Becoming the Talbot Sisters

Author: Rachel Linden

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: May 1, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An unexpected surprise! One of my favorite books of the year so far!

Celebrity chef Waverly Ross has built one of the most successful shows on the Food Network. From the outside, she seems to have it all.  But there is one thing that she has yearned for that she has never been able to obtain: motherhood.  Her estranged twin sister Charlie Talbot has been running from a dark secret of her past and working as a relief aid worker in Hungary.  When the aunt that raised them passes away, Charlie and Waverly and reunited and begin the process of healing old wounds and building a relationship again.  Charlie even offers to be a surrogate so that Waverly and her husband can finally become parents.  When events take a turn that leave both sisters with the possibility of losing their jobs, the dream once again must wait.  But Waverly has a plan to save her show and she needs Charlie’s help to do it.

This is one of those “can’t judge a book by its cover” stories. I had no idea what I was getting into when I opened the cover of this book, but I’m so glad that I did.  The writing was phenomenal.  I loved how Linden developed the characters based on individual perspectives and then blended them together as the story progressed.  I also loved all of the behind the scenes descriptions of what goes on to make a successful cooking show.  Throw that in with travel across parts of Europe and you’ve got a masterpiece of a novel.

The scenery was fantastic throughout the book. Traveling across Europe in a book takes a lot of research into different settings and cultures and Linden really brought those to light.  But the emphasis on the relationship between Waverly and Charlie was probably the best part of the whole thing.  Throughout the book you love the sisters, then you hate the sisters; sometimes only one, sometimes both.  It felt real the whole way through.

Definitely a book that you need to add to you summer reading list. I may even read it again just to enjoy it a little bit more!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.