Recipe for Joy by Monica Comas ~ an Audiobook Review

by Donna Huber

A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

March 2026; Brilliance Audio; 9781511380584
audio (9h 46m), ebook, print; women's fiction

I haven't read much women's fiction lately. The main character of Recipe for Joy is a little younger than the characters in the usual women's fiction I read, but she is still in her 30s. Maybe it was because of this, but I wish we had gotten to know her grandmother more before she died. 

We do get to know her a little more when there are flashbacks to when Annabelle and her sister Grace were young women in the 1950s. But in the present day, she was almost a caricature. I wonder if the author intentionally modeled her after Rose from The Golden Girls, because she reminded me greatly of that character.

We know that Belle is estranged from her sister, but we don't really know why. In a similar fashion, we don't know the exact reason why Annabelle and Grace had a falling out until near the end of the book. Though I could guess at the reason for Annabell and Grace (there were enough hints), there weren't as many clues for Bellw and Lexi. 

I think one of the reasons I wish we got to know more about Annabelle as a grandmother is that it was hard to believe the grief Belle experienced was realistic. We knew early on that she was the one who raised the girls, but we didn't see how close they remained once the girls were adults. It isn't until after her death that we are told about the weekly dinner phone dates and other things they did together. I would have liked to have been shown their relationship more.

When I read women's fiction, I know there is a portion of the book that is devoted to the main character being "unhappy." Sometimes it is a small portion of the book, maybe just the opening few chapters. And then the character decides to turn their life around or go after what will make them happy. I felt like with this book, the "unhappy" phase lasted for most of the book. And the "happy" phase, when the character figures out what they want and achieves it, was short and more of a short wrap-up - kind of like the "they lived happily ever after" ending of a fairy tale.

While I prefer an older main character when reading women's fiction, I did like Belle. There were several scenes I really liked - the farmer's market, visiting her neighbor - I liked her interactions with other characters. 

I really loved that there wasn't romance in this novel. Sure, there were a couple of potential love interests, but I was really glad that Comas didn't make coupling up the "happily ever after" for Belle. There are so few books (at least that I have found) where the main character finds happiness for herself that wasn't tied to another person. I would have loved to have read this when I was 30-something because I would have seen myself in the book. I would have been made to feel that my life choices were valid. If you are single, then you should read this book, especially if you are discouraged by all the stories that end with the main character falling in love as a means to find fulfillment.

The audiobook was easy to listen to. Alex Picard does a good job of narrating the story. There aren't a ton of characters, but each one has their own distinct voice. Even the related characters, though they sounded similar, were distinct enough to know who was who. The only drawback to listening to the audiobook is that there are several recipes at the end. I would love to try them, but dictation isn't my forte.

If women's fiction is your go-to genre for beach reading season, then this is a good book to kick off the season with. It definitely put me in the mood for more "beach reads." 

Buy Recipe for Joy at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us. Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter today! Or Follow Girl Who Reads with Bloglovin. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.