Review: The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe

Posted 31st March 2016 by Emma in Reviews / 0 Comments

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Grand Reopening of Dandelion CafeThe Grand Reopening of Dandelion Cafe by Jenny Oliver
Also by this author: The Parisian Christmas Bake Off
Series: Cherry Pie Island #1
Published by Carina on 27th March 2015
Genres: Chicklit, Humour, Love & Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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When Annie White steps back onto Cherry Pie Island, it’s safe to say her newly inherited Dandelion Café has seen better days! And while her childhood home on the Thames-side island idyll is exactly the same retreat from the urban bustle of London she remembers, Annie’s not convinced that Owner of The Dandelion Cafe is a title she’ll be keeping for long. Not that she can bear the idea of letting her dedicated, if endearingly disorganized staff lose their jobs. Plus café life does also have the added bonus of working a stone’s throw away from millionaire Matt and his disarmingly charming smile!

One (shoestring budget) café makeover, a few delightful additions to the somewhat retro menu and a lot of cherry pie tastings later, The Dandelion Café is ready for its grand reopening! But once she’s brought the dilapidated old café back to life, Annie finds herself wishing her stay on the island was just a bit longer. She always intended to go back to the big city…but could island living finally have lured her back home for good?

Thank you to Carina for accepting my request via Netgalley for a copy of this book. I have to say I’ve been quite rubbish. I have been collecting Jenny’s books like it’s a hobby (I own all but one of her books) but I just haven’t found the time to read them. So at the beginning of the month I had some time off and I decided it was high time I read one of her books.

Annie is a woman who has worked hard to get where she is in life. She may not have been the most responsible teenager but really who is? She most definitely learnt from her mistakes. I did not like Annie’s brother. I don’t know where he got off being so high and mighty after the way he handled his inheritance. Annie returns to the island to decide what to do about her own inheritance…The Dandelion Cafe.

What she doesn’t expect is upon her return to meet the delectable Matt. Matt is a few years older than Annie and they went to the same high school many years ago. Matt is a millionaire who has decided to return home and live the island life.

I really enjoyed this story and I can’t wait to dig my teeth into more of Jenny’s books.

About Jenny Oliver

Jenny Oliver wrote her first book on holiday when she was ten years old. Illustrated with cut-out supermodels from her sister’s Vogue, it was an epic, sweeping love story not so loosely based Dynasty.
Since then Jenny has gone on to get an English degree and a job in publishing that’s taught her what it takes to write a novel (without the help of the supermodels). She wrote her first book The Parisian Christmas Bake Off on the beach in a notebook that would end up covered in sand each afternoon and damp from the sea. This time the inspiration was her addiction to macarons, the belief she can cook them and an all-consuming love of Christmas. When the decorations go up in October, that’s fine with her!
Jenny’s books also feature her love of all things vintage, Sunday morning car boot sales (on the hunt for the thrill of a bargain) and an unwavering belief in happy ever after! (Whatever she’s loving on TV might crop up as well!)
So far Jenny’s books The Parisian Christmas Bake Off, The Vintage Summer Wedding and The Little Christmas Kitchen have enjoyed chart positions in the major supermarkets and other fabulous book shops. Most recently she has written a brand new ebook series, all set around the idyllic Cherry Pie Island, that kicks off with The Grand Reopening of Dandelion Café and (currently) ends with Four Weddings and a White Christmas! Mouthwatering, feel-good and perfect for curling up with on cold winter days.

Emma

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:


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