Sam Nelson leaves New York after she quits her job as a pastry chef to go back to her family-run orchard and bakery in Michigan. Sam hears stories and learns lessons from her grandmother about her family’s past as she tries to find her way to love and happiness. The story is filled with lovely dessert recipes at the end of chapters. A sweet story filled with heartwarming, family-love and stories. I liked the plot, however, I couldn’t connect with Sam on any level. She was unemotional and rigid which had me wondering who in the world would fall in love with such a “cold fish”.

The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman will be available March 20, 2018 from Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.