So, what now?
Today, we have my review of a book I read recently, the debut novel of Melanie Hudson, The Wedding Cake Tree.
.jpg)
If I could have given a half star, I would have rated this 4.5 stars.
If you liked PS I Love You, try this,
with a military twist
I knew this book was coming out and had a rough idea of what it was about and liked the premise. I was equally delighted to discover that the protagonist shared a surname with me! When I heard about the book, I automatically thought of PS I Love You, because of the messages left by the mother to the daughter (although in PS it was husband to wife). There the similarities end, although both are poignant tales. The Wedding Cake Tree sounds chicklit from the title, but it's not, at all. It is, however, contemporary romance, set across several countries, including my native Scotland. I enjoyed this section in particular as I have visited many of the places mentioned, but likewise those I hadn't, like Aviemore, I could envisage from the detailed description. I could clearly see in my mind's eye, the night they all camped after the young boy got injured, I saw Grace and Alasdair sitting by the water, by the wooden hut and in the hotel. Although I haven't been to Yorkshire much, again, I could happily imagine Grace's aunt's farm. The description in The Wedding Cake Tree is fluid and I loved the aspect which inspired the title, of Grace's parents planting the tree to celebrate the birth of their daughter. What a lovely idea. It made me think that I would like to do something so significant when I have children!
I knew this book was coming out and had a rough idea of what it was about and liked the premise. I was equally delighted to discover that the protagonist shared a surname with me! When I heard about the book, I automatically thought of PS I Love You, because of the messages left by the mother to the daughter (although in PS it was husband to wife). There the similarities end, although both are poignant tales. The Wedding Cake Tree sounds chicklit from the title, but it's not, at all. It is, however, contemporary romance, set across several countries, including my native Scotland. I enjoyed this section in particular as I have visited many of the places mentioned, but likewise those I hadn't, like Aviemore, I could envisage from the detailed description. I could clearly see in my mind's eye, the night they all camped after the young boy got injured, I saw Grace and Alasdair sitting by the water, by the wooden hut and in the hotel. Although I haven't been to Yorkshire much, again, I could happily imagine Grace's aunt's farm. The description in The Wedding Cake Tree is fluid and I loved the aspect which inspired the title, of Grace's parents planting the tree to celebrate the birth of their daughter. What a lovely idea. It made me think that I would like to do something so significant when I have children!
I love novels which change location, so as Grace went on a trip, which even took in another part of Europe, which I have also visited and found myself remembering, particularly the places of interest, this appealed to me greatly.
Alasdair is a strong leading man. Everyone should have an Alasdair! There were also a few unexpected twists towards the end, which had me appalled.
The strong military vein running throught the novel was something I hadn't encountered before in this genre and it added a great deal to the story. The difficulties of war, being unable to discuss your work and being absent without knowing when you are able to return certainly made me think about how people in that field handle relationships.
The whole other life Grace's mother led and the cunning plan she put into action were surprising and masterful. I couldn't help chuckling at how devious she was.
Overall, an excellent first novel, a heartwarming romantic drama with a military background.
You can purchase The Wedding Cake Tree on Amazon
A paperback version is also available for those without a Kindle. Contact Melanie directly for more details.
Melanie is to be found on Twitter at melanie_hudson_
Tune in on Tuesday for an exciting new feature for the blog! Have a great weekend everyone! I have a friend arriving from Austria today, so will be MIA pretty much until Mon. I haven't seen her for 3 or 4 years!
No comments:
Post a Comment