Review: The Travelling Tea Shop

I had been excited to read Belinda Jones' novel The Travelling Tea Shop ever since I finished Winter Wonderland (which I adored). It had been awhile since I had spent any time with these characters and I was excited to find out what they were up to and learn more about Laurie, who we only met briefly in Jones' first book. I ended up thoroughly enjoying this novel!

Here's the synopsis:

Laurie loves a challenge. Especially if it involves anything beautiful, baked and frosted. The brief is simple: With three other women, Laurie will board a London bus - kitted out as an English tea shop - on a deliciously different road trip of the USA.
Their mission: To bring home-grown classics like Battenberg, Victoria sponge and scones to the land of cupcakes, whoopie pies and gold-leafed chocolate sundaes.
And to show them how a real cup of tea is made. All of the women have their own secrets and heartaches to heal. As well as a grand appreciation of cupcakes, there's also the chance for romance...
But will making whoopee lead to love?
All aboard for: New York - Connecticut - Rhode Island - Massachusetts - Maine - New Hampshire - Vermont.

One of the things I loved about Winter Wonderland was that the main character worked as a travel writer. That was still present in this book and I was so happy about that (not that I was surprised since Laurie and Krista are partners in the travel company). It was fun to see Laurie's travel brain working to figure out details of the trip. I always love reading novels about travel writers, or even travel agents, and this book didn't let me down in that regard.

The secondary characters in this novel were awesome. Gracie is probably the best grandma I've read in a long time. She was sophisticated but had spunk and wasn't afraid to say what she thought. I liked seeing Pamela find herself and figure out what she needed to do to really enjoy her life. Her daughter, Ravenna, was an interesting one. I really liked the bond she ended up having with Laurie but I have to admit that I kept thinking she was only sixteen or seventeen, not twenty. She acted like a spoiled teenager and that's why I had that picture in my head.

Let's talk about one of the most fun parts of the book: the desserts. I loved the idea of doing a tour of the US (or anywhere, really) and learning more about each location's signature dessert. I liked that Pamela and the chef in each location traded recipes and we got to learn about all sorts of delicious goodness like red velvet cake and whoopie pies. Yum.

I really liked how the romance played out in this novel. Laurie wasn't a woman who really needed a man but that didn't mean I wasn't rooting for her to find someone throughout the course of this novel. This wasn't a case of the heroine being single because she needed to learn to love herself first. Laurie knew just who she was and was waiting for the right guy before bothering with all of that relationship nonsense. I liked that her love interest, whose name I did not write down and cannot find on the interwebs (bad blogger!), sort of appeared out of nowhere (though we eventually learn that there are crazy connections between Laurie, her new fellow, and her travel companions). He seemed to really get her right away, which is something she needed. I also liked that things were left a little open ended. It made it more realistic (though die hard Happily Ever After fans might be left wanting more!).

Overall, The Travelling Tea Shop was absolutely delightful. I'm so happy Belinda Jones decided to revisit this world so we could see how Krista was doing and learn more about Laurie. I'm a little sad that this is probably the last time we'll visit with these characters but it just means that I can check out Jones' other novels! If you like desserts and travelling, this book is definitely for you!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

June Chick Lit Challenge Read: The First Husband

I had heard about The First Husband by Laura Dave awhile ago but it took me some time to finally get around to reading it. I'm so glad I did! It was fun, sweet, and had some wonderful characters. I decided to review this one for my June read of the Chick Lit Plus Challenge.

Here's what this novel is all about:

Annie Adams is days away from her thirty-second birthday and thinks she has finally found some happiness. She visits the world's most interesting places for her syndicated travel column and she's happily cohabiting with her movie director boyfriend Nick in Los Angeles. But when Nick comes home from a meeting with his therapist (aka "futures counselor") and announces that he's taking a break from their relationship so he can pursue a woman from his past, the place Annie had come to call home is shattered. Reeling, Annie stumbles into her neighborhood bar and finds Griffin-a grounded, charming chef who seems to be everything Annie didn't know she was looking for. Within three months, Griffin is Annie's husband and Annie finds herself trying to restart her life in rural Massachusetts.

The synopsis makes Annie and the story seem a little...crazy. Marry someone three months after meeting them? Almost everyone would think that's a little quick. But, when you're reading about Annie and Griffin and their relationship it just makes sense.

I was so wrapped up in Annie's story that my heart hurt for her when she was realizing she had to make a very difficult choice. I could see that she wanted the one outcome but was not emotionally able to make that happen. So, even though I wish she hadn't decided to do what she did, I'm still glad she did as it led her to the outcome I wanted for her to begin with. Confused? I know it's vague but I don't want to give anything away! Point is, Annie has to make a lot of tough choices and since she doesn't think she can make the choice she does what she does best - relocates.

