It’s such a pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for Judy Leigh’s latest book, The Vintage Village Bake Off, and sharing my review: published by Boldwood Books on 4th December, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. As always, my thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
It’s no secret that Judy is one of my favourite authors – whether it’s her cosy mysteries (I so enjoyed meeting Morwenna Mutton in Foul Play at Seal Bay – you’ll find my review here – and not long to wait for the next!), the historical novels as Elena Collins (pop the name into my search bar, you’ll find all my reviews) or the second chance/never too late stories that first introduced me to her writing (and you can always use that search bar again…!). I did rather a double-take when I read about her latest – those of you who know me well will know that scones are something I can never say “no” to, and I loved Robert before I’d even opened the book. Let’s take a closer look…
Now in his seventies, Robert Parkin is stunned to find himself the unlikely sex symbol of the village gardening club.
Living in happy solitude with his cat Isaac Mewton in the Devon village of Millbrook, entertained by his mischievous chickens and goats, Robert has never figured out the rules of romance. But as the local ladies vie for his company, it soon becomes clear that Robert’s Victoria Sponge cake is the lure, and as his baking prowess grows, so does his confidence.
Cheesecakes, meringues, puddings, Robert can do it all, but his real masterpieces are his scones – ginger, rosemary, coconut, fruit, his recipes are inspired and soon come to the attention of the local media. Which county does the best cream tea – Devon or Cornwall? It’s time for an age-old debate to be settled with a competition.
Robert’s sisters Bunty and Hattie are both at crossroads in their lives, so news of their brother’s baking competition is the perfect excuse to bring them to Millbrook. And as the siblings relish each other’s company, and Robert relishes being at the heart of his community, a summer of scones may just light the way to long-lasting happiness for them all.
Enjoy Judy Leigh’s wonderful world of family, friendship and feasting in this perfect feel-good story for all fans of Maddie Please, Dawn French and Caroline James.
I’ve loved every one of the author’s contemporary second chance romances, but I really think I might have found my new favourite. The characters were simply wonderful and soon found their places in my heart, their wealth of life experience and paths to future happiness so very easy to identify with, and the whole story had a warmth and lightness of touch that I found totally adorable.
Hattie never really was a fuddy duddy, but fifty years of marriage to the horrendous Geoffrey had taken away every bit of her confidence and self belief – but with the encouragement of a close friend and a new determination not to allow her age to define her, she begins to rediscover her sparkle. Then sister Bunty arrives on her doorstep – always the butterfly that Hattie aspires to be, she’s walked away from her marriage and become involved with a man who seems to offer the excitement she’s missing in her life, but who might just not be quite everything she wants him to be. Brother Robert is content with his solitary life in Devon, surrounded by his animals, a keen gardener, he’s developed rather a passion for baking – and he’s rather good at it too, if a little perplexed by the attention he’s attracting from every woman in the vicinity all eager to become hands-on with more than just his scones.
When Bunty’s antics become a little too much to bear, Hattie leaves her to it for a while and takes an overdue break in Devon – where she has time to breathe, and is warmly welcomed by a community of individuals who need her interventions as much as she needs their support and friendship. And as word spreads about Robert’s baking, he finds himself caught up in a televised contest where he rather uncomfortably finds himself needing to hold up the reputation of his county against stiff Cornish competition – to take place on the newly built patio he’s always wanted, if it can be completed in time.
But while those are the bare bones of the story, this book is so much more than that. All three siblings go on a journey, realising that life is for living, that age is no barrier to new experiences and the possibility of romance, finding new happiness in their different ways, and bringing joy to others whose lives they touch. The cast of characters, both major and minor, is quite wonderful – every individual beautifully drawn with their own stories, every one of them entirely real. The humour is gentle, and the smile it brought to my face never wavered through the ups and downs of the story – and, at times, it’s immensely touching as each of them face up to their mistakes and wrong turns in life, but discover that they have so much to offer and that the future holds more promise than they could ever imagine.
And the Scone Wars? Well, that whole storyline was just perfect… this whole book was an absolute delight, and I really couldn’t recommend it more highly.
About the author
Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens, and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.
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Thank you so much, Anne. You have completely lifted my spirits. Gone are the dark December mornings, thanks to this uplifting and wonderful review. I am dancing round the room. Sending you my warmest wishes. xx
And the review was a pleasure, as always! xx