Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Przepis na żonę doskonałą

I enjoyed the first parts of the chapter with the recipies and advice from the 1950’s on how to be a good wife (although some of it was mindblowing and horrible). But that is where I stop liking the book. Nellie as a character was ok. I understand why she did what she did (even though I would never go to those lengths unless my husband was about to kill me and I was defending myself).

Alice on the other hand. Oh God where do I start with her! Horrible horrible person. Toxic, abussive as a wife and a friend. I felt really bad for her husband being shunned and manipulated by her time and time again. And honesty? What the hell is that? I bet she never heard of that word. And the fact that at the end Alice ended getting what she wanted, again by manipulating her husband is beyond me. At least of the author gave any indication that the narrative thinks it’s bad but no. I have zero sympathy for that woman and I wish her hubby would have kicked her to the curb and found a loyal and loving wife that he deserved!

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what_is_emma_reading's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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caylincarmichael's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I absolutely loved this book! An easy read but with the added mysteries and small twists to keep you intrigued. I also love books that go back and forth between two different times and don't make it confusing. The only complaint I had was

it seemed like the baby was a bandaid on Alice and Nates relationship. I would have like to see some more diving in to resolving their issues.

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exhaustedreader's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-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? Yes

3.75

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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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.'"

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