Cover Image: Love in a Tuscan Kitchen

Love in a Tuscan Kitchen

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Member Reviews

The author takes you on her own journey to Tuscany and the meals she had, recipes, and then to the man she met. Not that simple they cook together she enjoys the chocolate cake that he makes and as she thinks maybe she could stay she goes back home to America. Her friends tell her to go back to Tuscany and the man she met to give love a shot. Here you have a love story of two people but also the love of food and of travel. These are two people who met and are connected. A good book.

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This was a cute story. The author paints a vivid picture of living in Tuscany. I loved the details on her daily life and the villagers.

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This was a rather enjoyable memoir of an American woman falling in love with Tuscany, falling in love with an Italian chef, and then moving there. Recipes are included with the story, and there are many I'd like to try. This book does repeat itself at times and could use a good editor, which is why I cannot recommend that my library purchase this title.

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This was a delightful and lovely story about Tuscany (which I love!). I appreciated the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Concierge Marketing, Inc. for an ARC of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed.

So many of us never act on our inner longings (maybe we aren’t even aware of them). Sheryl Ness discovered hers on a trip to Italy when she was in her 30s, divorced and a successful nurse manager in Minnesota. It took her a few years, but then she quit her job and followed that inner voice, without any real plan, to the tiny village of San Gusme in Tuscany. And that is where she finally found life, love, food and happiness.

Her memoir of that journey is a heart-felt picture of medieval San Gusme and the beautiful countryside, of the unique local characters and practices, of finding her future husband in the kitchen of his restaurant, and of course of the glorious food.

I found the first few chapters a bit confusing, switching back and forth in time without warning, but then the narrative settled into a steady path forward. I can’t say that the tale really sang to me as the living of it clearly sang to Sheryl, but the love story was charming. The many included recipes are indeed tempting, and I’ve already tried and savored a few of them.

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The Author, who is from Minnesota, decided to take a trip to Tuscany with a friend and falls in love with Italy. Later she had the opportunity to work for a friend in the travel business, and moves back to Tuscany to the small town of San Gusme, not too far from Siena. Here Sheryl helps her friend with her travel business and also takes care of her friends daughters when needed. She falls in love with this quaint little town and its people and eventually with a local chef Vincenzo Giangiordano. This book was beautifully written with wonderful description of the local people and the goings on in the town of San Gusme. She is known as the “Americana” but once she has mastered the language a bit more and after she marries her Chef, they call her “The chef's wife.” everyone has a label.
It was a lot of fun to see how she assimilates into the culture of Italy. To see how she makes friends, who along with her, go on hikes, or travel to the near by towns and soak in the beauty of the area.
She has some wonderful adventures and some crazy experiences with Vincenzo's family, Lots of family members, lots of food and good times. At first she had to get used to the family dynamics, which were often different to what she was used to, but she ends up loving the whole crazy atmosphere.
This book is full of mouth watering recipes, if you like to cook. This is a story well worth reading, as she gives us a fun look at what it would be like to live in that area of the world.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Concierge Marketing Inc. for the ARC of this book

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*sigh* I love books like these, true romance, foreign cultures (especially Italy, France and Spain!) and recipes....! I can't wait until my next trip to Europe! I do plan on touring Tuscany as I have read so many stories about it. This book doesn't disappoint, even though it overlaps some of what I already have read elsewhere, who cares! I don't mind reading it all again! This in a keeper that I will buy and keep on my shelf to be read again and again. Beautifully written tale about life and love in Tuscany, Italy.

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Sorry never got round to reading the book it expired before i had the chance. which is a pity as i was looking forward to it

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Wow, Love in a Tuscan Kitchen could very well be made into a movie. Not only is this story true, it's a fairy tale come to life. The book is filled with love, recipes and Italian culture. The fear of taking a chance at a dream keeps many from following their heart, but this author took hold of what she wanted and filled her life with passion. What an inspiring read!

Sheryl Ness pens this story so well, I felt like I walked the cobblestone streets, met the people within the small Italian village of San Gusme, and discovered the glorious food right along with her. But the best part of the book is the love story.

The sweet emotions shared between her and Vincenzo while they fall in love is charming. I will let you delve into that part of the story yourself. I also loved the colorful characters who resided in this village tucked away in the hills of Tuscany. The photographs were a nice surprise too. However, every scene was so well described, I already pictured it.

There are some recipes tucked lovingly within the pages of this book, and I can’t wait to sample them. The lemon cream one will be the first one I attempt to make.

The inspirational story will make anyone want to follow their innermost dream. Not only is this author a brave soul, she is an amazing storyteller.

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Great descriptions that make you feel as though you are there. The author can make even mundane, everyday experiences seem magical. There are also a load of good recipes.

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This is a charming book that transports the reader to all the indulgence of Italy without the cost . This is truly enjoyable armchair travel. I wish this book would be made into a movie it is so wonderful.
This is remarkably different because it is a true story. A story of embracing the food, culture and love of a new country. The author has so well developed this lovely story that the reader is instantly involved in her story. As she falls in love with a Italian chef over his chocolate cake and then his family, the aromas, taste and culture of Italy are in the forefront of this remarkable story. The characters are pure Italian small town fun as each adds their own special brand of Italian culture to the story. The love story is sweet and not overdone. A very enjoyable read.

I received a ARC from the publisher for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this book.

