Book Review - The Cake Fairies by Isabella May - #HolidayReading Mexico

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Amazon UK

Title: The Cake Fairies

Author: Isabella May

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self published

Publication Date: 10th January 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

1960's Somerset is no fun for cousins Polly and Annabelle Williams. Mourning their non-existent love lives, and the mundanity of village life, their only pleasure is baking - until a chance encounter has them magically transported to the bright lights of London... in 2019!

Promised a chance of love, first they must teach the people of the future about the simpler pleasures of life by becoming Cake Fairies. Over the course of a year they set off on a delectable tour of the UK, dropping off cakes in the most unexpected of places and replacing the lure of technology with much sweeter temptations.

But will their philanthropical endeavours lead them to everlasting love? Or will they discover you can't have your cake and eat it?

The Cake Fairies is the fifth novel by fantastical foodie author, Isabella May.

Hmm a book starting in 1969, and one that features a form of time travel, normally two things that would have me running in the opposite direction.

However I somehow knew that in Isabella May's capable hands I may just be in for a treat, and to at least go with the flow and suspend my scepticism for a bit. 

And I'm so so glad that I did, as this was a wonderful story, and at the same time a commentary on how much nicer people can be if they take their heads out of a screen for at least some of each day and interact with real people!

Cousins Polly and Anna are on a year long mission to be like the book fairies that are about but instead of doing book drops, dropping unseen large cakes to brighten up people's days. 

They are only given each days drop location and instructions that day from their big red folder, and what is clear is how much a person's day is improved by some cake. 

It is also clear that Isabella May clearly loves her cake, and this book did make me quite hungry. 

I'm also sure I spotted a cameo from one of her previous books / characters which made me smile!

Fantastically unrealistic, but at the same time totally believable, I loved watching these cousins grow, grow used to being in 2019, to seeing if they can perhaps find true love at last, and just generally enjoying seeing how they progressed on their mission. 

Very entertaining story and one that I'm glad I took a chance on. 

Thank you to the author for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Book Review - The Ice Cream Parlour by Isabella May

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Amazon UK

Title: The Ice Cream Parlour

Author: Isabella May

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Author supplied copy

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 18th May 2019

Rating: 5 Stars

Giovanna Tonioli is a successful stockbroker with a famous sports star boyfriend, but things aren't as sweet as they seem. When life in the city of Bath goes from Vanilla to Rocky Road, she takes herself off to Italy for an 'Eat Pray Love' style tour of all things gelateria. What she doesn't expect to find on her travels is one smooth, hot dollop of temptation that she just can't shake. 

How will her spiteful twin sister react when Giovanna returns to open a rival ice cream parlour? Will Natalia get her just desserts? Or will things become even stickier? All's fair in love, war and ice cream. Isn't it?

*Marian Keyes meets Paulo Coelho meets Nigella*

The Ice Cream Parlour is a mouthwatering tale of fate, family, love and jealousy - with a delectable drizzle of alchemy besides.

Warning: Don't read this book without a mountain of ice-cream or food around you, every time I picked this book up my stomach was rumbling within seconds of losing myself within the pages! 

I'm really not sure what to make of this book or how to describe it, but what I can safely say is that I definitely enjoyed it. 

The opening feels as though the story is part autobiographical, still fiction, but had a this is my life to date sort of feel to it, with assorted key instances from Giovanna's childhood and early life to date.  The writing was lyrical in style and flowed wonderfully. 

Then at the point that Giovanna's boyfriend of 10 years is caught cheating, with the one person you would like to think would never do such a think to Giovanna, we are caught up with the present day, and the next section of the book was definitely my favourite. 

It involved our heroine travelling around Italy for a few months, and sampling gelato and ice cream and coming up with flavour combinations that sounded mouthwateringly delicious for her own parlour,  Not to mention the Italian men that try to chat her up! 

