Wanting to escape the rat race at her high-powered job in the city, Catherine decides to follow in her ex sister-in-law Anna’s footsteps and move to the village of Little Somerby. When Anna’s new brother in law Jonathan, co-owner of Carter’s Cider Farm, offers Caroline the chance to open and run a new restaurant being set up onsite she knows she’s made the right decision.
After a successful start for The Cider Kitchen, Caroline begins to feel she is being accepted amongst the local community, but just when she begins to settle into village life secrets from her past seem determined to haunt her.
Can she learn to confide and trust in others, particularly the gorgeous Jonathan? Or are his attentions more of an added distraction than a blissful escape?
When I started reading this book I didn’t realise it was the second in a series. However, Keenan has written this story with enough detail for the reader to pick up on previous happenings which ensures it can be read as a standalone.
Considering the genre of this book is contemporary fiction, I was surprised by how many other themes it included; there was an air of mystery around Caroline’s past, some family drama, a fair bit of comedy and a little action thrown in for good measure. Although, romance was at the books core, and the ending was somewhat predictable, this mix of genres made for an intriguing read that kept me turning the pages.
The characters were well developed, I didn’t feel as though I’d missed anything by beginning on the second instalment. Caroline was a leading lady full of gumption and spirit, not kowtowing to the male protagonist’s every whip and flip like some romcoms. Equally Jonathan wasn’t your typical male lead, rather than being cocksure he was often self-effacing and internally battling his own anxieties.
Being from Cornwall, it was enjoyable to read a book set in the South West. As the reader you could really feel the atmosphere of the countryside setting. Although not much concentration was paid to Little Somerby itself or the general day to day goings on of village life, I was certain by the end of the book that it was a quaint and wonderfully rural place to live.
I see from Goodreads that there is a third book on the way from this series and Fay Keenan, and I look forward to adding it to my TBR list!