A story of icing and flour…and how love doesn’t always go to plan!
Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure accounting job and obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea shop – serving the perfect scones – with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niklaus by her side…
Arriving back in Taxos for the first time in years, with suave boyfriend Henrik, Pippa barely recognises the tired little town – but is relieved to catch glimpses of the quaint, charming village she’s always loved. Together Niklaus and Pippa put together a proposal to save Taxos from tourist-tastic ruin, and at the heart of their plan is Pippa’s dream project: The Tastiest Little Tea Shop in Taxos. It’s time for Pippa to leave her London life behind and dust off her scone recipe that’s guaranteed to win over both locals and visitors. And amidst the rolling pins and raisins, it seems romance is blossoming where she’s least expecting it…
Don’t miss this sizzling new summer read from bestselling author of Doubting Abbey and Mistletoe Mansion, perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk’s Always the Bridesmaid and Lucy Diamond’s Summer at Shell Cottage
Obviously I have to start with the gorgeous cover- does anything scream ‘Summer’ like this? I enjoyed this book, was easygoing, light reading. I liked Pippa, who was, from the start, having a sort of crisis of identity, not quite sure that the way she had chosen to live her life was working any more. Returning to a village where her childhoods were spent, Pippa happened upon Nico, an old friend who as something close to a soul mate in another life.
The descriptions of Taxos were perfect, you could see the tiny little fishing village in front of you, exuding it’s simplicity and beauty. The cooking and food aspect was also beyond tantilizing.The thing that didn’t work for me was her relationship with the two male characters- Henrik and Nico. From the ‘look inside’ option on Amazon, you will see that Pippa was trying to figure out whether she should be with her long term boyfriend, Henrik. It seemed from page one, that there wasn’t any reason for her to be with him and I didn’t really warm to him at all. The big problem with this though, was that I didn’t warm to Nico either! To be honest, it didn’t hugely matter as the big story, keeping Taxos ‘afloat’ was enjoyable, as was the odd curve ball thrown in to make you wonder who wanted to sabotage Taxos. All in all, great as an easygoing Summer read, beautifully written. Plenty of ups, downs and all in between, possibly a tad cliched in bits, and if this annoys you in fiction, I’d possibly find another book. As for me, I’d definitely look up another book from this author.
By the way, as an aside, go to google images and google ‘Game of Scones’ and you will get a few of the most perfect little gems of quotes from the book, that show the author’s beautiful writing. Absolutely gorgeous!
Rating: 4.5/5
BRMaycock's Book Blog 
I’ve noticed this book everywhere lately and was wondering what it was like. To be fair, the title and cover are a masterpiece of book marketing and should be taught widely.
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They are, the play on ‘Game of seats that Kings and Queens sit on,’ is perfect for grabbing people! At this time of the year, I get weirdo book cravings for bright, summery reads that centre around different countries, and it’s harder to find good ones than you would think! Another serious contender for this would be ‘Truly, Madly, Geekly’ by Mandy Baggot, the marketing on that one has also inched into my system so have to give it a go.
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