finding herself living at home with her mother, Kate's friends come to the rescue and she is not so much persuaded to get into volunteering as presented with a fait accompli. Making acquaintances with 97 year old Cecily Finn changes Kate's life in ways she could never foresee, and this is that story.

A stunningly good novel and one I raced through so easily! We've all been in relationships like Kate's, and it definitely made some cringe worthy memories pop into my head! Despite a shaky start with Mrs Finn, the blossoming friendship is a joy to behold and I found myself full of admiration for Cecily's wonderful memories. Discovering that she was, in fact, a real person and not a figment of the imagination made this book even more special, and I just adored everything about it. This is a story I completely adored, and not one I'll easily forget. Beautifully told, it was truly a pleasure to read, and as such is definitely a five star novel.

My thanks to publisher Bonnier Zaffre for my copy via NetGalley. All opinions stated here are entirely my own.

I simply adored this book. The pages were filled with the most gorgeous descriptions of food - custard doughnuts (one of my favourites), bacon brunches and burritos, to name just a few. I loved that Vicky Zimmerman used food as a huge source of humour in this novel,

The author's portrayal of Kate was great - she was really relatable, with her love of good books and food - and I could easily imagine being her friend.

All in all, "The Woman Who Wanted More" was chock full of honesty and warmth and it was simply such a pleasant and enchanting read. I have never read any of Vicky Zimmerman's novels before but I shall, now. This book is one of my favourites in 2019.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

In this book we meet Kate whom is in love with Nick an avid tv and puzzle lover. The couple are set to move in when suddenly Kate finds herself hurt, upset and back home with her fun time loving mum. Not great at forty...



So when her friend suggests volunteering, she winds up baking for an elderly ladies home where she meets grumpy writer Cecily who encourages her to chance her desires as she had an exciting life travelling and falling in love obviously with hardships too including the war.



As Kate finally takes her job and love life in hand following her fortieth birthday party then fail after from Nick will she learn that self love is more than enough for her and focus on putting her happiness first?



As she becomes a waitress she finds happiness and her life starts to fall into place with the arrival of a new man, her old man Nick and catfish ex get to see how well she's doing without them whilst Cecily becomes proud of her for her efforts with her old cook book opening new doors for her.



Based on the real life story of Cecily this book is a heartening look at friendship but crushing as it's a lot based on true fact. However the end is lovely but sad. I was really moved by the generation age gap friendship that develops and each character is very similar as they soon find over the course of them book. I thoroughly recommend this book especially if you love cooking or baking, it may even inspire you to try it!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

A truly gorgeous read, and unlikely friendship that blossomed from the start, great charecters easy to love and a great story, really loved it

I loved this book. From Kate’s relationship dilemmas to Cecily’s retelling of her past and the totally hilarious menus. I was sorry it had to end but then to find out that Cecily was based on the author’s own grandmother made it all the more special. Great book, well written, totally engaging.

What many Women want!
This book highlighted the fact that many women want more from their lives than what they actually have & then sometimes when they actually get those things or persons , it is not all how they envisioned it would be . I was unable to fully complete the book before it's expiry date , because health issues prevented me from starting it early , but what I had read will in fact make me get a copy of the Book so that I can complete it!

This was very slow at the start and just felt totally unrealistic.
Although the story line improved further into the book it just did not do it for me.

What a delight this book is. I loved Cecily. What an absolute character and with so much to share. At first she seemed to be a cantankerous old lady but she was actually very astute. I loved the relationship that developed between Cecily and Kate. It just spoke volumes of how much older people have to give to the young - if only they’d listen.

The book is an easy to read story and it made me laugh out loud at times. Loved Cecily’s quirky humour. The kind of character we’d all benefit from coming across in our busy, complicated lives.

This is a real must read.

This was a different kind of book to what I usually read but I enjoyed it very much. It was a brilliant message about not being afraid and settling for second best. I loved that Kate ended up enjoying her life and work so much that the focus was no longer on the man in her life. I found the relationship between Kate and Cecily to be quite heartwarming.

This is a gem of a book about friendship and food. Kate develops a wonderful friendship with Cecily and becomes more confident as a result. The cookery book sounds like a fascinating read. It helps both Kate andCecily in their lives. I really enjoyed this book and will probably reread it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a beautifully written story about an unusual relationship between Kate & Cecily, a young women about to hit a significant birthday & a grumpy, but enchanting old lady. The story was not quite what I expected from the title, but I was hooked from start to finish. Make sure you read right to the end, especially Note from the author, as this will make the whole story more meaningful