Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will. Enjoy

Novels that incorporate recipes as an illustrative device have a tendency to fall as flat as unleavened bread. Not so the excellent debut Recipes for Melissa from the talented Teresa Driscoll. This is a good read with a difference. The recipes here are pertinent to the story as well as temptingly easy to make. They add a wonderful piquancy to a poignant tale of love and loss.
Ms Driscoll quickly engages the reader and keeps the pace flowing smoothly. Her experienced, journalistic background shows in the beautifully constructed plot and well-drawn believable characters, each one complete with their own imperfections.
How will Melissa cope with an over-protective father, the recollection of her dead mother and a boyfriend situation that has commitment issues? The choices she makes and the memories the recipes resurrect for Melissa transform what could have easily been a sad narrative into a heart-warming, compelling love story.
I picked up Recipes for Melissa intending to read only the first chapter before bed but soon found myself hooked and still turning the pages at Chapter 7. Reluctantly I needed to go to sleep then but finished the book in two further enjoyable sessions.
This novel will leave you hungry for more by this author, make you crave Easter biscuits and inspired to cook something tasty. If you like romance with a twist then this one comes highly recommended. I received a copy from NetGalley for review purposes.