Wonderful story of English women and their resourcefulness in WWII. Uplifting book that demonstrates the strength of women when they join together. Early example of a competitive cooking show great fun.

Set in England during the Second World War this story pits four women against each other in a cooking competition that will reward the winner with an on-air radio spot. The challenge is to come up with edible, enjoyable recipes using rationed goods or foods that can be found in nature. Each woman has her own reason for wanting to change her life for the better and it was hard to pick one to root for. Heartwarming and ultimately satisfying, this story will please fans of the Chilbury Ladies' Choir who have been waiting for another great read by Ryan.

If you have read Jennifer Ryan’s previous books, you will be happy to hear that this book does not disappoint. It is as good and very reminiscent of her previous books. It has a cast of characters that you would want as friends, a storyline that will keep you reading and lots of charm. I found the history of rationing and cooking during war shortages very interesting. I’d even stop reading and ask my family “did you know.......?” I highly recommend this book. I also give thanks to NetGalley for the free book. In exchange I give an honest review.

During WWII, "The Kitchen Front" radio program offers a contest in which the best woman cook following wartime restrictions will join the radio show. Four diverse women - Lady Gwendoline Strickland, her estranged sister widow Audrey Landon, a Cordon-Bleu trained former London cook Zelda Dupont, and Lady Strickland's kitchen maid Nell Brown.
At first I was afraid the characters were going to be a little too stereotypical - the cold socialite, the ambitious single woman, the poor impoverished widow, etc. But thankfully all quickly rose out of their cookie cutters and developed into complex and interesting people. The world they all live in seems just that, Lived In. Not researched but inhabited. Absolutely wonderful. We should never complain about any kind of shortage again as long as we live. How they could cook anything edible is a miracle, which is why the program - which actually existed - was so popular. Recipes are included in the book, to taunt us as incompetents no doubt.
Cooking aside, the book is as much about friendship, and what can be accomplished by working together than anything else. That truly being the best way to fight the war on the home front. Highly recommended.
My copy was an ebook from NetGalley.

Ryan returns with another wonderful story of female friendships forged during World War II. This book starts off with an engaging premise - four women from different backgrounds will compete in a cooking contest to see who will win the honor of co-hosting a BBC radio program. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between the estranged sisters, Gwendolyn and Audrey, but Nell, the kitchen maid, was my favorite character. Her increasing awareness of social class disparities and her relationship with Mrs. Quince were so well-written.

This is a lighter read than some other novels about WW II, but the focus on the women's relationships and the secrets that are kept make this a compelling read. While I learned a lot through the historical details included in the story, at times it made the dialogue feel forced. It was nice to see actual recipes in the book as they gave additional emphasis to the challenges of life during the war. If you enjoyed Ryan's other novels, definitely give this one a try.

Is it ever enough to say the book was beautifully written, interesting, emotionally complex, and highly readable? No? Well, it was all those things including keeping me up to read just a little more and you know how that goes.

Did you know that rationing continued in England until 1954? Just another interesting fact between the pages of this professionally researched book. This is a story about women who come together and learn how to make the most delectable lemonade out of the worst lemons. They have their fears and secrets. They move in and out of each other’s lives sometimes helping, sometimes doing harm, trying to exist, trying to protect those they care about, trying to move forward with so little hope for a better tomorrow. I loved that this was all about women and their ability to triumph against everything that was thrown at them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I didn’t have any expectations before reading this book by Jennifer Ryan because I had never read one of her books before, but I really enjoyed it! I love to cook and read, so this seemed like a win-win for me. I was right! Very interesting about how war rations worked and how it affected households and their cooking. I was intrigued by the stories of each of the women told here and very much enjoyed how they intertwined to make a great read. Highly recommended.

*****Coming February 23, 2021*****
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley, I was chosen as an early reader.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I loved how Jennifer Ryan wrote about WWll, but from a food perspective. This author included recipes and a sample ration card, so the reader could get a better understanding of the food hardships during this time period!
Ambrose Hart, a BBC radio host for the show, The Kitchen Front, creates a cooking competition in order for the winner to be featured giving their tips and recipes to housewives on how to make the most out of their weekly rations. This an opportunity of a life time and could be life changing for some of the contestants. How far will these ladies go to win? This book will have you turning the pages to find out. A must read that will not disappoint.

"From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.

Two years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest - and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives.

For a young widow, it’s a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over her children’s heads. For a kitchen maid, it’s a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For a lady of the manor, it’s a chance to escape her wealthy husband’s increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it’s a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.

