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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes by Amy Miller is the second book in Wartime Bakery series. Audrey Barton wakes up one morning in January 1941 to find that her husband, Charlie left for his deployment without letting her give him a proper send off. Charlie and Audrey Barton own the Barton Bakery in Bournemouth, England and have been married for seven years. Audrey must now keep the bakery running while taking care of her family. The bakery is the central hub in their area and many of the families rely on the bread they produce. Thankfully, Uncle John has given up his retirement to take Charlie’s place in the bakery, but Audrey is worried about his persistent cough. Mary is the eight-year-old evacuee that the Barton’s have taken in. Her mother has passed away and Mary’s father is overseas fighting. Mary is coming out of her shell, and Audrey loves the little girl more each day. What will happen to Mary, though, when the inevitable happens to her father? Lily and her illegitimate daughter, Joy live with Audrey. The man she trusted betrayed her and her parents are ashamed. One day Joy’s biological father shows up at the bakery with an offer for Lily. She must now make a difficult decision. William Barton has returned home with severe injuries. Elsie, his fiancé, is grateful William is alive, and she is looking forward to marrying the man she loves. But the man she fell in love with is not the same man who returned home to her. Will there be wedding bells in their future? Maggie, Audrey’s sales clerk, has fallen in love with George Meadows. But she has not told George the truth about her home life. Will he change his mind about her when he discovers the truth and what Maggie did to keep her secret? One night an explosion rocks the area and tragedy strikes the Barton Bakery. Will they recover from this disaster? Come along to Bournemouth to spend with Audrey along with her family and friends in Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes.
Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is a captivating story. It is realistic in its portrayal of life during World War II. How people at home work to survive the war with the men off fighting, rationing in effect and new items added frequently, bombs hitting the area, spending nights in air raid or Anderson shelters, quick weddings, the worry, the sacrifices, their perseverance and people in the community banding together to help each out. Amy Miller definitely captured the locale and time period. I thought Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes was well-written with a nice pace. The transitions were fluid between sections. I love the characters in this story. They are genuine, and you can feel their emotions. Audrey is a strong woman who is the mother figure for many as well as a confidant and pillar of strength. She has backbone, grit, strong moral character and a loving heart. Each character is different with a story of their own. I hope we see more of Arthur, the conscientious objector, in future books. He adds another perspective. While Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is the second book in Wartime Bakery series, it can be read alone. However, I highly recommend Heartaches and Christmas Cakes. You can see where the story started and get additional background on the characters. Plus, it is just plain good. Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is an emotional novel. Readers can feel the characters emotions (love, worry, sadness, grief, heartache) and it is amazing how they help each other through these trying times (the community spirit). They look for a bright spot (happiness) despite the adversity. Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is a heartwarming, emotional story with a delightful ending.
Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is a captivating story. It is realistic in its portrayal of life during World War II. How people at home work to survive the war with the men off fighting, rationing in effect and new items added frequently, bombs hitting the area, spending nights in air raid or Anderson shelters, quick weddings, the worry, the sacrifices, their perseverance and people in the community banding together to help each out. Amy Miller definitely captured the locale and time period. I thought Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes was well-written with a nice pace. The transitions were fluid between sections. I love the characters in this story. They are genuine, and you can feel their emotions. Audrey is a strong woman who is the mother figure for many as well as a confidant and pillar of strength. She has backbone, grit, strong moral character and a loving heart. Each character is different with a story of their own. I hope we see more of Arthur, the conscientious objector, in future books. He adds another perspective. While Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is the second book in Wartime Bakery series, it can be read alone. However, I highly recommend Heartaches and Christmas Cakes. You can see where the story started and get additional background on the characters. Plus, it is just plain good. Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is an emotional novel. Readers can feel the characters emotions (love, worry, sadness, grief, heartache) and it is amazing how they help each other through these trying times (the community spirit). They look for a bright spot (happiness) despite the adversity. Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is a heartwarming, emotional story with a delightful ending.
btpbookclub's review against another edition
4.0
What a brilliant historical story! I am a big fan of this genre. Wartime Brides & Wedding Cakes is an emotional, uplifting and well written story which is easy to devour. This is book number two in the Wartime Bakery series and I will be going back to read book one.
I loved the setting within the book, a perfect little bakery and the characters who all come together to form one big family during the war. This story has it all romance, weddings, loss and destruction while in the middle of a war. I enjoyed reading this story and would highly recomnend it to you all. Also, I think the cover is beautiful.
