Book Monday: A Table By the Window

Hey everyone! How are you doing this week? I hope well.

Today I have a review of A Table By the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge.
Here's a little about the book.

"Heirloom recipes, family secrets…and a chance for love
The youngest heir to a French-Italian restaurant dynasty, food writer Juliette D’Alisa has spent her life negotiating her skill with words and her restaurant aspirations. When her brother Nico offers her a chance to open a restaurant together, she feels torn—does she really have what it takes? Should she risk leaving her journalism career?

After the death of her grandmother, Juliette discovers an antique photograph of a man who looks strikingly like her brother. As the truth behind the picture reveals romance and dark secrets, Juliette struggles to keep the mystery away from her nosy family until she can uncover the whole story.

Inspired by her grandmother’s evolving story, Juliette resolves to explore the world of online dating. To her surprise, she finds a kindred spirit in Neil McLaren, a handsome immunologist based in Memphis, Tennessee. With a long-distance relationship simmering, Juliette faces life-shifting decisions. How can she possibly choose between a promising culinary life and Neil, a man a world away in more ways than one? And is it possible her Grandmother’s story can help show the way?"

My Thoughts:

The Idea:

This story focuses on Juliette, a food writer from a food-oriented Italian/French family. When her grandma dies, she leaves behind a deep secret that Juliette wants to get to the bottom of. Then she unexpectedly enters a long-distance relationship with a man in Tennessee who is completely unlike her family. Will she choose him, or the food-writing career she has begun to dislike?

The Characters:

There is really only one main character to this story, and that is Juliette. I liked her! I was really invested in her life by the time the book was done.

The Plot:

The beginning was a little bit slow, but I was really interested in it by the ending. This has a pretty tame, slow-moving plot, but interesting nonetheless.

The Setting:

This is set in the West Coast of modern-day US. The setting fit the story, and it made the struggle even harder on Juliette when deciding what to do about her long-distance relationship.

Overall:

This was a nice, light, summer read.