Maybe a little slow starting but WOW what a powerful book; without giving anything away this had me in tears by the end and there was a point when I simply could not put it down. You can simply feel the anguish that some of the characters feel. Wonderfully written.

If I could give this book more stars I would! This is a story about anorexia and it's heartbreaking as well as enlightening as well as uplifting, huge bag of mixed emotions all rolled into a book. Can't say too much as will spoil the book. A must read, so glad I found this book!

The most harrowing but uplifting book at the same time.
As a mother of 3 daughters this book was hard to read.
Amanda Prowse yet again delivers a beautifully written novel about one of life's toughest illnesses.
Fabulous!!

What happens when what you think is perfect is not.

And you can't make it better

Anorexia is a misunderstood condition and this book helped me to understand it better. I was in a roller coaster of emotions with a sense of impending dread that permeated the book.
Great.

This is an absolutely brilliant book but I have to confess that it wasn't not always enjoyable to read, dealing as it does with the subject of anorexia. Although I knew quite a bit about the subject before, Amanda Prowse really helped me to see it as the mental illness it is. The book also made me question just about everything I say. So much of life today revolves around idealised body images and with the troll mentality to criticise others often for no real reason other than envy or spite, little wonder that so many people today have eating disorders.However, none of us are blameless in that regard.
I loved the characters, so much that at times it felt like they were real people and i was reading a memoir rather than a novel. I guarantee this book will stay with you long after you finish it.

What an absolutely stunning book. Telling the heart-wrenching story of a family torn apart by anorexia/bulimia. This should be mandatory reading, for children and parents.

Freya and Lockie live a charmed life: 19 years of happy marriage and two lovely teenage daughters, Charlotte and Lexi. They are the perfect family, until Lexi develops severe anorexia and everything falls apart.

The Food of Love has good point and bad points. Freya is annoying I didn’t like her. She seemed to be far more concerned with not upsetting her daughter than with helping her get better. And everything is about her, about what she’s done wrong as a mother, rather than about her daughter who is ill, or her poor other daughter who she is neglecting. And she won’t let her husband help which is stupid because they’re his children too. Basically, I disagree with everything Freya does, which stopped me from loving the book because it’s written from her perspective. The turmoil the family are put through is quite moving, but the story is repetitive and I didn’t find Lexi very relatable, which made it hard to understand or sympathise with her.

FORTUNATELY the story is pretty engaging despite Freya’s narrative voice being so annoying. I don’t know much about eating disorders and it is a very interesting read. It is clear that the author did a great deal of research for this book, which I respect. It’s a hard book to judge because I wouldn’t say I particularly liked or enjoyed the story, and yet I couldn’t put it down. Something to be said for the quality of writing: it’s quite a feat to engage your reader so much into a story they don’t really like.

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

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1843494741?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This book kept my interest as I haven't read anything about anorexia before. I only gave 3 stars as it was a bit repetitive. The mother just kept doing the same thing over and over. I'm sure that was done on purpose tho make a point, but it was a bit frustrating. I would have liked to learn more about what methods were used at the final institution that seemed to help her.

This is the first Amanda Prowse book that I’ve read, but there are 8 more keeping it company on my kindle!

It was much more hard hitting than I expected. The descriptions of how Lexi looked were quite shocking in places. It really shows how anorexia affects every part of family life. The constant monitoring of food and making sure that it stayed down, the hiding of scales and exercising in secret. It was all very real and you realise how easily this illness could force it’s way into your life.

The flash forward ‘countdown’ parts kept me guessing. I was convinced that it was referring to something else, but pleased that the ending proved me wrong.

It’s a tough book to read, with that subject matter, but worth reading to open your eyes to the illness and hope that if you do come across someone affected by anorexia, you can understand what they’re going through a bit more.

Absolutely great book, great insight into anorexia in teenagers. Shows that it can happen to any family. Very well written, and gives you the view off all family members and how it affects them

I read this book in just over a day. I found it sad, funny at times, gut wrenching, upsetting, harrowing, frustrating and uplifting.
We meet Freya and Lockie who have 2 daughters Charlotte and Lexi. Life is good but it's not set to last as the family battle with Lexi's eating disorder. While the family want to support Lexi, Lexi doesn't seem to want help and her parents are driven to despair as they try to keep everything together.
I was proved wrong by a theory I had as I read the book but I'm glad it was the case.

Fighting the evils of anorexia.
This is the first Amanda Prowse book I have read since Poppy Day, her debut novel. At the time I thought the story a bit far fetched but the author's writing was excellent. I was thrilled to receive this copy from NetGalley and to get an opportunity to see how her writing had changed over the last five years.

This is the story of one perfectly ordinary, happy family, whose life is shattered by anorexia in one of the teenage daughters. While it paints an excellent picture of this devastating disease it also shows the effect of the illness on the sufferer's family. I suspect these reactions would be similar for other debilitating diseases too.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but there were a few aspects that I struggled with. As mentioned by other reviewers, Freya's insistence that Lexi stay at home with her, rather than getting the hospitalisation that she so desperately needed was infuriating.
I jarred at the frequent use of the phrase 'my little girl' and the ending was, well, quite frankly, missing. I can't say more about the ending without giving too much away but unless the arc is different to the final copy, there seemed to be at least five chapters missing before we jumped to the epilogue.

