Books,  Women's Fiction

Book Review – A Year At Castle Court – Holly Hepburn

A Year At Castle Court – Holly Hepburn

Genre: Women’s Fiction/ Contemporary Romance

Published: December 27th 2018 by Simon & Schuster UK

Swathi’s Rating: 4/5

Verdict: A fresh, Light-hearted, uplifting feel-good story that puts a smile on your face.

 

Just finished reading this wonderful book last night and I wanted to share my experience with you ASAP! Guys, this book is so cute that I wish it were real. Read along the plot to know what I am rambling about!


Plot:

Sadie is a single mum, nursing a broken heart. Her best friend from childhood, Cat, is burned out from working long hours as a chef in Paris. In need of a change, they decide to invest in their dream – running their own handmade biscuit shop in gorgeous Castle Court, a three-storey food court tucked away behind Chester’s bustling streets.

They soon discover that Castle Court has its own community – a little haven of delight against the stresses of the outside world. But not everyone welcomes the new business; the patisserie owner is less than pleased by what she sees as direct competition and Greg, who runs the fancy bistro that dominates one end of the courtyard, doesn’t think Sadie and Cat have the talent or business acumen to succeed. Luckily, there’s support in the form of the delectable Jaren, who owns the Dutch waffle house opposite Smart Cookies, and Swiss chocolate-shop owner, Elin. And if all else fails, the friends can drown their sorrows in Seb‘s cocktail bar on the third floor!


Author Bio:

I’ve wanted to write books for adults for as long as I can remember but I was too scared to try. One day I decided to be brave and dipped a toe into the bubble bath of romantic comedy with my first novella, Cupidity, and I’ve never looked back. I often try to be funny to be funny, except for when faced with traffic wardens and border control staff. My favourite thing is making people smile.

I’ve tried many jobs over the years, from barmaid to market researcher and I even had a brief flirtation with modelling. These days I am mostly found writing.

I live near London with my grey tabby cat, Portia. We both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite.

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Swathi’s Review:

This lovely book kept me smiling all along and I love it when a book does that. It also made me hungry and craving for biscuits, pancakes and anything edible! Here are a few highlights from the book.

Plot:
Saddie Smart and Cat Garcia are best friends from school who dream about running their own shop one day in future. Now, after all those years, they’ve worked really hard to open up this really cute biscuit shop called ‘Smart Cookies’ on the busy food bazaar of Castle Court.
Their journey through the first year at Castle Court is told in a spellbinding, surreal and uplifting manner in this cute little book!

Characters:
The main characters are of course Sadie and Cat.

Sadie has a cute 10 year old who loved Dinosaurs and a sociopathic husband who cheats on her and tries to control everything in her life. His character is instantly resentable. Sadie is an artist and an expert in icing biscuits!

Cat Garcia is a talented chef who ran a Michelin star restaurant in Paris. She thrives under pressure and a perfectionist when it comes to cooking! She’s a definite catch in Castle Court waiting to be smitten by the men of area.

Adam is a beekeeper and a constant supplier of organic honey to the shops of Castle Court. There is instant chemistry between him and Sadie. you’ll have to read along to know what happens between the two. wink wink.

Jaren is the owner of Let’s Go Dutch pancake shop and a very handsome looking Dutchman himself. Chemistry between him and Cat is inevitable and you’ll have to wait to know the rest!

Andrew and Earl, Erin, Seb are other shop owners around Castle Court whose portrayal is done beautifully, that I felt I have known them for ages.

Narration:
The narration is spectacular teleporting the readers to the world of Castle Court right from the very first page. One could learn a lot about baking and icing biscuits to the level of perfection. Also about beekeeping!

Final Thoughts:

I had a fantastic time reading and experience Castle Court and wish I were there in real. Thank you Simon and Schuster UK for this cute bundle of happiness.

All opinions are solely mine and they’re unbiased.

 

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