Book Review: Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe

Author: Jenny Colgan

Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Series: Meet Me at the Cupcake Café # 1

Having grown up in an apartment above her Grandpa Joe's little bakery, Issy Randal has always known how to make something sweet. She's much better at baking than she is at filing, so when she's laid off from her desk job, Issy decides to open up her own little cafe. But she soon learns that her piece-of-cake plan will take all her courage and confectionary talent to avert disaster. Funny and sharp, Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe is about how life might not always taste like what you expect, but there's always room for dessert!

The trick was to balance out the flavor so it wasn’t too tart or too sweet, just perfect…She noted down the exact combination of ingredients that would give just a delicate edge in the mouth.

Issy had spent most of her childhood in the bakery, watching Gramps as he manfully beat the dough or delicately shaped the lightest, most mouth-melting filigree cakes and pies.

Issy had spent countless hours doing her homework under the great Cable Street ovens, absorbing through her pores the time and skill and care of a great baker.

Issy Randall has just lost her job at the real estate agency where she works and now she is looking for other types of employment. At a loss for words and what she will do next, Issy thinks back to her time in her grandfather’s bakeries. She remembers the smells, the smiles, the people, and the to-die-for delicacies that he served there. After talking with her grandfather and reflecting on some of his old recipes, she decides to open up her very own cupcake shop. Of course, Issy doesn’t get off the ground as easily as she first hoped to, but isn’t half the fun of the ride the journey that it takes to get there?!

 

I love reading anything that has to do with food, of any kind. Dessert makes it even better. The recipes that followed the chapters were a very nice touch that only improved my reading experience. Issy’s life and decisions in her new career were charming enough, but being beside her and she talked about all the delicious creams and cakes that she wanted to prepare made this book even more enjoyable. Of course, we can all tell by my blog that I am a HUGE fan of cupcakes!

 

What I loved most about this book was Issy’s passion! She loved what she did, as a baker, and while she was in her shop and in the kitchen I was really able to get to know her better as a character. I especially loved the moments when Issy ventured back to her childhood and started to remember what drew her to the kitchen and baking in the first place. Issy is the perfect character to take this journey with!

 

If you love books about quaint, charming cafes, then please do yourself a huge favor and get lost in this book!

 

***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for my honest review***