Sunday, July 7, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: SAVING SAFFRON SWEETING by PAULINE WILES


About the Book . . .
Saving Saffron Sweeting has reached the quarter finals in the romance category of the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. More information: amazon.com/abna
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Grace Palmer’s British friends all think she’s living the American Dream. But her design business is floundering and when she discovers her husband is cheating with her best client, she panics and flees home to England.
The tranquil village of Saffron Sweeting appears to be a good place for Grace to lick her wounds, but the community is battling its own changes. Reluctantly, Grace finds herself helping her new neighbours as they struggle to adjust and save their businesses. 
However, not everyone has the same opinion on what’s good for the village. The charismatic new man in her life may have one speculative eye on Grace, but the other is firmly on profit. How will she navigate the tricky path between her home and her happiness?
With gentle humour and generous helpings of British tea and cake, Saving  Saffron Sweeting explores one woman’s need to define herself through her career and community, before she can figure out who should be by her side.

About the Author

British by birth, Pauline moved to California eight years ago and, apart from a yearning for afternoon tea and historic homes, has never looked back.Her work has been published by House of Fifty, Open Exchange and Alfie Dog Fiction. Saving Saffron Sweeting is her first novel.
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Buy the Book!


Reader review . . . 
Grace was trying to get her business going in the States, but when her husband cheated with her client, it was time to go home to England.  Once there, she looked for a small village to hide and recuperate for awhile, and Saffron Sweeting fit the bill.  But before she knew it, she had adjusted to small-town life.  Now she is trying to balance a new relationship with saving her new home.

An awesome debut from Pauline Wiles, this light, contemporary fiction novel explores the difference between the British and Americans.  First, Grace is the newcomer while living in San Francisco, and then she has to readjust when she returns to England.  In Saffron Sweeting, they are being overrun by Americans who have transferred with their company.  The villagers feel their way of life is being threatened by the horde of loud Americans, who in turn want to fit in but do not know how.

At the same time, the novel also explores marriage, love, and the aftermath of betrayal.  At the beginning of the novel, I could imagine Grace's pain when she didn't know how to tell people what had happened, and only wanted to be alone to deal with the hurt.  It was a joy to follow along as she began to heal and get on with her life.  

This novel is just full of wonderful characters who seem as real as my own neighbors.  Life in Saffron Sweeting was so clearly described that I could see it as clearly as if I had been there.  

I must admit that the ending was not as I had hoped.  I can't say more than that without a spoiler, so I'll let it go, but it's not a bad ending.  It just isn't the resolution I expected.  Still, this is a fantastic first novel, and would be perfect reading by the pool or at the beach this summer.  

5 stars

I received this book in exchange for an honest  review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

2 comments:

Pauline Wiles said...

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing: I'm glad you liked it. And I'll try to do better with the ending of the next book!

THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK said...

Oh, I feel so awful! Please forgive me. I just thought things were going in a different direction. I loved the book!

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