This story is told in a dual timeline. The writing is beautiful and flows very well.
I loved the recipes throughout the book.
A great book

I ended up really loving this book! I almost DNF-ed it a few times but I'm so glad I carried on with it.

I'm a sucker for a dual narrative, especially one with a vintage aspect, and this one didn't disappoint. It was easy to follow, well written, and for the most part it was enthralling.

Ehhh.

A dual-narrative, dual-timeline novel about the perils of marriage. I really liked the storyline in the 50s - if that was the entire novel but fleshed out more this would be a 5 star read. Nellie's storyline while quite predictable on how it will end is still exciting to read about. However, we have the present day (well 2018) timeline which is not so good. The characters, especially our main character Alice, are unlikeable in a boring and bland way. She had pretty much no redeeming qualities, was manipulative and a liar...and for some reason we were supposed to root for her?!

The whole premise is supposed to be the Alice's life somewhat mirrors Nellie's - that she needs to take control of her life and has her own secrets to keep. In reality, there were few parallels between her husband (Nate) and Nellie's abusive husband (Richard) but I feel as if we were supposed to see them both as bad guys.... Nate and Alice's relationship is one of miscommunication not of Nate's abuse - Alice never communicates her needs or feelings with him and continuously lies to him (not for a safety issue but just her own ego/pride). The secrets Alice "needs" to keep are just because she is lying to her husband or because she doesn't want to have a particular conversation with him. Nate is a bit pushy, and the secret he's keeping is definitely something that should have been discussed...but yeah not the villain we are expecting to see. If anything, with her rage, lying and manipulation, it is Alice who is the bigger villain in the end.

One house and two women/wives 50 or so years apart. When I first started this wasn’t sure but as I got further along 1 star became 4! Nellie the 50’s housewife and Alice in 2018 both have problems with their husbands. Nellie’s chapters begin with recipes and Alice’s with various quotes about how to look after your husband, which I absolutely loved. Hard to believe ladies had to behave like that. Loved the stories of both women and I was fully engaged and certainly didn’t want it to end. Wonderful book!

I absolutely loved this book. I felt the pain in the characters stories. I would definitely read it again and recommend it to others

The problem with novels that have two timelines is that often I find one more enjoyable than the other. That was very much the case with this book. I loved Nellie's chapters set in the 1950s but really did not like Alice's chapters set in 2018. This was mainly because Alice was so unlikeable. A compulsive liar, manipulative and self involved, there was little in the way of redeeming qualities.

With Alice being this way I could not figure out what the tone or message of this book was trying to be. Many chapters start with a quote from a dated "wives/housewives guide book", which were hilarious and shocking in equal measure, and suggests that the book's message is to show that in many ways a lot hasn't changed in our attitudes and assumptions about women's role in the home.

BUT, while Alice is on the receiving end of some pushy behaviour from her husband about starting a family, her behaviour is awful and I spent more time feeling sorry for her husband. It is far from a positive representation of modern women. So I don't really understand what the point was.

On the plus side, Nellie's story was brilliant and, while a bit predictable, it plays out brilliantly and I could have read a whole book focused on her character.

I haven't read as fantastic a book as Karma Brown's Recipe for a Perfect Wife in a long long while, The book oscillates between the tales of a current day wife Alice Hale and the life of Nellie Murdoch a homemaker who lived in the house that lice now occupies with her husband, during the 1950s.

Alice stumbles upon an old cookbook of Nellie's and not just finds recipes to try but a window in Nellie's life. As she discovers her cooking skills with the help of recipes in the book and Nellie's garden she also discovers the stories from Nellie's life hidden in between the pages of the book. While Alice struggles with finding her own identity within her marriage and life, she finds herself immersing and adopting some of Nellie's choices. Does Alice find herself or does she lose herself further while trying to become a perfect wife?

This book must also be praised for the format. Every chapter on Alice opens with hilarious advice for women on how to become ideal life partners culled from magazines and books dating back to 40s, 50s and 60s (when it might have been prudent to heed those words) while every one on Nellie started with a tempting recipe (some of which I have a good mind of trying).

All in all a fun read, Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Brown holds not just a mirror to the struggle of someone trying to find their own voice in the times we live but also acquaints us with the lives of women who did not have much of a choice (unless they took matters into their own hands like Nellie, maybe?).

This book brought me out of my reading slump and it is written by a favourite author of mine.

If you haven't already read this book, put it up to the top of your tbr pile ASAP.

Written in a two person/past and present style it was easy to keep along with and good to have the perspective of both women. It's not always easy to follow multiple pov story's.

Back in the 50's Nellie was a young married woman who wanted to have a child with her husband and was happy looking after the house and her garden.
Although there was definitely a lot more that Nellie could have done it just wasn't the time for women to get above themselves as it was seen. 😣

In the present Alice has recently married, moved out of the city and lost her job.
She doesn't like her new home at first and desperately misses her old life, she feels like she's not challenged enough in her day to day life and misses the fast paced chaotic lifestyle she had previously before losing her job.
Her husband would like to have a child though this scares Alice just now, she feels it would isolate her all the more. She also has said she would like to write a book.