We also have parts of the book featuring Kelly, the new age best friend, who persuades Giovanna to try something that I was really sceptical about, but I found it quite interesting the way it was all explained. 

And then the finale felt like another genre again, full of action, pulled together assorted threads and was impossible to put down. 

In between all of that there was ice-cream.  Lots and lots of ice cream.  If Isabella May ever decides to stop writing books, or wants a new career on the sidelines then she needs to make The Bath Ice Cream Parlour into a reality.  Who wouldn't want to visit a place with 100 flavours, all that sound wonderful, with fabulous concepts behind them. 

The travel elements in Italy all seemed well researched too, and a lot of it matches up to either bits I've seen myself, or what I've imagined the country to be like from other fiction.  I loved all the places that were visited and just wish I had been Giovanna's assistant or something to experience it with her! 

This is the second book I've read by the author and this is definitely my favourite of the two. It's a bit unusual in places, if feels as thought it could be a mix of many genres,  but its also got great characters, fabulous descriptions and most importantly, it has ever flavour of ice cream you could ever imagine!! And what more could you want from a book simply titled The Ice Cream Parlour?!

Thank you to Isabaella May for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Costa Del Churros by Isabella May

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Amazon UK

Title: Costa del Churros

Author: Isabella May

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Ebook 

Publisher: Crooked Cat Books

Publication Date: 19th September 2018

Rating: 4 Stars

The rain in Spain doesn't mainly fall on the plain…

Brits abroad Belinda, Julia, Laura and Georgina need more than the sweetness of churros with chocolate dipping sauce to save them from their unsavoury states of affairs.

Cue Carmen Maria Abril de la Fuente Ferrera, the town's flamboyant flamenco teacher! But can she really be the answer to their prayers?

One thing's for sure: the Costa del Sol will never be the same again.

I think I may just have a craving for Churros after reading this, although I have less desire to go live on the Costa Del Sol, having seen what life is like there, warts and all. 

The story centres around the lives of 4 women, who on meeting them for the first time I wasn't really sure how much I would like the book as they didn't seem that relateable too. 

However as the story progressed all four of them grew on me significantly especially after we find out what really made them all tick, and what they are struggling with in their lives, for none of them are living the dream that it appears they may be. 

It takes a flamenco class run by Carmen to cement the ladies friendships and with Carmen's interesting take on flamenco lessons, they all learn a whole lot more besides.  I'm not a huge fan of flamenco, so was loving the way it was portrayed in this book - more to do with the philosophies behind it, than too much of the specifics.  For Carmen is a rather different sort of instructor, but fabulous with it. 

You definitely get a good glimpse at the life of an ex-pat in the Costas,  at the privilege or not that people live in.   What I would say is appearances can really be deceiving, but I did grow to enjoy all elements of this book. 

In fact I read it in two sittings, and when I wasn't reading I was thinking about the characters.   This was for me  a bit of a slow burner, but once I was used to the characters, I found myself whizzing through the pages completely gripped in the various storylines. 

This is the first book I have read by it certainly won't be my last, I have the others already on my kindle waiting to be read.  I really did enjoy Costa del Churros and think that if you enjoy books with multiple view points, many characters and their families, excellent writing and storytelling then this is definitely a book worth considering. 

Thank you to Isabella May for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Author Spotlight on Isabella May - Blog Tour

Today I have an interview between Emma Mitchell from EmmaTheLittleBookworm and Isabella May, author of The Cocktail Bar.   Enjoy!

Years Ago – what was your childhood like? 

School

I went to a fabulous village primary school and I think this was the best start my parents could have given me in so many ways. Everything about it was quite Enid Blyton and lovely. I have nothing but happy memories of the friends I made there, the teachers and the lessons. 

Unfortunately, high school was more than peppered with bullying, but I am eternally grateful all the same. The lessons learned there amongst my peers fuelled a determination to succeed, which may never have happened had I been a popular, beautiful, un-kooky kid. Nevertheless, I did pretty well academically, although my shyness meant I was never really on any of the teachers’ radars.
Friends

I always hung out with the unconventional ones and we had The Best Fun!

