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Sweet Pursuits - Pauline Wiles

Sweet Pursuits: a Saffron Sweeting novel by [Wiles, Pauline]

Description
After six blissful years with scientist boyfriend Owen, Bella Beecham was convinced he was about to pop the question she’d been longing to hear. Instead, he accepted a prestigious job in California and left England without a backwards glance. Now, Owen’s back in the village of Saffron Sweeting, and appears to be more eligible than ever. Bella’s determined that the man of her dreams won’t slip through her fingers again.

But her plans to tone up, trim down, and tempt Owen back into her life prove bittersweet. Although Bella’s talent for baking wins her new friends, her tasty treats have a disconcerting tendency to sabotage her own intentions. And as her increasingly bold attempts to recapture Owen’s heart stumble, Bella must question whether she’s chasing a guy who wants to be caught.

A British romantic comedy featuring both familiar characters and fresh faces, Sweet Pursuits explores how a young woman seeking her soulmate must first learn to love herself.

Review

Whilst the book can be read as a standalone it is one of the novels set in Saffron Sweeting. So as I had previously read both of those books "Saving Saffron Sweeting" and "Secrets in the Sky" I began to feel right at home, it felt like catching up with old friends as I recognised characters from previous books and also re visited the lovely Bakery.

When Bella realises that her man that got away (Owen) is returning to Saffron Sweeting she sets out to win him back with some hilarious consequences. I was really captivated when she tried some culinary magic  - but would it get served to the right person?

One of Bella's plans to win back Owen is to lose weight and she joins the couch to 5k programme. This aspect of the book I found quite motivational - especially at this time of year - her coach Leo gives some good advice and I found I was thinking about this when i wasn't reading the book. However all that good work was undone when I was introduced through the book to Mocha with Baileys, I tried it and wow it's good!

Pauline writes with great social observation and humour, so it really doesn't feel like reading a book, but just recognising people we all know or characteristics we identify with as they go about their daily lives.

A lovely gentle read. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Pauline for an advance copy of the book to review.

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