4 Star
Portia Cuthcart never intended to leave Texas. Her dream was to run the Glass Kitchen restaurant her grandmother built decades ago. But after a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan... and never cook again.
But when she moves into a dilapidated brownstone on the Upper West Side, she meets twelve-year-old Ariel and her widowed father Gabriel, a man with his hands full trying to raise two daughters on his own. Soon, a promise made to her sisters forces Portia back into a world of magical food and swirling emotions, where she must confront everything she has been running from. What seems so simple on the surface is anything but when long-held secrets are revealed, rivalries exposed, and the promise of new love stirs to life like chocolate mixing with cream.
The Glass Kitchen is a delicious novel, a tempestuous story of a woman washed up on the shores of Manhattan who discovers that a kitchen—like an island—can be a refuge, if only she has the courage to give in to the pull of love, the power of forgiveness, and accept the complications of what it means to be family.
Sabrina-Kate - 4 Star
First off, I have to say that I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous cover art (and yes I do often judge a book by its cover), I loved everything about it and it definitely helped set the tone for the book to come.
The Glass Kitchen was not my usual type of read but I did quite enjoy the story and evolution of Portia's life- possibly because it largely involved food and also my favorite place in the world, Manhattan. The main character being from Texas also added that southern charm to the story as well-which is somehow irresistible.
The story centers around Portia, but also involves her two sisters and it was interesting to see how three people from the same upbringing could have such very different outlooks on life. The author showed how they all shared common bonds that were stronger than anything else and it also showed the strength of family ties.
I find stories set in Manhattan but with a southern twist often have a someone romantic and mystical feel to them and I can say that this was definitely the case with The Glass Kitchen. Portia seemed to be a bit of a dreamer in some ways and had the gift her grandmother passed on to her that made things interesting in a way I had never considered.
Put all this together with an unexpected and charming love story and you have a great read, especially for the beach or while on holiday!
Thank you to St.Martin's Press for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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