Book Review: Springtime at the Cider Kitchen (Little Somerby #2) by Fay Keenan

Springtime at the Cider Kitchen

(Little Somerby #2)

by Fay Keenan 

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Moving, funny, thoughtful and romantic. Bring on the next one!' JENNY KANE.

Caroline Hemingway can't help but feel a little strange watching her ex-sister-in-law marrying the owner of Carter's Cider Farm, but she's delighted Anna's found happiness after the death of her late husband, and Caroline's brother, James. If only Caroline could find her own love story...

Desperate to escape the rat race, Caroline decides to take the plunge and move to the idyllic village of Little Somerby, where she is given the task of opening and running a restaurant in one of the forgotten barns on the Cider Farm.

Opening and running The Cider Kitchen is no easy task, and there are many challenges on the way, but slowly Caroline feels she's being accepted into the local community and starts to believe she may have found her forever home. But secrets from her past seem destined to haunt her, and not even the attentions of the very dishy Jonathan Carter can distract her from all she's left behind...

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

You really don’t read anything except women’s phone numbers, do you?

…I stopped being a child, and started realising that not everyone is a hero and not everyone is a bad guy. We’re all shades of both and everything in between.

I’ve never liked having my space invaded, and you’re like wood smoke; I can smell you even when you’re not there, I’m aware of your presence hours after you’ve left.

 

My Review:

While it was not necessary to read the first book in the series prior to picking this one up, it would most likely endear you more toward the additional characters.  The main characters of this book were struggling with their identities and careers and combative with each other, hence, book two definitely had a heavier emotional tone and a much higher level of tension and angst than the previous book, which left me feeling less engaged as angst is not among my favorite things. The plot was slow to develop and the characters were difficult for me to embrace and/or appreciate, as many of their difficulties and issues were generally self-inflicted, although I was far more sympathetic towards them as I neared the book’s conclusion.  I greatly enjoyed and looked forward to the chapters including or featuring the ongoing story threads of Anna and Matthew which carried over from the first book, as I adored them both.  

Caroline had a prickly and difficult personality, she was a redhead with the temper to match and the cocky Jonathan appeared to spark it all too easily.  Jonathan won me over with the touching and thoughtful eulogy he presented at his father’s funeral, it squeezed my cold heart.  I happily gleaned some additions for my Brit Word List with the new entries of twee – which Mr. Google told me meant excessively or affectedly quaint or pretty; and kitted out – which Americans would probably say as outfitted with.   It is always a pleasing thought to be able to say I've learned something new for the day, even when reading fiction.  

Empress DJ

About the Author

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Fay Keenan was born in Surrey and raised in Hampshire, before finally settling in the West Country. When Fay is not chasing her children around or writing, she teaches English at a local secondary school. She lives with her husband of fourteen years, two daughters, a cat, two chickens and a Weimaraner called Bertie in a village in Somerset, which may or may not have provided the inspiration for Little Somerby.

Book Review: The Second Chance Tea Shop (Little Somerby #1) by Fay Keenan

The Second Chance Tea Shop

 (Little Somerby #1)

by Fay Keenan 

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Second chances, new loves and scrumptious cakes, in this heart-warming novel. Perfect for all fans of Fern Britton, Katie Fforde, and Cathy Bramley.

Following the tragic death of her beloved husband, Anna Hemingway decides it's time for a fresh start. So Anna and her three-year-old daughter Ellie move to a picture-perfect cottage in the beautiful village of Little Somerby, and when she takes over the running of the village tea shop, Ellie and Anna start to find happiness again.

But things get complicated when Matthew Carter, the owner of the local cider farm, enters their lives. Throughout a whirlwind year of village fetes and ancient wassails, love, laughter, apple pie and new memories, life slowly blossoms again. But when tragedy strikes and history seems to be repeating itself, Anna must find the strength to hold onto the new life she has built.

This beautiful, life-affirming debut novel marks the beginning of the Little Somerby series, and promises to make you smile, cry, reach for a cream tea, and long for a life in the perfect English countryside.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

That place is hotter than David Beckham’s boxers!… I’m so not joking – mere mortals like me would have to sell the family silver, if we hadn’t already, to get a table there. It’s worth going out with him just for the grub!

We’re not teenagers, Matthew –we both come with rather a lot of history… Like a second-hand car…

Christ, if it was me, I’d be sticking pins in a Chanel-dressed voodoo doll by now!

My Review:

I’m all about the indie’s and even more so when it is a first-time author, although sometimes it can be a gamble and I find myself holding my breath the book will be readable.  Thankfully that was not a concern for this debut performance and the first offering of a planned series featuring a small English village, although the author did have a head start advantage being an English teacher and all.  This was a sweet and gentle tale with a slowly building romance and side orders of humor, delicious sounding treats, and family drama until it took a turn for heavy angst and got a bit mired there a bit longer than I wished before those sweet scenes come back into focus.  The frequent food mentions seemed to spark copious snacking during reading, that is my current excuse anyway.  The premise was entertaining; the characters were endearing and appealing; and the writing was easy to follow, insightful, emotive, and relevant.  I already have the second book in this series loaded on my Kindle and ready for immediate perusal. 

I learned a few new Brit words and phrases, always a plus score for my day when I can add to my Brit word list – with the top new entries being “doorstep toast” which would be what Americans call Texas toast, and berk, which the Urban Dictionary tells me is the equivalent of an idiot, although the original slang origin was far more… earthy, and rhymes with hunt.  So of course, I immediately had to add it to the top of my list ;) 

Empress DJ

About the Author

Website   Twitter

Goodreads   Amazon

Fay Keenan was born in Surrey and raised in Hampshire, before finally settling in the West Country. When Fay is not chasing her children around or writing, she teaches English at a local secondary school. She lives with her husband of fourteen years, two daughters, a cat, two chickens and a Weimaraner called Bertie in a village in Somerset, which may or may not have provided the inspiration for Little Somerby.