Lizzy and Jane couldn’t be further from Jane Austen’s famous sisters for whom they are named. Elizabeth left her family’s home in Seattle fifteen years ago to pursue her lifelong dream–chefing her own restaurant in New York City. Jane stayed behind to raise a family. Estranged since their mother’s death many years ago, the circumstances of their lives are about to bring them together once again. once again.
Known for her absolute command of her culinary domain, Elizabeth’s gifts in the kitchen have begun to elude her. And patrons and reviewers are noticing. In need of some rest and an opportunity to recover her passion for cooking, Elizabeth jumps at the excuse to rush to her sister’s bedside when Jane is diagnosed with cancer. After all, Elizabeth did the same for their mother. Perhaps this time, it will make a difference.
As Elizabeth pours her renewed energy into her sister’s care and into her burgeoning interest in Nick, Jane’s handsome coworker, her life begins to evolve from the singular pursuit of her own dream into the beautiful world of family, food, literature, and love that was shattered when she and Jane lost their mother. Will she stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane–and Elizabeth to Nick’s Mr. Darcy–or will she return to the life she has worked so hard to create?
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I have a “book hangover” from this book! It was so good! So thought-provoking, emotional, and yet a sweet and funny romance interwoven. Wonderful world-building, characters — even most of the secondary and even tertiary characters — and complicated, symbolic plot! I can’t recommend this book enough!
Favorite quotes:
“’That’s like looking up …
This is my 2nd Katherine Reay book and I’m definitely hooked. I listened on audio (Hillary Huber is a fantastic narrator). After listening to the first Reay book, Dear Mr. Knightley, I had to buy the paperback, so I could mark some passages. Well, this one is equally as good. It’s the story of two sisters broken by how they’ve hurt each other …
I should have been able to connect with this story more than I did. I’ve done a fair amount of cooking for people other than my immediate family. It’s not my profession, but it is definitely one of my passions. I’ve been known to watch a foodie movie and then go whip up an inspired meal. (Something that takes place in this story). Since the main …
This book was a little bit more serious than I was expecting and I didn’t quite connect with the main character, Lizzy. It was an easy read though but the plot wasn’t that compelling.
Such a wonderful read!
I enjoyed the story- and I’m a guy (this is def a chick-book). I liked that there was a tug-and-pull going on for LIzzy. It was also good in terms of giving a glimpse of the cancer chemo struggle. Enough said- don’t want to spoil things. 🙂