Alba in bookland: Corgi

Today I am sharing my review for Cathy Bramley's new book, A Vintage Summer, a sparkling summer story that's FULL of surprises!

Title: A Vintage Summer

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: March 21st 2019 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: London has not been kind to Lottie Allbright. Realising it’s time to cut and run, she packs up and moves back home – but finds her family in disarray. In need of a new place to stay, Lottie takes up the offer of a live-in job managing a local vineyard. There’s a lot to learn – she didn’t even know grapes could grow so far north!

Butterworth Wines in the rolling Derbyshire hills has always been run on love and passion but a tragic death has left everyone at a loss. Widowed Betsy is trying to keep the place afloat but is harbouring a debilitating secret. Meanwhile her handsome but interfering grandson, Jensen, is trying to convince her to sell up and move into a home.

Lottie’s determined to save Butterworth Wines, but with all this and an unpredictable English summer to deal with, it’ll be a challenge.

And that’s before she discovers something that will turn her summer – and her world – upside down...

Review: A book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight of my reading year, I absolutely adore her style and her heart-warming stories, and A Vintage Summer is no exception. Set in a vineyard in Derbyshire, this is a novel about friendship, family and love.

You can't help but fall in love with this setting but also with Lottie's bright personality and enthusiasm. She has had a rough time in London, so she is ready to go back home and find a new purpose in life. And she soon finds it in Butterworth Wines, a vineyard with a very unclear future.

In the vineyard, Lottie doesn't only find a job tough, she discovers a whole new passion and makes a whole bunch of very passionate friends. These characters were a joy to read. I loved finding out more about them and how they all had their part to make this story special.

But it was not all sunshine and laughs at the vineyard, the story also handled some more serious issues, which really touched my heart. I really cared for this characters and rooted for them.

A Vintage Summer is a beatiful story that will warm your heart. With a delightful cast of characters and a stunning setting, it is the perfect read to enjoy outside now that the warmer months are coming.

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Cathy Bramley is spoiling us this year. The lovely Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery came out earlier this year and now we have the serialized enovel A Match Made in Devon finally out as a whole. Here are my thoughts on her latest story:

Title: A Match Made in Devon

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: Published July 26th 2018 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: A Match Made in Devon was published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.

Sometimes you have to play a part to realise who you really are…

Nina has always dreamed of being a star. Unfortunately her agent thinks she’s more girl-next-door than leading lady and her acting career isn't going quite as planned. Then, after a series of very public blunders and to escape a gathering storm of paparazzi, Nina is forced to flee from London.

Her plan is to lay low with a friend in Devon, in beautiful Brightside Cove. But soon Nina learns that more drama can be found in a small village than on a hectic television set.

And when a gorgeous man (and his adorable dog) catch her eye, it’s not long before London and showbiz start to lose their appeal. Will Nina choose to return to the bright lights or has she met her match in Brightside Cove?

Review: A Match Made in Devon is a gorgeous novel. I fell completely in love with the story, the characters, the location and with every little detail. I love Cathy Bramley's books but this one might be my new favorite.

The story follows Nina, who is an actress in London, on her temporary move to Devon. After a few unfortunate events, she decides to escape the big city and lay low for a few weeks. She ends up in the beautiful Brightside Cove, helping a past love interest with his new business.

I liked Nina instantly and with every passing chapter, I liked her more and more. She was a box full of surprises, she was lively, had a great heart and always tried to find the funny side in everything. I loved her attitude towards life and how much she cared for what she loved.

The cast of secondary characters was also delightful. They all had their own story and their own dreams and insecurities and I loved how they all added to the main plot. I definitely had a soft-spot for mermaid-to-be Eliza. I loved her energy and her crazy ideas. She was such a breath of fresh air and she definitely created some hilarious moments.

A Match Made in Devon is a great read that has a really positive vibe around it. I was grinning non-stop during the whole book and it left me in such a good mood. But the story also had some more serious issues, which really touched my heart. Definitely another winner by Cathy Bramley!

