A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle
By: Liz Eeles
Bookouture
Romance, Women's Fiction
Publish date 1 July 2019
Pages 274
#ASummerEscapeAndStrawberryCakeAtTheCosyKettle
#NetGalley
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This is a very cute book. I had a great time reading this book. I gave it 4 stars.
This book is about a middle age woman who just bought a bookstore and a little café in a small in England. One day she goes home early, to Oxford, to find out that her husband of 20 years is involved with one of his waitress.
She leaves him temporarily to clear her head and figure out what she is going to do. Mean while she gets involved in the charter day activities to become more active in the town. She has some really neat ideas and is getting to know the people in this small town. She is staying with a fellow shop owner who has her son and grandson living her also.
Like I said it was a joy to read and is also a quick read. I hope you pick up this book and find out what she decides to do with her husband and the fun things she has planned for the charter days.

I seem to be on a roll of finding some great new authors at the moment and Liz Eeles is certainly one of them, after reading this entertaining story set in the Cosy Kettle in Honeyford I need to check out not only the first book in this series but other works by this talented author.
This book is about Flora finding her own connection with the residents of Honeyford, she has moved there after finding her husband cheating on her. Moving in with Luna, her son Daniel and her grandson Caleb is just what Flora needs to start afresh and move on leavening the past behind....
Daniel has lost his wife and his time is spent caring for his son but it’s time for him to look to the future and also put the past behind him will Flora be the one to help him move on and will he be the one to make her see Honeyford is where she needs to be.......
This story is all about reminding us we can do what we want as long as we put our minds to it.
A great lighthearted entertaining story that’s a perfect holiday read.

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

We are back in Honeyford and ready for Flora's story. She took over the bookshop and also added a café in the back.

One day Flora goes home early and catches her husband Malcom in bed with another woman, a much younger one. He begs her to stay, but continues on with the lies. Flora leaves and sleeps in the attic of her shop. Luna Purfoot, the owner of ... Feels that Flora is not doing well and offers her a room in Starlight cottage. Flora is heitant, but decides to take the offer. Luna doesn't live there alone, her son Daniel Nd grandson Caleb live there to.

Flora and Daniel are off a rocky start, but somehow they click. I liked, how they first meet and Caleb is just adorable. Daniel has been through a lot and tries to hide his feelings. Flora has to decide what happens with her marriage. Mal om shows up a lot and wants her back. Both Daniel and Flora have a lot to figure out.
She starts reading a book he suggests and that book turns out to be really important. Then there is the Cosy Kettle and the bookshop, where Flora works a lot. Caleb seems to be in trouble as well. It sounds like a lot, but Liz Eeles managed to created a wonderful storyline, full of atmosphere and I just couldn't put the book down. I loved it from the first minute! The characters are very well lined out and we were also able to catch up with some old characters, that was lovely.

The book is full of emotions and feelings and has some surprises in store as well. Everyone played a key role in the story and it was grat to see, how they were there for each other.

Loved every second of it!

This is my first book by this author so I didn't know what to expect at all. If you like out modern women's fiction by authors like Debbie Johnson jenny Co. Ban then this author is also for you... the more I read the more books I need to get through. I totally loved this read. All with the taste of foods and puddings ice ream and strawberries, tell me more I hear you say.
Poor Flora finds out that her husband is having an affair and she runs to her cosy little cafe to serve her loyal customers to keep her mind of the pain her husband has caused her, she doesn't live the village of ho effort where the cafe is, but the customers turn to be her friend., just what she needed. Flora moves Into a residents outage where she shares with her son, another man healing and they go on long walks together to heal their pain. She learns a new passion and that isn't anything to do with her cheating ex, she enters a competition and is loving life, but her new friend is hiding something, can she trust him...
A totally brilliant read,

It's great to be back in Honeyford with all the wonderful characters that we have already met in book one "New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle". Again I fell in love with this book cover for some reason this style of cover grabs my attention straight away. The second thing is the characters that this wonderful author Liz Eeles brings to us in this quaint town English town.

Flora was one of the characters that I did not take to as much as the other character from book one and when I found out book two was about her I was a bit apprehensive. How wrong I would be as we get to see a whole new look of this bookstore owner as she learns to cope with a world-changing moment in her life. This book was not as funny as the first but it brought the reader a bit more honest emotions as we get to witness the growth of Flora into a very strong independent woman that will do what she feels is right for her and her only.

