The Cookbook Club audiobook

The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison is a women’s fiction title about three very different women who come together and find they do have things in common. The point of view in the story will of course change the during the course of the book.The story all starts with Trista Walker who has decided to leave her demanding job at a prestigious law firm and open her own restaurant. Trista wants to do something new, something different, but with so many ways to go she decides she wants to test some and puts out an ad for others to join her and test out recipes, thus the Cookbook Club is created.Margo Everson decides to answer the ad when she sees it being at a place in her life she needs something new. Margo’s husband had asked for a divorce and left her with a rundown house and a lot of cookbooks so why not take up the club as a hobby? Aja Alexander answers the ad looking for something to take her mind off of her relationship and the fact she has a secret that she isn’t sure what to do about.The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison was a book that gained my interest quickly and had me engaged as I wondered what would happen with these three very different characters. As the three ladies came together in the book you learn all about them and different their lives were but in many ways much the same. It was great watching the friendships unfold and the growth of the characters that came in the story as it went on. Of course there is some food talk in the book but it didn’t overpower the character growth or their journeys.I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

This charming book hooked me from the start. I loved the author’s confident writing style and engaging narrative about three women with personal crises who bond over cooking.Trista, a fired attorney, starts a cookbook club to test recipes for the bar she’s bought. Margo, just dumped by her husband, joins the club to indulge her love of cooking and to make friends. Aja discovers she’s pregnant with her rich boyfriend’s baby. His mother is highly judgmental and he’s never talked about commitment.Cooking, of course, plays a huge role, with mouthwatering meals devoured throughout and even a recipe section at the end. I saw it as a metaphor for growth, by taking what you know (old recipes) and adding new spices and fresh ingredients for a more sumptuous taste.Renovation plays a role, too, as Trista’s bar and Margo’s old farm get amazing redos. Both reflect the depth of change each woman undergoes. I felt part of the club, rooting for each woman, wanting happy endings for all. Alas, the dénouement seemed too abrupt for me. Only Margo’s new life was explored to any extent, leaving me wanting so much more. Sequel? I sure hope so!4 of 5 StarsPub Date 20 Oct 2020Thanks to the author, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.#TheCookbookClub #NetGalley

The Cookbook Club chronicles the evolution of three women who accidently meet as they are all braving different heartbreaks in their lives. They not only grow stronger but they become each other’s champions and emerge with strength, resilience and lasting friendships.It all started when Trista Walker put an ad on instagram looking for people to come to her house and try cookbook recipes. The only catch was they must come with a cooked dish from a cookbook. Two women joined Trista that first night.Margo, whose husband recently came home and after complaining about her cooking told Margo he was taking a job in San Francisco but without her. He wanted a divorce. Although she was not totally heartbroken that he had left her, Margo became depressed at the thought that she had wasted so many years of her life catering to a man who could not appreciate her. Plus the fact she had no idea what to do next in life as her world had revolved around him for so many years. Her one claim to fame was a cooking class on YouTube she had started to help her parents and their friends who all lived in a senior housing complex cook healthier meals. She had 35 subscribers. And her soon to be ex-husband had dropped a dilapidated farmhouse on her as part of their divorce settlement. She now needed to find someone to help fix the rundown eyesore up. Margo goes to the first Cookbook club meeting more for companionship than anything else.Aja Alexander is self sufficient and able to take care of herself. Although young, she maintains a few jobs in order to keep her independence. She is in a relationship with a man named Michael who is from old money. Not quite sure how to categorize their relationship, as they have been dating for a while and she has yet to met his mother, whom Michael has told her is very overbearing. She sometimes feels as if she is walking on eggshells around him, always afraid she will say something wrong to anger him. Aja goes to the first Cookbook club meeting because lately she has been starving and this group sounds like a great place to eat.Trista Walker worked at a prestigious law firm. Until she didn’t. Not sure what she wanted to do with her life next, when a bar she frequented for years goes up for sale, she decides to buy it and create a different type of restaurant. With so many ideas on the type of food she wants to create, she decides she wants people to taste her creations and give honest opinions. Thus the Cookbook club. What Trista does not realize is that it takes more than cooking ideas start a restaurant. It takes a great deal of money and loyal employees. Hopefully her dream will not be popped before the restaurant ever opens. The first Cookbook club meeting is at Trista’s house.As each of their lives begin to unfold and change they not only lean on each other for assistance, but others, some who were in their pasts, some who will be in their futures forever, and some who just happen to come into a bar one night for a drink. But the Cookbook club women know one thing. No matter what, they will always be friends.Their stories are not very similar, but have many things in common. The love they have for others, and each other, the strength they have to make difficult decisions, and of course the delicious food of their Cookbook club.

I devoured this book (pun intended)! It was a fun read and I quickly got invested in the characters. It was a nice, lighthearted read that was needed after a stint of reading some more intense and suspenseful books.

The perfect feel good book for a snowy January day in the middle of a pandemic! Forget about the craziness in the world and spend some time getting to know Margo, Aja, and Trista. Warning: will make you hungry for Italian but will also remind you how wonderful true friendship is!