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Cathy Bramley's books are always a treat, with scrumptious food descriptions, well developed and relatable characters and original and fun settings. Today I am reviewing her latest release, Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery. Here are my thoughts on it:

Title: Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: March 22nd 2018 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Thirty-two-year-old Hetty Greengrass is the star around which the rest of her family orbits. Marriage, motherhood and helping Dan run Sunnybank Farm have certainly kept her hands full for the last twelve years. But when her daughter Poppy has to choose her inspiration for a school project and picks her aunt, not her mum, Hetty is left full of self-doubt.

Hetty’s always been generous with her time and until now, her biggest talent – baking deliciously moreish shortcrust pastry pies – has been limited to charity work and the village fete. But taking part in a competition run by Cumbria’s Finest to find the very best produce from the region might be just the thing to make her daughter proud... and reclaim something for herself.

Except that life isn’t as simple as producing the perfect pie. Changing the status quo isn’t easy – and with cracks appearing in her marriage and shocking secrets coming to light, Hetty must decide where her priorities really lie...

Review: A new book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight in my year. I love her uplifting and inspiring stories and her lovable and relatable characters. In Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery we meet Hetty Greengrass, husband Dan and daughter Poppy. They live quite a content life in Sunny Bank Farm and Hetty is always there to help with whatever is needed, both with the farm and their family.

But as we get to know her, we soon discover that something is missing in Hetty's life. Her daughter regards her entrepreneur aunt Naomi as a role model, not her mother. So maybe it's time for Hetty to embark on a new venture? She has always loved baking short-crust pastry pies and she is pretty damn good at it, so with a little push from her sister-in-law Naomi, Hetty is ready to start her own business.

I really enjoyed reading about Hetty's new adventure and found it very inspiring to see how determined she was to make it a reality, even with all the obstacles that she had to overcome. That's probably why I didn't like her husband very much, as he was not supportive of her. Luckily, Hetty had a whole net of support, from other business owners in the area to her daughter, who were all there for her.

But this story was not only about pies (even if they all sounded delicious!), Cathy Bramley had so many surprises in store for us! There were secrets, doubts, old flames and shocking revelations that definitely kept me on my toes. I think that the author handled the more serious issues very well, giving them the time to unfold at the right path and not rushing through them. And main character Hetty kept surprising me with her big heart and love for her family and friends. A beautiful character.

Hetty's Farmhouse Bakery is a scrumptious inspiring read that reminds you how important it is to believe in your dreams. Definitely best enjoyed with a piece of a delicious apple pie.

Rating: 4.5 stars

I would like to thank the published for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

The Lemon Tree Café was first released as a serialised enovel, but I always wait for the whole paperback to come up because one, I need to read it all at once, and two, how beautiful and colourful are Cathy Bramley's covers? Here are my thoughts on this one:

Title: The Lemon Tree Café

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: August 24th 2017 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The Lemon Tree Cafe was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.

When Rosie Featherstone finds herself unexpectedly jobless, the offer to help her beloved Italian grandmother out at the Lemon Tree Cafe – a little slice of Italy nestled in the rolling hills of Derbyshire – feels like the perfect way to keep busy.

Surrounded by the rich scent of espresso, delicious biscotti and juicy village gossip, Rosie soon finds herself falling for her new way of life. But she is haunted by a terrible secret, one that even the appearance of a handsome new face can't quite help her move on from.

Then disaster looms and the cafe’s fortunes are threatened... and Rosie discovers that her nonna has been hiding a dark past of her own. With surprises, betrayal and more than one secret brewing, can she find a way to save the Lemon Tree Cafe and help both herself and Nonna achieve the happy endings they deserve?

Review: A new book by Cathy Bramley is always a highlight in my year. I love her uplifting and inspiring stories and I can already tell you that I absolutely loved The Lemon Tree Café. Especially it is not the first time that we read about Rosie Featherstone, she was a friend of the lovely Veritiy in The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. So I was very. excited to find out more about her and her story.

Rosie is a hardworking and business driven strong woman who has focused on her career and forgot about relationships for many years. So when she starts helping her nonna in the café, she discovers a completely new rhythm of life. The small and cosy café couldn't be more different that her latest workplace. Soon though, she becomes attuned to it and doesn't miss her old life any more. I especially enjoyed seeing how Rosie adapted to this new challenge and used her strength in the café.

