I got this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I didn't realise that this was Part 2 of a series till I was almost near the end of the book, so the story does stand reasonably well by itself. The large cast of characters is a bit confusing, especially since there are several key female characters and you wonder which one is the titular prodigal. But the story progresses largely along one character's life so you don't wonder for too long.

The combination of food writing and storytelling was interesting if a tad jerky in places. I did think that the food bits had been written first with a story fitted around it or even a story written and food mentions tacked on where possible. The two could have melded together better. I think there actually weren't even that many recipes in the entire book. Instead there were suggested variations on (presumably) known English cooking. Not being British, I had to look up some of the words like kedgeree but these were interesting detours from the story.

The story itself is a bit obvious in that you already know how it's going to turn out. Still, the characters were likeable enough to make me want to stay and see it through to the end. Will I read another book in this series? Yes, I think I will, which should tell you this is definitely a good read for anyone who likes reading about food and people.

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.