A heartwarming and captivating tale set in 1942 and present day about one family’s struggle with life through friendship, love, heartbreak and death. It tells us the strength they had never to give up on life. So positive and enchanting.
So wonderful it was hard to put down.
Laura lives with her husband Dom and their two girls at No.11. Kanga, her grandmother lives with them in her home in the garden. We learn about their lives, their secrets and their hopes and dreams and how No 11 brings them all together.

A book with a feel good notion from the characters... I loved the way the story visited Bath during the blitz and really gave me a sense of what it must have been like... The characters are well written and come to life. A book to curl up with by the fire in a log cabin by the sea..

Really enjoyed this book, true to life, believable and likeable characters (on the whole). Made me think - “what if”? We’re none of us perfect and this story highlights both that and positivity.

Brilliant book. I read it within 24 hours and it's between today's lifestyle and that of 1942 during the blitz... It's set in same house in Bath and during 1942 you get to understand everyone who has lived in this house and those hat were helped even though others have died... 1942 in Bath was traumatic and this is no different...
2018 we have Laura, Dom and their two daughters who are both at university... Laura is felling upset and doesn't know what to do without running round after her girls, then she finds something out which completely throws her off track and she doesn't know how to cope..... Luckily she has her best friend Sadie and kranga whose her grandma from the blitz who lives at the bottom of the garden there to give free advice... The two stories come together with the Ho and how and why.. It's simply amazing. Veronica Henry is a brilliant author and this is historical fiction at its best... Loved it.

Veronica Henry is my go to author when I need a feel good, comfort read and A family recipe ticked all the boxes for a feel good read.
Heartwarming, beautifully written and perfectly packed with family, friends, love, laughter and grandmas special recipes.
I would highly recommend this wonderful story to everyone.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I have enjoyed all of the authors books and like the rest thus was a triumph

Veronica Henry has triumphed again with a heartfelt novel about family, empty nests, new beginnings and old memories.
This is a duel story, set initially in 1940's Bath during the war telling Jilly's experiences of that time, and interspersed with the present day as Jilly's grand daughter, Laura, faces a family crisis. The refurbishment and re-building of Bath play an integral part in the book as both Jilly and Laura look to rebuild their own lives.
This multi-layered book kept me engrossed; a lovely summer read

I’ve read a lot of Veronica’s books, they are the perfect holiday read but this one was different. In a good way. This one was more adult and I felt connected more with the issues explored rather than the usual frivolousness that I had come to expect. I really enjoyed this book

This book is an absolute delight! It’s well written, touching and will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling after reading it.
The characters are all wonderful and the book flows very well. Be aware though, you’ll want to devour it all in the one go. A well deserved 5 stars.

A really enjoyable and easy read, with a great writing style that moves the story along well and keeps the reader involved at all times. As always with this type of book everyone is lovely, kind, beautiful and always uses quality named designer stuff! If it were more true to life, and the humdrum ways most of us have, it would not be an escapist novel. However, Veronica is an accomplished and experienced writer and delivers just what we, the readers, need to have, time out from everyday stuff.

Set in 1942 and the present day, this is the story of Gilly and Laura and how their lives are intertwined.

Gilly’s parents are killed when Bath is bombed during the second world war, Gilly and her best friend Ivy survive by growing their own food and using a recipe book put together by Gilly’s mother. Fast forward to the present day and Laura is about to have an empty nest, her youngest daughter Willow is going to university in York and Laura is not looking forward to being without her children. Laura and her husband Dom deliver Willow to York and on the way home a secret is revealed to Laura which turns her world upside down.

Determined to get her life back on track, she uses her grandmother’s old recipe book to make jams and pickles which she will sell at the local market. Laura hopes this can be the start of a new enterprise which will give her life some purpose.

A well written book with excellent characters giving an insight into friendships and families with a nice surprise at the end. Recommended.

I am a big Veronica Henry fan, and was delighted to have the chance to read her new novel. I was hooked by this one from the very first page. I have absolutely loved Veronica's style of writing and depth of expression in all of her novels that I have read, but I think that she has excelled with this particular story.



This book tells the tale of one woman at two stages of her life and of her granddaughter, the whole story being tied together by recipes carried through the years. The 'action' takes place in 1942 and present day; the narrative skilfully skips from one time to the other without confusion. In 1942, we meet Jill, who is suddenly plunged into the reality of World War II as her home city of Bath is bombed and loved ones are lost to her. In the present, her granddaughter, Laura is struggling with the departure of both daughters to university as well as the stress of an overworked and distant husband. Both ladies are soon turning to the box of family recipes to help them through difficult times.



I have only good things to say about this book. It is full to the brim with strong characters and interesting situations. Then there is all the lovely, mouthwatering foods. When Laura turns to making jams and preserves, I could almost taste them, especially the plum cheese. I would heartily recommend this book; definitely story telling at its finest.