The star of the story though is her nonna. At seventy five she stills runs the café single-handly and is as stubborn as sweet. I was really intrigued with her past. We know she came to England when she had her daughter but nothing else. I kept trying to guess how her story would unfold but I was surprised at every turn!

Rosie though is not the only familiar character in this story. A lovely family moves to the village too and makes Rosie's life definitely more interesting. I have to say that in The Lemon Tree Café we get to meet such a lovely and fun bunch of characters! I loved how everyone was so supportive of each other and the whole small village atmosphere.

The Lemon Tree Café is a charming and heart-warming story that will make you laugh but that will surprise you too. Definitely the perfect read for a crispy weekend, to be enjoyed with a good Italian coffee and a big piece of lemon cake.

Rating: 5 stars

Today's is my stop for White Lies and Wishes, Cathy Bramley's latest book. A feel-good romantic comedy that's guaranteed to make you smile - perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Trisha Ashley and Katie Fforde.

Title: White Lies and Wishes

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: January 26th 2017 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: What happens when what you wish for is only half the story...?

Flirtatious, straight-talking Jo Gold says she’s got no time for love; she’s determined to save her family’s failing footwear business.

New mother Sarah Hudson has cut short her maternity leave to return to work. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to make partner at the accountancy firm.

Bored, over-eating housewife Carrie Radley says she just wants to shift the pounds – she’d love to finally wear a bikini in public.

The unlikely trio meet by chance one winter’s day, and in a moment of ‘Carpe Diem’ madness, embark on a mission to make their wishes come true by September.

Easy. At least it would be, if they hadn’t been just the teensiest bit stingy with the truth…

With hidden issues, hidden talents, and hidden demons to overcome, new friends Jo, Carrie and Sarah must admit to what they really, really want, if they are ever to get their happy endings.

Review: Cathy Bramley is one of my favourite authors and her stories are always something special, so I was really excited for White Lies and Wishes. The first thing I noticed with this novel is that, for the first time, the story had three main female characters instead of only one. So I was really curious to see how the author told their separate stories but also how she intertwined them. After reading it, I can tell you that this new concept worked really well. We got to know these three different women at the right pace and after a few chapters I became really involved with their lives and I also felt very inspired by their support of each other and their joie de vivre.

Basically we've got Jo, the business woman who doesn't have time for romance; Sarah, the workaholic new mum with a stay at home husband; and Carrie, the stay at home wife who feels inferior and unworthy for her husband. They all meet a bit by chance at a funeral and when they get talking, they realise they are not happy with their lives. So they decide to make a wish and then help each other to achieve it. The wishes are a bit silly but we soon realise that there's a real wish to completely change their lives behind them. I found it a really inspiring and up-lifting idea and it really made me thing about my own life and what wish I would make and how far I would go to make it come true.

At the beginning, it was a bit difficult to like these women as characters. Basically because they didn't really like them themselves. But as I got to know them and found out what made their hearts tick, it was difficult not to warm to them and root for them. I specially liked Jo, with her fighting and superwoman suit but with a huge heart in search for a bit of love. The one that took me the longest to like was Carrie. I could not really understand the dynamics with her husband, especially as we discovered more about him too.

One thing for sure though, Cathy Bramley managed to keep me glued to the pages of White Lies and Wishes for hours. The story is a big celebration of friendship and also about learning to love yourself. I also think that it will inspire many, included me, to dream and dream big and then, actually go for it. It might not be my favourite story by Cathy Bramley but it's a great and up-lifting story that I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

Rating: 4 stars

Follow the Blog Tour for more reviews and extra content:

Welcome to Bookish Recipes, a feature on the blog where I cook or bake a recipe from a book I have loved and share the result with you. This time, the recipe is inspired by the book The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley. This story is full of love, joy and heart but also sadness and raw emotions. A story that will steal your hearts for sure.

