We are back at the Cosy Kettle café in Honeyford. This time the book focuses on Flora who owns the bookshop that the café is inside. Flora returns home early one afternoon and finds her husband Malcolm in a compromising situation with one of his waitresses from the restaurant he owns.

Although he begs Flora to stay she decides she needs some time to think about her situation. She has been married for a long time and doesn’t like the prospect of being on her own, she also doesn’t like the idea of her husband being with other women.

She decides that the attic of the bookshop is a good place to stay until she sees all the spiders and cobwebs, so she is relieved when Luna who owns the magical shop a few doors down offers her a room at her house. However, she wasn’t expecting Luna’s son Daniel and his young son to be living there too, especially when she has recently had a run-in with Daniel.

There is also the summer celebrations to sort out and a mysterious author of a book she loves. Will Flora return to Malcolm and give their marriage another try or will she find the courage to leave her marriage behind and move on with her life?

It was lovely to return to Honeyford. I loved the first book, New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle, but I was little apprehensive reading this second book ‘A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle’, as the main character this time, Flora, I didn’t really take to in book one.

As the book evolved I began to warm towards Flora. She is a lovely woman once you manage to peel back that tough exterior, although I was really surprised when the author wrote she was in her 40s as the way she acted and her mannerisms came across as someone much older. I was expecting her to be well into her 50s.

There is a lot going on in this book, from Flora’s marriage issues, the summer celebrations, Daniels son’s problems with school and the mysterious writer of a book that is taking Honeyford residents by storm.

I never like Malcolm in book one and he ups his game in this book. He certainly is a piece of work. I was keeping my fingers crossed the whole way through that Flora wouldn’t give him another chance. You will have to read the book to see if she does or doesn’t.

My only tiny issue was that I wanted to see more from Callie and Noah, I know the book wasn’t about them but a bit more coverage would have been lovely as I adored them both, as well as Callie’s Gramps Stanley who made me laugh so much in the first book. I do hope he appears more in future books to come.

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle is a wonderful, summery, fun book that will leave you with a smile on your face. Whilst I believe it can be read as a standalone, I do suggest reading book one first so you know the background of the area and the characters.

About the Author

Liz began her writing career as a journalist and press officer before deciding that she’d rather have the freedom of making things up as a novelist.

Being short-listed in the Corvus ‘Love at First Write’ competition and the Novelicious search for a new women’s fiction star gave Liz the push she needed to keep putting pen to paper …. and ‘Annie’s Holiday by the Sea’ (her first published novel) is the result.

Liz lives on the South Coast with her family and, when she’s not writing, likes to spend time walking by the sea, and trying to meditate. Her ambition is to be serene one day …. she’s still got a long way to go.

What did you think of A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!