I must admit that when I started this book I feared that it would turn into a romance and I would soon close it from boredom. I was surprised to find that although it does have a small side dish of the romantic in the main it is a story of finding your most fulfilling path and bravely changing direction if you are on the wrong road. It was also a pleasant surprise to find out from the author’s notes that, although it is a book of fiction, the delightful Cecily of the title is based on the author’s grandmother who wrote the cookbook mentioned in the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies.

I love food and I love to eat, so I was excited when my request was approved.

The premise is formulaic; an almost 40 year old woman named Kate is slogging through life with a crappy job, narcissistic boyfriend and low self esteem.

When she meets a feisty, almost centenarian named Cecily, who has lived more lifetimes than Kate can count, Kate cleans up her life, her attitude and her behavior.

I didn't like Kate; I found her wishy washy, so desperate not to be alone that she would subject herself to be with a man who didn't respect her.

Cecily is your typical archetype of an elderly widow who has seen more of life most of us have only read about; she has no filter, has traveled across the world and back, and loved a man so deeply, there are no words to describe their love.

The recipes are delicious, Cecily's anecdotes and life recaps just as dramatic and life affirming as any reader would imagine.

But, the book was bogged down with filler, unnecessary filler; filler about Kate's dates with the pigeon, her unresolved issues with her mother, her work issues.

A hard edit of 50 pages, at least, would have made the pacing less slow since I found my attention wandering at times.

I did love the author's note on how she based Cecily on her amazing grandmother.

I never warmed up to Kate, but Cecily was full of life, personality and no regrets, exactly how I want to life my life.

This book was such a good read, I couldn't put it down! The story and the characters were so well written it felt as if you were actually in the story!

This is such a great book that ended up making me feel inspired like Miss Cecily inspired Kate. Kate starts out very unhappy and unsatisfied with her life. Her love life is a mess and she's been stuck at the same job in a grocery store for 20 years. When she decides to volunteer at a retirement home as a distraction, she meets the wonderful Miss Cecily who doesn't appear to be wonderful at all, at first. Cecily seems to be a cranky, miserable 97-year-old lady but Kate quickly learns that Cecily has lots to offer through her stories about her life and her unwelcome opinions. Their friendship is sparked by their shared love of exquisite food and its effect on different situations in life.

Cecily inspires and motivates Kate by expecting more from Kate than Kate believes is possible. This book is a great reminder of the importance of having good people in our lives. It also serves to remind us of where true happiness can be found.

I highly recommend this book and as a word of warning, do not read this book on an empty stomach. It will surely make you hungry!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did it was worth the effort. It is very well written and the characters of Kate and Cecily are very well drawn. It’s a very warm book and a must read for foodies, as the descriptions of Cecily’s recipes are detailed and delicious. . The book is about finding yourself and what is important in your world. Now I want to get my hands on a copy of ,’Thought for Food’, and I would really love the recipe for that Duck Lasagne!

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. This fun witty book reminded me of Sex in the City and Gilmore Girls. Kate is having a mid life crisis at 40 and ends up at Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies where she meets stubborn Cecily. Definitely recommend this cute book.

Wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed this inter-generational story of self-discover, self-care and self-awareness. The characters were incredibly well drawn and I just couldn't put it down. I was even more pleased to learn after reading the notes that Miss Cecily was loosely based on the author's grandmother. Reading about Kate's journey was truly inspiring!

Written in a similar vein to that of the Devine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood's screenplay, Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies could easily transition from paperback to the screen as a heart-warming story following the tough love of an old lady and her new found middle-aged friend, as she navigates the complexities of dating, family relations and deadend jobs, through the lens of a quippy cookbook written long ago.

That being said, as a book rather than as a screenplay, Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies has flickers of brilliance, that never seem to quite ignite into something greater than a moment. Or in the words of Kate Parker, "this isn't good enough."

Would I watch Miss Cecily's Recipes for Excpetional Ladies as a film or tv series based on the various types of meals from the cookbook, Thought for Food? Absolutely. However; sadly, I would not be able to recommend it as a read.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Zaffre for the honor of an advanced copy of Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies in return for my honest review.

Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies
Approaching 40, dumped by her boyfriend and moving back in with her mother, this is what Kate is facing! On holiday with her boyfriend, Nick, Kate finds out that he is really not ready for a long term relationship. Giving up her room at her friend's place, Kate has no option but to move back home. Her mother tries setting her up with sons of her friends, giving her advice that she doesn't want to listen to, Kate is at odds with life. Enter Cecily. Volunteering to help at the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies, she meets 97 year old Cecily Finn...still sharp, still salty and not the least bit mellow in her "later" years, she has little patience. Yet despite all these shortcomings, Cecily and Kate form an unusual but wonderful friendship. Their relationship thrived with the help of their love of food..and .a cookbook that Cecily had from years before. With the older women's wise advice as well as the cookbook, Kate is able to set her doldrums aside and finally get her life in order.

This book was not only a delight to read but delicious as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and would highly recommend it, especially if you're a "foodie."

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book this was! I could not have enjoyed it more. It had a bit of a slow start, but I am so grateful I stuck with it because this book was so wonderful. It follows the love life of our main character as she befriends Cecily, who lives in an elderly home. We see our 40 year old heroine live life in parallel with a 95 year old and it is just a stunning read. Lots of life lessons, beautiful food, and a compelling story line. I even cried at the end! This is easily one of the most enjoyable romance novels I have read in quite some time! Please do buy this book when it comes available! What a read :)

What a beautiful story. Cecily and Kate are both wonderfully written characters. I connected to Kate, her need to push ahead and not "be a quitter" even when quitting is the right thing to do. Too many people see calling it quits to a no good job, relationship or friendship as a personal failure rather than self love and growth. This book left me hungry and touched through Cecily and her story which I learned in the Aftereard is based on the life of the author's grandmother. This made it even more amazing. Beautiful

4.9 stars
It's difficult to pass up a cover so vibrant or a title so intriguing, so when I was given the opportunity to read an early copy of Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by VIcky Zimmerman I grabbed it with both hands, settled in and devoured it in a single sitting.
Now before I get started on the review, just a little warning- this book will make you hungry, so don't attempt to read it on an empty stomach, at a minimum you'll need some snacks on standby.
The events of the book take place over approximately a year in the life of Kate, who we meet shortly before her fortieth birthday as she is heading away on holiday with her boyfriend. It has taken her a long time to meet the "one", but in Nick, she knows she has found her perfect match especially since he loves to cook as much as she does. They are on the verge of moving in together when he drops a bombshell on their holiday - he's not so sure and needs to take a step back. With the wind well and truly taken out of her sails , she returns home in a funk, and eventually is cajoled by one of her friends into volunteering at a care home for exceptional older ladies where she meets Cecily, a cantankerous 97 year old who takes issue with Kate's cookery demonstration before taking her under her wing and encouraging her to see her own worth. One of the ways she does this is by lending her an old cook book from 1957 which is packed full of intriguing recipes for " Dinner for a Charming Stranger" , "Brunch for Newlyweds" or " A Dinner Cooked in the Dark". When Cecily's special connection to the book is revealed it inspires Kate to step beyond the limitations she has put on her life, and embrace everything that the world has to offer.
Both Kate and Cecily are wonderful characters, Kate really feels like an everywoman, just getting by from day to day and settling for good enough because she is afraid of the future, and Cecily despite her acerbic wit has a heart of gold and clearly sees Kate's potential. The dynamic between the pair of them was simply wonderful and their banter was the funniest thing about the book, while the serious conversations they shared, especially those about Cecily's past were very touching. The pacing of the book is gentle, but totally in keeping with the story, and it never feels dull or boring. This is a book with so much heart, and I thoroughly enjoyed every last page, the only reason I did not give it the full five stars it probably deserves, is that I was disappointed that there was not a selection of recipes at the back, some of those mentioned in the book sounded absolutely delicious, and if there is ever a companion cookbook I'll be first in line to buy it.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

What a wonderful book.
It warms your heart and makes you hungry.

