In RACHEL LINDEN's newest book RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE, Georgia May Jackson has spent the last 10 years chasing her dream to be the executive chef in a fine dining restaurant in Paris. Her life implodes in one horrific night when circumstances cause her to be without an apartment, a job, or a boyfriend. To top it off, the only flavor she can taste is bitter. With her dream still a possibility, she travels to scenic San Juan Island in Washington State to connect with her mother who left when Georgia was five years old. As she regains her spark, she learns about her family legacy and how it affects her cooking. She also interacts with Cole, the brooding oyster fisherman who lives next door. She struggles emotionally with the family history and her hit-and-miss tasting ability while delving into Cole's past and her mother's secrets. As she gets closer to Cole and her mother, Georgia evaluates whether the restaurant in Paris is still her dream or whether the new relationships are more important. The story is a sweet, slow-burn novel that celebrates food, nature, family and a little touch of magic as the main female character renews her taste for life.
After a day of unrivaled disappointments, a promising young chef finds every bite of food suddenly tastes bitter. To save her career, she travels to the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her estranged mom, and discovers a family legacy she never suspected in this delicious novel from the bestselling author of The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie.American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal—to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply...vanished.When she receives a surprising invitation from her estranged mother, Georgia flees to a small island near Seattle hoping the visit will help her regain her spark in the kitchen. As she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes, Georgia realizes there is something about the enigmatic island she just cannot piece together. Good luck charms start appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonistic (and annoyingly handsome) oyster farmer. And her mom keeps hinting at a mysterious family legacy.With the clock ticking and time running out to win her dream job in Paris, Georgia begins to unravel some astonishing secrets that make her wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look—and taste—very different than she ever imagined.
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