The Cornish Cream Tea Bus: The Eclair Affair
Cressida McLaughlin
Rating: 5 stars
Part Two of the charming new series from the author of The Canal Boat Cafe. Perfect for cake lovers and old-fashioned romantics!
Charlie unveils her signature bake...
Charlie and Marmite finally arrive in the picture-postcard Cornish village of Porthgolow in their vintage Routemaster bus. Not everything is as it seems and Charlie's friend, Juliette, tells her about the owner of the big hotel up on the hill who has managed to upset the locals. That doesn't stop Charlie and Marmite making new friends and the bus finds a new lease of life as the perfect mobile cafe for afternoon tea.
But what will Charlie make of the enigmatic Daniel Harper when they meet, and more to the point, what will he think about Charlie and her bus parked outside his lovely hotel?
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I was dying to read part two of this series, as I enjoyed the first one so much. Where they are separated into novella's, you read them so quickly and then you're left eagerly awaiting the next one in the series! I think I love this cover more than the first! I love the pink sky, the pretty bunting hanging along the top of the cover, and of course the bus - Gertie - taking centre stage. I also love the names of the novella's, this one in particular was a fave - The Eclair Affair, sounds so mysterious and I couldn't wait to read about where the story goes in this one...
Charlie is in full swing when we start this novella, her bus has recently been transformed so that it's a mobile cafe and it sounds delightful. There's an upstairs seating area as well as space downstairs for seating and a kitchen! It sounds like a great idea, to have a travelling tea bus. The baked delights that Cressida describes sound mouthwatering and I just wished there was something like this that existed in real life as it sounded so tempting!
Charlie's character herself was really relatable. She seemed like such a genuine and caring character. And I loved reading about her conversations with the eccentric Reenie. As well as Reenie, there are also other secondary characters that you get to meet and read about, and most of them (with the exception of a few) are all really lovely and a dream to read about. The storyline itself is really addictive, reading it in a few hours and then not knowing what to do with yourself next because you need to wait for the next in the series!
Porthgolow once again sounded idyllic and I loved the idea of the food festival which was being held on the beach. Charlie gets a few bits of bad feedback (mainly just locals who don't like change) but she goes with her gut and it works out well. With regards to Daniel, he seems like a mystery to me. One minute I feel he is really lovely and him and Charlie are getting on well, the next he is a bit distant! One things for sure, I can't wait to read about how their relationship is going to go over the next few instalments! Can't wait!
Thank you to the publisher for a chance to read an advance copy, which I have reviewed honestly.
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