ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Vegan Recipes for New Age Men by Liz Treacher
Vegan Recipes for New Age Men by Liz Treacher is available now in paperback and eBook. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy for review.
A fast-paced romcom about finding yourself.
Lauren really, really needs a break. There’s just one problem: a bearded bohemian is squatting in her Highland cottage by the sea, performing reiki on her plants and cluttering the fridge with strange ingredients. What on earth is aquafaba, anyway?
When her busybody granny turns up to crash her much-needed holiday, along with Lauren’s boyfriend Patrick – who really is perfect for her, by the way – things get even worse.
As her life begins to unravel, Lauren is forced to confront the ghosts lurking under the surface of her idyllic Scottish retreat. But with a skilled hand in the kitchen and a heartfelt recipe or two, she might discover that things are not always as they seem. And that maybe – just maybe – chickpeas aren’t so bad after all.
I’ve now read all four of Liz Treacher’s books and I consider myself a fan. Vegan Recipes for New Age Men is my favourite of them all.
Lauren is a proofreader with an uptight boyfriend. She has a lovely cottage in the Scottish Highlands that she rents out. Needing a break she heads there whilst it’s unrented only to find her last tenant, scruffy hippy type Nash, is still there. In a version of the ‘one bed, two enemies’ trope, she finds herself sharing the cottage with him (and later her granny), and although things become a little chaotic at times, it is ultimately just what Lauren needs.
One thing I have come to expect with Treacher’s books is dry humour and it’s here again in spades. I found it very amusing and giggled quite a bit, but there’s also an underlying depth to it that crept up on me as the story progressed. For a short book (under 200 pages) it packs a full story in and I loved every minute I spent reading it.
I had a bit of a soft spot for Nash with his strange vegan recipes. There’s a note at the beginning saying not to take them too seriously which is a shame as my mouth was starting to water. I liked his bumbling nature and his perceptive personality.
This is a quirky, funny and astute book with brilliant characters and a storyline to savour. I loved the setting too – it’s described beautifully (the author’s home turf) and reminded me of the peace and tranquillity of my own visits to the Scottish Highlands. Vegan Recipes for New Age Men is a fantastic read.
Liz is a writer and creative writing tutor. She lives in the Scottish Highlands by the sea.
Liz was drawn to writing after she discovered a tiny suitcase belonging to her grandmother. It was tied up with gingham ribbon and full of letters sent by two soldiers on their way to the First World War. The cheerful tone of the soldiers and the way their letters seemed to conceal more than they revealed inspired Liz’s first novel, ‘The Wrong Envelope.’ She has since written a sequel, ‘The Wrong Direction’ and a darker, contemporary novel, ‘The Unravelling’. Her latest novel, Vegan Recipes for New Age Men is a romantic comedy about a precise proofreader and a bearded bohemian.
For more information visit: www.liztreacher.com
Follow on Twitter: @liztreacher
Facebook: @LizTreacherAuthor
Instagram: @liztreacherauthor
