Cupcakes and Kisses in Middlewick Bay by Eliza J Scott #Review #MiddlewickBayBook5
Every night, Jasmine Ingilby dreams of delicate sugar
flowers and perfectly swirled buttercream. By day, she steals moments between
her cleaning shifts to craft stunning cakes from her tiny kitchen, hoping to
transform her passion into something more. But as a fiercely independent single
mother of two, finding time to grow her fledgling business feels like reaching
for the impossible.
Just when her hard work seems about to pay off, Jasmine’s carefully balanced world begins to crumble. Her landlord puts a ‘For Sale’ sign outside her rented home. Then a figure from her past returns to town, reopening old wounds Jasmine thought had long healed and causing trouble at school for her young children.
Then Max Grainger – her childhood best friend – unexpectedly returns to Micklewick Bay after twenty-five years away, and Jasmine is blindsided by the emotions his presence stirs. Now a successful businessman with a son of his own, Max seems determined to solve all her problems. But years of self-reliance have built walls around Jasmine's heart that even the sweetest gestures struggle to break through.
Will Jasmine's fear of getting burned again stop her from accepting help when she needs it most? Or will the loyal support of her friends help her discover the perfect recipe for love?
A heartwarming, emotional read about second chances, friendship, and finding the courage to believe in yourself, perfect for fans of Jessica Redland, Jenny Colgan, and Phillipa Ashley.
My Thoughts
This is a lovely addition to the series. It centres on Jasmine, a single mother who has to juggle so much just to keep going. You have to admire her independent spirit and her determination to do her best for her son. When her son acquires a new friend at school, she little knows how her future is going to change. You learn quite a bit about Jasmine's childhood with her close and caring family. Max, a friend from her childhood was not so lucky with his family and was neglected and bullied at school. Jasmine's bravery in standing up to the bullies shows you her strength of character and independent spirit.
Middlewick Bay is the ideal setting for this story of friendship and community. Jasmine's friends are familiar characters to anyone who has read previous books in the series and you get to catch up with their lives. They are all strongly drawn characters but loyal to each other and they champion Jasmine's ambitions. This is a warm and uplifting read, perfect for a summer read.
In short: family, friendships and second chances
About the Author
Eliza J Scott lives in North Yorkshire with her family and has wanted to be a writer as far back as she can remember. She is inspired by her beautiful surroundings and loves to write heartwarming stories based on romance and friendship with a generous dollop of community spirit and a hint of humour. She has written fifteen novels (including this one) and has been an Amazon UK Kindle bestseller.
When she’s not writing, Eliza can usually be found with her nose in a book or working in her garden doing a spot of plot wrangling (of the writing variety), and battling against the weeds. The weeds, unfortunately, are currently winning but Eliza is undeterred. Roses are amongst her favourite flowers and she doesn’t need much of an excuse to visit a plant centre, where a new rose always seems to mysteriously find its way onto her trolley much to her husband’s astonishment.
Eliza also enjoys having a catch-up with friends over tea and cake, as well as bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off by a visit to a teashop – for yet more tea and cake!
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