Thirty-two-year-old Hetty Greengrass is the star around which the rest of her family orbits. Marriage, motherhood and helping Dan run Sunnybank Farm have certainlykept her hands full for the last twelve years. But when her daughter Poppy has to choose her inspiration for a school project and picks her aunt, not her mum, Hetty is left full of self-doubt.
Hetty’s always been generous with her time and until now, her biggest talent – baking deliciously moreish shortcrust pastry pies – has been limited to charity work and the village fete. But taking part in a competition run by Cumbria’s Finest to find the very best produce from the region might be just the thing to make her daughter proud . . . and reclaim something for herself.
Except that life isn’t as simple as producing the perfect pie. Changing the status quo isn’t easy – and with cracks appearing in her marriage and shocking secrets coming to light, Hetty must decide where her priorities really lie . . .
What does TWG think?
**Huge thank you to Transworld Books and Cathy Bramley for picking me as a winner for an early proof copy!**
I STUPIDLY decided to read ‘Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery’ when I was hungry. Seriously, could I have BEEN more stupid? I wouldn’t advise it at all, although to be fair, you’ll probably end up hungry after reading about all of the delectable treats anyway!!
Hetty Greengrass has been living in other people’s shadows for as long as she can remember, with people only really knowing her as ‘Poppy’s mum’ or ‘Dan’s partner’, and not a person in her own right. Hetty wants to do something for herself and to be perfectly honest, it’s not really too much to ask is it?
Dan’s reaction to Hetty’s new venture and having to step away from the farm for a couple of days, really got under my skin! Such a selfish response! I urged him to be a little more supportive, after all, hasn’t Hetty been supporting Dan for all of this time? Isn’t that what being partners is all about?
It was such a lovely thing to see Hetty go from a reserved, unconfident woman, to a self-assured, confident, woman on a mission as the storyline progressed. She took her idea and ran with it marathon style! Weirdly, I felt quite proud of her actually as it was such a big deal for Hetty to step out of all that she has known for the last twelve years, to embark on her own solo venture, giving herself something to be proud of. She showed that she could do it. She showed that she was determined.
Now, ‘Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery’ doesn’t just tell a story about the obvious. In fact, there is a lot more to the book that meets the eye. When certain things became clear later on down the line, I think my jaw became unhinged as it dropped right down to my knees in shock. I mean, where the hell did that come from?! Definitely a game changer where this book was concerned, that’s for sure!!
Having been a fan of Cathy Bramley for a long time and loving every single book she has written, I thoroughly enjoyed curling up with her latest offering, with my fingers crossed that it would live up to my expectations. It didn’t. It went above and beyond and became my most favourite book Cathy Bramley has ever written. I don’t know what it was, but I felt like the energy from the authors writing was completely different this time round, and the vibe seemed to reach my soul a lot quicker than previous novels. Maybe it was because I found myself relating to certain aspects of this book a lot more, or maybe it was because the author has gone from strength to strength with every book she writes. Who knows. All I know is that Cathy Bramley has written a book which I devoured in one sitting, wanting seconds straight away.
I loved how the storyline had humour alongside serious moments especially, as it gave the storyline such a varied dynamic which meant that the serious situations became more gritty. Because of that, I found that the shock factor was a lot stronger as they just seemed to come out of nowhere with one character being in hysterics one moment, to then having a gritty moment directly after. I really did love the ups and downs of Hetty and Dan’s lives, even if I was going for the whole ‘girl power’ thing and sticking by Hetty!
really has outdone herself with her newest novel, putting the book straight into my ‘most favourite books ever’ list.
‘Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery’ is such a more-ish, addictive, cosy, and soulful read which seemed to highlight Cathy Bramley’s outstanding literary talent in a way I never knew was possible. Tantalising, gritty and extremely heart-warming, ‘Hetty’s Farmhouse Bakery’ is guaranteed to leave you without a soggy bottom, and a heart full of warmth. Incredible book, Cathy Bramley has certainly outdone herself where this book is concerned – I can’t help but see it as one of my most favourite books of all time!!
The Writing Garnet 