In the story, Verity and the gang open a culinary school with lots of original and fun courses. And as usual, Cathy Bramley has added some recipes at the end of the book. This time is all about comfort food and I decided to try Mozzarella in Carozza, an Italian savoury treat. This recipe is from Francesca, Cathy's editor and it's fantastic:

Ingredients for 3 sandwiches:

- 6 slices of white bread

- A ball of mozzarella, cut in thick slices

- Anchovy fillets (optional)

- 125 ml milk

- 3 or 4 tbsp of flour

- 1 egg, beaten

- Salt and pepper

- Vegetable oil for frying

1) Pour the milk into a bowl, the flour into another and the beaten egg with the salt and pepper into a third one. Make the sandwiches: put the slices of mozzarella on a slice of white bread, leaving one centimetre on the edges uncovered. Add the anchovies if you are using them (we love anchovies, so I added a couple of small fillets on each sandwich) and then put the other slice of bread on top. Squash a bit the edges so it's sealed.

2) Put a saucepan with oil on the fire and once it's hot, it's ready to start frying. Slightly dip a sandwich into the milk, then into the flour and finally, a quick dip on the egg. Fry it until it's golden on both side (2 or 3 minutes per side).

3) Put the sandwiche on a plate with kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil. And repeat for the other sandwiches. Eat them while they are still hot so they are all gooey inside.

I really liked this recipe. The mozzarella had completely melted and the anchovies gave it the perfect salty kick. After only one sandwich, I was already full. Really comforting food. Thanks to Cathy and Francesca for this fantastic recipe!

About the book:

Title: The Plumberry School of Comfort Food

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: June 30th 2016 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The Plumberry School of Comfort Food was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.

Verity Bloom hasn't been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.

But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks' time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she's home.

But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?

Read my review here

Book Review: The Plumberry School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley

Cathy Bramley is one of my all time favourite authors, I think that she hasn't written a word I haven't loved yet so I was over the moon to get a copy of her latest one. I started reading it immediately and loved every page. Here are my thoughts:

Title: The Plumberry School of Comfort Food

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: June 30th 2016 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: The Plumberry School of Comfort Food was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.

Verity Bloom hasn't been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.

But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?

First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Well, Cathy Bramley has done it again. I completely fell in love with the story and the characters of The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. In fact, this might be her best book yet. Not only does it have the usual charm you find in her books but so much more: this story is full of love, joy and heart but also sadness and raw emotions. A story that will steal your hearts for sure.

Lately, we've had quite a lot of foody novels in which the story is set in a bakery or a tea shop and even if I usually enjoy these settings, I was starting to feel like I was reading the same story again and again. So I was greatly surprised to discover a very original setting for this one: a culinary school, with lots of fun course (I'd love to attend), competitions and events. Not only that, the story was unique and highly entertaining with new surprises and twists with every chapter. It certainly captured my attention from start to finish and I found myself completely lost in its pages for hours.

As the main character, Verity was perfect, easy to love and root for and with a huge heart. Since losing her best friend, she had been merely surviving and getting on with life with no enjoyment or enthusiasm so it was really touching to see her getting more involved in the school and seeing her smiling and fighting for it. I was really curious to know more about her and with every new bit of information I like her more and more.

And then, we had all the cast of characters surrounding the school. I couldn't really pick a favourite as I loved reading about them all. Cathy Bramley always creates such well developed characters with their own stories that complement the main plot so well! I especially liked Tom, the Irish chef, and his assistant Pixie, and Mags, the receptionist and expublisher, and Gloria, whose idea started it all and... yes, I like them all, ok?

With glorious food, lovable characters, a highly entertaining story, lots of surprises and such a fun setting, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is the book you've been looking for! It'll definitely be in my top ten books of the year so guys, just get yourself a copy!

Rating: 5 stars

When I first spotted The Assistants on twitter, it instantly picked my curiosity. What exactly had this assistant done? And more importantly, how? I was very glad when I received a review copy and I started reading immediately. Here are my thoughts:

Title: The Assistants

Author: Camille Perry

Published: April 21st 2016 by Corgi

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Behind every successful man is a busy assistant and Tina’s boss is very successful.

But Tina is tired of being overworked and underpaid.

She’s bored of her damp flat and her mounting debts.

Then a blip in the expenses system sends Tina a cheque.

She’s a good person.

But she’s desperate.

This isn’t stealing.

It’s an administrative error.

Right?

What would you do if you thought you’d get away with it?

