The Love Goddess’ Cooking School by Melissa Senate

Title: The Love Goddess’ Cooking School

Author: Melissa Senate

Genre: Fiction

About: Holly comes home to her grandmother’s house on Blue Crab Island, Maine after another break up.  Her beloved Nonna taught cooking lessons that were famous for the extra ingredients in her recipes:  one sad memory; one fervent wish; one true statement.  After Nonna dies Holly inherits the house and decides to carry on the cooking lessons in order to pay the bills.

Thoughts: Holly Maguire has been waiting a long time for her great love and even though she thought she’d found him a few times, she was still looking.  When she decides to continue her grandmother’s cooking lessons she finds that her students are searching for something in their own lives.  Simon wants to learn how to cook for  his young daughter who visits him every other weekend.  Tamara’s mother gave her a certificate for the cooking lessons so she would meet men but she just wants to learn how to cook – and to get away from her family’s pressure to find a man. Juliet, Holly’s childhood friend, is devastated by a heartbreaking tragedy.  Holly talks her into joining the class.  Mia is eleven and wants to learn how to cook so her dad Liam won’t marry his current girlfriend. The students become friends and help each other through some difficult times.

I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the Maine island setting, the interesting characters, and the way Nonna’s diaries (discovered after her death) revealed some things about her that Holly never knew.  Melissa Senate resolved each character’s story in a satisfying way and left me wanting to know what happened next.

Source: Gallery Books via Inkwell Management

Recommend: Yes – to fans of a good story, foodie fiction (there are recipes), Melissa Senate.

Rating: 4/5 stars