Review: The Cake Shop in The Garden by Carole Matthews

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.

Review: I loved the premise behind this book, the story behind a little cake shop and romance of the canal and then of course there's the fact that the main character is called Miss Merryweather (great name) but I have to admit i found this novel a little tough going in the beginning and so a little slow to get into. It certainly picked up speed as it went along and was racing towards the finish line by the end, drama unfolding left right and centre. 

This is my first Carole Matthew book. I know that is rather shameful given my penchant for rom coms, but i have to say-she knows how to write a good true-to-life character. I loved the naivety that Fay Merryweather has and yet her ability to stay positive even when faced with the most dire consequences. Danny Wilde is written as the biggest hunk ever and Fay's boyfriend Anthony is such a bore it is untrue. Then there were the characters I didn't like. I wasn't a fan of Fay's family at all-I felt a bit like booking them every time they entered a scene. But I've always said that if a writer can get me hating a character, then they've done an excellent job of evoking strong feelings in me!

Whilst this may seem like an ordinary little cake shop and therefore a completely harmless novel-as I've already mentioned, drama unfold left right and centre as the book goes on. We have money issues, fidelity issues, health issues and there's the canal show as well! I felt sorry for Fay, the host of things that she had to deal with. Although I was shouting at her at points because of her naivety and inability to see the obvious in things, I was rooting for her success right until the end. 

The ending of this book was entirely satisfying, everyone got what they deserved in my eyes and people turned out not to quite be the people they may have seemed, something which is always exciting at the end of a novel! This is definitely a summer read, I don't think I'd like to be dreaming of slices of cake in the garden in the depths of winter or on a miserable autumn day, so I suggest you pick this book up to take on holiday with you or to read over the summer with a glass of Pimms!