You get to hate a character.
You get to love a new character.
You get to know a character better.
You get to catch up with some old characters.
You get to hope for new love.
You get to escape for a little while.

I received this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in return for my honest opinions and voluntary review.
I was wonderful to read a Liz Eeles book again.

Ahh this series is so fab! I came across the first book in the Cosy Kettle series thanks to NetGalley and I’m so glad the publishers approved my request to read the second one as well! Just like the first book, the story is great and the characters are all likeable. It’s such a lovely easy read and I would highly recommend it. Fingers crossed there will be a third.

This was a delightful read and had me hooked from page one. It had everything you want in a good novel, romance, cake and more cake. The humour in the book was just right and I found myself laughing out loud at certain parts. Well worth a read. Thank you.

What a beautiful cover for the second book in Liz Eeles' Cosy Kettle series set in the village of Honeyford. A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle certainly looked very inviting and I was eager to return to the bookshop/café run by Flora with help from Becca. Now it was time for Flora to share her story as although she did feature in book one she was very close knit and didn't reveal much about herself or why she had come to Honeyford. New Starts and Cherry Tarts told the story of Callie and in this new book we don't see or hear much from here at all as she is busying running the café in the local hotel. Every now and again one character or another might say that Callie is away on a date somewhere but that is it, I would have loved to actually have had her in a scene or two just to get her perspective on the situation.

Callie had become somewhat close to Flora considering she was allowed to set up the Cosy Kettle café at the back of the bookshop so to not have her feature was a slight disappointment. But once I got over this I really settled down into Flora's story as things start to go belly up for her. What she thought was a happy and secure marriage lasting many years is about to implode in a big way and Flora is about to be faced with some life changing decisions. The question is will she make the right ones to secure a safe and happy future for herself?

Ever since Flora purchased the bookshop in Honeyford, which had long been in danger of closure, she has felt a new lease of life slowly starting to surface for herself. She has finally bitten the bullet and done something for just her and no one else. She has emerged from her husband Malcolm's shadow and is embarking on a fresh start. Although the road may be bumpy she wants to try new things and become apart of the close knit community that exists in Honeyford. She knows acceptance is not easy but is she willing to put in the effort required to become embraced by the villagers?

With the purchase of the bookshop Flora has felt more alive than she has done in ages. OK she mightn't be an expert in running a bookshop or managing a café but she has Becca to look after the café with all its delectable cakes and drinks. So her attention can turn to the bookshop side of things. So why did she leave Malcolm to run his restaurant in Oxford and Flora would commute to Honeyford? Why did she step out of her security blanket offered by Malcolm for as long as she can remember? Simply because she was bored and feelings of panic were springing up, she needed a change and in what Malcolm viewed as an act of rebellion the bookshop was purchased.

I thought Flora was brave to go against Malcolm's wishes and do something that would give her some form of independence considering Malcolm was dead set against it. But clearly this was a make or break time because if Flora hadn't made the move she would have been left lingering in a life dictated by her husbands working hours. What cements her decision and what makes her world really implode is when Malcolm is caught in a compromising situation, one in which he lies through his teeth about, and in fact for the majority of the story that's all Malcolm did was lie and manipulate Flora. I desperately wanted her to make the right decision when Malcolm presents her with a choice – himself or stay in Honeyford forever without him.

Malcolm was just a pure sleaze ball who I thought put unnecessary pressure on Flora when she was already very vulnerable. I don't think she had the strength or the where with all to make a snap decision that would change the way she lived her life. She needed time and space and as she became very much focused on being accepted by the villagers with all her efforts for the Charter Day celebrations I don't think giving Malcolm an answer was her sole aim. Surely Malcolm should have been there from the outset to support his wife in her endeavours as all she wanted was something she could call her own.

The bookshop was that outlet but Malcolm was so caught up in his own world and in making his restaurant a success that he sorely neglected Flora's needs. Malcolm's actions throughout the story were deplorable and I hoped that Flora would ultimately make the decision that would benefit her in the long run. She didn't need to be further dragged down but instead she needed to build upon and nurture the little strength she had in order to move forward in a positive way with her life. Flora is constantly seeking acceptance from the residents of Honeyford and as she repeated this so many times it did become a little repetitive at some points. She was always seeking the approval of others in particular the members of the book group and I thought really she should have just been herself but maybe having been with Malcolm for so long she had forgotten who she was and in a way he had sapped all her confidence.

