Spotlight & Giveaway: Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden

Posted January 9th, 2024 by in Blog, Spotlight / 30 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Rachel Linden to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Rachel and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Recipe for a Charmed Life!

 
Thank you for inviting me to share about my new story! I’m so glad to be with you today!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Recipe for a Charmed Life is feel-good fiction that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories brimming with food, travel, romance, and a touch of magical realism. It’s a great book club or vacation read.

The story revolves around Georgia, an up-and-coming American chef in Paris who, in one disastrous night, loses her sous chef position, her French boyfriend and her sense of taste! When she receives an unexpected invitation from her estranged mother, she flees to a beautiful remote island in the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her mom and try to regain her spark in the kitchen. While there, Georgia discovers an astonishing family secret and finds herself falling for the handsome, grumpy oyster farmer in bright orange rubber overalls next door!
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

“Julia,” Georgia whispered to her patron saint. “Help! I feel like I’m drowning here.”
Julia’s voice, practical and chipper. “My dear, all I know boils down to this one truth – nothing in life is ever really wasted. Somehow it will all be used for good.”
Georgia closed her eyes in resignation. “How can this possibly be good?” she muttered sadly. “I need a miracle.”
“One of the secrets I’ve learned about cooking,” Julia said conversationally, pouring hot rum over a puffy dessert souffle, “is that you must learn to correct something if you can, but if you cannot, then you must learn to bear it with honesty and courage.”
“Honesty and courage,” Georgia murmured, her eyes welling with tears.
“Exactly so,” Julia nodded, striking a match and setting the top of the souffle alight. “And remember, if you’re afraid to cook with butter, you can always use cream.”

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • This story takes place in two of my favorite places on earth –the iconic city of Paris and the picturesque island town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in the Pacific Northwest.
  • I got to do hands on research for this book by traveling to Paris and essentially wandering around the city eating lots of macarons (which was as delightful as it sounds). And then I also did research on oyster farming which involved visiting shellfish farms in the Pacific Northwest, interviewing oyster farmers, and sampling delicious briny oysters fresh from the ocean. Yum!
  • I listened to a lot of French music for this book, including songs by the incomparable Edith Piaf. I also listened to a lot numbers by the amazing Nina Simone and enjoyed having both women’s musical legacy be part of the story.

 

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Georgia is attracted to Cole’s steadfast loyalty and dedication to helping those he loves. Although they rub each other the wrong way at first, she finds herself falling for him because of his selfless care and integrity. Cole is drawn to Georgia’s grit and stubborn determination, although it also drives him a little crazy. They’ve both met their match although it takes them awhile to stop bickering enough to realize it!

 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

The scene where Cole and Georgia have lunch at Anemone, a waterfront restaurant on the island, made me giggle while I was writing it. Cole tricks Georgia into offering to fill in as a cook at a restaurant on the island and in turn she convinces an entire tour group that he’s a famous actor incognito. It was a fun, sassy scene to write and I smile every time I think about their dueling banter and antagonism.

 

Readers should read this book….

  • an ending that leaves you with a contented sigh
  • a sweet enemies to lovers romance
  • a handsome, churlish oyster farmer love interest in bright orange rubber overalls
  • a bold, determined chef heroine with a temper that lands her in hot water
  • Paris
  • a gorgeous island setting and quaint harbor town
  • mother/daughter dynamics, family secrets and a touch of magical realism

 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I am currently hard at work on book #6. It is set in Italy and features delicious food, complex family dynamics, a second chance romance, and a magical cookbook! It will release late winter of 2025.
 
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway:  A print copy of RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE by Rachel Linden

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What do YOU think are the essential ingredients to create a recipe for a happy life?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Book Info:

American chef Georgia May Jackson has one goal—to run her own restaurant in Paris. After a grueling decade working in Parisian kitchens, she is on the cusp of success. But in one disastrous night, Georgia loses her sous-chef position, her French boyfriend, and her sense of taste! Renowned for her refined palate and daring use of bold flavors to create remarkable dishes, Georgia is devastated to discover her culinary gift has simply…vanished.

When she receives a surprising invitation from her estranged mother, Georgia flees to a small island near Seattle hoping the visit will help her regain her spark in the kitchen. As she tentatively reconnects with her mom, a free-spirited hippie eager to make up for her past mistakes, Georgia realizes there is something about the enigmatic island she just cannot piece together. Good luck charms start appearing in the oddest places. Her neighbor is a puzzlingly antagonistic (and annoyingly handsome) oyster farmer. And her mom keeps hinting at a mysterious family legacy.

With the clock ticking and time running out to win her dream job in Paris, Georgia begins to unravel some astonishing secrets that make her wonder if the true recipe for a charmed life might look—and taste—very different than she ever imagined.
 
 

Meet the Author:

Rachel Linden is a novelist and international aid worker. Rachel lives with her family on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage, and connection, with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.
 
 
 

«
»

30 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden”

  9. Texas Book Lover

    A good support group that trust and loves each other and that you can have fun with! Throw in a time for reading and I’m pretty happy!

  10. Glenda M

    Love, trust, honesty, loyalty, respect, and patience — you need to give and receive

  15. Joye

    Smile
    Laugh everyday
    Have a sense of humor

    Stir in with all the rest of the qualities one needs!

  18. Mary C

    family, friends, love, trust, loyalty compassion and a sense of humor

  21. Bonnie

    Love, family, friends, support, honesty, compassion, and financial stability

  23. Latesha B.

    Love, honesty, a passion for life and a sense of community to keep one grounded.

  24. Patricia B.

    Surrounding myself with people I like and respect, having a job I enjoy, having enough and not getting hung up on having more to keep up with others.

  26. Amy R

    What do YOU think are the essential ingredients to create a recipe for a happy life? Be true to yourself, if a person isn’t a positive in your life cut them out