The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews

Yesterday was the release of The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews and what better way to celebrate the launch of this deliciously good book but with the worlds first edible garden!

I couldn't miss out on this event I have wanted to meet Carole for so long now so this was a perfect opportunity to meet the lovely lady herself as well as get my book signed and then get lost in the garden of cake.

Cake + Carole + Book = HEAVEN!

The sun was shining and the crowds began to gather to take a look at the detail that had gone into creating the garden which took 450 hours to create and was crafted by cake designer Rosalind Miller. It was great to see so many members of the public coming over to see what it was all about and so many of them walked away with a copy of the fabulous book too.

I had such a wonderful afternoon and was so pleased to meet Carole who kindly signed my book too.

The Cake Shop in the Garden is out NOW!

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?

MY REVIEW

I have had book hangover for a week after finishing a great book and I have picked up four books since that I haven't managed to settle into so I needed to read a book from one of my lovable reliable authors to get me out of this slump and get my reading mojo back so I decided to read The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews which I have been so excited about reading. A book by one of my favourite authors and it features cake........ Perfection!

When Fay becomes a full time carer to her mum she needs work to pay the bills but she needs to find something that she can do that means she can still be at home full time so she opens up her own cake shop in the garden of their home. The business is a success thanks to the help of her Latvian assistant Lija and things seem to be plodding along until something tragic happens that could mean Fay is set to have everything turned upside down.

Oh Carole Matthews you have done it again! This was such a gentle, charming read that had me entranced from start to finish so I ended up reading in one sitting. Our main character Fay is such a loving, caring and selfless character who is very passionate about her work and loves to be by the canal. At times I wanted to give her a good shake when she let people take advantage of her but it was her gentle nature that I loved and it is the characters who abused this that really needed a good shaking! I loved the feisty character Lija, she was a very loyal as stint as well as a friend to Fay and she brings a nice little touch of wit to the storyline.

I loved the setting of this book, set on the Grand Union Canal which is something that is completely new to me but that has now really sparked my interest, it really seemed like a welcoming and tranquil place to be and I wish I could have been on The Dreamcatcher whilst reading this book!

This was a light read with a great mix of characters, a splash of romance, a pinch of humour, and an idyllic setting. This is another one to add to my long list of favourite by this talented author.

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