These four women are giving the competition their all - even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together only serve to break it apart?"

The first time I heard of this book I was like, Wartime Bake-Off!?! YES PLEASE! I still feel that way!

Ryan had a winner with her debut book The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and that streak continues with her newest story. Set in the village of Fenley England in 1942, four young women vie for the prize of winning a cooking competition and becoming a co-host of the popular BBC radio program, Kitchen Front. Each woman wants to win in order to change their circumstances, some will do just about anything to get there. Throughout the contest what started out as four adversaries soon turns into something quite different as they find new skills and talents. While they were first joined together by necessity it soon turns into so much more. Told in the four voices of the delightful main characters, this book was a joy to read!

The Kitchen Front tells the story of four women who are competing for a cohost position on a BBC cooking show during World War II. Gwendoline is the lady of the county, arrogant and proud of her position. Audrey is a widowed mother of three boys with a baking business. Zelda is a trained chef with an unexpected pregnancy and Nell is a shy kitchen maid. As the three compete, they find their lives overlapping until they become friends and even family

The good: this story is well researched and heartwarming and it shines light on the lives of those at home during the war. I loved the characters and their interwoven lives!

The bad: it was definitely cliche and even though I don’t mind some cliche-ness, this one did go a little far sometimes. Overall a sweet historical novel!

I loved this story of wartime England’s homefront, featuring four strong, resilient and very different women. During the war, a radio show called The Kitchen Front showcased ways and culinary tips using the rationed goods that could be used to cook different dishes. Four women enter the contest, and as the story develops, we get to know the back story behind the women. Audrey is a war widow with three sons, struggling to keep the roof over their heads. Gwendoline is Audrey’s sister, but they have little to do with each other, as Gwendoline married a wealthy man and lives a privileged life,or so it appears. Nell is a maid and assistant cook in Gwendoline’s estate, insecure and a product of growing up in an orphanage. Zelda is a chef from London, pregnant and being billeted while cooking for a munitions factory. I highly recommend this novel, as it is heartwarming and depicts what friendship can mean to change lives. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Nell, orphaned, has only one friend, the cook who teaches her, until she meets an Italian POW. Audrey, widowed by war and mother of three, is on the verge of losing her home. Gwendoline, her sister, deprived of love in childhood, is now wealthy and apparently successful, living with an abusive and corrupt husband. Zelda, pregnant and abandoned by the father of her child, finds herself among provincial locals and dreams of her return to an exciting London life. The BBC announces a cooking contest based on the nation’s food rationing, leading to a radio presenter position. The four women are pitted against one another; individual personalities determine how they compete. How far will they go to win? How much will they gain or lose from the experience? How much will they learn from one another? This is my third Jennifer Ryan novel; once again she has provided charming characters to cheer on through each hurdle met and witness their gentle merging into a Friendship of Four.

Four women known for their cooking skills enter a contest to become a presenter on The Kitchen Front, a radio program meant to help and encourage creative cooking during the food rationing and scarcities of WWII England. The program was real and contests were a popular way to entertain and distract. Ryan skillfully weaves the stories of four very different women to a nice happy ending, though we are left to assume Paolo’s fate on our own.

In the middle of World War II, the BBC radio decides to host a cooking contest. The grand prize is a life changing job on the radio program The Kitchen Front. Four women step up and join the competition. Audrey is a war widow struggling to pay the mortgage and provide for her children. Lady Gwendoline, Audrey's sister, is the lady of the county, but her beautiful life is not as perfect as it looks. Nell is a kitchen maid in Lady Gwendoline's household. Shy and uncertain, she must overcome her humble circumstances to compete. Zelda, a single pregnant woman, is the only professional chef in the contest. Trying to hide her pregnancy, she continue to fight against sexism and stereotypes in her chosen profession.

This was a quick, fun read. The characters were a bit stereotypical, but the book was fast paced and well written. I enjoyed the recipes, and reading about the home front. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

I loved Ryan’s Chilbury Ladies Choir, but unfortunately her following works have left me disappointed. I found this charming but a bit silly.

Thanks to PenguinRandomHouse who invited me to read this egalley on Netgalley and provide an honest review.

