Love Among the Recipes

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Pub Date 20 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 29 Dec 2020

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Description

Discover love in all its flavors in this fun, food-infused romp through Paris that is as crisp, sweet, and smooth as the perfect macaron.

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. She also dabbles in romance with dishy French lawyer Pierre Leblanc and makes friends at her French class with Colorado transplant Marsha Renfrew and her snooty English boyfriend.

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?

Discover love in all its flavors in this fun, food-infused romp through Paris that is as crisp, sweet, and smooth as the perfect macaron.

Paris may be for lovers, but cookbook author Genna McGraw is...


Advance Praise

"“A perfect escape. This romantic and engaging story has a delightful humorous touch. Cram’s lovely writing brings Paris and its many treasures to life. I truly felt like an armchair traveler…what a delight!” – Amy Maroney, Author of The Miramonde Trilogy

""A delicious feast for foodies and Francophiles ~ Paris has never tasted better!"" – Patricia Sands, Author of Drawing Lessons

“It’s a wonderful, fluid and beguiling read, a marvelous book, which made me laugh out loud.” –Martin Lake, Author of Cry of the Heart

"“A perfect escape. This romantic and engaging story has a delightful humorous touch. Cram’s lovely writing brings Paris and its many treasures to life. I truly felt like an armchair traveler…what a...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781777311803
PRICE US$3.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 100 members


Featured Reviews

There was some waffling by the protagonist, which I completely understand, but still annoyed me. Besides that though, I really did enjoy this book very much. The imagery the author paints of Paris and the food was lovely. And I adored the list of food matching locations that’s included in the back. Also, the scenarios and everything she’s going through are very spot on issues you might have mid-life.

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This book was fun. I expected a predictable storyline that was mindlessly entertaining, but it had unexpected turns that kept me interested. The blend of food, Paris, and friends was just delightful.

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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.

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Sometimes you've got to take a leap of faith, run into the unknown in the hopes of discovering yourself and I love how this story brings to light love, loss and most of all food and art.
Genna escapes to Paris to write a cookbook and also create as much distance from her husband Drew who turns out has been cheating on her.
I loved how quick she was to connect food to art, and also her moments of uncertainty when it came to her marriage- because that made her more real.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

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"Whoever said it was easy to walk away from one life and embrace a new one had almost certainly never tried it."

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I was looking for a light, fun rom com type read but this story was so much more than that. Genna is firmly entrenched in a mid-life crisis spurred on by her husband's infidelity. She leaves him and rents a tiny apartment in Paris to do research for her new cookbook and find herself. What she finds is a whole lot of reasons to live her life for herself and not her husband or her children. Within weeks she is surrounded with new interesting friends and several potential love interests. The story was much deeper than your typical rom com and had slow metered building of relationships rather than the insta-love that is so popular in these sorts of books these days.

The descriptions of Paris were quite lovely and had me thinking back fondly upon my trips there and even adding a few new potential destinations to my list. I also really loved how Genna would find her inspiration for the dishes in her cookbook from the places she visited. Going with her on that part of the journey was really fun.

I will say I was slightly annoyed by her family members who were quite selfish and prone to put her in the predictable "mom" box but I think it served the story. Also Marsha's relationship was quite problematic but I appreciated the arc that character took finding her way. I'd say this one is a lighter, more fun Parisian Eat Pray Love.

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The emergence of Genna's confidence and self worth deserved to be applauded as she stopped living for others verification and started living for her own. In doing so, she reignited her passion for cooking and became a great success. She stood up to Drew and Nancy and put the past behind her. I must admit that it was obvious what was going on with Becky and Nancy but Genna had a sweetness that would not have had her leap to those conclusions. A fun and warm hearted read.

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I really loved the characters and the story line. I have never wanted to go to Paris before but now I definitely do. I loved how she tied famous places all over Paris with food and recipes. I would buy this recipe book!!

i received an ARC from Net galley for my honest review.

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I really liked this one. Such a fun and easy read, I will definitely recommend this book to some of my friends.

