A Summer at the Castle

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.