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Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

Happy Friday Guys :)


We're near the end of another beautiful week, and I'm feeling so blessed to be here once again to share a new book review with all you guys during my all time favorite season.


It seems so often we get caught up in the day to day problems, and negativity, and we often forget to reflect on the many blessings surrounding us each day.


One such blessing for me is the close relationship I share with my older sister. Of course throughout the years we've had our fights like most siblings have, but I've been blessed to be able to call her one of my best friends ever since we were young kids.


One of the main reasons that Lizzy and Jane appealed to me in the first place was the fact that its primary focus is the relationship between two adult sisters, in an Austen inspired tale.


I found myself really loving this beautiful story about redemption, God's healing grace, and finding your place in the family dynamic.


Even though my sister and I have been blessed to never share the tension filled relationship that Elizabeth and Jane have grown up with in the story, I still loved it, and found myself able to relate to a lot of the struggles facing both sisters in this dynamic story by best selling author Katherine Reay.


Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay:



Source: Christmas gift from my hubby

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: October 28th, 2014


Synopsis:

Lizzy and Jane never saw eye to eye. But when illness brings them together, they discover they may be more like Austen’s famous sisters after all.

Lizzy was only a teenager when her mother died of cancer. Shortly after, Lizzy fled from her home, her family, and her cherished nickname. After working tirelessly to hone her gift of creating magic in the kitchen, Elizabeth has climbed the culinary ladder to become the head chef of her own New York restaurant, Feast. But as her magic begins to elude her, Paul, Feast’s financial backer, brings in someone to share her responsibilities and her kitchen. So Elizabeth flees again.

In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her gift, Elizabeth returns home. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her estranged sister, Jane, is battling cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past.

As she tends to Jane's needs, Elizabeth's powers begin to return to her, along with the family she left behind so long ago. Then Paul tries to entice her back to New York, and she is faced with a hard decision: stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane, or return to New York and the life she worked so hard to create?



My Review:

Lizzy and Jane was a highly anticipated read for me, about two sisters who've lost all sense of their relationship after their mother's passing, and the varying ways they dealt with their grief. Jane's married with two children, and is content running her own small business, and taking care of her family. Elizabeth, or Lizzy as she was called during her younger years, is the head chef at a successful restaurant in New York City. Neither of them really takes the time for each other, but sometimes circumstances arrive that can change a situation's perspective. Jane is diagnosed with cancer, and Elizabeth is struggling to perform properly in her kitchen. Both are going through a crossroads, and unbeknownst to the two of them, God may be well on his way to using these circumstances to bring these two estranged sisters back together.


I loved how first and foremost, Lizzy and Jane is a novel about the complex relationship between two adult sisters. While the developing romance between Elizabeth and Nick was beautiful, and a lovely addition to the story, the primary focus is definitely on the relationship between the sisters themselves. Both are wary to trust the other, and both are quick to jump on the defense where the other's concerned. Their relationship has been broken for so long, that fixing it is not going to be an easy task, and Katherine Reay definitely does an amazing job of demonstrating this to the reader. This is without a doubt an emotional story, and it's not the type of situation where the character's find an easy resolution to their problems. 

Cancer is a disease that I'm sure has affected almost every family in some way or the other, and that's definitely true in my case. We lost my beloved maternal grandmother to this horrible disease back in 98, when I was still a young elementary student, and the memories of those awful days have stayed with me ever since. Cancer is a catalyst that often brings about many tensions in other areas of a family's life, and that is definitely demonstrated colorfully here. While Jane may be the one going through the disease itself, the trials and struggles are felt by everyone around her who's watching, and unable to do anything to fix the problem.


Lizzy takes it upon herself to try and get Jane to eat, and takes it personally when none of the flavor enriched foods she creates appeal to Jane's delicate stomach. However, this inspires her to dig deeper, and find a way to create dishes that will appeal to her sister's changed taste buds, and in the process, she's able to finally start to understand the older sister who's been absent for so much of her life.


Toss in Lizzy's budding romance with Jane's friend Nick, Nick's adorable little son Matt who's quick to steal Lizzy's heart, Jane's husband and children, and the cancer ward nurse, Cecilia who's determined to take care of all of her patients, and you have an amazing story that will resonate with anyone who's ever been touched by cancer in any way, shape or form, or anyone who understands the dynamic complexities that often exist in relationships between sisters. Katherine Reay has written a beautiful novel promoting redemption, second chances, and how God always has a plan ready for us to, if only we're willing to jump in, trust him, and take it.


I gave this emotional story five out of five stars, and it is a highly recommended read from me.



Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you all have a great weekend!



This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners. 


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