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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

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Love this book and all the cooking references, it brought me back to my trip to Europe and the European culture loved it, read it in such a short time, it was such an easy flowy read. Would recommend to anybody who feels like traveling through a book.

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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.

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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.

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I got this book from Netgalley for an honest review and I am really thankful that they chose me. The very first thing that attracted me was the cover. Call me judgemental, but yes I chose this book because of cover. What can go wrong with a book having food on the cover? Nothing!
The story revolves around a woman Genna who is around fifty and shifted to Paris to finish her sixth cookbook. She is seeing different places in Paris and tying them up with recipes that somehow reminds her of that place. But nobody knows that she actually fled away from her husband due to some terrible thing he did.
She found a new life, a sort of new beginning but she is afraid. Afraid to have a new beginning so late in her life. While reading this book, we met different characters including Marsha, Tessa, Denise, Tyler who somehow get along with Genna. She make friends, she is happy. But sometimes past never remains in the past and so that happens.
The ending was a bit predictable for me and I felt too many incidents were rushed in the end. But other than that I enjoyed reading this book. It was quick, fun and light read. I would recommend it to everyone who just wanna enjoy their time reading and falling in love with Paris and it's food.

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I found this book really good with all the places in Paris that Genna goes to.

Genna matches up the food with museums and other places in Paris. Genna decided to come to Paris and live for six months so she could write up her latest cook book and places in Paris to go. She has left her husband Drew of 30 years.

It is an interesting concept of this book where Genna finds herself. She makes lots of friends

I would recommend this book.

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As a lady of a certain age with a love of cooking and Paris, I was immediately drawn to this book and it did not disappoint. From the minute I met the main character, genna, I liked her no nonsense approach to life. Her trip to Paris had been a decision based on events life had thrown at her and as the saying goes, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade and that's certainly what genna does.
Her adventures in Paris revolving round food and the people it leads her to is a well written, easy read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
#loveamongtherecipes
#netgalley

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I very much enjoyed this book - perhaps because I am also a middle-aged woman who loves to cook and travel as well! I have also been through a divorce and understand some of Genna's thought processes. So much gray area in situations like this. I did find the kids a little annoying and rather judgy at first but warmed up to them by the end. I like that Genna doesn't just jump into depending on another man even though they did tend to want to come to her rescue. All in all I found this to be a fun, mouth-watering book that only took me two days to read. I also enjoyed Paris as the setting for this book.

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The story is delightful. It's about a woman in her 50s, Genna, who is now feeling independent and ready for a new life - separated from her husband, Drew, from Vancouver, BC. She questions her motives as her life with Drew was comfortable and perhaps he deserved a second chance. There was also the grown children that wanted their mom back. Yet, she decided to follow her heart with a long desired dream of living in Paris for a few months while writing her sixth cookbook. This book of recipes would be different - with a mix of noted sites in Paris along with the most wonderful French dishes.

The book has the mix of mouth watering food, wonderful visits to museums and gardens, and of course - romance with attractive men. Each chapter starts with a different flavor of macarons such as one "filled with spicy mango jam and fizzled with bitter chocolate. At the end, the author says: "Are you feeling hungry" which of course is yes. For those that are cooks, she offers a link to the recipes. She also provides the reader with a list of many of the famous places in Paris.

It seriously makes the reader want to travel to Paris. However: Parlez-vous français? I skipped over some of the French words used mostly in the first part. Any struggling middle aged woman probably wants to believe that there's another life for her. Is it realistic? Maybe.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for allowing me to read this copy.

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Love Among the Recipes introduces us to Genna, a cookbook author who's come to Paris, France to work on her next book, all while going through a complicated separation from her husband. It's as much a trip to indulge in her work as it is a chance to put some space between the complicated family relationships at home. She settles into her time at France, working on her combination cookbook/travel book and building up a wonderful group of friends for herself along the way. Her life gets more complicated as love comes into the mix and her family starts encroaching on her time in Paris.

