Heartaches and Christmas Cakes: Wartime Bakery, Book 1

A lovely read. And it was good because it was local places to me. Which makes it more relateable.

Heartaches and Christmas Cakes written by Amy Miller for me was a great read and one I am happy to recommend. This is a great wartime saga based on the lives of Audrey Barton her husband Charlie who together with the help of family and friends run a very popular bakery in Bournemouth. With the many characters who include Audrey's family and friends as well as her many customers who come to her for their daily bread as well as daily gossip.But soon the problems of the Second World War are affecting their daily lives as Audrey comes to terms with the chaos which surrounds her but for Audrey, as always her heart of gold and caring heart will take over and she will do anything to help those in need.This is one well-written book which reminded me of Ellie Dean's Cliffehaven series of books. The characters were so different from each other and I liked how the author had each character tell their own story which not only entertained but made the storyline a more personal one and I was able to connect with each character in different ways.When the people of Bournemouth were facing the war, there was pain and heartache and so much more within the pages of this readable book, there, of course, was prejudices and fear of the unknown and so much more, with daily fear of Hitler and his Nazi power taking over the town and country they loved so much.Heartaches and Christmas Cakes is a wonderful wartime saga which certainly entertained while showing me what daily life was like for those women who had to take care of the home front when their men were sent away.Heartaches and Christmas Cakes written by Amy Miller is one book I would happily recommend to those readers who love historical fiction especially based on the era of the Second World War.I would also like to highly recommend the audio version  Heartaches and Christmas Cakes: Wartime Bakery, Book 1  which was narrated by the very talented Julie Maisey who once again give each character their own voice while providing a wonderful listening experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. This is the first book in a series and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series as I simply have to know what becomes of Audrey and her family and friends as this is one book which certainly ended on a knife edge.Happy to recommend.

I have been known to be partial to a WW2 saga but I don't read a huge amount of them these days. When I do read one I need it to be a good one and I'm happy to report that Heartaches and Christmas Cakes is up there with the best of them.We meet Audrey Barton and her family in Bournemouth right at the start of the war. She and her husband, Charlie, run a bakery and it was the shop being so central to the story that really attracted me to the book in the first place. It's a real hub, as shops often were then and I always think about how it must have been to go from individual shop to shop buying all that you need. Hard work but something quite lovely about it too.Audrey is a bit of a magnet for waifs and strays. Her brother has just joined up and left behind his fiancée, Elsie, who gravitates towards Audrey in his absence. Then there's Lily, her stepsister, who arrives on her doorstep one day looking for help, and she also takes in an evacuee. I liked Audrey a lot. She's such a kind, loving person and is the heart of the story.With any good saga there are numerous ups and downs but strong spirits and love for family and friends win out in the end. Heartaches and Christmas Cakes is a truly heart-warming story and I was engrossed in it from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed reading about the ingenuity needed to survive food rationing and the community spirit which led to everyone helping each other.As the story ends early on in the war I was pleased to note that this is the first in a series and it's definitely one I will continue to read. I absolutely loved this first instalment!

Family saga type books are my go to books when I want a break from psychological and crime thrillers . Therefore I was very excited to read the blurb for this book as I knew it was right up my street . If like myself you like this genre then you will love this .Set in Bournemouth in the 1940's Audrey and Charlie Barton have a family bakery business which is at the heart of the local community . They may not have lots of money but the kindness and love they have for their family and friends is greater than anything money can buy . They are at he heart of the family and when Audrey's half sister comes to say nursing a dark secret they are there for her . When war breaks out Audrey's brother William goes to fight and leaves behind his beloved family and fiancée Elsie. Wanting to help more with the war cause Audrey and Charlie take in an evacuee who clearly is troubled by something and Audrey is determined to get to the bottom of it . Christmas is coming and the Barton's want all their loved ones to be together for Christmas . Will things work out for everyone ?This is an absolutely brilliant family saga and one which I can highly recommend. A perfect read for these colder nights curled up with a nice cup of tea ! Already I am so looking forward to book 2 !My thanks to Bookouture via Netgalley for the ARC. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

I've picked this book up several times, it came highly recommended but sadly it was an absolute dud, after attempting to read it a third time and still not getting any further than about forty pages in I finally gave up. Glad I got this cheap and didn't pay the full retail price.

I read this on the kindleThis book is set in WW2 it starts 1939, Audrey is in her mid to late 20s i think but she comes across as being older as she is the main character in the book & tries to take care of everyoneHer husband Charlie is the Baker & in a reserved occupation which he hates as he wants to do his bit, William is her brother who is in the Army who is engaged to Emily with Lily her stepsister & Mary the Evacuee she takes inThe setting is the seaside town of Bournmouth (not far from Southampton) & while you hear about the war & the raids on the town it is more about the peopleI already have the 2nd book which i look forward to reading