The Cookbook Club was a quick enjoyable read. Perfect for a cool weekend sitting by the fire....I kept feeling as if I should hop up and cook some of the delicious sounding recipes (many of which are included). The novel is about three women who, during a major upheaval in each of their lives, find comfort and support through a book club. Specifically a cookbook club where at each of the club meetings the woman bring items from their favorite cookbooks. Through these encounters the woman share their worries and gain confidence in their cooking successes. I always enjoy a Beth Harbison book and this was no exception.

Three women, whose lives are taking unexpected twists, form a cookbook club. They share food and build a friendship that sees them through the changes in their lives. A story of food and friendship that is the perfect weekend read.

What a lovely book! I was pulled in from the start and watching (reading) these ladies' friendship evolve was heartwarming, I love books like this, that just leave you feeling GOOD. There's enough drama and sadness going on in the world today. Love all books by Beth Harbison, this won't be my last.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this e-ARC.

I really liked Beth Harbison's work and I liked this one too, I just wanted more from the ending. I liked the characters and how they were intertwined and I loved all the cooking and the recipes. I just wanted a bit more at the end. A good book for lovers of books and food.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a light, easy read that made me happy and hungry. I felt invested in the characters and genuinely wanted to keep reading to find out all about them. I think the book did a good job making a point to opening yourself up to others and the world. To say yes to something, even though it might be new or different, and let life take you on the journey. Life doesn’t always go as planned but how it continues depends on your actions. By taking a chance on a Cookbook Club, Margo met two new friends that she truly cared for and was able to pick up the pieces of her life and move forward. I have a degree in the art of pastry so baking definitely comes naturally to me and cooking is a close second. I follow the rule of finding at least three recipes in any cookbook before buying it because I have a love of collecting cookbooks. This book spoke to me on a deep level of sharing love through food. I love cooking for my family and sharing meals together. Food and handed down recipes make us think of home and I really felt that in this book.

The Cookbook Club
By Beth Harbison
Harper Collins Publishers

This book gained my attention with, you guessed it, the cover. Isn’t it delightful? I love cooking (and eating) and the story is one that sounded amazing to me. Although it might appear to be similar in content or feel to The Taste of Longing, this work of fiction bears no resemblance.

Initially, the protagonist (Margo) and her suddenly estranged husband seemed unrealistic and silly. However, as the story progressed I enjoyed reading about Margo’s developing friendships. As an amateur foodie, I enjoyed reading about familiar celebrity recipes and the character’s experiences with food.

On a whim, Margo joins a cookbook club and it is clear from the start that it is the start of an unlikely but bonded circle of women. The host takes notes after each meeting, another example of parts of the book that seem silly and do not add anything to the story. Nevertheless, it was fun to watch these women help one another when they stumble and to bond over their shared love of good food.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ebook so I could write this unbiased review!

#NetGalley #HarperCollinsPublishers
#TheCookbookClub
#foodiebooks
#booksforcooks
#foodlove
#summerreads
#beachreads
#bookstagram

This book was much better than I thought it was going to be even though some parts were realistic and the ending was abrupt, it just ends. Three different women with their own set of issues with jobs and relationships meet and form a cookbook club because of their mutual love for food. You learn a lot about the three main women (Margo, Aja and Trista), they interact with each other a lot but not with other members of their club. I felt that was strange.

Overall still an enjoyable, beachy read especially if you love fiction books with food themes. I know I do.

Thanks to Netgalley, Beth Harbison, and Harper Collin Publishing William Morrow Paperbacks for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 10/20/20

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me.

It's a cute read! It's pretty predictable with some nice touches of character growth.

There's a few things that felt out of place as we got to know the women this story follows and a few things I was hoping for more clarity on, but otherwise it was fun getting to know these characters and see how their lives overlap. The story doesn't actually focus on the cookbook club so much as the women who are in it, which was a bit surprising, but I enjoyed the read.

It's short, cute, and is a comforting romcom full of unique characters.

This book made me very hungry! As a person who likes to read fiction about food, this title appealed to me. I was a little disappointed that the characters/members of the cookbook interacted with each other more. I also thought the ending was a bit rushed. I almost felt like I missed something.

Beth Harbison! Beth! Lovely book writing lady...how is it that I had never discovered the joy of a Harbison book until now??? NetGalley, I will forever be grateful that you said "Yes, dear reader you may certainly receive an advanced copy of this delightful, heart-warming new novel!" Thanks to your generosity and Beth's (Yes, her book has definitely put she and I on a first name basis! Well, actually I'm a Beth too so that alone makes us kin! Lol!)

Comforted, welcomed, feel-good, delicious, hilarious, mischievous, hugged, charming and truthful! All words I will use to describe how reading " The Cookbook Club: A Novel" made me feel from first page to last! My only complaint is that it came to an end too soon!! It isn't often that a book does that to me, but Harbison's wonderfully flawed and absolutely perfect trio of friends who bond over food, friendship, and shared joys and sorrows made me wish I could actually meet them! I want to call them friends! This reading experience has convinced me to call my own BFFs and inform them (yes, attendance will not be optional!) that we're going to start having a monthly (at the minimum!) Cookbook Book Club complete with mandatory delicious food offerings and tons of irreplaceable memory making! Here's hoping that the enthusiasm of my retelling will have the same influence on them as this book had on me! If yes...then we're doing it!! Never underestimate the power of a book to connect to real life!

Sooooo, if you haven't determined by now that I wholeheartedly encourage you to read this sweet little book, then you have just not been paying attention! Happy reading and Bon appetit!

