Chicklit Club
 

AUSTRALIAN MADE

 
 

The Secret Recipe for Second Chances - J.D. Barrett (2016)

 

When Lucy Muir’s marriage to her cheating husband and fellow chef Leith falls apart, it also spells the end of their successful restaurant partnership. Lucy stumbles across a derelict building in Potts Point, Sydney, that appears to be an abandoned restaurant from the 1970s. Finding an old recipe book from its former chef Frankie, Lucy plans to turn the place into a pop-up restaurant, resurrecting the name Fortune. While Leigh is doing everything he can to bad-mouth her, it seems Frankie and his recipes might just save the day. This book was totally different to what I expected – and pays homage to a classic film adaptation (which I won’t reveal here so the storyline can take you by just as much surprise). Penned by a TV screenwriter, it’s a very well-written and emotional story that will draw you in. It will be particularly appetising to foodie types with its tantalising cooking scenes and recipes throughout. Although the whodunit aspect was undercooked and the ending wasn’t to my taste, it was overall a satisfying read.

Rating 7/10
 
 

The Secret Recipe for Second Chances is the debut novel by Australian screenwriter J.D. Barrett. The summary says: "Lucy Muir is leaving her husband. It's complicated. They're joint owners and chefs at one of the best restaurants in town, so making a clean break is tough. But, let's face it, a woman can only take so much cheating, recipe stealing and lack of good grace. Despondently driving around the back streets of Woolloomooloo one night, Lucy happens upon an old, empty terrace that was once the city's hottest restaurant: Fortune. One minute she's peering through grimy windows into an abandoned space, the next she's planning a pop-up bistro. When Lucy fires up Fortune's old kitchen she discovers a little red recipe book that belonged to the former chef, the infamous Frankie Summers. As she cries over the ingredients for Frankie's French Onion Soup, she imagines what Fortune was like in its heyday. It's strange, Lucy can sense Frankie beside her, almost see him there ... This fiery chef, who lived with a passion for food and women in almost equal measure, just might help Lucy cook herself up a better life. But is she brave enough to believe?" The Secret Recipe for Second Chances is out in April 2016.

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