A Summer at the Castle
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'A wonderful setting full of food and intrigue, this is a novel to curl up with' Katie Fforde 'Smart, sexy, irresistibly romantic and utterly beguiling. Delicious!' Veronica Henry 'Beautiful and evocative settings. A Summer at the Castle is a much-needed escape' Anstey Harris 'Baking, romance and thrills - what more could anyone ask for?' My Weekly Scandal, secrets and strawberries. A recipe for disaster... Every summer, Diana Hughes organises a famous baking competition at her beautiful castle in the south west of Ireland, to raise funds for its upkeep. But this year, amongst the bunting and scrumptious cakes, everything is turning out a little differently than planned! First, her daughter Darcy arrives on the doorstep unexpectedly, after running away to the sunny hills of California with a broken heart a year ago. Then a mysterious stranger tries to sabotage the competition. Diana and Darcy soon find out that the past is quickly catching up with them - and it's about to turn their lives upside down!... Praise for Kate Lord Brown: 'Absolutely exquisite' Marian Keyes 'A wonderful, escapist, nostalgic read' RED 'Sweepingly romantic' Katherine Webb 'Great characters, and so beautifully written I could smell the Irish air.' Hilary Boyd 'Captivating' YOU 'A story of love and adventure, of loss and pain, and heroism' DAILY MAIL --------------------------------------------------------------- Previously published as The Taste of Summer
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I have been saving this book to read over the summer and I'm so glad I did. It was the perfect cosy summer read sat outside in the sun with a cold drink and emerging myself in the idyllic Irish setting. The atmospheric castle was a great backdrop for the novel combined with the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant.
Darcy returns home to help her mother who has fallen and injured herself. Every year Diana hosts a baking competition and with finances struggling to keep them afloat, she needs to make sure that this year the publicity from the filming of the show is fruitful. With the help of her daughter Darcy and another baker, Beatrice, Diana prays this will help keep the castle going. Unfortunately, Beatrice is not the sweet and innocent character Diana was tricked into believing and with the arrival of Beatrice a whole whirlwind of chaos and destruction follows.
In contrast to Beatrice, Darcy is the easy-going, girl next door character who although is camera shy, agrees to be filmed to help out the family business. Whilst she has known some of the staff since she was a child, Darcy finds her childhood crush is growing stronger and her heart beats faster every time she is near the hot-headed chef Conor.
This was the perfect romantic story, combined with hidden family secrets and the appreciation of food. I loved the recipes and food blogs that featured in the novel as well as the mystery surrounding Colleen. A Summer At The Castle is a truly comforting read.