Kate thinks she’s finally in a great relationship. She’s turning 40 this year, she’s waited a long time to meet “the one”. She loves their time together. They love cooking together, they enjoy going out for great meals, they have cute little routines. They’ve been together about two years and Kate’s boyfriend finally makes the big commitment of asking her to move in with him.
Everything is moving forward at a nice pace. And then her boyfriend has, what Kate starts calling, “a wobble”. One their vacation, he admits that he needs to take a step back. He says he loves Kate, he doesn’t want to break up but he isn’t ready to move in together.
Kate says she will give him two months to commit to their relationship or she will leave him.

Kate has been working at the same job since she was 20. He just fell into the job, after taking a break from college when her dad died. Her job is boring but she’s good at it.
Then one day her boss tells everyone that Kate’s department is being cut from two employees to one. Either Kate or her coworker will love their job.
She could chose to take a redundancy but she really feels she’s better at the job. So, she decides to wait. She will let her boss decide.

Well, this would suck, right?
Kate is sitting there waiting for her boyfriend and her boss to realize she’s good enough.

She decides to do some volunteer work to pull herself out of her funk.
She starts by offering cooking demonstrations at a nursing home for “exceptional ladies”.

She meets Cecily who criticizes everything Kate cooks.
The cooking demos are soon canceled but Kate is asked to come visit Cecily.

Cecily’s room is filled with books and her life is filled with stories. She lets Kate borrow a very unique cookbook. The cookbook offers themed menus based on certain life occasions. The themes include reunions, a date with the man you want to marry, etc etc.

Kate starts cooking the meals. And while telling Kate her life stories, Cecily tries to get through to Kate. She tries to show her that she deserves better than a boyfriend who won’t commit. She deserves better than a mindless job.

This story was great. It makes you think of hard times you’ve gotten through...I felt like there was a time in my life where I was being a bit of a “Kate” and fighting too hard for someone that wasn’t loving me enough. It reminds you of happy moments. It makes you want to cook beautiful meals. And it reminds you to stop defining yourself by other people’s opinions of you, cause life is short and you deserve to make yourself happy too.

I got to read an early copy of this from NetGalley. Thank you so much! I have already begun recommending it to other people.

I would give this book 10 stars if I could. This is quite possibly the perfect book. It made me laugh at times, Cecily is a wonderful character and I hope I’m like her should I reach her age. At the end I cried, with the tears trailing down my cheeks yet with a smile in my heart. I loved Kate, she isn’t the typical single girl in most books. Kate is older then the usual female character (although 40 is young) and she doesn’t have the perfect job or boyfriend but she is realistic and loveable. The story flows smoothly from one chapter to the other and Cecily’s story telling is magical. To see the friendship that this unlikely pair developed gives one a lift, they both needed each other in their lives at this precise time. All of the recipes and the stories that went with each one was inspiring and I would like to see the cookbook actually published. While the love story is a prominent part of the book it doesn’t overwhelm the real story of believing in yourself, loving yourself and treating yourself as wonderfully as you deserve. It was a pleasure to read this book and I thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Kate Parker’s life is total crap, and on the verge of her 40th birthday, she’s feeling pretty sorry for herself. For distraction, she begins volunteering at a retirement home, the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies and meets 97 year old Cecily Finn. Cecily has seen a lot in her time on this planet and she has little sympathy for Kate’s problems. A pull yourself up by you own bootstraps kind of gal, Cecily recommends Kate read Food for Thought, a 1950’s cookbook that offers plenty of advice along with recipes. The friendship between Kate and Cecily is sweet, funny and moving, as Cecily shows Kate a way to weather life’s storms. A lovely story, and a reminder that the elderly people in our lives have so much to offer if we will only listen

When Kate volunteers to do cooking demonstrations at the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies, a nursing facility, she meets Cecily Finn. Cecily is a very feisty and intellectual 97 year old woman who has plenty to teach Kate about herself and about living life. Both are lonely and develop a friendship that centers around cooking and a love for fine food. The book made me want to cook something amazing, eat something amazing and be someone amazing.