The Cake Shop In The Garden by Carole Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another delightful read for the summer from Carole Matthews.
This time we meet Fay Merryweather, propietor of Fay's Cakes - the tearoom she runs from her canalside house and the dilapidated narrowboat which used to be her father's and has so many memories for her.
Fay is a warm and kindhearted person; as well as running and baking for the tearoom, she is carer to her selfish, bedridden mother, makes sure her elderly neighbour is fed and keeps an eye out for her equally selfish sister, even though she lives abroad.
Friends are few and far between; she has Anthony, her boyfriend of 10 years with whom she has a staid and unromantic relationship and Lija, her assistant, possibly the only bright spark in her life.
Until Danny shows up.
Long-legged and handsome, Danny has taken to life on the canals and arrives in Fay's world with a narrowboat called The Dreamcatcher, a small dog called Diggory and a handy way with some tools. Between him and Lija, Fay comes to realise that she deserves some colour in her life and when she receives a series of big shocks and her world is turned upside down, Fay must start thinking about herself and make one of the biggest decisions of her life.
Once again, Carole Matthews has entertained her readers with lively and realistic characters; from staid but warm hearted Fay; shocking, grumpy Lija; devilishly handsome Danny and lovely, wise elderly Stan, to bad-tempered, inconsiderate Miriam and her equally self-obsessed daughter Edie, these characters will warm your heart and give you an entertaining read. With descriptions of the canal and the barges that make you wish you too could experience a life on the canal, humorous incidents to add plenty of light-heartedness and a love story to boot, what more could you ask for the perfect summer read?

With thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the ARC of this book.