Friday, December 6, 2013

Sweet Expectations by Mary Ellen Taylor


The Gist:
    Daisy thought that her life had turned upside-down when she lost her high-powered job and returned to work in her family’s bakery, but one more life-changing discovery sends her reeling again!  Dealing with personal crisis on top of supervising much needed bakery renovations stretches Daisy to her breaking point.  In desperate need of a distraction and a change in perspective, she is blessed with a mystery. 
    An old recipe box is discovered in the wall of the bakery, and with it comes a chance to help a man discover his heritage- which really hits home with Daisy.  In researching, baking, and paying visits to new friends, Daisy discovers that although your past plays a part in who you are, it does not need to dictate the happiness of your future.

What I thought:
      First, I have to begin by saying that this was the first novel that I have ever read by Mary Ellen Taylor, and I have not read the first novel, The Union Street Bakery.  This book was very hard for me to get into, probably because the characters were set-up more in the first novel.  I struggled to get through the first half of this book.  I just couldn’t relate to Daisy no matter how hard I tried.
    However, the second half of the book changed my opinion entirely.  As Daisy softened, I began to like her more.  I appreciated how she stuck to her guns and followed her truth.  I enjoyed watching her unravel the mystery of the recipe box, especially the visits to people who lived through WWII.  I felt that Miss Taylor did an excellent job with her telling of a former soldier’s reminiscences, and the nostalgia seeped off the page.
    Reading this story has led me to one conclusion... I need to pick up The Union Street Bakery, and see what I have missed in the lives of Daisy and her sisters!

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