I received a free ebook of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.When I saw the title of this, and the author, I knew I wanted to read it. I collect cookbooks and I have read and enjoyed other books by Beth Harbison. This one did not disappoint.Three very different women, each finding themselves at a crossroads in their lives for very different reasons, come together at a cookbook club. Margo was just dumped by her husband and is in the throes of a divorce. Aja is unexpectedly pregnant and not in a relationship with the father at this point. Trista has left behind her law career and done a complete life about face by opening a bar. The novel follows each of the women as they face their personal challenges. I appreciated that this was not ridiculously sweet or sassy; the characters had more of a realistic feel to them. Good women’s fiction read exploring themes of friendship, second chances, and family.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow Books, and Harper Audio for the complimentary digital and audiobook copies of this book.I loved everything about The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison. As a reader my two favorite types of novels are a heavily character driven book and romance. This book combines the best of both worlds into a truly enjoyable book. Add in a lot of delectable food and I was sold. If I had to peg a genre for this one I'd put it under women's literature.The book tells the story of three women, Margot, Aja, and Trista, who are all at a crossroads in their lives and end up meeting as part of an Instagram group meet up pot luck. The story switches between the three women telling each of their stories. Margot is a newly divorced woman still reeling from her husband's abandonment. Aja is the youngest of the three struggling with a difficult boyfriend and other life difficulties (no spoilers). Trista is a lawyer turned bar owner, who also loves to cook. As the story weaves through the three women's lives you get to learn their hopes, fears and troubles and watch all three work through their relationship issues.This book is a slow journey as you get to know the women and along the way are exposed to all kinds of lovely food. I particularly like how the author focuses on particular cookbooks and dishes from those cookbooks.I'd highly recommend this book to people who loved character driven novels with a dash of romance thrown in. If you like faster paced action, this book may not be the best choice. That being said I was hooked from the start as each character leads a very different life with various challenges and life circumstances. Steam wise this was a closed door romance which really revolves more around the three women then the romance.Overall this is the type of book I love and I give it a big thumbs up.

The story surrounds three women who initially meet through the cookbook club. Margo is a woman whose husband has recently come home and announced he has been given a promotion on the other side of the country and that he is leaving her. He’s left her a dilapidated farm house and the house she is living in, but the mortgage is now all hers. Trista is the woman who has organized the cookbook club. She’s recently been fired from her position in a law firm and has taken the opportunity to buy and redesign the bar/restaurant she worked in years ago. Aja is a young woman who is in an unhealthy relationship who comes to realize that she is pregnant - something she wants to hide for as long as she can.The trio meet monthly to share and a meal, try new recipes and provide support for one another. However, most of the story is about the three women and their independent lives outside of the club. I found the character development to be adequate and appreciated the challenges in life each woman was facing. I didn’t, however, feel as connected as I would have liked to the characters. While the book kept my interest, I felt it could have been much more. The story just seemed to wrap up too quickly for my liking. I was also surprised and a little disappointed to see the lack of engagement between club members, especially given the title of the book. I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Orlagh Cassidy. Her performance was believable as each of the women, and I found her voice to be articulate and with the right amount of expression. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x which was the perfect speed for listening. Thanks to my local library for having a copy of the audiobook. I’d recommend this book for those that enjoy a lighter, relaxing read.

The Cookbook Club A Novel of Food and Friendship by Beth Harbison 374 pages Paperback Genre: Women's Fiction > Chick Lit; Contemporary, Romance, Food and Drink > Food, Foodie; Adult Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction Featuring: Cooking, YouTube, Book Clubs, Month-by-Month, Multiple POVs, Recipes, Meetings, Relationships, Author Q&A, PS pagesRating as a movie: PG-13/R for adult content My rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 My thoughts: Page 63 of 348, Ch. 4 Trista - I'm loving this book so far. I only really know Margo, so, I'm looking forward to getting in the other girls' heads but it's late. 📖 121 Ch. 8 Trista - Enjoyable but I don't like the time gaps. 📖 209 Ch. 13 Aja - This is so good. If I wasn't sleepy I'd knock it out tonight. I almost want to cheat and take a peek at the ending. I'm surprised to say I really loved this story. I think it's partially because it was really good and partially because my understanding of "a novel" in subtitles was improved. I thought it just said that to be cute or pretentious but it turns out it's to notify you it's more reserved than your typical contemporary or thriller; like part or fully literary fiction. This book was the former mostly because it really didn't have enough substance to be Contemporary Romance or Domestic Fiction since it had a lot of other stuff going on, and it does have the something extra you'd find in literary fiction. I liked all of the characters and I was disappointed when it ended. I would appreciate a sequel.Recommend to others?: Yes. This story was very much a day in the life of, but it was good.

It was the title that caught my attention. I am a sap for food-related books in all genres. And this novel's title also flaunted a book club re food/cookbooks/friendship. I simply expected to get a fairly decent read out of THE BOOK CLUB by Beth Harbison, but its storyline truly caught-me-up. Loved the characters.When Trista Walker sends out a call for members to start up a new cookbook club, the response is limited in numbers but interesting and ultimately delicious for all involved. There's just enough tension in the plot, some romance, bits of humor, and a bit of "rat control" in the club leader's bar & grill, plus experiences of the new club members . Lives change, expand. And I've tagged 5 recipes at the end of the book which will definitely be photocopied before the paperback leaves my house!THE COOKBOOK CLUB by Beth Harbison is a fine read. It has heart and enough guts to keep you reading and wishing well for its main characters. If you're down in the doldrums, pick it up for a quick read (despite its page count being just over 300!). Or read it for whatever attracts you to it. I am rating it at 4-stars which, in Goodreads jargon means "really liked it."