The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living
by Louise Miller
5 stars
So what’s a girl to do when her Pistachio Baked Alaska catches an elegant private club on fire? Find a new job, of course, and that’s exactly what Olivia Rawlings does. She packs a bag and her faithful Irish Wolfhound, Salty, and heads for Vermont. Margaret Hurley, owner of the Sugar Maple Inn, hires Olivia as the pastry chef, but Margaret has an ulterior motive in hiring her. Olivia’s days are filled with creating delectable breakfast goodies and desserts, enjoying the beautiful New England Fall weather, and making new friends. An accomplished musician, she plays banjo in a contra-dance band and falls in love with Martin, who has returned home to care for his ailing father. Martin is different from the other men she’s had in her life. He respects her, and Olivia is not quite sure how to handle that. Nor does she cope well when she discovers Martin’s secret.
I loved this book because Olivia is resilient. She’s been alone in the world since her father died when she was sixteen, yet she’s accomplished quite a bit. But beyond her independence, Olivia discovers that being self-sufficient doesn’t mean going it alone. I especially loved the description of the Fall Harvest Dinner. The menu sounded so good it actually made my mouth water!
Read-alikes
The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