Nicely balanced with Flora's quest to find herself were lots of comedic laugh out loud moments and the Charter Day Celebrations towards the end of the book provided those aplenty as well as Callie's grandfather Stanley who is still getting up to plenty of high jinks in his old age. The introduction of new characters Luna and her son Daniel and grandson Caleb were very much welcome as they gave a platform for another side of Flora to emerge. At first I thought it was very random that Flora should choose to take up Luna's offer of staying in her cottage but similar to Flora I think Luna for all her mystical and magical belief and antics saw a kindred spirit in her house guest. Someone who was on the fringes looking in and who wanted to become apart of everything.

Daniel and Caleb provided a real emotional side to the story and a lot of will they won't they as Flora begins to experience feelings that haven't bubbled to the surface in years as she battles with making the right decision for her. The storyline surrounding April Devlin was brilliant as it really got everyone enthused and it was Flora who was enabling this to happen. I did guess more or less straight away who was behind it all but that didn't matter as I thought it was brilliant when the reveal came and helped with the tying up of several strands of the story.

All in all A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle was a really enjoyable read although I think if I had to choose Callie's story would slightly edge it out for me. Given how cold and aloof Flora had been in book one, I found it difficult to warm to her in initially. But she grew on me as a character and I enjoyed reading of all her experiences in Honeyford as she grapples with a major decision. This is a light hearted, warm and ultimately feel good read that is perfect for the lazy days of Summer. I'm looking forward to reading Becca's story which I hope might be with us before the end of the year.

When Flora finds out about her husband’s secret fling, she escapes to the one place she feels safe: her beloved café, The Cosy Kettle, in the charming village of Honeyford. Serving up cream teas to her café regulars is the perfect way to soothe her broken heart, and although she’s never lived in the area, the little community welcome her with open arms.

She’s soon lodging with local eccentric Luna in her remote and beautiful Starlight Cottage, snuggled between rolling green hills. Luna’s handsome son Daniel lost his wife several years ago, and as Flora gets to know him, sharing walks through the blossom-scented woods, they both slowly begin to heal… and she realises that behind Daniel’s quiet exterior, there’s a passionate nature that makes her forget all about her ex-husband.

As she settles into her new life, hosting a baking competition for the village’s summer celebration seems like a great idea… but with Daniel’s mysterious silences leading Flora to believe he’s hiding secrets, she can’t help but wonder if she can really trust him. And when the race to bake the perfect Victoria sponge stirs up old rivalries between locals, Flora starts to feel like she’s bitten off more than she can chew.

A perfect read for summer days at the beach!

A delightful novel centered areound secrets, family, and forgiveness. I loved loved this book and wished it could have gone on a lot longer.

This was book 2 in the series, but I could read it as a standalone. To me, all the characters were new, but each was interesting in their own way.

The story went thus, Flora found her husband Malcolm with another woman. The rat!! All rats try to invigilate back, and this one tried too. Flora needed time to think so she packed her bags and off she went to love with friend Luna in the village of Honeyford.

This was Flora's story and the relationships she forged within the community. My first book by author Liz Eeles, and I was delighted to read it in between my thrillers. I loved Flora, but it was Luna with her mystical magical charm who captured my heart.

The entire story generated a deep warmth in me, where though I knew it was fiction, but it still felt real. Charming characters, honest emotions, a depth to the relationships, mystery and romance (though I wasn't too fond of it) made this a delightful read.

With cakes in the title, how could I forget the cakes and the baking? They were all there for me to savour...

All in one cozy afternoon, this book was perfect!!

After having read the first book in the series, New Starts and Cherry Tarts, I was eager to find out what was going to happen next with the lovely people at the Cosy Kettle.

Flora is the owner of the Cosy Kettle, and her world falls apart when she discovers that her husband, patronising git Malcolm, has been having an affair. She moves in with Luna, a warm and eccentric woman, who also has her son and grandson living with her.

Flora's life goes through a lot of ups and downs and she deals with the bombastic, and downright annoying men in this book in a really funny and yet satisfying way! It was lovely to get to know Flora a little better, in the first book she was a little bit remote, the woman who was always perfectly put together and whose life was seemingly going along very nicely indeed, thank you very much.