I loved reading about Genna and her love of cooking, especially after visiting Paris for a couple days last year for the first time. I loved how she was writing a travel book combined with a cookbook and paired different locations in the city with delicious sounding recipes. I generally liked Genna as a character, and I especially appreciated that our protagonist was a middle-aged woman, but I did find her a little indecisive at times when I was reading, especially when it came to the men in her life. One of my biggest issues was the many times that the author hinted at why Genna had a fractured relationship with her husband when it felt like it didn't have to be treated like a mystery for much of the book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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This book was great! Food, Paris, a struggling main character, a love interest - all a promising combo for a good read.

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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.

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This book wasn't about romance the way I expected, but that is a good thing. Although I found it hard to relate to Genna, I ended up liking her.
The story isn't predictable: it is nice and very easy to read. I felt like I was in Paris tasting what she was describing.

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I was very pleased with this book! I enjoyed all of the characters (even ones I disliked- the author wrote them well). I feel like writing a cookbook that connects to places in the world would be the ideal job, and one I would love to have! Very descriptive foods and locations, and just an overall great read.

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I loved this book! A middle-aged woman named Genna goes to Paris to write a cookbook, and get away from her cheating husband. While she’s there, she has a great time trying to match recipes to Paris landmarks. She also meets some nice men who remind her what life was like before she was married and unhappy. Her children come to visit, and she cooks for them and proudly introduces them to the new men in her life. Genna must decide whether to stay in Paris or go home.
I highly doubt this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Overall, I enjoyed this story. I will admit that I was expecting romance to take on more of the forefront of the book, as it sometimes took a backseat to the central plotline. However, I really loved the concept of the story and the thought of writing a cookbook while traveling. The descriptions of food made my mouth water! A solid read overall.

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This is a book I could literally sink my teeth into- the many different kinds of macarons in the heading of each chapter had my mouth water. The way you wrote about the different areas of Paris and beyond was outstanding and for new friendships and some romance what could go wrong?

This was a great read for a second chance romance novel.

Keep up the great work. Can't wait to see what you come out with next.

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I loved the setting so much: Paris, the food, the places, art and the romance! It was good. I couldn't quite grasp the characters, but this book definitely transported me to Paris in the middle of a pandemic.

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The first thing about this book is the title and the cover page that grabs the reader’s attention. The next intriguing this about the city of lights where the Protagonist escapes to Paris. I loved the story building and the set up and how Gemma kept up with the struggle without giving up with courage and confidence. it’s a must read if you are a foodie and it quite an interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley for sending the e-Arc.

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I loved this book! It was heartwarming and strong. It was exactly what I needed with everything going on in the world! A happy little escape!

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I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected!! 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!

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I REALLY enjoyed it! Reading LOVE AMONG THE RECIPES was like being in Paris. This was a great read for a second chance romance novel.

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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.

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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.

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I'm a bit behind on this one, so I'll keep my notes short.

I was charmed by the writeup on this book, from an author I wasn't familiar with. I'm relatively new to the "foodie romance" craze, and this sounded like fun.

I loved the premise of Gen rediscovering herself and preparing to make some drastic changes in her life. Her journey through Paris, French art and French foods, was delightful and heartwarming. The friendships she creates, and the connections between the food and her adventures, combine to make for a fun, whimsical, encouraging story of someone just finding out (again) who they want to be.

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I received this from net galley and exchange for an honest review.

This was a very gourmand book and definitely made me want to try some French cuisine. Definitely a nice, cozy, foodie romance that takes place in Paris and I enjoyed it.

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This is a great book about an author who writes cookbooks. I really enjoyed it and I think fans of Joanne Fluke will enjoy it a lot.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This was a fun quick read!

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Love Among the Recipes is the perfect soft and sweet romance. I have a soft spot for books with recipes and this was no exception,

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I just wanted to read for an hour tonight but before I knew it the snacks and drinks were gone; the evening had fled, and I had finished and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Paris, here I come!

I received a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thank you so much for this adorable book! I love that rather than wallow after her cheating husband, she decides to find herself in France and start living for herself.

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