Love & Saffron by: Kim Fay

Publication Date: February 8, 2022

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

The #1 Indie Next Pick, in the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road and Meet Me at the Museum, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best medicine.

When twenty-seven-year-old Joan Bergstrom sends a fan letter–as well as a gift of saffron–to fifty-nine-year-old Imogen Fortier, a life-changing friendship begins. Joan lives in Los Angeles and is just starting out as a writer for the newspaper food pages. Imogen lives on Camano Island outside Seattle, writing a monthly column for a Pacific Northwest magazine, and while she can hunt elk and dig for clams, she’s never tasted fresh garlic–exotic fare in the Northwest of the sixties. As the two women commune through their letters, they build a closeness that sustains them through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the unexpected in their own lives.

Food and a good life—they can’t be separated. It is a discovery the women share, not only with each other, but with the men in their lives. Because of her correspondence with Joan, Imogen’s decades-long marriage blossoms into something new and exciting, and in turn, Joan learns that true love does not always come in the form we expect it to. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of Joan and Imogen’s friendship—a test that summons their unconditional trust in each other.

A brief respite from our chaotic world, Love & Saffron is a gem of a novel, a reminder that food and friendship are the antidote to most any heartache, and that human connection will always be worth creating.

My Review

Told in a mostly epistolary format, this book is about the way food can bring complete strangers with totally different lives together. I adored this book and the friendship that formed between Imogen and Joan. Their banter and love of food made this easily consumable. Coming in at just over 200 pages, this story touched my heart.

Joan is a young, smart woman that has written a fan letter to an older, writer and their continued communications are what make up the book. It was a sweet friendship that blossomed and enriched each of their lives for the better.

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Red Thread of Fate by: Lyn Liao Butler

Publication Date: February 8, 2022

Description from the Publisher through Netgalley

In the wake of a tragedy and fueled by guilt from a secret she’s kept for years, a woman discovers how delicate the thread that binds family is in this powerful novel by Lyn Liao Butler.

Two days before Tam and Tony Kwan receive their letter of acceptance for the son they are adopting from China, Tony and his estranged cousin Mia are killed unexpectedly in an accident. A shell-shocked Tam learns she is named the guardian to Mia’s five-year-old daughter, Angela. With no other family around, Tam has no choice but to agree to take in the girl she hasn’t seen since the child was an infant. 

Overwhelmed by her life suddenly being upended, Tam must also decide if she will complete the adoption on her own and bring home the son waiting for her in a Chinese orphanage. But when a long-concealed secret comes to light just as she and Angela start to bond, their fragile family is threatened. As Tam begins to unravel the events of Tony and Mia’s past in China, she discovers the true meaning of love and the threads that bind her to the family she is fated to have.

My Review

This was a beautiful story of family, both found and blood. Tam is a strong woman who had her life changed in the blink of an eye. When her husband dies in an accident, Tam must decide if she will go through with an overseas adoption that was already in the works and raise the child by herself. If that wasn’t already enough, things come to light that rock her already fragile world.

I really enjoyed this story. It was well written and kept my interest for the entirety of the book.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

Packed with surprises, heart, and stories within stories, this irresistible novel from an award-winning author celebrates food, fortune, and family.

Welcome to the Golden Palace!

Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota . . . until now. Her mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better. But plans change, and as Maizy spends more time in Last Chance (where she and her family are the only Asian Americans) and at the Golden Palace—the restaurant that’s been in her family for generations—she makes some discoveries. For instance:
•  You can tell a LOT about someone by the way they order food. 
•  And people can surprise you. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in disappointing ways.
•  And the Golden Palace has secrets.

But the more Maizy discovers, the more questions she has. Like, why are her mom and her grandmother always fighting? Who are the people in the photographs on the office wall? And when she discovers that a beloved family treasure has gone missing—and someone has left a racist note—Maizy decides it’s time to find the answers.

My Review

I am not the person that normally reads middle-grade books but once in a while, something catches my attention and I have to give it a chance. Maizy Chen’s Last Chance was that book that stuck out to me. Maizy is a young Asian American girl that spends her summer in a city that she is unfamiliar with. Family comes first in this story but the subtle themes of racism and immigration are weaved throughout. By connecting food to the story, the plot is digestible (pun, intended!).

I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ramon and Julieta by: Alana Quintana Albertson

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

A PopSugar and BookBub Most Anticipated Romance of 2022!

When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!

Ramón Montez always achieves his goals. Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father’s fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again. 

Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life’s work—and the one man who tempts and inspires her. 

As San Diego’s outraged community protests against the Taco King takeover and the divide between their families grows, Ramón and Julieta struggle to balance the rising tensions. But Ramón knows that true love is priceless and despite all of his successes, this is the one battle he refuses to lose.

My Review

A foodie romance that mimics Romeo and Juliet, sign me up! I really knew nothing about this book before getting into it and it was a great read. I was a bit surprised at the mildly-smutty content but it was sprinkled throughout and not on every page.

I loved the family dynamics that were depicted in this story. Julieta’s family was a tight knit group and could sometimes be overwhelming. Ramon’s relationships with his brothers was sweet but his parental relationships was just heart breaking.

It is an insta-love story but you should know that from the description on the back. It was a fun read overall.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.