She finds these letters and a cook book belonging the previous tenant who was Nellie. This gives her an idea for her book.

Read this book, it is not my favourite of Karma Brown's writing but it is another great book 👍

A story of two women in different time periods and their story of marriage, deceit and pressures on women.
The book had a Stepford Wives feel In the part set in the 1950s with a housewife who isn’t all that she seems.
Worth a read and you will end up with some new recipes to try at home too!

It was a struggle to read this novel to the end.
Previous I read a novel of Karma Brown, and I loved it. So I was very curious to read this one too. But the story continues very slowly, and when something is happening, it’s over in one chapter and that’s it.
Two storylines (Alice 1990 and Nellie 1950) alternate. There is a connection between the two women, by the house they’re living in. It feels like Alice is under the influence of the ghost of Nellie after reading and using a cookbook and letters. The chapters of Nellie starts with a recipe, and the chapters of Alice with an old fashioned quote of How to act to be a perfect housewife.
I didn’t like Alice, who is constantly lying to her husband (why?). She is starting to write a novel, but has a writersblock even before getting started. She is isolated in her new house, but doesn’t take any initiatives to make things better. Nellie is a sweet women in a bad marriage. Her story is al little better, but can’t save the book anymore.
Recipe for a perfect wife is not what I expected. I was well written so not hard to read, but the story continues too slowly and nothing really happens.

The book has two narratives; Alice Hale a modern woman who has just reluctantly moved from the city to the suburbs with her husband and Nellie who lived in the same house in the 50’s.

There was an eeriness about this book, an unease that stayed with me at every turn of the page. Even though the foreboding never really amounted to the thriller I anticipated it would be. However I enjoyed how the writer explored the pressures and expectations of house wives in both the 1950’s, and modern women particularly with regard to careers and having children.
You piece together more about Nellie’s life as Alice discovers her letters and recipe book in the house as she is struggling with adapting to her new situation. If I’m honest, even though I could relate to some of Alice’s anxieties about being a house wife while her husband worked full time and the isolation that came with it, but I didn’t find Alice a particularly likeable character and her story line was predictable and ultimately I was not invested in her story.
As a result, I nearly did not finish the book. However it was my love of Nellie and her story line which kept me reading. As you learnt more about Nellie and her life, you realise she is living with an abusive controlling husband. What I liked most about Nellie, was that she never felt sorry for herself, she was smart and still kind to those around her and you could really sense her strength and her hope for the future despite her hopeless circumstances.
I enjoyed the “girl power” vibe, and the insight into 1950’s life and if Nellie’s storyline had been the entire focus of the book I think I would have enjoyed it even more. Nellie’s story abruptly ends and left me wondering “what happened next?!” which made me feel a bit bereft if I’m honest as I was most invested in her story.
Parts of this book were definitely worth 4 stars, but the abrupt ending of Nellie’s story and Alice’s unlikeability reduced it to an overall 3 stars for me.

A dual timeline story, always good for me, telling the story of the occupants of a house, hidden behind the closed doors, appearances are deceptive. This is interspersed with recipes so warning it will make you hungry and also check out your herb garden.
I felt though that the end was rushed and it needed something else and that unfortunately spoilt the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Legend Press for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. This was a brilliant, tense and suspenseful read. I'm a big fan of historical fiction and loved the dual timeline.

This book is narrated by two characters Alice in 2018 and Nellie in 1956. Alice finds out about Nellie when she moves into a new house with her partner and finds a box of cookbooks in the basement. The chapters then alternate between Nellie and Alice.

The book has an easy going style and is quick to read.

I disliked the character of Alice and I think this made it difficult for me to read. She lies and keeps secrets from her husband throughout the book but there’s no reason given for her to be doing this. Nellie was a more interesting character and had a bit more about her.

I liked Nellie’s knowledge of her ingredients and what they represented; lemons for sunshine and lavender for feminine beauty and grace. I also enjoyed her independent and grounded character.

Each chapter begins with genuine quotes from 1950’s housekeeping/ women’s advice books and they are absolute clangers. For example:
After you marry him—study him. If he is secretive—trust him. When he is talkative—listen to him. If he is jealous—cure him. If he favours society—accompany him. Let him think you understand him—but never let him think you manage him. —Western Gazette (August 1, 1930) It’s amazing that people actually used to publish these quotes!

There’s just not enough in the book to contrast the blatant sexism and I found that very difficult.

I was expecting more of a feminist storyline. I didn’t meet the wife fighting for her place in the patriarchal society as described in the blurb. Sadly it felt like we still have such a long way to go.

This was a brilliant, tense and suspenseful read. Much more than it appears from the synopsis m!
I loved the change in POV and thought both females were fantastic characters! Such a great way to mix in recipes with the story too. It adds so much!

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone that loves domestic thrillers!

