Seren leads an enjoyable but narrow existence as the cook and caretaker of a day centre for the elderly in Pickering, on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. This is a popular tourist spot because of the steam train that runs to Whitby on the coast. She has a problem with going anywhere she does not know as she fears getting lost, but has no idea why.
Ned arrives at the centre as handyman and minibus driver. Seren is drawn to him, but thinks he is hiding something about his past. They both have issues to work through, but first have to open up and share their problems. This is only the beginning, as they both know there is no instant cure, but with each other’s help and understanding they may just begin to move forwards into a happier future together. Jane Lovering treads a fine line between light-hearted humour and serious mental health issues – Seren and Ned’s problems are not trivialised but treated realistically.
I’m not a dog person, but Kez is a wonderful addition to the story, an intelligent and intuitive collie who makes such a difference to Seren’s life. Without giving away too much, my favourite scene is the Open Day. Take my word for it, it will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye all at the same time. The characters are well drawn and believable, though I did get a bit confused at first as to who was who, and the Yorkshire setting lifts the story to another level. I am a big fan of Jane Lovering’s books and always look forward to the next one. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

Really charming story, gorgeous setting, very well written, flowed well, great characters that i could really connect too, and it was a lovely read.

Award-winning author Jane Lovering is at her charming and poignant best with her latest novel, The Recipe for Happiness.

Seren finds herself having to take a long, hard look at herself when she is rejected by a dating agency. Yorkshire Dating had informed her that before they find her a match, she must first get some life experience and the thirty-something divorcee concedes that they might have a point. An introvert who is at her happiest at home, Seren’s life revolves around her job at an elder day centre and her tiny flat. She doesn’t have any hobbies and friends are few and far between. The time has come for Seren to stop hiding in the shadows and to step out into the light – and luckily for her, her colleague Ned and his gorgeous collie, Kez are keen to offer her a helping hand.

As Seren and Ned grow closer and closer, she realises that she needs to be honest with him – and with herself. Seren needs to face her fears and take a leap of faith and give herself a chance to be happy – even if it means facing up to some uncomfortable truths and harsh realities about her life and her past. Can Seren ever lead a fulfilling life? Will she at long last have the life she has always deserved? Or will her newfound confidence and happiness be snatched away from her grasp just when she thought she had it all figured out?

The fabulous Jane Lovering always delivers a magical tale that will make her readers laugh and cry in equal measure. The Recipe for Happiness is a stellar read that touched my heart and had me roaring with laughter. Written with candour, sensitivity and plenty of heart, The Recipe for Happiness is a terrific novel about finding your voice, healing from old wounds and becoming the person you were always meant to be that ticks all the right boxes and left me feeling hopeful and uplifted.

Jane Lovering is such a wonderful writer and with The Recipe for Happiness has once again penned a first-rate book that is simply outstanding.

Seren is content in her routine life, overseeing a senior care center and living in an apartment just above it. Despite her satisfaction, her newly-wedded brother, Andrew, believes she's missing out on life. He nudges her into unfamiliar territories, from online dating to playing Dungeons & Dragons, and even persuading her to aid in dog training. Through interactions with Ned, a new employee, and Kez, a dog she's hesitantly looking after, Seren gradually steps out of her bubble. Her discomfort makes her reflect on her past and what might have held her back.

The story is a heartwarming journey of hope, promoting messages of acceptance and inclusivity. It features a diverse set of characters, each with their unique challenges, transcending age, gender, and background. Having grown up under her brother's care after their parents' passing, Seren has always kept herself guarded. Yet, with Ned's support, who has battles of his own, and Kez's unwavering loyalty, they find healing, rekindling a zest for life and love. Their story unfolds within a vibrant community, emphasizing the healing power of companionship and second chances at happiness.

The Recipe for Happiness follows Seren, 30-something divorcee and cook at the local elderly centre, on her journey to 'get a life', after realising her safe and contained life isn't as full as she once thought.

Seren reminded me of me during the 2020 lockdowns; afraid of the world and the people in it. Due to this, seeing her personal journey into a more confident Seren made me happy as I feel it mirrored my own personal journey into the happier, healthier version of myself that I am now. The one who doesn't let anxiety control her. I was also a big fan of Ned, the fae-like love interest, and the way he pulls Seren out of her shell. He is simply lovely, and I think they are perfectly matched.

Overall, I adored this book and the way it made me feel. Even whilst dealing with difficult topics, it managed to put a positive spin on it that made this an all-round cheery book. There were even recipes interspersed between random chapters, which I definitely want to try out! The only negative I could give about this book is that the ending seemed..abrupt almost? It was nice, but I could have done with an epilogue.