I've mentioned before that travel writers as heroines seem to have the best built in drama. They "obviously" have commitment issues since they never stay in one place for very long (but it's for work, they'll say). I really liked how Dave played with Annie's issues and her job. It seems to be the reason she's never really settled but is that really it or is she using it as a crutch? It was interesting to see how Annie evolved and learned about herself.

I really liked Griffin. He was funny, sweet, caring, and a real guy. Bonus: he's a chef. Who wouldn't want to marry a chef? The romance between Griffin and Annie started out so smoothly but quickly ran into some problems. They both had some issues to work out and I enjoyed reading about their journey.

Overall, I think all chick lit lovers would enjoy The First Husband. I plan on checking out some of Laura Dave's previous works and I look forward to what she comes out with next.

Happy reading :)

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Dancing Naked in Dixie

Welcome to a stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark! I read Clark's first novel Stay Tuned awhile ago for another CLP Tour and really enjoyed it (see my review of that one here) so I was eager to sign up for this tour. Clark did not disappoint and delivered another enjoyable novel.

Here's what this book is all about:

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired. 
With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.
Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

This was the first of two books that I've read recently that featured a travel writer (the second you'll hear about later this month). Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something? Nah. I doubt it. :) So even though it wasn't a sign to switch careers, I love reading about travel writers. They seem to always have some sort of commitment issue that needs to be worked out and it allows for lots of pretty scenery along the way.

I think I needed more romance in this book. The focus of the book wasn't the love story but I think I needed just a bit more of a relationship between Julia and Shug. I knew they'd end up together but there weren't enough of those little moments for me. Or maybe it was that a situation came up that put his girlfriend out of the picture...it wasn't that he "chose" Julia as much as he liked her and then his girlfriend was conveniently out of the way. Sorry - it's hard to explain that without giving too much away!

My favourite part of this book was reading about Julia's journey. Her boss seems to know just what she needs to figure stuff out - even though he sort of has his own agenda. She's so unstable at the beginning of the book yet she doesn't quite realize that. It takes the wonderful folk in Eufaula to show her how to get back to solid ground.

Overall, I liked Dancing Naked in Dixie but I didn't love it. Have you ever read a book and wondered if you should have left it for a later date because you just weren't feeling it but knew you would normally enjoy it immensely? OK, that might just be me but that's how I felt about this one. I think many chick lit lovers would really like this one so I encourage you to pick up Lauren Clark's latest and find out for yourself. Check back on Friday when I have a guest post from Lauren!

Happy reading :)

Author Guest Post: Irene Woodbury

First of all, I have to apologize for my lack of posts lately. I was hit with a wicked cold and was super busy at work - neither of which let me have time or the brain capacity to write anything worth reading! Now, onto the fun!

Irene Woodbury is currently on tour through Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours and while I have not read A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis (yet!) but I'm so happy to have a guest post for all of you to read by the lovely author herself. When I was checking out her website I was intrigued by the travel writing that she's done so this guest post explains a little bit about that. A big thank you to Irene for writing this for Books Etc. I hope you all enjoy it!

“Our long-awaited month in London was about to become the vacation from Hell!”
           
That was the lead of my first travel story, and truer words were never written.  It was November 2000.  My husband and I were on vacation in London.  It was cold, and it wouldn’t stop raining.  We didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything.  The apartment we’d rented was in a quiet residential area that made us feel lost and out of it.  What to do?
           
My husband, who had a long career at Time Magazine as a reporter, had always wanted me to write travel stories.  I wasn’t interested.  As a full-time student in the 1990s, I spent the semesters writing papers.  I didn’t want to write anything other than a postcard on vacation.  But I was no longer a student, and we were both getting bored and cranky, and it was getting even colder, and it wouldn’t stop raining. 

One day my husband came up with a plan:  He would write a travel story, and I would help him.  Famous last words.  I soon took over, and, before I knew it, I had 40 pages on London walking tours.  I wouldn’t stop!  I absolutely loved it.  I wrote a rough draft on the plane ride back to Denver, and typed it on my computer the next day.  A few weeks later, the Los Angeles Times agreed to print it.    The 30-some pages I turned in ran as 6, but I didn’t care.  I was ecstatic!  My husband was happy.  It was the beginning of my travel writing career.
           
