Monday 7 March 2016

The Cosy Teashop in the Castle - Caroline Roberts


Can Ellie bake her way to a happy ever after? A deliciously heartwarming novel for fans of Lucy Diamond and Milly Johnson.
When Ellie Hall lands her dream job running the little teashop in the beautiful but crumbling Claverham Castle, it’s the perfect escape from her humdrum job in the city. Life is definitely on the rise as Ellie replaces spreadsheets for scones, and continues her Nanna’s brilliant baking legacy.
When Lord Henry, the stick-in-the-mud owner, threatens to burst her baking bubble with his old-fashioned ways, Ellie wonders if she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But cupcake by cupcake she wins the locals over, including teashop stalwart, Doris, and Ellie’s showstopping bakes look set to go down in castle history!
Now all that’s missing in Ellie’s life is a slice of romance – can Joe, the brooding estate manager, be the one to put the cherry on the top of Ellie’s dream?

What did I think?

As soon as I realised this was set in Northumberland I couldn't wait to read it and quickly bumped it up to the top of my reading pile.  It is absolutely jam-packed with Northern-isms from our unrivalled hospitality to the famous cup of tea before bed (us Northerners don't pay any attention to caffeine).  Cosy is the right word for this book, it is so warm and lovely, wrapping the reader in a huge hug that they never want to be released from.  

Ellie is a great character, taking a risk and following her dream with the help of Nanna Beryl's old Be-Ro recipe book - I think every house had one in the 70's, and we've still got ours.  I could almost smell the scones cooking and I drooled over the wonderful sounding choffee cake, emitting a squeal of delight when I spotted the recipe in the back of the book.

Not content with just drooling over the cakes, we have hunky Joe to keep our pulses racing.  He's dark and moody at first but you just know he's got a heart of gold underneath those pecs of steel.  As their courtship began, I crossed my fingers and hoped that Ellie could scale his battlements and become Queen of his castle.

Lots of laughs and lots of fun, The Cosy Teashop in the Castle is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and melt even the coldest heart.  The famous Northern hospitality is described so perfectly and warmly; it is pure escapism into the wilds of Northumberland and I can't think of a better place to escape to.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Harper Impulse, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:





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