The Tanglewood Tea Shop by Lilac Mills

Title: The Tanglewood Tea Shop

Author: Lilac Mills

Publisher: 31st January 2019 by Canelo

Pages: 270 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: womens fiction, chick lit, romance

My Rating: 3 crowns

Synopsis:

Patisserie-Chef Stevie is stuck in a rut. Her beloved Great Aunt Peggy has passed away, she’s been fired from her job and the love of her life has walked out the door. But when she’s called to the solicitor’s office to hear the reading of Peggy’s will, Stevie’s life begins to change.

Left with a large amount of money, Stevie is determined to take Peggy’s advice and turn her life around. The quirky tea shop that she sees up for sale in the beautiful village of Tanglewood must be a sign, and Stevie can’t wait to make it her new home.

But what happens after your dreams come true? It turns out that life in the village isn't as idyllic as it may have seemed. With local mums waging war against sugar, a tea shop and its patisserie-chef owner are definitely not welcome.

When the gorgeous but grouchy local stable-owner, Nick, shows up he seems like just another fly in the pastry batter but as the two grow closer, Stevie realises he might just be the perfect reason to stay and win over the village...

My Thoughts

For a break from the more heavier reads, Tanglewood Tea Shop proves a nice interlude. This is the kind of story that takes you away to a small village community somewhere in rural England, where a newbie usually comes along and attempts to start afresh. Throw into the mix a little drama, a little romance and you have the makings of a gentle getaway.

My further attraction to this book is of course the prominence of the word ‘tea’. Loving all things associated with this amber liquid, this quickly became a must read. And it is in terms of this that the book really shines - the whole shop, tea and cake details are ideal. I fully appreciated the realistic and humorous situations that were often adhered to:

“... regretting her decision to buy bone-china cups and saucers, and pretty but not-dishwasher-safe plates with gold leaf around the edges.”

The author, Lilac Mills,  also does a noteworthy job of capturing not only the setting of the typical English village but also a good range of characters. There were a few, however, situations and circumstances sprinkled throughout that brought this story down a little. The main romantic couples instalove was a little hard to buy into given they really had not been present or conversed sensibly for any length of time. I also found some of the dialogue silly and contrived and that disappointed me somewhat. Then again, the likes of other characters such as Betty, really lift and give the story notable engagement.

Overall, however, for a quick escape to the English countryside with a cup of tea and some delectably described cake, Tanglewood Tea Shop may just fit the bill for you.

‘You only get one chance at it, so live it your way’.

Visit Helen @ Great Reads & Tea Leaves

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.