Publisher: Orion Dash
Publication Date: 22 March 2021
Huge thanks to Annette Hannah and Rhea Kurien from Orion Dash for both inviting me to take part in the blog tour and providing a copy of the book for review.
A deliciously feelgood romance, perfect for fans of Cathy Bramley, Ali McNamara and Rebecca Raisin!
Camilla’s delicious cakes are the talk of her village. If you need a perfectly iced mouthful of joy, Camilla “Cupcake” is your woman. But after losing her mother, she finds her home and her business in jeopardy. She needs a little helping hand…
Thankfully her friends are always there for her, and when she is given an old ice cream van, Camilla’s dream of a cupcake delivery service is born. Now she can bring happiness – and buttercream frosting – to the whole town.
But when her ex Blake appears back on her doorstep, Camilla must decide if she can trust him again or if her heart might belong to someone else…
Bursting with romance and sprinkled with humour, this is a deliciously feel-good story about one woman putting her life back together, one cupcake at a time.
The Cosy Little Cupcake Van is a great follow-up to Annette Hannah’s debut novel, Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café (see my review of that book here). I loved Annette’s first book and it felt great to be returning to the Signal Box Café and catching up with some familiar characters. Although I should probably point out that, despite a few references to the earlier book, The Cosy Little Cupcake Van can be read as a standalone novel (although I would recommend you read Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café as it is utterly adorable!).
We meet protagonist, Camilla of Camilla’s Cupcakes, at a pretty low time in her life. Her beloved mother has passed away, her evil stepfather has sold the family home, Camilla’s business is in a slump and her car has been repossessed. It’s no wonder that Camilla is experiencing a crisis of confidence. When we meet her, she really is only hanging on by a thin thread. Camilla is a very real and likeable character, someone I really empathised with. She really is much stronger than she gives herself credit for, she just needs someone to remind her of that. Fortunately Auntie Edie, Lucy and Carrie are there ready to rally around.
Whilst all of the supporting cast are wonderfully appealing, Aunt Edie is probably my favourite. She is a wise older woman, almost a second mother to Camilla, and someone who can provide Camilla with a small bit of stability when her feet fall out from under her.
The village setting is perfect for this book, evoking a real sense of community as Camilla’s friends and fellow villagers help her to get back on her feet.
There has to be a soupçon of romance in a book such as this one and that comes courtesy of the hunky Irishman Ged and gorgeous ex-boyfriend Blake. With two knights-in-shining-armour at her disposal, who has captured Camilla’s heart?
The writing has a lovely relaxed but descriptive flow to it, making me feel that I was right there in the story. The only problem is that several hours of reading about Camilla’s mouth-wateringly delicious cupcakes made me reach for my recipe book. However, those additional calories were well worth it!
The Cosy Little Cupcake Van is uplifting, positive and absolutely charming. It really was the perfect antidote to a dreary winter’s day, the literary equivalent of comfort food. I’m already looking forward to book number 3.
Annette Hannah is a Liver Bird who relocated to leafy Hertfordshire in the 80’s and now lives near a river with her husband, two of their three grown up children and a crazy black cocker spaniel. She writes Romantic comedies in settings inspired by the beautiful countryside around her and always with a nod to her hometown.
She worked in Marketing for many years as a qualified Marketeer which she loved as it tapped into her creative side.
As an avid reader, she began to review the books she read, became a book blogger and eventually plucked up the courage to fulfil her lifelong dream of writing a book.
For four years she was a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s new writers’ scheme, during which time she wrote a book a year.
After signing a two-book deal with Orion Dash in 2020 she graduated to full member of the organisation and is also their Press Officer.
She loves long walks along the river, travelling to far flung places and spending time with her friends and family.
You can follow her on:
twitter @annettehannah
www.sincerelybookangels.blogspot.com
www.annettehannah.com
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Catch up with the other stops on this blog tour – details below:
The Curious Ginger Cat 