Flora loves working at her bookstore and café, it’s something she is proud of, unfortunately her husband thinks it is just a hobby and she should be supporting him running his restaurant just like she used to. When she discovers that he has been having an affair she is glad that she didn’t give in to him as she puts all her efforts into establishing herself within the community where her shop is based.
Now I will give Flora her due as I can honestly say if I was in her shoes it would be the cheating husband sleeping rough in the spider infested upstairs rooms of the shop and not me as like her I have a real fear of the eight legged beasts after I woke up once to find a really large one walking over my face. Thankfully Luna a fellow shopkeeper takes pity on her and invites Flora to stay with her. What she hadn’t bargained for was Luna’s son and grandson also being in residence, especially after she had spectacularly fallen out with them in her shop earlier.
Despite initially seeming like she was going to cave into her husband’s demands and go back home it was interesting to watch Flora as she battled with the safety of old routine, and the possibility of putting herself and her future first, finally admitting to herself and those close to her that her husband was actually a controlling, self-absorbed man who expected her to believe everything he said so that he could continue on as before. When she finally stood up to him and realised that she was capable of going on without him I did give a small mental cheer.
Her developing relationship with Luna’s son Daniel was nice to watch. Battling with his own issues looking after his son, he was quite distrustful of Flora at first, but when she bonded with Caleb and gave him an insight into his behaviour, they found a new respect for each other and it was his friendship that helped her finally realise that she really could go it alone.
This is the second book in the series and having only read this one I can honestly say that Liz Eeles has created a really grounded set of characters who all have their own quirks that will make you smile… you really need to check out some of Stanley’s proposed excursions… for an 80yr old he will certainly make you smile. A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle is a great book for the summer holidays that shows that it’s never too old to follow your dreams.

The town of Honeyford takes Flora in its arms and gives her a proverbial hug when she leaves her rotten husband and moves in with Luna, the local mystic (for want of a better word). Flora owns a cafe/bookshop; we met her in the first book (don't worry- this is fine as a standalone) but in that one she was more or less in the background. Now we learn more about her life and worries. And then she meets Daniel, Luna's son and a widower who hasn't really recovered from the loss of his wife. These two move slowly but since this is an Eeles novel, you know there's going to be a happy ending. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A light good read for the summer.

I loved the first book in this series, so I was excited to receive an early preview copy of the second book in the series from Netgalley. This book can be read as a standalone novel, but it is always nice to catch up with previous characters in a series.
This book focuses on Flora the owner of the bookshop, as she discovers that her Husband Malcolm has cheated on her. Both characters had appeared in the first book, but not with a lot of detail so it was good to hear their story, especially Flora's.
The cast of characters were great, and the setting was lovely. It is a fun and enjoyable book, which is perfect for an easy going summer read.

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake
at the Cosy Kettle
(Cosy Kettle #2)
by Liz Eeles

Hardcover, 274 pages
Expected publication: July 1st 2019 by Bookouture




Goodreads synopsis:
The Cosy Kettle café is the perfect place to escape this summer, for fans of Cathy Bramley, Jenny Colgan and Debbie Johnson. Guests can tuck in to fruit puddings and strawberry-studded ice cream, but for Flora, the warm summer breeze is blowing in big changes… 

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. 


***

4.5 Stars

This is the second book in the Cosy Kettle series. When I started reading I knew immediately I had been in this setting before. In book one they featured Callie and Noah’s relationship. In this book it focused on Flora, the owner of the bookshop.

This was a really sweet look at how betrayal and heartbreak can lead to new beginnings that change everything. Flora finds herself displaced when she discovers her husband of twenty years has been having a fling with the hired help. Flora flees to Honeyford where her bookshop resides and decides to put all her focus into it.

This isn’t exactly a hate to love romance but it is pretty close. Flora almost immediately insults Daniel and his son Caleb when she is in a pretty low and vulnerable mood and then ends up having to live with them both after Luna, Daniel’s mother invites her to stay at the Starlight Cottage.

Some of this story is almost like watching a trainwreck about to happen. You can see the trouble coming and wonder how they will worth through this particular mess.

I enjoyed my visit to Honeyford again. This is a sweet story that will keep you coming back for more. I wonder which resident’s story is next? Becca, perhaps?

