A wonderful warm read on a cold winters day with a cup of hot chocolate and a national Trust blanket.

kitty is a successful mystery writer living in Montreal Canada. One day she meets with her editor and tells the editor she is does not want to write anymore. Surprisingly the editor and publisher suggest a writer’s holiday in Cape Breton. and they will rent a housefor three months. So they and Kittys dog head for the wilds of mid-1950s. They find friendship and family.
All about being loved when you least expect.

A lovely recommended read.

This is my second Lesley Crewe and I am learning that she can be counted on to build out a sweet story with characters who tug on your heartstrings! Much like The Spoon Stealer, you have to give it time to grow and build. It is the perfect book to read when you want something sweet and comforting.. and don't mind being made hungry!

Crewe’s novel are infused with warmth, love and humour and Recipe for a Good Life has these heart-warming qualities and more. Kitty is a successful mystery writer living in Montreal. One day she meets with her editor and declares that she is finished with writing. Not wanting to lose one of their most popular writers, the editor and publisher suggest a writer’s retreat in Cape Breton. They rent a house for her for 3 months. Kitty packs up her car and she and her dog head for the wilds of mid-1950s CB. Here she finds the joys of family, friends and a special friend. A tad too long, this is a wonderful pick-me-up.

This book was just lovely, filled with heart, soul and the occasional life wisdom zingers that hit me in exactly the right place. Between the wonderful, sometimes quirky characters, the adorable doggos, the beautiful setting, and the wonderful food for both body and soul, I didn't want to put it down and I didn't want it to end.

Kitty, aka CJ Faulkner, is a burned out writer with 7 successful mystery novels featuring a hard boiled detective modeled after her own father, with whom she has had a distant relationship ever since her mother died when she was 7. Between that, her glamorous, but unfaithful and irresponsible actor husband, and her lonely, disconnected life in Montreal, she just cannot face writing yet another novel in the series.

Her panicked publisher and editor decide a change in scenery and a dose of fresh country air are just what she needs for her writer's block and send her off on a "retreat" to rural Cape Breton. There, Kitty is immersed in a different way of life, where the residents are self-reliant, yet are all interconnected with deep bonds due to their shared history. As Kitty slowly comes to recognize what's missing in her own life, she will need to make some hard decisions in order to move forward toward a more satisfactory life. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Recipe for a Good Life by Lesley Crewe

Thank you to Nimbus Publishing and NetGalley for the ebook to read.

This is not the genre that I typically read, but I did enjoy it. A story of loneliness and finding the meaning of belonging and being loved when you least expect it. The characters of Cape Benton in Province of Nova Scotia, will snuggle in your heart and you won’t soon forget them. A light read that I found I couldn’t put down. I’ve never read anything by Lesley Crewe before and will look at other books she has written.

How have I missed reading other books by Lesley Crewe?? Not anymore! I'm following Lesley Crewe on GoodReads now. I just loved Recipe for a Good Life. Wonderfully crafted characters.

Kitty is a writer, Gaynor is her editor. I especially loved the friendship and insight to the writing process. Kitty has a bit of "writers block" and Gaynor convinces the publishing company to send her to the country for a while for a bit of a retreat. Kitty is introduced to a new cast of characters and ... it's life changing.

At 408 pages, I still did not want this book to end.

Beautiful cover!

Thank you to NetGalley for (yet again!) introducing me to a "new to me" author. It looks like Lesley Crewe has at least 16 prior novels. I can't wait to start reading some of them! (Although my TBR list is a little out of control right now.) Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Recipe for a Good Life in exchange for an honest review. So happy that Vagrant Press approved my NetGalley ARC request. Thank you! And thank you to Lesley Crewe for writing such a lovely novel. Adding to my personal "best of for 2023" shelf.

This new to me author has made me fall in love with each one of these characters. They became like family to me.
I loved the setting of small town life.
She has described this setting perfectly that I felt like I was there.
Bertha and the grandkids made me snicker in some places too.
Good ol Ethel reminds me of Mrs. Oleson on Little House when they first got the switchboard.
I'm so glad that we don't have 3rd party phone lines anymore! That sure couldn't have been easy! The whole town would know your business!
This book will have you turning it's pages until the end. I loved every minute of it.
I love good wholesome stories such as this one. It has left me feeling full and satisfied.
Honestly the title is what made me want to read it. I wanted to find out what did make a recipe for a good life. I wasn't disappointed.at all. 5 stars for a rich and beautiful story. I highly recommend this book.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's 1955 and Kitty is a successful author in her thirties living in Montreal. She's married to a philandering actor who is away working more than he is home. Her mother passed away when she was seven and her father is distant. Kitty has written a series of detective books under an assumed male name and doesn't think she can write any more. Knowing she needs a break, her publisher rents a cabin for her in rural Cape Breton as a writing retreat to get away. She knows nothing about Cape Breton but she and her dog head out for a few months. When she arrives at the cabin, it's basically a rundown shack in the middle of nowhere. But as she gets used to the rustic cabin and meets her friendly neighbours, it's hard for her to leave. Back in Montreal, she realizes how unfulfilling her life there is and sets out for fix it.

I liked this story and the characters. I enjoyed the writing style ... it's written in third person perspective in various voices including Kitty's, depending on where the focus was. The story is set in Homeville (where the author settled and raised a family), not far from Glace Bay, where my maternal family is from. Some of the last names of the characters are in my family tree ... Ferguson, Murrant, Peach, Wadden, etc. I spent my teen years in Cape Breton and it was nice to read a book about people from "back home" with their sayings, foods, mannerisms, etc.

I understand what this author was trying to do with the dual pov, but it was just all over the place. Maybe it would be better as an audiobook. There wasn’t enough focus on the main character and I knew more about the side characters than kitty.

A sweet, wholesome story about finding yourself in the company of strangers. Beautiful setting, lovely and lively characters. A feel good vibe that felt very Canadian.

💕You might like this book if:
🔹 you want to read about characters that restore your faith in humanity
🔹 you like books about writers
🔹 you like friendly, rural community vibes

I am a huge fan of Lesley Crewe’s work and couldn’t wait to read this book. It is okay but is certainly not her best work.