This was a very sweet read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the setting and its the sort of book you can read on a perfect summer's day. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A lovely read.
Serans brother Andrew doesn’t think that she’s living life to the full and signs her up to a dating agency. Seran lives above the elderly care centre in a little flat where she works as a cook. She’s never particularly liked going out much especially to strange places. She ends up temporarily looking after a clever collie called Kez. This means she has to take him out for walks.
A new colleague, Ned, tries to get to know Seran better and to help her with her anxieties. She only seems to feel truly safe at home. This means she will have to face her fears and will need to find out the real reason why she doesn’t feel safe away from home,
Is Seran able to face her fears? Can she get though all this with the help of new friends and family?

Seren works at an adult daycare, cooking and caring for the residents who arrive daily. She lives above the daycare center and considers herself content with her job, her home and her single life. Her brother, Andrew, wanting more for Seren, signs her up on a dating website. The website encourages Seren to add activities to her life to make herself more interesting, leading Andrew to sign Seren up to help with a dog training class. Seren ends up with a dog named Kez, that she has to keep hidden at the Daycare Center. And then there's Ned, who works at the center with Seren. Quiet, seemingly content, Seren thinks Ned is hiding something.

This is a lovely book filled with good people and a very funny dog. I loved Seren's imagination as she tries to figure out Ned's secret and I thoroughly enjoyed how she presented recipes throughout the book, Her care and concern for the senior citizens at the daycare center is wonderful.

This is a heartwarming book with lots of fun and laughter to be had whilst dealing with emotions! Great to read, I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun book. I enjoyed it from the very first page.

I love a Jane Lovering book, she writes so wonderfully about real lives, relatable characters and situations. They are full of humour, as well as serious issues too but always the perfect balance so drama/sadness and joy/humour. Jane has her own unique style, one that I find full of heart, emotion, so engaging and enjoyable her books are just full of love.

I loved the characters, both Seren and Ned are interesting, vulnerable characters, with their past experiences I think are a lot stronger than they think they are, revelations with all good storytelling takes time but the charm, heart, warmth, charisma of both characters shines through as the story is told, they make a wonderful heroine/hero pairing. Like all good lead characters they need a great supporting cast which is definitely more than offered here but the star of that role is definitely, Kez, you’ll have to read to meet him and fall in love too.

I really liked the inclusion of the recipes threaded throughout the book, full of Seren’s humour I thought they were a nice touch. The setting of Yorkshire is perfectly described byJane, so much so you feel like if you stepped outside your door you’d be there (of course in you live there that’s a given!) This is a thoroughly heartwarming read, full of emotion, humour, great characters, dogs, romance, community, I’m not sure what else I can say that will make you run to read this, but you’ll be all the better for it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am particularly drawn to books set in the English countryside but I must say this had everything you could want in a story love, family, community and a furbaby named Kez…

When Seren’s brother Andrew signs her up to Yorkshire Dating, only for them to recommend that she ‘gets a life’ before they find her a match, Seren has to admit that they may have a point.

This is a heartwarming story that is full of emotions and I will definitely read other books by this author.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Boldwood Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full of laugh out loud moments, this book also has some serious themes, including the pressure medical staff endured during COVID. Both Seren and Ned have experienced trauma and have been hiding away from life by not facing the past. A heartwarming read!

This is a heartwarming story that is full of emotions. It has wonderful characters but Kez, the border collie, stole the show. This book was a joy to read.
I received a complimentary copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Seren is quite happy with her current life. She cooks, cleans, and supervises a senior care/drop-in center while having a an apartment above the center free. Her brother, Andrew, who has recently wed and wants a happily-ever-after for his sister is adamant that isn’t happy. After signing her up for a dating service, he also gets her to commit to doing things outside of her comfort zone like play Dungeons & Dragons, which she has no interest in, or assisting with dog training when she’s skeptical of dogs. But between new hire, Ned, and Kez, a dog she’s reluctantly fostering, Seren begins to move outside of her comfort zone, albeit slowly. Her extreme discomfort forces her to wonder if there is something in her past that has kept her from venturing far, from living the life she deserves.

While The Recipe for Happiness is quite a bit more serious than the other Jane Lovering novels I’ve read with both main characters facing issues of gravity, the addition of the very intelligent Kez, a border collie who Seren aptly anthropomorphizes, as well as the patrons of the center help to keep the novel from being sinking into doldrums. That said, there are aspects that are sad: the acknowledgement that when one grows old, one is frequently in the way; treating dogs as disposable; the effects of covid; amongst others.

