[Synopsis]
Bella Bradley is the queen of television baking – a national treasure. Her Christmas specials have been topping the ratings for years and her marriage to Peter ‘Silver Fox’ Bradley is the stuff of Hello magazine specials.
But this year things are going to be different.
For Amy Lane, Bella’s best friend from school, life hasn’t held quite the same sparkle. And when Amy’s husband walks out three weeks from Christmas, it seems their lives are further apart than ever.
Amy has watched Bella’s rise to fame fondly, despite the fact Bella was always a terrible cook. But when she realises that Bella’s latest Christmas book is made up entirely of Amy’s mother’s recipes, the gloves are off…
After winning a competition to appear on Bella’s TV show, Amy is going to make sure that for Bella and her viewers, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember…
[My Review]
Bella’s Christmas Bake Off by Sue Watson is an easy, fluffy read that’s fun and entertaining. The characters were quite amusing and there was some humorous moments that made me laugh throughout, with main character Amy trying to deal with her marriage break up (which actually isn’t a funny topic, but Sue Watson did manage to keep it light hearted overall) and with Bella’s diva-like personality. I did wonder why Amy wanted to remain friends with spoilt Bella to be honest, apart from feeling a little sorry for her, but the story is entertaining so I didn’t focus too much on that.
I did like that this novel included scenes set in and about the homeless shelter, and it’s nice to see something like this mentioned in a Christmassy novel, which might encourage people to think about how this time of year sadly isn’t happy for everyone. Some aspects of the storyline I saw coming from a mile off but I enjoyed reading about the characters anyway.
I didn’t feel that this novel was amazing but it’s certainly worth a read if you fancy something quick, light-hearted and Christmassy.
[Rating: 3/5]
Many thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Bella’s Christmas Bake Off will be published on 22nd October 2015.