Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A wonderful, touching, heart-rending, emotional story! Lizzy (Elizabeth) and Jane's mother died from cancer when Lizzie was still a teenager. Jane, being older, was already married and didn't come home. Lizzy handles the pain by leaving her home and dad behind and becoming the head chef of her own New York restaurant. Many years have passed and Elizabeth has lost her "magic" in her kitchen. When the owner (financial backer) of her restaurant brings in another chef, Elizabeth decides it's time to take some time off and go visit her Dad. After she gets there, her Dad talks her into visiting her sister, Jane, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past. As Lizzy comes out of her self-imposed shell and regains her "magic", she and Jane slowly work to forgive each other and become a family again.
It did take me a little while to really get into this story but once I did, wow! The tug and pull on your emotions is strong! You'll shed a tear here and there as the story gets deep. And then you'll smile as you wipe a tear away as the sisters share a laughable moment. And Nick, as a hero, is definitely swoon worthy! :)
I really enjoyed the way the author used the world of culinary art in this story. At times I felt like I was watching a cooking show..lol. Since I enjoy cooking shows that's not a bad thing. And I also enjoyed the references to Jane Austen. I liked that it wasn't a "re-telling" of an Austen story but that Elizabeth pondered different lessons from several of the stories and used them to make her own life better.
*Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*
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