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

5 star review of  A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake (Cozy Kettle #2) by Liz Eeles

Liz Eeles is a new author to me and this was a fun read that I really enjoyed. The title of the book intrigued me as did the blurb.

The writing was descriptive and certainly drew me to Honeyford and the wonderful people who live there.

Flora is the owner of the cafe and bookshop, married for twenty years, she finds out her husband cheated and now she is questioning her life. Will Honeyford accept her or is she doomed to remain an outsider?

I really disliked Flora’s cheating ex and was happy she left him. I was happy to see the sparks fly between Flora and Daniel.

The secondary characters were entertaining, particularly Luna, a woman who has a mystic shop in the high street. She is quirky, unique, caring and compassionate.

There is so much to enjoy in this story. The parade, the Charter Day event, the love of community was heart warming. The friendship between Flora and Luna was intriguing and added to the enjoyment.

I received a copy of this book through the publisher via Netgalley.

I loved the 1st book in this series and was thrilled to read the 2nd one.

This one is based on Flora who owns the bookshop. She goes home from work one day and sees her husband cheating on her so she leaves him and moves in with Luna.

Luna also has her adult son and her grandson living with her and Flora starts to navigate her new life, make decisions, learn to trust again, and make new friends.

Really lovely book, cannot wait to read book 3 which is about Becca.

This book was sweet and cosy, just like the title suggests. This was exactly what

When Flora discovers her restauranteur husband in a passionate embrace with one of his waitresses, her world starts to fall apart. She turns to the bookshop and cafe she manages in the village of Honeyford, including a New Age eccentric called Luna, and Luna’s son Daniel and grandson, Caleb. At first, things seem to be getting off on the wrong foot, but soon Flora finds that she is discovering sides to herself that she never knew existed.

This did take a little while to get going. For the first third of the book, the conflict was all a bit superficial. Malcolm, Flora’s husband, showed up a few times and made things awkward or difficult, and quite a lot of the conflict in the book was “Oh, I don’t know whether to leave Malcolm for good or not!” which became a bit repetitive after a while.

There is a bookish mystery going on through a lot of the book as well (again, this got a little repetitive, particularly as I had predicted the outcome pretty early on). I have to say I did find this whole plotline a little unlikely – the idea that a self-published book that seemingly was just thrown onto the Internet in its first draft form could be so perfect and universally adored by every woman in town… hmm.

Some of the characters did seem a bit over-the-top, such as Stanely, who at 80 has decided to live life to the fullest, and embrace extreme sports. But I did like some of the other characters, such as Luna. Yes, she aws a bit of a hippy, but she meant well and really looked after Flora.

I enjoyed how Flora came to care for Caleb, despite not being a kids person. I thought the misunderstandings between her and Daniel, particularly when it came to Caleb, were quite well done. She didn’t know what she was doing and made some mistakes, but Daniel was able to see that Caleb did care for Flora as well. I have to admit I didn’t really feel like there were ever sparks flying between Flora and Daniel. Obviously, I could see the direction the book was going to take, but their feelings developed maybe a little too slowly/subtly.

Still, this story of finding love and finding yourself in a small town community was a fun read, and sometimes that’s just what you need.

(Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)

A great summer read. There are good characters and beautiful scenery. Perfect escapism.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I loved this book, loved Honeyford and all the characters. I shall make sure I add this author to my list of people that I will look out for.

Really enjoyed getting back into this one, reason the story of flora after book one briefly touched on her. This was her life her feelings and why she was like she was. Really good feel good read. Hope there’s another one coming

Returning to Honeyford and the Cosy Kettle Café tucked in the bookshop, this story is focusing on Flora, the new owner of the bookshop and her struggles to make things work, even when her husband Malcolm is subtly (and not so) undermining her efforts. Again the little town, while looking at her cautiously, is open to hearing and supporting her, particularly when she discovers that Malcolm is having an affair with a waitress in his restaurant, and tries to blame Flora’s preoccupation with the bookshop as the reason. While Flora is struggling to find a way to continue to say no to Malcolm’s demands, she is rescued by Luna, the owner of the ‘new age’ shop in town, and offered a refuge in terms of room and space in her cottage. Moving in with Luna to her cottage offers her a space to sleep, beautiful views, a vegan meal and interactions with Daniel and his young son Caleb.

