Claire Sandy

An enjoyable gentle read, amusing and relatable, but not as laugh out loud funny as ‘The Not Quite Perfect Family’. Easy to get absorbed and interesting enough to keep turning the pages, with some likeable characters that leave you wanting to know what happens to them next. The book takes a number of unexpected twists and turns - cleverly written, although I did feel like there was a bit of a rush at the end to tie up loose ends. In her various guises Claire Sandy is one of my favourite show more authors. show less

A brilliant, heartwarming debut from Claire Sandy.

The book revolves around Marie who as the blurb tells us “has a lovely husband, three wonderful children, and a business of her own”. Sadly however this paragon is not so successful in the kitchen and feels constantly challenged by her neighbour and nemesis, Lucy Gray who is a domestic goddess par excellence. As once again Marie fails to produce anything homemade at the school fete, while Lucy strides in with a showstopper, fate takes a show more hand. On her way out Marie spots on the book stall a cookery book by Mary Berry and vows that this time next year the situation will be reversed.
What follows is a year in the life of Marie, her husband Robert, her delightful twins Iris and Rose, and her angst ridden teenage son Angus. Through all their trials and tribulations the answer can often be found in cake and her rallying cry Is “What would Mary Berry Do”. As a counterbalance, Robert finds his own answers to problems by producing breads and muffins that Paul Hollywood would be proud of.

It’s a delightful book, which while light and fluffy on the surface has a deeper message about life, love and friendship. It offers a realistic and humorous look at family life and the struggle of balancing work, children and relationships. On top of all this it features cake and lots of it.
I really enjoyed this book, the characters are all brilliantly drawn and the storyline keeps you entertained and interested through to a heart warming and unexpected ending. While I dislike the term chick lit as think it trivialises the work of many excellent authors, this is an example of the best that this genre has to offer.

I would suggest that this is akin to the writing of Carole Matthews and Millie Johnson, in its warmth, honesty and humour and I’m already waiting for book number two!

I received a free copy of this title via NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

The very big house in the country is Wellcome Manor, an idyllic holiday home in Devon. It is home for the summer to the Herreras, the Ling-Littles and the Browns. It is a summer that will be life changing as friendships are made, secrets surface and admissions are made.

The families are an eclectic mix, Eva and Mike Herreras are cash strapped but coping and are accompanied by their 2 youngsters, a truculent teenager and dog. Shen and Clive Ling-Little by contrast are wealthy and despite Shen show more and Eva being good friends a complete contrast Shen is Clive's high maintenance 3rd wife struggling to come to terms with motherhood and the unexpected arrival of wayward stepson Zane. Paula and John Brown and kids and are a last minute replacement for the original couple who dropped out and are a relative unknown but are clearly troubled.

The book sheds light onto the workings of the various marriages and parent/child relationships which range from challenging to easy depending on the couple and the children. The friendships between the teenagers are interesting and over the course of the holiday they positively blossom, change and grow in unexpected ways. Meanwhile the younger children are oblivious to the adult goings on and are living in an idyllic, Enid Blyton like dream world.

Having read Claire’s previous title What Would Mary Berry Do, I was looking forward to reading this and I'm happy to say it was just as enjoyable. While the plot is totally different it still has echoes of some of the similar themes, dealing as it does with family life and friendships and the contrasts/desires they may throw up. It has the same light touch which makes it a fun read, though there are times when the plot line throws up the unexpected.

This is a great, entertaining anytime read that I happily recommend.

I received a review copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

Once again having failed to produce a showstopper cake for the school fair, Marie Dunwoody, wife, mother and dentist, vows that next year she will deliver a masterpiece that her children can be proud of. With Mary Berry’s Baking Bible in hand, and spurred on by an imagined rivalry with neighbour Lucy Gray, Marie is determined to work her way through the recipe book for the next year and return triumphant.

Despite first impressions, What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy is about much show more more than baking the perfect Victoria Sponge or Doboz Torte, it is a warm and witty story about family, friendship and love.

Marie’s nine year old mischievous twin daughter’s, Rose and Iris, are happy to support their mother’s baking dreams but fifteen year old Angus is preoccupied with other matters including a secretive penpal, an attack of the ‘Clones’ and the attentions of a lovesick neighbour. Husband Robert is initially bemused by his wife’s new passion but when his position at work becomes tenuous he decides to turn to Paul Hollywood for consolation turning out perfect buns and muffins with which to impress his boss. Domestic goddess Lucy, Marie’s self proclaimed nemesis, is desperately trying to ignore the cracks in her marriage and make peace with her stepdaughter Chloe.

With appealing characters, snappy dialogue and lighthearted domestic drama, What Would Mary Berry Do? is a delicious treat for every reader.

PS. For those unaware, Mary Berry, along with Paul Hollywood, are real chefs and are the co-judges of The Great British Bake Off, a reality baking show on BBC show less