I honestly loved this book, so much.
This book consists of two main characters, Nellie - a 1950s housewife, and Alice - a modern day housewife. Alice moves in to the house that Nellie used to live in all those years ago, and Alice starts to learn more about Nellie after finding her old recipe book in the basement and reading old letters written by her. The narrative alternates in each chapter, switching from Nellie in the 50s, to Alice in the present day. I loved the way that Nellie's story is told in such a unique way - her own chapters in which she is telling the story in the present tense, and the letters Alice reads all those years later. Two womens stories, under the same roof, but over 60 years apart.
It was such a good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I loved the concept, I loved the characters and I loved the message it gave.
I would highly recommend!

An easy read that I completed in two sittings, however I have mixed feelings. I think the book was written brilliantly combining the dual timeline with absolute finesse. I think the characters are described perfectly for the story. I enjoyed reading about the 1950's, the way a women was supposed to behave, the way a wife was expected to be and whilst so much has happened since then in some ways , because of gender stereo tying, a lot hasn't. The pressure then is just as apparent then as it is now and I think that's what I have the problem with. I think be cause Ali has had so much time at home after having a successful career, she has too much energy and not an outlet, this is no good for her. Whilst she mocks her friend for getting married after only knowing her partner for a short time, Am I should probably be honest with herself and admit that hers is a marriage of convenience. Yes, there once was love but now who knows? The whole dynamic has changed with the move into the suburbs.

On a different note I really did laugh at the snippets of advice from 1950's magazines and publications and I liked a few of the recipes, I'll definitely try the cookies.

I absolutely loved this fun, captivating read which was surprisingly thought provoking.

The story is told from the point of view of Alice in 2008 and Nellie in 1955. I warmed to each woman immediately and loved getting to know them better. Both woman are strong and very resilient, especially Nellie who also have societal norms to fight against. Her story is particularly emotional and I often wished I could jump into the story and help her out. The house seemed to be almost alive at times and reacting to everything that’s happening or being discovered. It seemed to become less creepy as the story developed and Alice starts unraveling Nellie’s past which I found very interesting.

Although the woman are fifty years apart both have surprisingly a lot in common as they attempt to fight against what society expects of them. I found this very interesting, especially as I came to realise that not much has really changed in that regard. The start of each chapter features a quote from old fashioned books about house work and how to be a wife which were amusing to read but also quite unbelievable that people used to actually think that way. There are also some recipes included, though I’m not sure I’ll be trying them anytime soon as some of the ingredients were interesting to say the least.

This story piqued my attention from the start, with the fabulous two main woman and the clever plot ensuring that this book was hard to put down. I found myself often trying to hide away from the kids or bribing them with something so I could read a tiny bit more. I was very sad to finish the book and leave Nellie and Alice behind.

Huge thanks to Lucy Chamberlain from Legend Press for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I’m definitely going to be recommending this book to everyone!

I couldn’t put this book down. That’s how a lot of reviews end. But I am starting with that because its the truth and I need you to understand how awesome this book from the start. I went into the book with no expectations, I hadn’t read Karam Brown before. What a fool am I!

I loved the UK cover of the book it drew me in.

The story is about Nellie living her life with her husband in the 1950s and also fast forward to Alice living her life with her husband in 2018. Okay, so what’s the connection your thinking? They are both in the same house, although different time periods. It is truly fascinating to dip between time periods as you change chapters. Both women face varying and yet similar challenges in their lives. The house plays its own character and makes itself feel very present in the writing. It adapts beautifully from one era to the next.

In my mind’s eye, I saw Nellie’s 1950’s world as I did on the television show Mad Men. I was lucky to bring all the costumes and the male-dominated world with me when I read about that time period. I also could resonate with Alice in her 2018 world. Having been a young wife and feeling the pressures from society and what’s expected of you as newlyweds. Keeping secrets and being terrified of losing yourself

The books was/is brilliant and I inhaled the story right off the pages. I felt myself slowing down as I neared the end as I really did not want to leave Nellie and Alice. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with both of them. I learned an awful lot about flowers and food too. I am eager for someone to make me the rose caramels and I think milk bread sounds quite similar to Scottish saps but you don’t toast the bread first with them.

The book made me want to spend more time with the plants and flowers in my own garden. It certainly validated the fact that I am most definitely not a perfect wife and I am happily divorced. I don’t think I would ever go through that pressure again. I think you had to be so strong so you don’t lose yourself.

I think Alice and Nellie will be sticking around in my head for a long time. I really enjoyed the way Karma Brown wrote. It was easy to read and it flowed so beautifully. I see there is a back catalogue of books for me to enjoy from Karma too.

I will definitely be buying this book as a wedding gift for friends and for all my single friends too. Ha, it works both ways as a guide and a deterrent.

I’m sad the book is finished which for me says it all. Recipe For A Perfect Wife should be on your TBR it has a sprinkling of the perfect ingredients to make the fluffiest reading adventure

This was a story of 2 women, which I thought were well developed. I enjoyed the little recipes and messages in each chapter.
It was an enjoyable book, where I turned the pages to learn more about these women,. Enchanting writing and a good story.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.