Yet Daniel and Malcolm are not thrilled with Fiona’s new choice of living space: Malcolm because he wants her back to be a ‘helper’ (read unpaid dogs body) at the restaurant, and Daniel is worried that Fiona is looking to take advantage of his mum. It doesn’t help that Caleb had an ’accident’ in the café, with spillage and dents involved, and Fiona (already having a bad day) was less than understanding. But, she’s got so much on her plate AND is desperate to find a “fit’ in the little town of Honeyford that she’s all in for the upcoming festival: one where their 900+ year old Royal Charter for the market will be celebrated with an ‘all hands on deck’ event in town. Being more than a bit of a snob, her husband doesn’t think that she is spending her time ‘usefully’, and is doing his best to manipulate, degrade and bully her back into ‘her place’ so his life can proceed unfettered. Yet, despite her personal tumult, Flora is determined to make the bookshop (and their participation in the festival) a success, and pushes back at Malcolm’s efforts to bring her back home.

Like the first (New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle), Eeles brings us everything: a palpable feel of the town, clever and rather eccentric characters who all have a ‘point’ to make in the story, a sense of community and the actual goodwill and openness to Flora and her efforts to fit in. It wasn’t all an easy or straightforward path for her, but when she took a bit of Luna’s advice, Eeles again created a story where Flora was allowed to grow and flourish, finding a new and different way to define her place in the world and her acceptance into the little village. A lovely series that will be sure to leave you with a smile and more than a few moments to laugh.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-ask/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

In this book we head back to The Cosy Kettle cafe where Flora has just discovered her husband has been having a secret fling. Distraught she packs a bag and heads to the single bed in the attic above her book shop along with a number of spiders!

She finds serving her regulars soothing but then meets Luna who offers her sanctuary. She’s slightly eccentric but has a very handsome son who lost his wife a number of years ago. Through talking and endless walks they both start to heal along with the help of the local Honeyford community.

This book is a joy to read that I think everyone will enjoy. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Brilliant. Just what I needed. Total escape with a strong independent woman, a handsome distraction and totally normal real life problems!!

I read this book in 2 days, and would have loved to read more. It was totally predictable and had a very abrupt end but still great ! I loved the characters - becca’s anxiety was so realistic kindhearted Luna just as is hope to be, and the wonderful description of a small town mentality and having to prove yourself before being accepted!

More please!

It was lovely to return to Honeyford. I loved the first book, New Starts and Cherry Tarts at the Cosy Kettle, but I was little apprehensive reading this second book as the main character this time, Flora, I didn’t really take to in book one.

As the book evolved I began to warm towards Flora. She is a lovely woman once you manage to peel back that tough exterior, although I was really surprised when the author wrote she was in her 40s as the way she acted and her mannerisms came across as someone much older. I was expecting her to be well into her 50s.

There is a lot going on in this book, from Flora’s marriage issues, the summer celebrations, Daniels son’s problems with school and the mysterious writer of a book that is taking Honeyford residents by storm.

I never like Malcolm in book one and he ups his game in this book. He certainly is a piece of work. I was keeping my fingers crossed the whole way through that Flora wouldn’t give him another chance. You will have to read the book to see if she does or doesn’t.

My only tiny issue was that I wanted to see more from Callie and Noah, I know the book wasn’t about them but a bit more coverage would have been lovely as I adored them both, as well as Callie’s Gramps Stanley who made me laugh so much in the first book. I do hope he appears more in future books to come.

This is a wonderful, summery, fun book that will leave you with a smile on your face. Whilst I believe it can be read as a standalone, I do suggest reading book one first so you know the background of the area and the characters.

Love love love this book so much! It's absolutely incredible. The bad-a$$ protagonist, Flora, finds out her life has been upended, and the book is about her discovering herself and making brave decisions. Speaking as someone who knows that it's like to move somewhere new and scary, i'm impressed by Flora. I adore the other characters, especially Caleb who tugs at my heartstrings. It's good to see the return of Becca (from Liz Eeles' previous book - New Starts and Cherry Tarts at The Cosy Kettle, which is another WONDERFUL read!) and see her coming out of her shell a bit more. I think anyone who is a fan of a lovely heartwarming book, should definitely read this!

A gorgeous lovely summery story. This was such a great sinstallment in this series can't wait to get reading the next part and see where the story takes us!

A cosy summer romance that is perfect for the holidays.
The characters are likeable and some of scenes are really nicely done but it's quite predictable. This will be a perfect beachy read for the summer hoildays

Oh I was so excited to be reading another novel by the lovely Liz Eeles again! I have adored every single one of her books and this one was no different. I really loved the first one in this series of novels and I was looking forward to being back in Honeyford with such caring characters and it's idyllic sounding setting. The cover, as I knew it would be, is absolutely beautiful and it's certainly the type of novel I would go out of my way to pick up - it's very eye-catching with it's bright colours and sweet treats along the bottom of the cover! I love the pink sky, the colourful bunting and flowers and the cute awning over the cafe windows.

This particular novel follows bookshop and cafe owner Flora, who I've been intrigued about since book one and couldn't wait to read more about her. She seemed quite reserved and quite snobby in the first book but I quickly warmed to her during this one. At the beginning, Flora leaves work early to go and meet her husband, Malcolm, at his restaurant and finds him in a tight embrace with one of the - much younger - restaurant staff. Heartbroken, Flora moves out and moves in with slightly crazy but completely lovely Luna, as well as her son Daniel and his son Caleb.

A lot happens for Flora in such a short amount of time and I completely felt for her. It must be horrible to be with someone for so long, only to find them with someone else. And I must say that I thought Malcolm was a really horrible man! He was patronising, made nasty remarks and I just couldn't stand the man! Malcolm was the only character whom I didn't like however, and I loved all the rest. I particularly warmed to Caleb, bless him, as well as Becca and of course Stanley. They all seem like such lovely people.

I also love the events that take place throughout the novel, the Charter Day event, the parade, the book club and the author event all sounded really fun and I loved the community feel that you got throughout this novel. I fell in love with Honeyford all over again and I really hope this isn't the last one in the series! I'd love to read about all of the characters if I could! Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this novel via Netgalley, which I have reviewed honestly.

I read this story in a day, I couldn’t put it down. So good and once again the characters are so real and relatable.
How I wish I could own this bookshop and cafe and be introduced to all the wonderful people the author has conjured up for our enjoyment. Quick synopsis: flora runs a bookshop and cafe, she has some relationship decisions to make. She lodges with the delightful Luna, who’s son Daniel and grandson Caleb also reside after trying to come to terms with a devastating loss. There ensues a glorious tale of friendships, love and fun.

I am back in the Cosy Kettle for another cup of tea and a piece of cake and to catch up with the villagers of Honeyford. 

In this second in the series, the main storyline features Flora, the owner of the Cosy Kettle and Bookshop in Honeyford who we met in the first book and was a characters who I thought was very reserved and quiet but I wasn't sure why. 

Now having met more of her husband, Malcolm and realised what you thought about him in book one is true and when Flora discovers his infidelity she suddenly realises that perhaps something is missing in her life. She has always been under someone else's shadow and it is time for her to step into the light. 

As she does, Flora becomes even more involved in village life, but after years of knowns the unknown seems very frightening and it be easier if she slipped back into her old life. 

However, Honeyford, the book ship and the cosy kettle have other ideas for Flora. 

Taken in by Luna, who runs the mystical shop, Flora embraces a different way of living and also has to share the house with Luna's widowed son Daniel and his son, Caleb. 

Getting involved in summer celebrations, Flora throws herself into hosting a famous author, a baking competition as well as trying to make a decisions about her husband means that Flora has a lot goign on. 

But when she returns to Luna's home, she can see the simplicity of nature and that all around her and she perhaps needs to make a change in her life to be able to move on. 

Is Flora going to make the right change?

Another satisfying read and with the right amount of well developed secondary characters, Becca the manager of the Cosy Kettle, Knackered Mary, unlikely friends Millicent and Marigold, Callie (prominent in the first book), her eccentric grandfather Stanley still making his hilarious mark as well as some sumptuous descriptions of cakes and you have all you could want from a book. 

Great for a light summer read!