A Family Recipe by Veronica Henry a five-star read that will fill you with happiness. This was such a truly feel good read, it has so many feels that you may go into feel overload, it makes you all warm and fuzzy inside. It will make you want to curl up with a cuppa and a slice of cake and a good book, it just has that lovely warmth to it. The characters in this book are filled with complex emotions and aren’t all nice people, but they all have a similar vein running through, they all have a goodness that you will love. Laura Griffin is a great character and she knows that her daughters are leaving and life will be different, but she doesn’t know just how different. This book is filled with second chances and what will happen next scenarios, but overall its filled with love, just maybe not the love you first expect.

I have read other Veronica Henry books and am never disappointed. THe title of the book A Family Recipe is a great title because the story of the family starts during WW2 when the bombing of Bath changes lives and forges friendships that last a lifetime. The house 11 Lark Hill has been an important part of the history of the family together with grandmas recipe box.. Laura and Dom together,with their two daughters are the ones currently living in the family,home. Laura's life changes dramatically when her daughters go off to university, How will she cope, is,she strong enough to,pick herself,up,when fate throws the unexpected at her. Once I started reading I couldn't put the book down. There were so many emotions running through this book, laughter, friendship determination, generosity and strong family ties. Plus grandmas recipe box is a treasure containing recipes enjoyed since the Second World War and a firm favourite with Laura's family.

I have read most of Veronica Henry books, I've had this copy as early release to review so thank you for letting me have it.

When I first opened it I was a bit set back as some of it was set back in 1942 and normally I don't read that far back but thought I'd give it ago as I know veronica books are normally good, I enjoyed the book straight off as Jilly and Ivy the main characters in the book gripped me straight away soon I couldn't put it down and was in their world and not my own, I didn't think the book could get any better then there was a twist which suprised me. Loved book from beginging and it turns pages it self.

Absolutely loved this book! With a couple of different stories going On, it was totally loveable from the early stages with some real emotions running through it

I loved this book and was really pleased to read a Veronica Henry again. The novel is well written with lovely characters one could empathise with. A tale a strong women from 1942 to present day with coping against the odds and finding strengths from friendship. It was well written and easy to read and heart warming I was quite sorry to finish it. I loved the episode in the service station!!

A book set in beautiful Bath...what a joy!
We meet Laura, her husband Dom and their two girls, one feisty and confident, the other with health issues. For Laura it is sad seeing them both leave home starting on their careers. What to do?
She has ideas for her own little business. But then something terrible happens in her life and she is rocked off her feet.
Her struggles and her emergence from being a housebound wife and mother are so well drawn.
I really enjoyed this book.
Thanks to NetGaley for a review copy.

1942 Jilly and friend Ivy in wartime Britain attended a dance where Jilly met Harry, going of to right in the airforce however they witness their home being bombed and there's nothing they can do as Jilly's parents have been killed. However they do take on a family In sure need of a home...



2017, Laura is packing her daughter Willow off to university alongside her other daughter Jaz as husband Dom who's a workaholic makes time and as Laura discovers is a sleazy cheat as Laura finds out at a motorway services! Her best friend Sadie comes round to listen and supports Laura throwing him out.



In Laura's house, the aga is a staple and Sam comes to fix it which pleases Laura so she can make the family recipes she wrote down for Willow to take with her too. Only it sparks a fire in Laura to invest in herself and to sell her preserves for a living...



While Laura's grandma, Kanga lives in their garden in an added building called Acorn cottage and is the Jilly from the memory at the start of the book as we learn as she now goes to visit Ivy in hospital in the present as she awaits an operation and then rehousing...



Antonia is in love with Dom but knows he belongs with Laura and vows to fix their marriage. But with financial stress, men getting closer to Laura and a sudden medical emergency, will Laura and Dom realise they're meant honestly to be together or call it quits for good?



I liked the war aspect of the book and how we learn of the family's whole history including the tragic events which have shaped them to be as close knit a group as they are now. Ivy and Jilly's friendship was so amazing to see that they stick together through everything more like sisters than friends after what they'd been through! The drama of a fledgling marriage added an extra touch of flare to the novel too, a truly wonderful book which had me gripped reading on!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

I would give this book far more than the five stars if I could as so amazingly heartwarming and full of families, friends and romance along with breakups and food. So well written it had me hooked from the first page and highly recommend anyone to read this book. So true to life and how families are and a complete delight to read.
Very well written as covers two different years and you first have Laura who is happily married and both her children are now at uni with the youngest going and she feels her home will be very empty. She also loves cooking for the family with her wonderful aga and also she always includes her grandmother who brought her up when she was little after her mum died but you also hear her story of when she was growing up. How her parents died in the war and she thought she had met mister perfect but wasn't to be and shows you how she got friends with her best friend ivy. Laura thinks all is happy but when she's on her way home from dropping off at uni she gets told that her husband is having an affair with the family solicitor. She doesn't want anyone to know and she throws herself into baking and being with friends. Her greatest comfort is her grandmothers cookbook which has been added to over time. Laura has a great idea as she knows everyone loves her jams chutneys and pickles so it gives her a new sense of purpose. Can she be happy and can she sort out her marriage out or not and can the family live happily ever after and can the grandmother be happy and does she get a surprise that may change everything.
Well worth reading.