The original book is called The Cosy Teashop in the Castle and its nice cover you can see at the end of this review. Sometimes I am really wondering why a beautiful original cover can´t be used for its translated version as well. But okay, not me to make that decision.
Rosen, Tee Und Kandiszucker*
by Caroline RobertsThe Cosy Teashop #1
Original Title The Cosy Teashop In The Castle
Publisher Mira TB on February 25, 2017
Genre Novel
Pages 366
Format Paperback
Source Publisher
Goodreads
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When Ellie Hall lands her dream job running the little teashop in the beautiful but crumbling Claverham Castle, it´s the perfect escape from her humdrum job in the city. Life is definitely on the rise as Ellie replaces spreadsheets for scones, and continues her Nanna´s brilliant baking legacy. When Lord Henry, the stick-in-the-mud owner, threatens to burst her baking bubble with his old-fashioned ways, Ellie wonders if she might have bitten off more than she can chew. But cupcake by cupcake she wins the locals over, including teashop stalwart, Doris, and Ellie´s showstopping bakes look set to go down in castle history. Now all that´s missing in Ellie´s life is a slice of romance. Can Joe, the brooding estate manager, be the one to put the cherry on the top of Ellie´s dream?
Story
Ellie wants to make her dream of running a nice little tea shop become a reality. That she has no experience with planning and how to actually run a bakery business, doesn´t matter to her. She knows for sure how to bake all the delicious little cakes, cupcakes, and muffins and with the help of the old recipe book her grandmother once used, she is absolutely confident, that she will make it. If only her feelings wouldn´t be that confusing. The manager of the estate is giving her weak knees and the old owner of Claverham Castle, Lord Henry, doesn´t make things easier as well.
Style
The author´s style is very soft. Caroline Roberts has a beautiful way to describe the landscape this novel is set in and with her words, she makes your mouth water when it comes to all the fantastic pastries Ellie is creating. And the little romance that starts between Ellie and Joe is somehow nice to watch. But what I didn´t like that much was the length everything had. It took ages for Ellie and Joe to come together – at least that was what I felt during reading. The book started great and I thought oh that is one of those you can read and enjoy at the same time within no time. Well …
The novel itself is brought to the reader from Ellies and Joe´s view through an invisible narrator. You can´t miss whose´ turn it is because every part is named. There are many things happening in this novel, and at some point, I thought that less would have been way more for this book. No doubt, the author can create interesting characters and she has a lovely way to bring friends and the love of a family together. And as lovely as all that was, the kitschy part of this book wasn´t the ideal frame for it.
Characters
Ellie is a young woman who is great at making big plans only to almost destroy them seconds later with all her doubts and worries. She wants to break free from her family on one hand, but on the other, she is very afraid to start new. She runs into things without having a real plan. Some of her thoughts made me think if she is one of those young women who want a lot in life but are too afraid and naïve to actually live and do it in the end.
Joe is a man who knows how to handle the old Lord Henry very well. He grew up in a way that made him a very careful man and gave him a bond that thought him that he can achieve anything if he really wants it and is only working hard enough. The moment he realizes that Ellie isn´t as experienced as she made him believe during their interviews, he doesn´t hesitate to do everything he can to help her.
Conclusion
Sad, but this novel was not really mine. Yes, it was filled with romance and contained some lovely characters. But during some pages, I missed the special something. And the sex scenes didn´t really fit into the style the rest of the book had. Sad, but can´t really recommend it.
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Mira Taschenbuch in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.
Cover of the original edition by HarperImpulse
Caroline Roberts
Family, friends, food, a glass of bubbly and, of course, a good book make her smile. Caroline Roberts loves to write emotional stories about love, loss, betrayal, and family that explore how complex and yet beautiful love can be. Caroline also likes to write romantic comedy, letting the characters have a bit of fun too! She believes in following your dreams, which led her to Harper Impulse and a publishing deal after many years of writing. She is home in stunning Northumberland or better said Chatton near Alnwick. The sandy beaches, castles, and gorgeous countryside have inspired her writing.
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