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eringeraghty's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Everyone should read this book. It reflects feminism of the mid 20th century to now. Exciting read from beginning to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kalisaur's review
dark
emotional
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I found the modern character, Alice, frankly annoying. First she is way too capitalist brainwashed whining that she doesn't know who she is if she isn't working 50 hours a week in her toxic work environment, then she repeated makes idiot plot choices to create conflict in her relationship and then at the end everything is okay because she gets pregnant, which is was actively avoiding for a good portion of the book . The 50s character, Nellie, is much more likeable imho because all her problems are concrete. I almost wonder if the author had the plot for her story line, found it to be much too short and then crafted the modern tale around it but didn't really have the same good ideas or passion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, and Blood
Minor: Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion, and Alcohol
cassroberts89's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay, major points for the recipe-and-50s-advice-excerpt gimmick. That definitely saved a star. Sadly it’s not enough to make up for some things I couldn’t get past in order to enjoy this book.
- Alice is a jerk. I said it. I sympathized with her for a while, but with all the unnecessary lying and emotional manipulation I just couldn’t connect with her after maybe the halfway point. Nate was fine up until the thing he did toward the end (trying to avoid spoilers here). What the heck was that? Who does that? Not someone who we have already agreed is a decent husband. It just didn’t fit.
- There seems very little connection between Alice and Nellie besides owning the same house and Alice finding her letters. I think we were supposed to read that Alice felt connected to Nellie in some way, but it just wasn’t there. They were nothing alike, their situations were nothing alike. It was just two different stories told in tandem.
- So… the house is haunted? Or it isn’t? Where was that going? Nowhere. It went nowhere. Too bad, that could have been a fun spin.
I will say that I was very invested in Nellie’s story. I sympathized with her and rooted for her. I finished the book just to see her get to her (admittedly predictable) ending. I think this book could have been so much more though.
- Alice is a jerk. I said it. I sympathized with her for a while, but with all the unnecessary lying and emotional manipulation I just couldn’t connect with her after maybe the halfway point. Nate was fine up until the thing he did toward the end (trying to avoid spoilers here). What the heck was that? Who does that? Not someone who we have already agreed is a decent husband. It just didn’t fit.
- There seems very little connection between Alice and Nellie besides owning the same house and Alice finding her letters. I think we were supposed to read that Alice felt connected to Nellie in some way, but it just wasn’t there. They were nothing alike, their situations were nothing alike. It was just two different stories told in tandem.
- So… the house is haunted? Or it isn’t? Where was that going? Nowhere. It went nowhere. Too bad, that could have been a fun spin.
I will say that I was very invested in Nellie’s story. I sympathized with her and rooted for her. I finished the book just to see her get to her (admittedly predictable) ending. I think this book could have been so much more though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Rape and Sexism
katieprewett's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
seforaflorian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
kelly_e's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: Recipe for a Perfect Wife
Author: Karma Brown
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: January 21, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Dark • Illuminating • Unsettling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Alice Hale leaves a career in publicity to become a writer and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she is unaccustomed to filling her days alone in a big, empty house. But when she finds a vintage cookbook buried in a box in the old home’s basement, she becomes captivated by the cookbook’s previous owner–1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. As Alice cooks her way through the past, she realizes that within the cookbook’s pages Nellie left clues about her life–including a mysterious series of unsent letters penned to her mother.
Soon Alice learns that while baked Alaska and meatloaf five ways may seem harmless, Nellie’s secrets may have been anything but. When Alice uncovers a more sinister–even dangerous–side to Nellie’s marriage, and has become increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures in her own relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself with a few secrets of her own.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After reading (and absolutely loving) Come Away with Me by Karma Brown earlier in 2022, I knew I wanted to read another one of her books before the end of the year. Since this one was on my shelf it's what I went with and came away having very mixed feelings.
What worked:
• the potential. Modern-day woman meets 1950s housewife exploring what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society. Two women. 60 years apart. Dual narrative. Food. Identity. Love. Secrets. Yes. Yes. Yes.
• the vintage vibes. This aspect of the book is very well done. It gave me the feeling of living during a time period I didn't actually live through.
• the recipes and quotes to start each chapter. These offered perspective and added a humurous touch to the plot development. I even tested out a few of the recipes, without much luck though.
• the exploration of societal roles. I thought this was interesting to dive into.
What didn't work:
• a lack of connection. I never felt invested in the story or the characters lives.
• the execution. There was just something about it taken all together that didn't work as I anticipated it would.
Unfortunately, Recipe for a Perfect Wife was very anti-climatic despite having a strong foundation. It was reflective and mysterious while exploring how roles have changed and how they've stayed the same over the years. With that said, Karma Brown did wrote one of my favourites of 2022, so I look forward to exploring more of her backlist and reading her upcoming 2023 release.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the light thriller
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The sun always returned...as long as you were strong enough to wait for it."
"'Sally, the hardest question we have to ask ourselves in this life is, 'Who am I?' Ideally, we answer it for ourselves, but be warned that others will strive to do it for you—so don’t let them.'"
Author: Karma Brown
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: January 21, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Dark • Illuminating • Unsettling
📖 S Y N O P S I S
When Alice Hale leaves a career in publicity to become a writer and follows her husband to the New York suburbs, she is unaccustomed to filling her days alone in a big, empty house. But when she finds a vintage cookbook buried in a box in the old home’s basement, she becomes captivated by the cookbook’s previous owner–1950s housewife Nellie Murdoch. As Alice cooks her way through the past, she realizes that within the cookbook’s pages Nellie left clues about her life–including a mysterious series of unsent letters penned to her mother.
Soon Alice learns that while baked Alaska and meatloaf five ways may seem harmless, Nellie’s secrets may have been anything but. When Alice uncovers a more sinister–even dangerous–side to Nellie’s marriage, and has become increasingly dissatisfied with the mounting pressures in her own relationship, she begins to take control of her life and protect herself with a few secrets of her own.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After reading (and absolutely loving) Come Away with Me by Karma Brown earlier in 2022, I knew I wanted to read another one of her books before the end of the year. Since this one was on my shelf it's what I went with and came away having very mixed feelings.
What worked:
• the potential. Modern-day woman meets 1950s housewife exploring what it means to be a wife fighting for her place in a patriarchal society. Two women. 60 years apart. Dual narrative. Food. Identity. Love. Secrets. Yes. Yes. Yes.
• the vintage vibes. This aspect of the book is very well done. It gave me the feeling of living during a time period I didn't actually live through.
• the recipes and quotes to start each chapter. These offered perspective and added a humurous touch to the plot development. I even tested out a few of the recipes, without much luck though.
• the exploration of societal roles. I thought this was interesting to dive into.
What didn't work:
• a lack of connection. I never felt invested in the story or the characters lives.
• the execution. There was just something about it taken all together that didn't work as I anticipated it would.
Unfortunately, Recipe for a Perfect Wife was very anti-climatic despite having a strong foundation. It was reflective and mysterious while exploring how roles have changed and how they've stayed the same over the years. With that said, Karma Brown did wrote one of my favourites of 2022, so I look forward to exploring more of her backlist and reading her upcoming 2023 release.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the light thriller
• bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"The sun always returned...as long as you were strong enough to wait for it."
"'Sally, the hardest question we have to ask ourselves in this life is, 'Who am I?' Ideally, we answer it for ourselves, but be warned that others will strive to do it for you—so don’t let them.'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Abortion
Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
death of partner, parental estrangement, overdoseapersonfromflorida's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Addiction and Sexual content
kimberlymarrinan's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There might be spoilers in here, I just dislike this book a lot.
Alice, the 2018 main character, has just moved into her new home with her husband because he wants to settle down and start a family. She tells him that she is okay with that and would also like to start a family, even though in her heart that is not true and she would rather go back to the workforce. She also lies to her husband about multiple things other than the baby. She got fired from her job but tells her husband that she quit, and she also goes and gets an IUD without telling her husband, and when he finds out all he wishes is that she would have told him. She starts to smoke, a hobby that is bad for all, and hides it from her husband because he cares about her and would tell her to stop (because he thinks she wants to have a child with him and she doesn't tell him otherwise). This man wants a wife that talks to him and are not forcing her into anything. Nelly, the 1950's woman, has a physically, sexually, and overall abusive husband. He forces her to have a child, just because they "have to" have one. He rapes her and beats her. She performs abortions on herself because she does not want to have this man's child. I understand that. Brown attempts to draw a parallel between the two female main characters' husbands. Which just is not there. The two men are completely different, even though they would both like the start a family. Nate, Alice's husband, is not raping her to have a child and believes her to be enthusiastic about it. Brown attempted to write a feminist piece of literature, in which the similarities between the 1950s and today are apparent, and that men have always and will always trap women into a marriage with children, and only want the same thing. However, that is not true in the slightest and Nate is not even close to manipulative towards Alice. I hate Alice, I love Nelly and this book is atrocious.
Alice, the 2018 main character, has just moved into her new home with her husband because he wants to settle down and start a family. She tells him that she is okay with that and would also like to start a family, even though in her heart that is not true and she would rather go back to the workforce. She also lies to her husband about multiple things other than the baby. She got fired from her job but tells her husband that she quit, and she also goes and gets an IUD without telling her husband, and when he finds out all he wishes is that she would have told him. She starts to smoke, a hobby that is bad for all, and hides it from her husband because he cares about her and would tell her to stop (because he thinks she wants to have a child with him and she doesn't tell him otherwise). This man wants a wife that talks to him and are not forcing her into anything. Nelly, the 1950's woman, has a physically, sexually, and overall abusive husband. He forces her to have a child, just because they "have to" have one. He rapes her and beats her. She performs abortions on herself because she does not want to have this man's child. I understand that. Brown attempts to draw a parallel between the two female main characters' husbands. Which just is not there. The two men are completely different, even though they would both like the start a family. Nate, Alice's husband, is not raping her to have a child and believes her to be enthusiastic about it. Brown attempted to write a feminist piece of literature, in which the similarities between the 1950s and today are apparent, and that men have always and will always trap women into a marriage with children, and only want the same thing. However, that is not true in the slightest and Nate is not even close to manipulative towards Alice. I hate Alice, I love Nelly and this book is atrocious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
gewaechshausgeist's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
Minor: Cancer and Infidelity