The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe...Review

About the book:
A high-powered Manhattan attorney finds love, purpose, and the promise of a simpler life in her grandmother's hometown.

Ellen Branford is going to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish--to find the hometown boy she once loved, and give him her last letter. Ellen leaves Manhattan and her Kennedy-esque fiance for Beacon, Maine. What should be a one-day trip is quickly complicated when she almost drowns in the chilly bay and is saved by a local carpenter. The rescue turns Ellen into something of a local celebrity, which may or may not help her unravel the past her grandmother labored to keep hidden. As she learns about her grandmother and herself, it becomes clear that a 24-hour visit to Beacon may never be enough. The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe is a warm and delicious debut about the power of a simpler life.

This book has languished in my TBR stack for a year.  Literally.  For some reason, I kept passing it over. Weird, since I adored the title and had looked forward to reading it.  This last week, at last, I picked it up. Perhaps it finally spoke to me.  I don't know.  I do know that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I liked Ellen, although I found some of her antics and choices questionable.  I never liked her mom or Hayden, but I don't think I was supposed to.  Loved  Roy and the quirky townspeople in Beacon. I wish the actual Bakeshop figured more prominently in the story and I really wished for more of Ruth's perspective in addition to what we saw of Chet's.  And, for a first person perspective, which I normally don't like, the narrative was quite fleshed out and developed. So many first person narratives are shallow and this wasn't.

The story should have been predictable and, in some ways, it was.  But, it was more than that.  Ellen's journey to deliver the letter and the people she meets was humorous and heartwarming.  I loved Ellen's progression and how the search for her grandmother's story helped her to discover what she wanted from life.

I do wish a recipe for the blueberry muffins had been included.

Thanks to Little Brown for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Mary Simses here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 7/14

****
4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I've had my eye on this one. It sounds cozy and I enjoy quirky characters. Thanks for the review!

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  2. I like the sound of this one. I love quirky characters and the premise of the book.

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  3. I've just read a book that's been on my eReader for ages, I don't know why I kept putting it off, it's funny how that happens isn't it!
    Glad you enjoyed this book, I love the cover.

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