My next story also took place in London.  With my husband’s assistance, I did a long piece on the food halls of major department stores like Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason, Marks and Spencer, and Selfridges.  Talk about work!  We were on the Tube all day, going back and forth from one to the other, interviewing managers, checking out the prices of marmite and biscuits, trying out cheese plates, having tea, analyzing the décor and uniforms the cashiers wore.   Seven days a week, we were in the food halls, gathering details on prune cake made by nuns in Spain, wild mushrooms from Italy, bread and pastries trucked in from Paris, pork and beef from the English countryside, salmon from Scotland.   I took notes and wrote.  My husband did the photos.   The Los Angeles Times ran that one too--a full page story!  I was thrilled, and the readers loved it.
           
I did many London stories over five years.  Another favorite was the Bridget Jones tour.  We were in London when the movie made from Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, came out. I bought a copy of the book, got my pen, and stayed up all night marking the locations in the book. The next morning, I had a list, and out the door we ran!
           
There was her apartment on Bedale Street above the Globe Tavern in Borough Market, the Serpentine Gallery where Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy brawled over her, the boutiques she shopped in on Oxford Street.   We even had an authentic English breakfast at Debenham’s department store, where Bridget liked to munch her beans, toast and pork sausages.
           
Our tour also included stops at the elegant Claridges Hotel, where Bridget and Mark attended the wedding reception of her friend, Jude, and the dignified Guildhall, where Bridget endured the double humiliations of a make-up blunder and an undergarment malfunction during a formal reception.  Her date, the proper Mark Darcy, is embarrassed by her appearance and her inappropriate behavior, of course.
           
I loved this story.  It ran in the Toronto Star.  The final sentences were:  “No other tour has made us feel so comfortable in this complex city.  Thanks Bridge!”  To this day, I second that emotion.
           
Just one more London story, then I’ll move on!  I’d always wanted to have formal tea at the best hotels in London, so we did this as a story.  We had long, leisurely teas at the Lanesborough, Savoy, Ritz, Basil Street, and Dukes hotels.  The average price was $40 to $50.  What a wonderful time it was!  As we sipped our tea and munched scones, pastries, and finger sandwiches, I snuck in notes, (sometimes we told people what we were doing , more often we didn’t) and my husband discreetly snapped photos.   A well dressed Ritz security person finally told us:  “One more photo, and you’ll be asked to leave.”  Needless to say, we put the camera away. 

This was a terrific experience.  The story ran in the L.A. Times—and, by the way, the Lanesborough was the best of the lot for food, service, atmosphere, and attitude.
           
I’ll tell you about one Paris story—my favorite in that incredible city.  On the plane ride from Denver, I said to my husband:  “I wonder what it would be like to shop for second-hand clothes in Paris?”  I lived to regret that comment because every day when we woke up in the apartment we’d rented, he would ask:  “When are you going to do that story on used clothing stores?”
           
To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know how they referred to these places in French.  We finally found out from the American guy we’d rented the apartment from.  Then we looked them up in the phone book, got our Metro guide, and figured out how to get to these “depot ventes.”
           
This was another incredible fantasy trip.  You would not believe the clothes and accessories in these stores!  Yves Saint Laurent suits, Chanel handbags, Versace boots, Prada leather jackets, Dior dresses, Balenciaga skirts.  It was incredible.  We covered five or six stores all over the city, but we only had space for four in the story.  The shop-owners were fairly cooperative, but I kept a low profile and behaved respectfully and discreetly.  My husband took photos, but, once again, discreetly.   They knew they’d get publicity from the story—if it got published--so they went along with it.  But they wouldn’t put up with any nonsense!  It was the experience of a lifetime to trek through those stores and check out the extraordinary offerings for both men and women.  
           
If you’re going to Paris anytime soon, the four stores in the article were Reciproque in the 16th arrondissement, Depot Vente du 17eme (17th arrondissement), Misentroc on the Left Bank, and Alternatives in the Marais.  The prices are in every range.  The story ran in the Dallas Morning News and The London Daily Telegraph.   It will always be one of my favorites.
           
I won’t go into detail on other stories I’ve done, but I covered a literary walking tour in Dublin; the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid; a crocodile preserve near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, an indigenous Indian village in Mexico; the spas of Las Vegas, Elvis-related entertainment shows in Las Vegas, chocolate-themed specialty shops and cafes on the Strip, and backstage theatre tours in London.  I like variety.
           
Thanks for the opportunity to look back on some of the happiest days of my life. (There were a few downsides. It was an expensive pastime. I worked 7 days a week and didn’t have a computer with me. We never knew if the stories would sell or not, and when they did, we didn’t make much money.) I’m looking forward to getting out there again with my notebook, pad—and husband--one of these days.