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: After reading the blurb, I was very curious about this story. How could two simple assistants become modern day Robin Hoods without any of the big bosses realising? Well, for starters, one thing that we soon found out is that these girls were not simple nor stupid. They were intelligent, educated and capable women that had an underpaid job in a huge corporation that had more money than most countries. So when one of them finds herself with a check that will cover her college debt because of an administrative error, the temptation is too high.

The story is narrated by one of these assistants, Tina Fontana, the original thief. Her situation made me think a lot, that check could completely change her life. For the same amount, her boss would fly a tree from the other side of the world just because it looked good in his garden. How could she not take it, especially when no one would even realise it was missing? Difficult to answer, right?

But as in many things, once you've tried it... you can't stop. When an other assistant realises what Tina has done, she wants to do the same. And from this moment we witness a snowball effect. They turn into "professional thieves" and you never know when or how they are going to stop.

But this story is not only about how they stole money but a very clever and sharp critique to the capital world we live in and how big corporations rule the world and basically decide what is legal and what is not. Tina Fontana's comments and insights were smart and sassy and I really enjoyed living this adventure through her eyes. I had no idea how the story was going to end and it managed to surprise me more than once. It also had a sweeter subplot involving a certain Kevin Handsome that I found really cute and contrasted really well with the main plot.

All in all, The Assistants is a clever and well executed story with some killing one liners that will make you laugh but also will make you stop and think, how can this world we live in work the way it is?

Rating: 4 stars

Title: The Night That Changed Everything
Authors: Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice
Published: March 24th 2016 by Corgi
Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Rebecca is the only girl she knows who didn't cry at the end of Titanic. Ben is the only man he knows who did. Rebecca’s untidy but Ben doesn’t mind picking up her pieces. Ben is laid back by Rebecca keeps him on his toes. They're a perfect match.

Nothing can come between them. Or so they think.

When a throwaway comment reveals a secret from the past, their love story is rewritten.

Can they recover from the night that changed everything? And how do you forgive when you can’t forget?

The Night That Changed Everything is a funny, feel-good and bittersweet story, told in alternate chapters by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice.

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: I recently read Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice's debut, The Best Thing That Never Happened to Me, and I absolutely adored. It was clever, fun and original. So I had huge hopes for their new book. And the truth is that it surpassed all my expectations. Their debut was good but their second book is just brilliant. It is also clever, fun and original but it goes a step further. Its dry humour made me chuckle more than once but what really got to me was its unique plot and all the surprises it had in store for me.

Just the other day I was talking to some book lovers about how sometimes we feel that we read the same stories over and over again, you know "girl meets boy and the rest is history" so it is always refreshing when you find a story that gives you something more and that's what The Night That Changed Everything does. It actually gives you so much more. For a starter, it is not a story about falling in love but kind of falling out of love because it is about a break up. And if you think that a story about a break up might be a bit depressing, you are completely wrong. It is bittersweet but uplifting and hopeful.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this story was how I had no idea how the story was going to go. The authors managed to surprise me more than once. The story line was clever and unexpected and I found myself devouring this book in a couple of days, wanting to know more.

But the book is not only about a couple (Rebecca and Ben) with some problems, it is so much more. It is about loving, learning to love again and to forgive but mainly it is about living, living a life that is worth living. It made me think a lot of the importance of making every heartbeat count, every day matter. And I ended this book with a really positive vibe.

I'd like to point out that the book is told in alternating chapters, Rebecca's chapters are written by Laura Tait and Ben's chapter's are written by Jimmy Rice. And this works extremely well for them. I really connected with them both and being able to be inside their minds was fantastic. Also, they were really well developed characters and while I was reading the chapters from the others' point of view I could still clearly hear their voices.

The whole bunch of secondary characters added the perfect spark to this story. I have to admit that my favourite was Jamie. He was a bit like the sun, because of his shiny and lively personality but also because the rest of the characters orbited a bit around him. His story really got to me and he is one of those characters that will be difficult to forget.

The Night That Changed Everything is an unexpected and brilliantly clever story. It will make you smile, chuckle and maybe even shear a tear or two too but above all, it will surprise you. Really worth a read.

Rating: