Review: What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy

 

Title: What Would Mary Berry Do?

Author: Claire Sandy

Published: Pan Macmillan UK

Status: Read from July 28 to 29, 2014 — I own a copy   {Courtesy the publisher/netgalley}

My Thoughts:

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 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

 

What Would Mary Berry Do?  is available to purchase from

PanMacmillan UK I Amazon UK I  BookDepository I Amazon US 

Amazon AU I via Booko