When sisters Addie and Susanna receive invitations to a memorial for their Aunt Gayle, they’re heartbroken to learn the woman who raised them has passed away. But arriving on Anchor Island, they’re met with the shock of their lives: Gayle is alive and well, busily preparing her own 'Celebration of Life' at her beloved pudding bar, The Sweet Life Café.
Agreeing to stay for the event, the sisters begin sorting through their late father’s belongings, reopening wounds they thought long buried, and forcing them to reflect on their lives since leaving the island. Addie is struggling as a single mother, torn between love for her son and doubts about the life she can give him. Susanna’s marriage is crumbling, and being back on the island only reminds her why she couldn’t wait to escape.
But as Gayle prepares gooey brownies, steaming lattes and delicious cakes for her customers, and for her big event, she is hiding secrets of her own – including one that could change everything the sisters thought they knew about their family...
Review: This author is definitely one of my favourites. She writes stories that are full of family and friendship, set in a variety of places. This latest book is set on a small island in the English Channel that is accessed by ferry from one of the Channel Islands. It features an interesting cafe that sells a range of puddings, so be warned that this book will leave you wanting a sweet treat!
The main characters in the story are sisters Addie and Susanna and their aunt, Gayle. The girls were brought up on Anchor Island by their aunt after first their mother, and then their father died. For a variety of reasons, they have become estranged from Gayle and many years have passed since they last visited the island. The sisters are dismayed when they receive invitations to a memorial for their aunt, wishing they had mended their relationship with Gayle before it was too late. However, when they reach the island for the memorial, they are astonished to find Gayle very much alive and preparing for her living funeral, a celebration of her life while she can still enjoy it. The ‘living’ part had been left off the invitation by mistake. Having travelled all that way, Addie and Susanna decide to stay for the party and spend their time sorting through their late father’s belongings, at the same time considering the state of their own lives. Susanna is concerned about her marriage, while single mum Addie wants to be able to give her son a better life. However, amongst their father’s papers, they discover a secret that shocks them both and makes them re-evaluate the memories they had of their past.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. It had me drawn in from the very start with its interesting and strong characters, amazing setting and mouthwatering desserts at every turn. It was sad that Susanna and Addie had both had problems in their youth and were still troubled, but the bond between them had stayed strong through it all; you couldn’t help admiring them. It was interesting watching them relive some past experiences when they returned to what was once their home. Aunt Gayle was an incredible character, hard working but full of life and fun, although slowing down with age. She took a big chance opening her pudding restaurant on this little island but it paid off judging by its great popularity. No matter what had happened in the past, I was willing all three of them to settle their differences for a happy outcome. This is a book I can confidently recommend.
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