I felt a lot of sympathy for Charlotte, Lexi's older sister, who was seriously overlooked in the fight to get Lexi to eat, and the relationship between Freya and her husband, Lockie was interesting too, and quite believable.

Amanda Prowse is one of the most prolific authors currently writing novels. In the five years since Poppy Day she has penned 16 novels and 6 novellas, which is pretty incredible. Maybe a little longer spent on The Food for Love would have earned it five stars but it's still a book I'd recommend.

This book was a difficult one to read at times, but the honesty that came from it made it such a great read.

Just finished and thank goodness I finished it at home , on my own ,with a box of tissues 😢 this book will stay with me for a long time to come . An emotional,difficult amazing read , so well written and a book every mother should read! Easy 5 stars !

If I could award this book 10 stars I would.
I have never read a book so intense, so heartbreaking yet so frustrating, so insightful as The Food of Love.

Amanda took me on a journey and opened my eyes wide to Anorexia and the heartache and struggles this poor little girl faces on a daily basis.

I shed many a tear whilst reading this book which never happens to me, and believe me when I say I have read a lot of true horrific stories. But this one touched me like no other book has.

You can see how much time and research Amanda has done whist writing each and every page.
She mentions the Pro Ana websites and the tricks and sneaky ways in which Anorexia takes hold. One moment sticks in my mind, when Lexi puts money in her shoes to make herself weigh more.

I really don't know where to begin.
Lexi has Anorexia. She lives at home with her big sister Charlotte and her Parents Freya and Lockie.

At first Lexi's Mum gets called into the school after Lexi faints skipping meals.
Freya dismisses the fact her little girl has the start of an eating disorder, until she finds her drawer in which contains bags and bags of sick. In which she's been hiding from her family.

Then begins the harrowing journey of self destruction, heartache, family melt downs, not to mention the painfull journey of recovery.

There are many points within the book I want to shake Freya and tell her to wake up get Lexi medical attention.
But I can also see her point of view when she feels like she let her down, she bought Lexi into the world, fed her and gave her life. So she should be the one to save her.

But it soon becomes apparent Anorexia has other ideas and takes control of Lexi.

I applaud Amanda for making the story so real but showing the reader how Anorexia effects the whole family. Not just the person suffering but every single member of the family.
It consumed every single waking moment of their lives.

Charlotte, Lexi's older sister found it very difficult dealing with Lexi, her school life and trying to stay strong for her family.
There are a few moments within the book that you see Charlotte has been forgotten. For example her school trip.
Not once does she complain. But you can clearly see how much she is suffering in silence.

Lockie, Lexi's Dad was very interesting he was so strong at times, but I wished he had been stronger at times.
As you could see Freya needed him to makes the tough love decisions even though she said she didn't necessarily agree.

It broke my heart to see them struggling and trying to be United yet clearly they was on opposite pages.

I thought I knew a fair bit about Anorexia, however Amanda opened my eyes and heart.

I highly recommend The Food of Love. I laughed, cried, got frustrated, but still I could not put this book down.
I needed to know how it ended I wanted to see if Lexi had her happy ending.

I hope when you read this book it touches you the way it has done to me.

I thank Amanda and the publisher for allowing me to read this gem of a book

An absolute corker of a book. I couldn't put it down. I read the whole book cover to cover in one day. This book is all about a loving family: and what happens when the shit really does hit the fan. The answer is that all you really want at the end of the day is a loving family to help you through it.. however hard and soul destroying that may be, This book made me laugh, cry and gave me pause for thought all on the same page; repeating these emotions, chapter after chapter.

As well as being a great read and a contemporary novel, 'food for love' taught me more in one book about anorexia and bulimia than I previously understood from a lifetime of thinking I did.

Thank you for the joy and pain this book gave me. It has enriched my life for the better.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for giving me a sneak peak of this book!

This book compelled me to finish. It was real and gut wrenching. I thought the author did a great job researching and conveying the details of the horrible illness called Anorexia.

Some reviewers are harsh when they speak of the main character, the mother. They think that she should have acted quicker and stronger than she did. And while I would agree with that, I also think that it is very realistic for a loving mother to think that she could "love" her child back to health. Unfortunately, I could see myself behaving in just such a way. There is a tenuous line that you would hate to cross, one that could make your child feel that you had betrayed them.

I would have given this book five stars but felt that the ending was rushed and unrealistic. I don't want to spoil the book. I feel every parent of teenagers and young adults should read it. And those teens and young adults would benefit from reading it too. Let this book be a warning.

What an absolutely precious gem of a book! A heartbreaking yet heartwarming tale that also has a smattering of humour thrown in - I totally loved the banana phone!!! Very well written, and extremely informative, this book does not hold back on the very raw experiences of eating disorders and the effects on all of the family. This is really not my usual genre of book but I was not disappointed, and if all of Ms Prowse's work is of this quality then I am a convert.