Published March 24, 2026-Lake Union Publishing-Women’s Fiction-331pp.
Book Summary
A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes in a poignant and hopeful novel about rediscovering the comfort of family in the most trying of times.
Belle Sutton is a little lost these days. She has a stalled career, a New York apartment she can’t afford, and her sister, Lexie, is more estranged with each passing year. Belle’s one true consolation is her beloved grandmother, who’s powered through her own broken family ties with a tenacious zest for life and a passion for cooking. But when her grandmother suddenly passes away, a grieving Belle feels her only connection to the past is gone forever.
That’s when Belle receives a series of letters, along with a cookbook, photographs of Belle and Lexie when they were young and happy, and her grandmother’s last wish that the sisters mend severed ties before it’s too late. For the love of Gran, a challenge is met that sets Belle and Lexie on a journey of hope, reconciliation, surprising discoveries, and the nourishing power of family, forgiveness, and tradition. All they have to do is follow the directions.
Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab
Recipe for Joy is an antidote for grief. In her debut novel Monica Comas pens a love letter to her own place of grief, honoring her beloved mother. Separated into five tasty parts, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Sweet, Savory, readers experience the emotions of estranged sisters of two generations. Descriptions and analogies transport readers from NYC to the east side of Cleveland, Gates Mills, a place “where the houses stood close like a family gathered near the road in a companionable line.”
After Gran passes, the letters, pictures, and recipes that Belle and Lexie receive, deliver a level of suspense along with heartwarming memories revealed through treasured recipes and commentary. Comas’ gut felt, spot on descriptions of emotions bubbling up truly get to the heart of the relationship between Belle and her sister.
Feelings and emotions we’ve all felt are explained through the senses of fragrant aromas from the kitchen to contrasting sights and sounds of NYC and Gates Mills. The conundrum of different men Belle meets, her self-doubt, and self-talk, make her totally relatable. Belle lost her mom when very young, and now her Gran. As a friend tells Belle, “You’re a grieving train wreck!” The letters and cookbook are meant to reconnect Lexie and Belle. But what Belle needs is a manual for putting herself back together! She must reinvent herself, find a calling and move forward! This is the compelling ingredient!
Grief folded in mystery, with heaping tablespoons of heartfelt, gut-wrenching emotions, add a wise grandmother’s love of cooking – the sublime formula for Recipe for Joy.
Monica Comas was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a master’s in journalism from New York University. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, a journalist covering stocks and the economy, and a financial editor. But fiction has always been her true love. Monica lives in New York with her husband, John, and their tiny shih tzu, Poirot. https://monicacomas.com/
The Grateful Reader 