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The Bliss family has a secret. A lot of bakeries say that their pastries are like magic but their pastries really are magic. Oldest daughter Rose loves helping out in the kitchen but she hasn’t been allowed to do much more than fetch ingredients and she’s never been entrusted with any magical recipes. But when both parents are called away for a week to help a neighboring town, they leave Rose with a key to the magic recipe book. Coincidentally, their long-lost “aunt” Lily rolls into town just as the Bliss parents are leaving and she seems awfully curious about the bakery…
What a cute read! I just loved it! Rose is the responsible one in the family and it’s starting to wear on her. She’s a little tired of watching her brothers have all the fun while she isn’t even allowed to do any real baking. Anyone can bake a scone; Rose wants to bake a love muffin.
The misadventures the Bliss children have while their parents are gone just amused me to no end. Their solutions to their problems are more and more creative but they just cause bigger and badder problems.
Aunt Lily is just enough of a suspicious character to keep Rose on alert, but she’s smooth enough that Rose is able to forget about her for little bits of time too. It’s obvious she’s up to something, it’s just not entirely obvious how she intends to do it.
The siblings learn lessons about family and listening to their parents and trusting their instincts and each other, but the book does not beat you over the head with them.
This was cute enough that I looked forward to getting on the elliptical machine so I’d have time to read it. Need I say more? I’ll be searching out the second book soon.
Read an excerpt.
Find author Kathryn Littlewood on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
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I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s, my local independent bookstore located in beautiful downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.
4 Comments
Oooh, good to know.
You're exactly right–it's like Sarah Addison Allen for younger readers. I think you'll like it!
I actually thought the second book was better-the family has adventures in Paris! And Aunt Lily is as dastardly as ever.
I am going to have to read this. It sounds like something Sarah Addison Allen would write, and I love her. Great review!