Author: Carole Matthews
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: 23rd April 2015
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780751552157
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon
Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones, while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. Looking after the cake shop, the garden and her cantankerous mother means Fay is always busy but she accepts her responsibilities because if she doesn't do all this, who will?
Then Danny Wilde walks into her life and makes Fay question every decision she's ever made.
When a sudden tragedy strikes, Fay's entire world is thrown off balance even further and she doesn't know which way to turn. Can Fay find the strength to make a life-changing decision - even if it means giving up the thing she loves the most? Life, love and family are about to collide in The Cake Shop in the Garden.
The Cake Shop in the Garden was once again another book from Carole Matthews that I devoured in just a couple of days.
Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden along the canal. I enjoyed visualising this but found myself wishing for more description, especially of the cakes themselves. Looking after the cake shop, the garden and her mother means Fay barely has any time for herself, and she has almost resigned herself to the fact that this is her lot in life. It took me a while to really start to like Fay, I felt a little bit sorry for her in the beginning yet despite this I wanted to read on and discover what her journey throughout the book would be like. Especially when Danny Wilde walks into her life and despite the schoolgirl attraction she felt towards him, it was a relationship that had me intrigued.
It's incredibly difficult to discuss the book in detail, there were characters that I really disliked, yet I can't fully explain why without ruining it! But Fay's mother and sister were definitely two that annoyed me more than most, with certain things making a lot of sense as the book progressed. Carole Matthews writes stories that get you completely involved and have you really caring about the characters that she creates. I did really want to shout at Fay to get a grip most of the time though with the way she was behaving and letting these people treat her. There were some really touching moments throughout the story thanks to Lija, Fay's, shall we say, unique assistant and a wonderful elderly gentleman by the name of Stan.
I find myself reading these books that teach you to grab life with both hands while you can, to enjoy your life and perhaps take those risks that in the past you have been too afraid to take and telling myself that I will take them as well (still waiting!). The Cake Shop in the Garden is one of those books, with a number of little twists throughout, and secrets and revelations that I failed to see coming, it's certainly an eventful read with a lot packed in before the wonderful conclusion that readers have come to expect from Carole and fans old and new will no doubt love this book too, so I have no hesitation in recommending it. I also hope Carole returns to these characters in the future, as I would love to read about them again.
4/5
Her sister and 'mother' are incredibly annoying but the rest of the book is AMAZING!
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