Seren is mostly upbeat and pragmatic with a wry way of looking at things. Ned is earnest and good-humored. They complement each other.

The author has interwoven recipes throughout. One stand-out is Earl Grey Scones in which the sultanas/raisins have been soaked in Earl Grey tea and a little of the soaking liquid is added to the batter. Definitely something to try.

The Recipe for Happiness is layered, thoughtful, and hopeful, and may just have recipes for happiness within its pages.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was lovely to read about Seren's new adventures and experiences, especially when you find out why she is so scared.
I love to cook, so I enjoyed reading about her job at the daycare centre and the included recipes are very welcome.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

It took me a few pages to get into this book but I am glad I carried on as it turns out to be a really great read. Loved the characters and the settings. Well worth reading. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

Seren is quite happy in her small world. She enjoys her work in a day drop in centre for the elderly in her small town. She likes living alone in the apartment above the centre. So what if she doesn't like leaving her small town? So what if she doesn't like meeting new people? So what if she hasn't had a date in years?

Seren's brother Andrew and his husband Greg have other ideas. They are trying to encourage her to meet some new people and so they force her to join their Dungeons and Dragons group which mostly consists of a group of heavy rock musicians. They also dob her in to help out a local dog trainer.

Seren is the cook at the drop in centre, and even in that she is restricted. The regular clients who visit the centre are an interesting and varied cast of characters, but they do like their meals and treats to be exactly as it always is. One day Seren puts cheese in their mashed potato and it causes an uproar.

One new employee who has recently joined the team at the centre is Ned. Seren isn't quite sure what to make of Ned. He doesn't share a lot about himself and Seren finds herself wondering about who he might be and why he is working as a driver/handyman. Where does he live? What did he do before he started working here? Is he a serial killer just out of jail? What is his secret?

When Seren goes to help out with the dog training, she suddenly finds herself with temporary custodianship of an energetic Collie called Kez. The only problem is that there isn't really room in her one bedroom apartment above the drop in centre, and her boss doesn't know and won't approve of the dog. And having a dog means that she will need to take him for walks, and all of a sudden her world is expanding piece by piece.

In order to keep Kez, Seren and Ned agree to pretend that Kez is his dog, and so in order to keep up the charade, they begin to take Kez further and further afield together. Soon Seren is beginning to learn more about Ned, and he is encouraging her to try to figure out what it is that causes her so much fear whenever she moves outside of her comfort zone, and that will mean unpicking some traumatic events from her childhood. And if she can work through some of those issues, she will be able to realise that she has some other dreams (including expanding her food dreams) that she has been holding back for far too long.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the setting of the drop in centre with the varied characters of the clients. For example, there is Tom who insists that he does not cheat at Scrabble, he just has a very large vocabulary. They can be an unruly rabble at times, something which Ned finds out to his detriment when he volunteers to take them for ice cream on a warm day. I liked the Yorkshire setting and I liked how gradually the truth about the each of the character's truths were revealed and their world slowly expanded.

There are a couple of Seren's recipes shared in the book, but they are almost written as stories. For example, one of the recipes is for "A Very Easy But Very Flash Cake" which is "For When You Have to Knock Out a Showstopper Cake For An Open Day (or birthday or even a wedding) At Short Notice". Other recipes include Proper Scnes, cottage pie and Earl Grey Tea scones.

Jane Lovering is the author of more than 30 books, many of which are set in Yorkshire. When I lived in the UK, I lived in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, so I did enjoy this aspect of the book. I just purchased another one of her books, so I expect I will read more from this author soon!

Seren is a cook at an elderly home, but she doesn’t do much else. Being rejected by a dating site says a lot about her. But soon friendships will be made and time is about healing.

This is a heartwarming read with great characters. I especially liked Kez the Border Collie. This narrative showed depth and emotion as well as growth within the characters; a novel full of friendship and hope this was a lovely read.

A delightful story with believable characters, emotion and humour, making this an engaging read. Seren lives a limited life, unsure why. She is a complex and compassionate woman. I was eager to discover her story and share her emotional journey to happiness. The cast of characters is insightfully created and recognisable, each with its unique story. Ned is a lost soul, but he and Seren connect positively, making their relationship easy to invest in. Kez, the border collie, is integral to the story, and I loved reading about Kez's exploits. This story has secrets, friendship and romance, which take the reader on a memorable emotional journey full of laughter, love and life-changing moments.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.