Family

All of my family memories are a vast swirl of hygge-like happiness… marred only by the odd recollection of Santa bringing my sister the Barbie and me the Sindy – grr.

Are you married? 

Yes, nine years ago I married my lovely husband in a whirlwind, fun-packed day at Cheltenham’s Pittville Park surrounded by our family and friends. Lucky him!

Children?

I have three children. A ten year old (going on thirteen year old) daughter, who shares many of my characteristics, a seven year old son, who is super laid back and balances us all out. And then there is my beloved baby daughter who was born sleeping nine years ago. But I will always be mum to three children, whether they are all with me, here in the physical, or not. 

Pets?

Unfortunately not. Life is so busy with two young children, and I know from my own bunny-obsessed childhood, it’s rarely the kids who do the cleaning out and feeding…

Work

What did you do before you became a writer (if you are a full-time writer that is!) What other job do you have now? 

Before I became a full-time writer I ran a part-time, boutique Literary Agency… before that I worked in children’s publishing for over a decade. My whole working life to date has definitely been about books in one form or another!

But nowadays I am 100% an author… This opportunity doesn’t come along every day and so I intend to embrace it wholeheartedly.

Hobbies

Other than writing, what else you love? 

Travel, travel and more travel. But hey, I also love baking, reading, cocktailing and trampoline jogging to high vibe music (the latter has kind of tailed off over Christmas, I must confess!). 
Law of Attraction is another big area of fascination. I can spend days getting lost in books and teachings on the many tangents of this subject. I am also a Level 3 Pranic Healer. It’s a super empowering form of energy healing which works alongside medicine, but also blows the mind (in a good way)!

Future

What plans do you have for your writing? 

I have a list of future potential novels as long as my arm… but one day at a time. I think so often we get wrapped up in the destination, but actually, it’s the journey that’s the most thrilling part. And I plan to stay on this writing journey for quite a while, drinking in some *hopefully* pretty amazing views!

Work? 

See, I don’t think of any of this writing game as work (even the marketing side of things). For me it feels like play. And that’s how I know it’s the right path. I just intend to keep doing what I do creatively until the ideas run out…

Family? 

There are heaps of places I would love to go back to with my family, to see that place afresh, from a totally different perspective. But I think that the most important thing for any family is to try to get the work/life balance right. I think we have it sussed.

Bucket list? 

I’ve never been the world’s greatest fan of this term… but I DO love the idea of putting travel at the top of any list, preferably to somewhere where they serve up fabulous cocktails and cake.

Amazon UK

Rock star, River Jackson, is back in his hometown of Glastonbury to open a cocktail bar… and the locals aren’t impressed.

Seductive Georgina is proving too hot to handle; band mate, Angelic Alice, is messing with his heart and his head; his mum is a hippie-dippy liability; his school friends have resorted to violence – oh, and his band manager, Lennie, AND the media are on his trail.

But River is armed with a magical Mexican elixir which will change the lives of the Three Chosen Ones. Once the Mexican wave of joy takes a hold of the town, he’s glad he didn’t lose his proverbial bottle.

Pity he hasn’t taken better care of the real one…

About Isabella May

Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalucia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the sea and the mountains. When she isn’t having her cake and eating it, sampling a new cocktail on the beach, or ferrying her children to and from after school activities, she can usually be found writing.

As a Co-founder and a former contributing writer for the popular online women’s magazine, The Glass House Girls - www.theglasshousegirls.com - she has also been lucky enough to subject the digital world to her other favourite pastimes, travel, the Law of Attraction, and Prince (The Purple One).

She has recently become a Book Fairy, and is having lots of fun with her imaginative 'drops'!

Oh! What a Pavlova is her debut novel... and her second novel has already been submitted to her publishers: watch this space...