#TheCookbookClub
#NetGalley

Beth Harbison is such a gem! I was so excited to see this new release. The Cookbook Club is such a charming story about friendships as well as cooking. Margo's ex-husband left her the "gift" of an old farm house filled with cookbooks. During this time she forms strong bonds with Aja and Trista who both have problems and secrets of their own. Loved reading about these ladies and their stories. A very heartwarming and feel good book!

I have been a fan of this author for several years – I enjoy her style of writing for its warmth, wit, and relatable characters.
In The Cookbook Club, the lives of three women with very different lifestyles converge in their love of cooking and the desire to connect with new friends. As their bond deepens over eight months, each one gains new insights, strength and courage to expand their possibilities in love and life.

Margo is a part-time real estate agent, the full-time devoted wife of an attorney, and the creator of YouTube instructional videos on healthy cooking. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her husband, Calvin, returns home one evening and announces that he has received a promotion and is moving to San Francisco…alone. As the shock begins to wear off, Margo realizes how much of herself she has lost by being absorbed in meeting Calvin’s idiosyncratic demands.

Trista, aka Boozy Crocker, posted an invitation on Instagram for #TheCookbookClub. Only foodies need respond; the focus of the group will be a different cookbook every two weeks. Trista’s brainchild is a way to develop menu items for her newly-acquired business, an outdated sports bar/restaurant in Georgetown. She, too, is embarking on a major life course adjustment after being fired from her six figure position as a lawyer.

And finally, there is Aja (pronounced Asia) who is in a less-than-thrilling relationship with a man who, not only doesn’t appreciate her, but actively undermines her sense of self-esteem. When she discovers that she is unexpectedly pregnant with his child, Aja also has a wake-up call that results in a reorientation of her life, sans the father of her child.

The book is a joy to read. I love fiction that incorporates food themes and this one really delivers in what the author refers to as “food porn.” The descriptions of the sumptuous dishes made me want to run to the kitchen and try something inspiring. Fortunately, the author has included references to a plethora of great cookbooks and there is an addendum of recipes to try out.

I enjoyed the well-crafted characters and felt I really knew and understood their viewpoints. While many of the relationship issues explored were challenging, there is a light touch of humor woven into the storyline that keeps it fresh and moving along. My only criticism is that I felt the feel-good ending was a bit rushed.

A very heartwarming story featuring three very different women with three very different sets of problems who come together and bond via a cookbook club. They meet each month to explore one iconic cookbook (think Silver Palate, Magnolia Table, Joy of Cooking, etc.) and cook dishes to share from that cookbook. The three main characters are real and relatable, as are the interesting secondary characters. After a tiny bit of a slow start, I could not put this one down!

This new release has all the things I love in a story—food, friends, and re-invention. Trista is a former lawyer turned restaurant owner who starts a cookbook club to try out her new recipes. Aja and Margo join and the three very different women form a supportive friendship. Each of these characters has their own story of putting their lives back together—Trista and the new restaurant, Aja and a new baby, and Margo with a new divorce and a farmhouse to remodel. I love when I can watch characters make good choices and create a better life. The three protagonists and the other supporting characters were well developed, funny, and shared some great moments. Their struggles felt real and the dialogue was clear and realistic, very easy to read. I left wishing I could eat at Trista’s restaurant, see Aja’s garden project, and visit Margo’s farmhouse.

In the acknowledgement section, the writer thanks those who.have helped her through tough times. There was definitely sadness that permeated from the characters as they grappled with changing circumstances that they didn't expect themselves to be in whether it be financially or personally due to divorce or pregnancy. However, what I saw in Margo, Aja and Tricia was fortitude and the willingness to move forward. Like the recipes they created and shared, they took ingredients that didn't make sense apart and created something delicious. Lucinda was a great addition to the book as well!

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review and honest opinion.

When seeing the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it immediately! The story of 3 women who are all at crossroads in their lives. Margo, whose husband leaves her unexpectedly and is reeling from a divorce. Aja, a young woman who finds herself accidentally pregnant with a baby and wants nothing to do with the father. Margo, a woman who leaves her career in law and decides to open a bar.
The women meet after Margo starts a Cookbook Club and instantly become friends.

While the premise of the story had me captivated, the story itself was a little bit flat. The biggest issue I had was that author made such an emphasis on the cooking, that while it did have some to do with the ending, it was really only a vehicle for the women to meet. I also felt like there was a lot in the story that really ended up not being needed. Some characters that made appearances, then weren't really needed for their stories to come full circle. I also really disliked the ending. It seemed like one event happened then boom! The book was done and some of the stories didn't really have a nice "wrap up" to them.

T=I certainly didn't understand the premise of the book at the beginning. In fact I would have given up but for some reason went a little farther and I was hooked. The three ladies became friends over cooking, each with their own personal problems and talents. As their friendship grew, everyone, in their own unique way continues their lives, but not quite willing to share everything with each other, A lousy husband, or boyfriend does not have to ruin a woman's life - friends help tremendously.. A very entertaining book which ended on a high note.

A long awaited novel from one of my favorite authors. The story of three different women, each facing a challenge who come together at a cookbook club. The ending is a little or it would have been 5 stars. Great recipes as well!

i enjoyed this, but i saw several places where i hope there'll be some changes/editing. the characters weren't as well developed as i'd like, but any book with food and interesting women (these were), holds my attention. i'm glad i read it.

Delightful! I enjoyed getting to know Trista, Aja and Margo. Three women facing challenges but learning they each have the others covering their backs helps. Bonding over food - something I can surely relate to! The recipes are a bonus.