I was on Facebook checking on some of the groups that I belong to and I came across an author who wished to find volunteers to read and write a review on her newly published book. I thought that it sounded very intriguing and I wanted to give it a whirl. I gave her my name and she gave me the honour of reading her book and I will write a review about it along with dinner. The interesting thing about this book is that it actually included recipes in it which I thought was great! I have read many other books before that have included recipes in them and have actually made several of the recipes as they usually sound delicious. I like cooking as you know!
I read a review by another acquaintance I have recently friended on Facebook and she made some of the cookies from one of the recipes at the end of the book. I think she is very much like me and likes to read and cook like I do.
One of the recipes in the book is Strawberry Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans which is one of my favourites because it’s so simple to make! When I was in the UK in January visiting my father I made him this as he had not eaten strawberries in his salad before…he loved it!
Strawberry Salad (and for the go with a med raw Barbequed Steak)
- 6 oz baby spinach leaves (Sometimes I make it with baby romaine lettuce)
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/8 of a cup of diced red onion cut very small (the tangy onion pairs well with the sweet strawberries)
- balsamic vinaigrette (I use Renee’s dressing for this salad, oh and Panera,s Raspberry dressing is great with this also)
- I sometimes make my own candied pecans or buy ones already sweet in a package….I found them in the supermarket in Niagara Falls USA as I live on the Canadian side and I shop over there often!
Put that salad with a juicy BBQ steak medium-raw that my husband barbequed outside on the grill as it was a balmy 8 degrees Celsius outside…Spring is coming… I swear!…Nevertheless my husband loves to BBQ and will do it even at at 20 below!
To drink, a beer each! This sounds like a summer meal…which we eat often when the days are warm and hazy….but it felt like spring outside and I just wanted the head start! (next week I swear it will drop down to -10 just in spite of my optimism)
So, back to my review, I was reading a book called Green Card by Elizabeth Adams. I finished it just as my husband had finished the steaks.
I felt myself in a very romantic mood after I had read Green Card and quickly sought out another romance book to read last night in bed which I will no doubt review on here later. But that said,it just goes to show that the book left me in a remarkably cheery mood as well as hungry and I did get inspired by the recipes. I made my dinner with the book in mind.
The romance story in this book is rather common but the way that Elizabeth Adams writes it makes it quite unique. It doesn’t follow the same sort of plot lines that other romance stories do with a marriage of convenience, something epic happening to one person, they run off etc., (because they are not going to tell each other their feelings scenario) or its followed by the fly across the planet and shout undying love format……no this book doesn’t do that. The main characters, Kate and Will do get married in order for Will to keep his company in the US and get his green card; however the book focuses on these two characters getting to know each other in every instance.
We are immersed right into their relationship and all the things that most people have to deal with in their daily lives from their family relationships, tensions, to their friends and figuring out all those personal boundaries. Their marriage is to be a short contract and they will try to both honour it, but the contract is over after two years when Will receives his green card. They have a great deal of time to figure each other out….like an arranged marriage (are they good or bad?). They fight, they laugh, they are leaning on each other for support, all the while their relationship moves toward a true partnership with true understanding. They come to care and gain a true love of each other.
As always, I will tell you if there are any negatives….with the story itself, no I really enjoyed it. With some of the smaller secondary characters, there were some stories lines that just went too long I thought. Also,I did find some spelling errors ex: new was written instead of knew and other similar type errors, This book is a delight to read and it will keep your romance lingering mood looking for more to read!
In my view this book gets 4 books out of 5 
It is a pleasure to welcome Austenprose reviewer Christina Boyd here today in celebration of the release of her first book, Sun-kissed, a summer-themed short story anthology. Christina has been a contributor here at Austenprose reviewing Jane Austen-inspired books for seven years. In fact, she was my first recruit to the staff in 2008. Christina has an eye for a great story and I always had a hunch that she would make a fabulous developmental editor.
pemberlypebbles 