A Year at Castle Court
Holly Hepburn
Rating: 5 stars
The brand new novel from bestselling author Holly Hepburn, perfect for anyone who loves Jenny Colgan, Veronica Henry and Lucy Diamond. A Year at Castle Court is Holly Hepburn's four Castle Court e-novellas collected together as a novel for the first time.
Sadie is a single mum, nursing a broken heart. Her best friend from childhood, Cat, is burned out from working long hours as a chef in Paris. In need of a change, they decide to invest in their dream - running their own handmade biscuit shop in gorgeous Castle Court, a three-storey food court tucked away behind Chester's bustling streets.
They soon discover that Castle Court has its own community - a little haven of delight against the stresses of the outside world. But not everyone welcomes the new business; the patisserie owner is less than pleased by what she sees as direct competition and Greg, who runs the fancy bistro that dominates one end of the courtyard, doesn't think Sadie and Cat have the talent or the business acumen to succeed. Luckily, there's support in the form of the delectable Jaren, who owns the Dutch waffle house opposite Smart Cookies, and Swiss chocolate-shop owner, Elin. And if all else fails, the friends can drown their sorrows in Seb's cocktail bar on the third floor!
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Oh, what a delightful novel by Holly Hepburn. I haven't read a novel by this author in such a long time, and when I got sent this book I couldn't wait to give it a read. However, fast forward to now I've finally got round to reading it and I wonder to myself why I took so long to read it in the first place! The book is pretty hefty as it's four novella's joined together but it's such a great read. The cover is what drew me in at first, I love the pastel colours, the tree, the wooden beams above the shops. It just looks so pretty and inviting.
We get to know quite a bit about Sadie and Cat pretty quickly as it's clear they've both been through quite a lot. However, we do learn that Cat has a bit of a big secret that she's been hiding away and it comes to light when Greg puts it to her in front of the busy food court. Both characters are relatable in their own way and I enjoyed reading about both of their hectic lives.
I enjoyed Sadie's character a lot, she had a young child whilst also trying her best to get her business off the ground, being the artistic side to the business, she works long hours to get everything done and as a result she finds herself being worked to the ground and her social and family life being affected as a result. Cat is in a similar boat, she also works long hours - although it seems not as long as what she was doing in Paris beforehand - and has a lot of issues when it comes to men.
The two women have obviously been through a lot before they even decided to open their business, and what makes matters worse is all the things that go wrong when they do finally open. People are against them, and even Mother Nature is! The girls can't seem to catch a break, but luckily it all comes together for them in the end and I'm happy with how it ended. It was a happy ending which is exactly the type of book I enjoy reading.
Overall, a lovely heartwarming novel. I would definitely recommend you give Holly Hepburn's novels a read this Spring. You won't regret it.
