REVIEW: One thing that has always impressed me about Kristin Harmel’s books is the extensive amount of research she puts into every story. In the end, I’m always learning something new, and with The Book of Lost Names I learned about the brave people who risked their lives to forge documents during World War II to help save thousands of Jews. How cool is that? I also enjoy Kristin’s books because she includes an element of faith in each story that simply does this old heart good. I loved taking a peek into heroine Eva’s life as a forger, and her courage and determination to help those in need was very endearing. I would happily recommend this story to everyone.

DIRECTIONS: Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the vegetable broth, cashews and potatoes and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer (not a boil), and simmer about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender and falling apart when poked with a fork. Meanwhile, run the frozen broccoli under hot water to thaw it. Chop it into smaller florets as necessary. All packages are different, so make small bite-sized florets the size you’d like for a soup. You can chop the broccoli stems off and keep them in the soup as well. Place the broccoli in a bowl and mix it with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Peel and grate the carrot into long strips. When the potatoes are tender, use a ladle to transfer everything to a blender. Add the thyme, dill, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and another ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Hold the top tight and blend everything for a minute or two until fully creamy. Pour the creamy soup back into the pot and add the broccoli and carrot. Simmer about 5 more minutes until the broccoli is cooked through. Taste and add additional salt as necessary.

(Recipe and photo courtesy of A Couple Cooks)

AUTHOR: Katherine Center

RATING: ★★★★ 

REVIEW: I was so excited to get my hands on this book because I’m a huge fan of Katherine Center. First off, the plot really intrigued me. I mean, how often do you find a romance story with the heroine working as a bodyguard instead of the hero? I thought that was so awesome, and I immediately fell in love with Hannah and Jack. Their chemistry and back-and-forth banter made me laugh out loud numerous times. The only gripe I have is Hannah not standing up for herself when people verbally criticized her - repeatedly. As a bodyguard, I expected her to knock them flat on their ass, and I wish she would have. Despite that flaw, the story itself is wonderful. If you’re a fan of romantic comedies then you should definitely add this one to your list.

Another great fall soup recipe! Enjoy!

DIRECTIONS: Dice the onion, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, drained beans, vegetable broth, smoked paprika, cumin, fennel seeds (crushing the fennel seeds with your fingers as you add them), and kosher salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve warm: leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

(Recipe and photo courtesy of A Couple Cooks)