One day, Laura is preparing for a family party before her youngest daughter leaves for college. The next, her peaceful household kingdom is falling apart. In the aftermath, she must decide what she wants to do, and who she wants to be. Intertwined with her story is that of Jilly, resident of the same house back in 1942, who finds both unexpected romance and terrible tragedy in the midst of World War II.

This was a pleasant family story, full of descriptions of lovely food and home comforts. I did think that some things came surprisingly easy to the two main characters, and there was one major aspect of the story that wasn't exactly wrapped up at the end, though one gets the impression that all will be well. All in all, a cozy sort of book that I enjoyed reading once, but probably won't revisit. I'll keep looking for other books by this author, though! ( )

Nourishing, as my “Date with a book” promised. Two likeable protagonists battling through the challenges of their times, linked by the framing of the story, and by their parallel traits: at once practical and benevolent. These are not characters of fascinating complexity, but as readers we want things to work out well for them. Set in Bath, there’s plenty of nourishment and warmth in both the periods of the story: the privations of the war years, the bohemian ”latte” milieu of today. ( )

Marked down because after mentioning lots of interesting food in the book, the recipes at the end were very boring.

I also found the time skipping very confusing as there were too many similarities between the two time frames. ( )

A nicely paced and well-written novel which switches between 1942 and 2017. The war years chapters involve the air raids in Bath, leaving devastation and despair. But 2017 holds a different kind of despair for someone else...

While the characters weren't entirely three-dimensional, they were mostly believable, and I had a particular liking for the elderly woman known to her family as Kanga. She's strong, supportive and extremely generous. But even the 'bad' person has some redeeming features; it's a good mixture of people, and I quickly felt involved in their lives.

It's light women's fiction with some cookery and baking... perhaps predictable, although there was one surprise towards the end. But it made enjoyable and undemanding reading at a busy time of year.

Recommended.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2020/12/a-family-recipe-by-veronica-henry.h... ( )

I think this is the best Veronica Henry book I have read to date. With a dual timeline of 2017 and 1942, it's like two books in one and as I discovered the history behind 11 Lark Hill, my heart was warmed by the heat from the Aga, sitting in pride of place in the busy kitchen.

Laura has always been overprotective of her youngest daughter as Willow suffers from chronic asthma. The thought of Willow going off to university in York is absolutely terrifying for Laura as she won't be able to keep such a close eye on her anymore. When Laura and her husband, Dom, are driving back from dropping Willow off in York, Laura discovers a secret that Dom has been keeping from her. Not only is her marriage under threat but also the home that has been in her family for generations.

Number 11 Lark Hill was a very different place in 1942 as the bombs fell on Bath and everyone had to keep up a stiff upper lip. Jilly fell in love the night the bombs fell but, with Harry off to fly in the airforce and suddenly finding herself alone in her home, the future isn't quite what she dreamed of as she takes in a family whose home was destroyed in the blitz. With the help of her exuberant friend, Ivy, Jilly is the perfect embodiment of wartime spirit, especially when the household is set to get a new addition.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved A Family Recipe. The female characters are so strong that you can't help but admire them and the whole family unit brings a smile to my face just thinking about it. The friendship between Jilly and Ivy is so heartwarming as they have been inseparable for decades. Despite it being 2017, I felt Laura showed her wartime spirit as she kept calm and carried on. Family is so important to both main characters as we discover the tears and laughter both in their past and present.

Filled with family drama across several decades, A Family Recipe is so deliciously moreish that I could have quite easily devoured it in one day, but instead I savoured every single exquisite page that I read. A Family Recipe is a mouth-watering feast for the eyes and there's even a yummy recipe for apple and date chutney that I just have to try for myself. A highly recommended read from the delectable pen of Veronica Henry.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )