Scan barcode
gracecarman's review against another edition
4.0
***********************4.5/5 Stars********************
So this book… WOW! I loved it! While I was fairly accurate at guessing what Nellie and Alice were cooking up in the kitchen, the journey of their experiences as women, as wives, as mothers, did not spoil my appetite for the reveal. Such a wonderfully well-done book! However; the only half-point lost for this book is minimal: I feel as if Alice’s decent into madness at the end (basically her psychotic break of becoming Nellie) could have been a bit more drawn out or aesthetic. Rather, it felt rushed, even when taking in her mental state and the comedic timing of the foxglove herb recipe.
So this book… WOW! I loved it! While I was fairly accurate at guessing what Nellie and Alice were cooking up in the kitchen, the journey of their experiences as women, as wives, as mothers, did not spoil my appetite for the reveal. Such a wonderfully well-done book! However; the only half-point lost for this book is minimal: I feel as if Alice’s decent into madness at the end (basically her psychotic break of becoming Nellie) could have been a bit more drawn out or aesthetic. Rather, it felt rushed, even when taking in her mental state and the comedic timing of the foxglove herb recipe.
michelereader's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Recipe for a Perfect Wife gives the reader a lot to think about. This dual narrative takes place both in the present day and in the mid 1950s when the life of a married woman was markedly different. Present day Alice Hale appears to be in the perfect marriage to Nate but she acquiesces to a move to the suburbs after losing her PR job in New York City and plans to write a novel. Nellie Murdoch, the previous owner of Alice’s new home, is a young woman married to Richard, a somewhat older man who is controlling and difficult. I enjoyed the way in which the author weaves these strong women’s stories together as they struggled to find themselves. I felt the greatest compassion for Nellie as I didn’t agree with all of Alice’s decisions.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Penguin/Dutton for an advance copy.
Recipe for a Perfect Wife gives the reader a lot to think about. This dual narrative takes place both in the present day and in the mid 1950s when the life of a married woman was markedly different. Present day Alice Hale appears to be in the perfect marriage to Nate but she acquiesces to a move to the suburbs after losing her PR job in New York City and plans to write a novel. Nellie Murdoch, the previous owner of Alice’s new home, is a young woman married to Richard, a somewhat older man who is controlling and difficult. I enjoyed the way in which the author weaves these strong women’s stories together as they struggled to find themselves. I felt the greatest compassion for Nellie as I didn’t agree with all of Alice’s decisions.
Many thanks to Edelweiss and Penguin/Dutton for an advance copy.
mmlbooks's review against another edition
2.0
Fast read, and it sucked me in for a while but the last quarter of the book turned me off.
Spoiler
Saw the twist coming with Nellie’s husband, and Alice turned out to be an awful person. <\spoiler>sueperlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Almost 4*.
Loved the relevant recipes and magazine quotes as they really tied it all together. I read it in two delightful servings. A nice departure from heavy reads I often find myself with. I wouldn’t call it breathtaking, spellbinding, page turning or other accolades as such, but it was a really fun read for me.
Loved the relevant recipes and magazine quotes as they really tied it all together. I read it in two delightful servings. A nice departure from heavy reads I often find myself with. I wouldn’t call it breathtaking, spellbinding, page turning or other accolades as such, but it was a really fun read for me.
kb_toys's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars - I loved the structure of this book and the rage-inducing quotes from old books about being a “good housewife”. Nellie’s story was compelling and heartbreaking. Alice was mostly bored and creating chaos so I wasn’t as invested in her life but still a good read!
nattisen's review against another edition
3.0
When I read the back of the book my first thought was "I hope someone gets murdered" bc that was just the vibe, you know? I was not disappointed, honestly good for Nellie what a queen.
Both the girls were babes and the story unfolded beautifully, the only thing keeping me from reading it in one go was uni work smh
I'm happy Alice didn't cave and chose to stand by her wants in the end, women do too much for men... I recognise that their relationship could be better had they just communicated better but que sera sera, what to do?
ALSO THOUGHT NELLIE WAS HAUNTING THE HOUSE and I will continue to think so bc who else would watch over her garden?
melcombs1's review against another edition
I loved Nellie so so so so so so much.
Alice. Alice I wanted to punch in the face. All the time. At every turn.
Alice. Alice I wanted to punch in the face. All the time. At every turn.
_ericarose_'s review against another edition
3.0
I’d give it like 3.5 stars. I definitely wanted to keep reading this book and didn’t want to give it up, but I easily predicted what happened with Nellie, and wish that there was a bit more closure with Alice. The book ends with a sense of mystery which is interesting, but there were a lot of loose ends that could have been tied.
nyclauren's review against another edition
3.0
Couldn’t put this book down. It was well written and grabbed my attention, but I really didn’t understand all the lies Alice told her husband in the current day.