The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison

The Cookbook Club was a delightful book about three very different women in the greater DC area who are going through a lot of life changes and meet each other in a cookbook club. 

 Margo Everson has her world shaken when her husband Calvin leaves her and moves across the country.  As she tries to determine where to take her life next, she starts to follow “Boozy Crocker” on Instagram and discovers there is a cookbook club in her area.  She attends a meeting and makes new friends.  Margo loves to cook and makes YouTube videos to show her parents and their Florida community friends how to make healthy meals.  She also has an old farmhouse her ex-husband doesn’t want that she needs to fix up.  When an old friend comes to town for some time away and decides to become the tenant, Margo may rectify missed opportunities from the past.

 Trista Walker was a lawyer, but she recently left the firm to take over a bar / restaurant.  It’s her dream to bring her unique vision of meals to the city and make is a success. What better way to try out recipes than on a cookbook club? 

 Aja Alexander meets her boyfriend’s very wealthy mother and decides to help her out with her gardening problem.  Things become awkward when she realizes she’s pregnant and her boyfriend dumps her.  How will Aja move forward?

 I enjoyed all of these characters and their stories.  I also loved the cooking and food discussions as I love to cook myself.  There are some recipes at the end of this novel that I need to try out – they look fabulous.  The author published four cookbooks before she started writing women’s fiction, so she knows what she is writing about.  I also love that she started cooking as a child with Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls.  I enjoyed that as well when I was a child.  I love that this book shows the power of friendship, believing in yourself, and good food.  It was a delightful read in such a dreary year.

 Overall, The Cookbook Club is a charming character driven story with descriptions of wonderful cooking and food.  I enjoyed it!

 

Book Source:  Review Copy from William Morrow Books. Thank-you!