Publisher: Hodder
Publishing Date: 21st September 2017
Source: Received from the publisher in return for an honest review!
Number of pages: 384
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Kindle | Paperback
Synopsis:
In the quaint seaside town of Newbay, a beginner’s cookery course is starting. And three very different students have signed up . . .
Liz’s husband has left her for a twenty-something clean-eating blogger, and she’s determined to show the world – and her daughter – she’s just as capable in the kitchen. John, newly widowed after fifty years of marriage, can’t live on sympathy lasagnes forever. To thirty-year-old workaholic Bella, the course is a welcome escape from her high-pressure job. Their only common ground: between them, they can barely boil an egg!
Enter talented chef Alex, who is determined to introduce his pupils to the comforts of cuisine. As Liz, John and Bella encounter various disasters in the kitchen, the unlikely trio soon form a fast friendship. Their culinary skills might be catastrophic – but could the cookery club have given them a recipe for happiness?
The wonderful new novel from Chrissie Manby is perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Trisha Ashley and Cathy Bramley.
Rating: 
Each new release by Chrissie Manby is a treat. I was very inconsolable some time ago that there is no more Proper Family to come, however with “The Worst Case Scenario Cookery Club” we return to Newbay, the town that was already featured in another Chrissie Manby’s cracker of a story, “A Fairy Tale for Christmas”, and it was lovely to see some characters from the previous book mentioned, as well as the NEWTs. But it is a fully stand – alone novel, with a new bunch of the most lovely, humorous and life – experienced characters and the book has easily elevated itself to the top of my favourite reads this year.
This novel has all that I absolutely love in books – brilliant characters, dogs and cooking. I immediately fell in love with Liz and her life – approach, it was so easy to relate with her character and to feel her pain. Liz had troubles to come to terms with her husband leaving her for a much younger health blogger and her daughter blaming her for this fact – of course! The fact that Brittney is a health blogger, posting vegan recipes and radiating calmness and zen also doesn’t help as Liz – simply – can’t cook. Add to this an overweight border terrier Ted only starting his own doggy weight loss class at the local vet – you can really loose self – control, right? However, Liz’s patience was amazing, and the way she coped with all those things was brilliant, she was so stoical and cool as a cucumber, and I just wanted to give her a hug.
But the story doesn’t only tell us Liz’s story. Through Alex’s cookery class we get to know other characters that basically have nothing to do with Liz and her life, they only get to know each other on the course but we get the chance to also see into their backgrounds and histories, and I must say that while sometimes it doesn’t work – mixing characters that have nothing in common – here it created such a warm atmosphere and was a brilliant balance to Liz’s tale. There is Bella, a public defence lawyer, almost always on telephone duty – she was so kind and human and if I were in troubles I’d want Bella and only Bella. It seems that her job takes over her life and she starts to wonder if this is really how she wants to live. There is John, a seventy – something widower, still missing his late beloved wife and keeping a secret, and Alex, the one setting up the cooking course, hoping for a class full and landing with the three so very different, but so very personality rich students.
What all the characters have in common, though, is the fact that they were not happy with their lives, and all of them started to realize this – the question was if they’re going to do something with this.
Chrissie Manby has described the food in the most delicious way but what was the best thing is that mostly the dishes were associated with some of the best memories in our characters’ lives – it was lovely and touching and I absolutely adored this part of the story. I would only love if there were some recipes at the end of the book – maybe they’re going to be put in the finished copies but they weren’t in my review copy.
This book is written in such easy, comforting way! I just couldn’t stand the thought that I must put it down for a moment, I was so caught up in the characters’ lives, their antics and their banter – it was all perfect! There are so many hilarious scenes in this novel, usually involving Liz, as she was incredibly accident prone, but also there were some more poignant moments and I loved this balance. From the very first page I knew that I am for a new treat and that I’m going to enjoy this book. It was another fantabulous story that I simply devoured and didn’t want it to finish.
So shortly, very shortly – it was funny and emotional, it was heart – warming, it was so genuine and realistic and it is a MUST READ this autumn. It was so brilliant, with adorable characters with their own background interesting stories, full of funny situations that really made me laugh out loud, and there are too many to list them, and besides I don’t want to spoil the joy for you, and moments that had me tearing up – just what I love. I am already looking towards Chrissie Manby’s next release, I simply can’t have enough of her writing. Highly recommended!
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