I am CONVINCED that no one writes homefront WWII fiction quite like Jennifer Ryan. Her female protagonists are stubborn, fiery-spirited and regularly take hold of my heart in the hours that I read of their lives. As four women square off in a cooking competition hosted by BBC radio, we examine the lives, the loves, and the determination of women to be seen and heard of in a time of war.
We have Audrey, mother of three rambunctious boys, struggling to keep the family afloat after her RAF husband is missing, presumed killed in action. The competition may be a way of securing her family's future. Her sister, Lady Gwendoline Strickland has risen to the ranks of the upper class, but her marriage is only a facade of happiness and she hopes the competition will bring honour to her husband's name. For Nell, the Strickland maid, the competition promises a future of freedom. Finally, for Zelda, an unmarried, pregnant London chief, the competition offers the chance of recognition in her field.

The book is full of tantalizing recipes and heartwarming moments. I cannot stop recommending it to others.





Goodreads review 21/01/21
Publication Date 23/02/21

#TheKitchenFront #NetGalley

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is a pleasant cozy about women cooks in Britain in WWII. I would have been happier had there been more depth.

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan is a pleasant story about a British cooking competition during World War II. The winner of the contest will be the co-presenter on the popular radio program known as The Kitchen Front. The current host, Ambrose Hart, will be the judge of the contestants from his hometown of Finley Village. The contest is held once a month in July (starter), August (main course), and September (dessert). The contestants must prepare the dish at home using only their own food rations. The dishes need to show ingenious use of the limited ingredients available to home cooks.

The contestants each have their own reason for wanting to win. Audrey is a war widow who is barely scraping by with a pie business. Her estranged sister, Lady Gwendoline, not only loves being in the spotlight but wants to please her controlling and demanding husband. Nell is a timid orphan who works for Lady Gwendoline, under the tutelage of her beloved mentor, Mrs. Quince. The fourth contestant is Zelda Dupont, a tough London chef who has been sent to the country due to a pregnancy she is trying to conceal. Zelda works at the Finley Pie Factory, owned by Gwendoline’s husband.

There is some cheating by a couple of the contestants, but Ambrose is quick to catch on. Over the months of the competition, the relationships between each of the women with the others changes. Each of them learns to overcome hardships. While only one of them wins the Kitchen Front contest, all of them end up winning in their own way.

Many of the chapters end with recipes. Some seem unpalatable, including sardine rolls and one with whale meat, but others such as mushroom soup and fruit scones look delicious. It is apparent the author carefully researched each recipe to make it appropriate for food rationing and local availability at the time of the contest.

3-stars. I enjoyed the book but didn’t love it. It was a nice way to pass a couple of winter days. I do think it would be a good book club selection with the topics of family, friendship, and overcoming hardships.

The expected publication is February 23, 2021. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. The hardcover is 416 pages and is a fast, easy read.

Jennifer Ryan’s niche is novels featuring the lives of Englishwomen during World War II. But it’s a heck of a roomy niche. Her first novel, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, is about wartime life in a village whose women choristers refuse to disband simply because the men have been called up to military service. Her second book, The Spies of Shilling Street, is a wildly entertaining mashup of a completely bananas B-movie espionage plot and a sentimental mother/daughter tale.

In this, her third novel, Ms. Ryan returns to village life, focusing on four women linked by their status as contestants in a cooking competition that will result in the winner cohosting a BBC radio show. Each woman has strong reasons for wanting to win. Audrey is a war widow, working at home all hours to raise produce and make prepared food to sell so that she can support her three sons and avoid having their home foreclosed on. Zelda is a former haute cuisine hotel chef, forced to run the canteen at a canning factory after her London hotel is bombed out in the Blitz. Gwendoline is Audrey’s estranged sister, and is married to the odious Sir Reginald Strickland, who owns the canning factory. Nell is a young kitchen maid who, under the tutelage of Mrs. Quince, the cook for the Stricklands, is coming into her own as a talented cook.

While the cooking competition is the machinery that keeps the plot running, the themes of the novel are women’s roles at the home front and, especially, friendship and sisterhood. Though there are male characters, they are more plot devices than fleshed-out characters. The stars are the women, and each is a full, relatable person.

While I enjoyed the book, especially its four main characters, it isn’t as strong a book as its predecessors. It felt more like a first effort, not a third novel. The writing is overwrought at times, especially when characters deliver dialog that is too complex and florid for extemporaneous speech. There is also a sloppy moment when a character is mentioned as attending a memorial service when that character is shortly before described as being in the hospital with a broken hip and a heart condition.

The book gives the full recipes of all the dishes made for the competition. Because The Kitchen Front was all about making food within the restrictions of severe wartime rationing, these are not recipes you’re ever likely to want to make. Since each recipe is described in the narrative, it seemed like a waste of pages to me to add the recipes.

A flawed book, but worth reading if you like novels about life on the home front during World War II.