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I remember the first time I saw the rolling hills of Tuscany on a bus to San Gimignano. Sun, olive groves, and perfect fields as far as the eye could see. I fell in love immediately. 8 years later, I'm about to leave for my honeymoon in Tuscany in a couple of months, and I came across this book on Netgalley, which is like every one of my fantasies come to life.

Sheryl Ness captures what it's like to fall in love with this beautiful land, but with the added twist of also falling in love with an Italian chef in the process. She has a love story fit for a Hollywood movie. She set aside her conventional life in the US for a sabbatical in Tuscany, and while asking a small town chef for his hot chocolate cake recipe, she made a connection that would turn into a passionate romance and a happy marriage. It's the stuff of dreams, but it's also her real life. What a lucky lady!

She documents it all, from her start as a nurse in Minnesota to her new life as a chef's wife in a tiny town in Chianti. Sprinkled throughout are authentic Tuscan recipes from her husband, her mother-in-law, and various other important people that she encountered along the way. There are recipes for an authentic Tuscan ragu, gnocchi, her husband's famous celebration cake, pizzelle, and of course, the hot chocolate cakes that started it all.

The focal point, however, is her story, which she writes in great detail. You almost feel like you're in her tiny Italian apartment with her. Her writing is unfussy and approachable, as if you're reading a letter that a friend wrote you. I'd say it sometimes goes into too much detail, to the point where I was skipping through pages to get to the good stuff (like how she met her husband!), but if you want to know every detail about her in-law's house in Abruzzo or her neighbors downstairs, it's all in there.

While the recipes are delightfully authentic and show up on the menus of trattorias throughout Tuscany, I really wish they weren't printed in the book on faux "hand-written" recipe cards. With the e-book format that I read, it was very difficult to make out the writing, and I wish they had just typed out the recipes the regular way. Also, there really needed to be more pictures besides the rare little ones provided. I understand that the romance novel aspect of this book doesn't necessitate pictures, but her descriptions of San Gusme were so vivid that I wished I could see it myself.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It captures a lot of the romance of flinging yourself into a new adventure and a new love, while also accurately depicting the humble, warm, down-to-earth spirit of Tuscany. Give it as a gift to your friend after he/she comes back from their Tuscan trip. It'll be a book that I'm sure to go back to and cook from as well.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

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I chose this book because I love Tuscany and I wasn't disappointed. While not a traditional author, the book was well written. I loved the
descriptions of the people, food, smells, customs, and sights of Italy. Her story was interesting and flowed very well. It has some awesome recipes that I will certainty try! Glad I went on a limb and tried her book!

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I really enjoyed this book. The description of Tuscan were lovely and realistic (I'm Italian) and the recipes yummy.
It's recommended!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Concierge Marketing

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A fun and tasty reading adventure. The story of Sheryl, a woman from Minnesota, who decides to visit Italy, and finds a warm and wonderful people. Meeting Vincenzo, a local chef, she also finds her soulmate, and they start their life together. I really enjoyed reading this story, and the recipes look delicious, and meeting the many people introduced to the reader. I like the idea that Sheryl's teacher gave of writing down a goal, and speaking about it to make it more real. I will have to try that. I usually read fiction, so this was a different read, but highly recommend this book and author. Hard to put down, and looking forward to getting the ingredients to make fig jam.

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This is a heart warming book bursting with the sights, smells and tastes of Italy. The best thing is that it is based on real life experience and love. I liked Sheryl very much and all her family and friends, and her life in Italy is like a fairy tale for real people. It isn't bursting with adventure and drama, just passionate tastes, smells, friendships and dreams of a beautiful place far away. Thank you it was a lovely visit to a wonderful place and life.

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The title attracted me to this delightful book, next was the mention of romance and then food! A truly lovely story of a woman’s journey to the love of her life. Her writing style was so mesmerising, her descriptions of the places she visited made me feel I was there. It was like reading a private diary sharing her most precious memories.
The recipes sound delicious, I hope to try some soon, especially the hot chocolate ‘love’ cake plus, many others. This is a inspirational story, telling us, you can do whatever you want, you just need to believe in yourself. Wonderful, a must read.

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This book takes place in Tuscany and even though I've never been to Italy, I feel like i know a lot more about it than I did. Descriptives of the scenery, food, the love story ... what a beautiful written story!! Thank you for this complimentary copy from Concierge Marketing Inc through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I enjoyed this book. The descriptions of Tuscany were beautiful and evocative, and I could tell that the author had deep ties to the area. The recipes sound delicious, although the way they are formatted in the book makes them hard to read.

Thanks to Tuscan Dreams LLC and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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A personal account of the author's travels to the Tuscan region of Italy with the subsequent falling in love and marrying an Italian Chef. The book is well written and descriptive evoking the flavours and aromas of Italy through it's food of the region. Also the descriptions of Tuscany do the area justice and there are plenty of travel tips of places and restaurants to visit plus producers of local produce. The book is interspersed with photos which are presented in a postcard form and recipes which are charmingly presented, handwritten as though torn from a notebook. The recipes are usually from the area and often in the originator's head, in particular a local woman's soup recipe, and would be adapted to fit around the seasons so ever fluid in their content which is how recipes develop. The recipes are also adapted for the American market with cups and things which outside Europe are a bit of a mystery. There is a little repetition in the book, for example, the layout of the restaurant where her husband was the chef, why the walls around this hilltop village are ruined in one place and not repaired to name a couple that come to mind. Overall an easy read and hope this book makes the shelves in the UK as I can think of a few people who would appreciate it.

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