Lovely story, once again, from Liz Eeles (who does these types of novels so darn well!).

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle by Liz Eeles
Book #1: Cosy Kettle Series
Source: NetGalley and Bookouture
Rating: 4/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: At its core, this book is all about one woman taking charge of her life and her future. With a wanker for a husband and her only solace to be found in her small bookshop and café, Flora must determine if her past can be salvaged and she can move forward or if she is ready to cut ties with her past altogether and move forward. Flora’s decision regarding her future isn’t clear cut and to make an informed decision she needs time and distance from the wanker. In a most surprising turn of events, Flora finds the respite and safe space she needs in the home of Luna, a local business owner known for her eccentric ways. While with Luna, Flora finds acceptance, healing, clarity, and a potentially life-altering new romance. For what may be the first time in her life, Flora discovers herself, her own wants and desires, and a strength she never knew she had within her. The strength of this book lies in Flora’s evolution and the people involved in helping her discover where she’s been and where she needs to go in order to be truly happy. Though her journey isn’t always easy or comfortable, it is necessary and with the help of her new circle of friends, Flora finds exactly what she needs. To be sure, this is a heartfelt and heartwarming read that will absolutely appeal to lover’s of HEAs and women’s fiction.

Lovely, feel-good story. Perfect for an afternoon fun read with a cup of tea.


Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
A very good read and one I can highly recommend to others.
I could not put this down.
Thoroughly enjoyable with an amazing cast of characters that you cannot help but engage with.

Lovely feel good story. It was well written and flowed well. Easy to read and hard to put down. Perfect on these summer nights

We are back in Honeyford, with the second installment in the Cosy Kettle series by Liz Eeles, with the amazingly short name of A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle. In this book we dive into one of the newcomers to Honeyford; Flora!

Now if you had read book one, you would know that Flora is the proud owner of the book shop and part-owner of the Cosy Kettle, and after suffering through the nasty twitter attack, everything seems to be going well. Until she heads home one evening to the restaurant she owns with her husband, to overhear him talking to a waitress about the secret affair they have been having, and that truly blows the roof off her world.

Once again Liz Eeles writes a beautiful story not only about Stella and her life, but also about a community, and that is one of the many reasons why I love her books. We also get to renew our acquaintance with old characters and meet a lot of new ones as well. And in true Liz Eeles style, she doesn’t shy away from tough subjects, which always keeps the story feeling realistic, which is why I keep going back to her amazing books.

This story is written as a first person narrative where characters are described directly. The main conflict is internal as the main character battles with themselves but the secondary conflict is external as the character battles other characters and society norms. The popular themes shown throughout include change of power, communication, death, fear of failure, heartbreak of betrayal, lost honour, lost love, oppression of women, self-reliance, and wisdom of experience.

Flora is a small town bookstore and café owner who is attempting to figure out who she really is and how much of her life she has been hiding from. Luna is a fellow shop owner in Honeyford who is all new age magic and helping others, her son Daniel is more traditional mannered than his mother. He is a widowed and has a young son named Caleb. Malcom is Flora’s husband who spends most of his time in his restaurant and does not approve of Flora’s venture into owning her own business. Flora has taken off to Honeyford after discovering Malcom cheating with a much younger woman who works for him. While contemplating her next move, she meets Luna who offers a place to stay after sensing that her soul needs some recharging and nurturing. There she meets Daniel who is the opposite of his mother and works in finance even though he dislikes it. Slowly both Daniel and Flora begin to heal from destroyed relationships, but Malcom isn’t giving up so easily.

The ideas are interesting and in a unique placement throughout the story. The flow is organized and logical while the voice is unique to this work. The word choice and sentence structure help to enhance the overall story. Yes, I would recommend this book. This would be the book for those who enjoy success stories, short reads about character growth, or any small town stories. This book would not be good for those looking for lots of action, steamy love scenes or lots of drama.

The cover of this book drew me inside the book. It was a place that I would love to visit.
This book was not as full of humour as I was expecting but it was a lighthearted read

I didn't realise this book was part of a series, when I requested to read it via netgalley. That wasn't a real issue though, as I quickly worked out who was who, and enough of the gaps are filled in to make this book work as a standalone. I quickly became invested in the lead character, and found myself rooting for her. This was a real feel good book - perfect holiday reading! 5/5 from me!