
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / Marriage & Divorce, Fiction / Literary, Fiction / Women
Pages: 496
Find the Author: Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Goodreads
“As cozy as a cup of tea and cake.”—People
“One of those books you just want to hug to your chest. I loved it so much.”—Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of While We Were Dating
A huge-hearted, redemptive coming-of-old-age tale, a love story, and an ode to good food
Nothing could be more out of character, but after fifty-nine years of marriage, as her husband Bernard’s health declines, and her friends' lives become focused on their grandchildren—which Jenny never had—Jenny decides she wants a little something for herself. So she secretly applies to be a contestant on the prime-time TV show Britain Bakes.
Whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras and timed challenges, Jenny delights in a new-found independence. But that independence, and the stress of the competition, starts to unearth memories buried decades ago. Chocolate teacakes remind her of a furtive errand involving a wedding ring; sugared doughnuts call up a stranger’s kind act; a simple cottage loaf brings back the moment her life changed forever.
With her baking star rising, Jenny struggles to keep a lid on that first secret—a long-concealed deceit that threatens to shatter the very foundations of her marriage. It’s the only time in six decades that she’s kept something from Bernard. By putting herself in the limelight, has Jenny created a recipe for disaster?
Review:
Mrs. Quinn Rise To Fame by Olivia Ford is a debut novel and my December First Friday book club book selection. Olivia Ford’s debut novel is a treat to read. Not only a book about baking, which, in December, doesn’t want to bake or read about delicious food cooking? Mrs. Quinn is an adorable old lady type character who has dreamed of trying out for the British baking show and secretly enters without telling her husband. Along the way, of course, once she is in the show, she reveals her secret, and she does an outstanding job on the show. I won’t spoil it if you want to know how well you read the book. Mrs. Quinn’s rise to fame had me smiling, crying, and aching for her losses and her hopes to share a dark secret with her love and eventually find joy from that secret. Have your tissues ready, as you may just shed a tear or two, but this story is sweet, and the perfect December read.