I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book of the series as this story ended on a major cliffhanger but happily! I’m waiting…. A well deserved four stars from me.
I loved the setting within the book, a perfect little bakery and the characters who all come together to form one big family during the war. This story has it all romance, weddings, loss and destruction while in the middle of a war. I enjoyed reading this story and would highly recomnend it to you all. Also, I think the cover is beautiful.
I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book of the series as this story ended on a major cliffhanger but happily! I’m waiting…. A well deserved four stars from me.
noveldeelights's review
5.0
If you've been following my reviews, then you know this isn't exactly the type of book I tend to go for but as soon as I finished the previous book in the series, Heartaches and Christmas Cakes, I knew I couldn't wait to catch up with Audrey and her family and friends again. All these characters wormed their way into my heart from the beginning and I very much care about what happens to them.
Audrey's husband Charlie has gone off to war, leaving her and Uncle John to run the bakery. Meanwhile Audrey's brother William has returned injured and is clearly struggling with something, while stepsister Lily is having a tough time dealing with motherhood. On top of that, either Audrey is losing her mind or someone has been stealing her supplies. But as we've learned in the first book, Audrey isn't one to take things lying down and she will do whatever it takes to get her family through this war as unscathed as possible.
I find this series immensely entertaining and uplifting. Full of likeable characters, it's incredibly easy to sympathise with them and their circumstances and I adore that the spotlight is very firmly on all the women who showed immense strength on a daily basis to make sure their families were safe, that there was food on the table, that they managed to find joy in the little things when the world around them was falling apart while all the time worrying about fathers, husbands and sons who were off fighting.
Audrey, her family and friends and indeed their entire little community are an inspiration to us all. As hard as the times were, life went on and they had to make the most of what they had. Life is short, you never know what tomorrow will bring so live for today. And in the case of this story, that does indeed include wartime brides and wedding cakes. I look forward immensely to catching up with these characters again in future!
Audrey's husband Charlie has gone off to war, leaving her and Uncle John to run the bakery. Meanwhile Audrey's brother William has returned injured and is clearly struggling with something, while stepsister Lily is having a tough time dealing with motherhood. On top of that, either Audrey is losing her mind or someone has been stealing her supplies. But as we've learned in the first book, Audrey isn't one to take things lying down and she will do whatever it takes to get her family through this war as unscathed as possible.
I find this series immensely entertaining and uplifting. Full of likeable characters, it's incredibly easy to sympathise with them and their circumstances and I adore that the spotlight is very firmly on all the women who showed immense strength on a daily basis to make sure their families were safe, that there was food on the table, that they managed to find joy in the little things when the world around them was falling apart while all the time worrying about fathers, husbands and sons who were off fighting.
Audrey, her family and friends and indeed their entire little community are an inspiration to us all. As hard as the times were, life went on and they had to make the most of what they had. Life is short, you never know what tomorrow will bring so live for today. And in the case of this story, that does indeed include wartime brides and wedding cakes. I look forward immensely to catching up with these characters again in future!
leona_omahony's review against another edition
5.0
Having read and absolutely loved the first book in this saga (Heartaches and Christmas Cakes). I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this second book. Well I certainly wasn’t disappointed it was another wonderful read. In this book Audrey Barton is holding the fort at the bakery while her husband Charlie is away fighting in the war. While running the bakery Audrey is also looking after Mary the evacuee child who they have taken in and also making wedding cakes for wartime brides . We get a good insight into how the Second World War affects everyone and how the bakery is a very important part of the community . A wonderful story and I am already looking forward to book 3.
This book may be read as a stand-alone but to really understand and get to know the characters I would suggest reading book 1 in the series first .
A five star read for me 👍👍
This book may be read as a stand-alone but to really understand and get to know the characters I would suggest reading book 1 in the series first .
A five star read for me 👍👍
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second book in the Wartime Bakery saga and would definitely read Heartaches and Christmas cakes which is the first to familiarise yourself with the characters.
I adored the first book in the series and couldn’t wait to catch up with the characters again as the author really draws you in so that what happens to the characters feels like it is happening to you or a very close friend at least.
Audrey is as strong and determined as ever. No matter what life throws at her she really takes it all in her stride. The parts to do with her and Mary were so emotional and found myself a blubbering wreck quite a few times. Mary is such an adorable little girl that has had far to much heartbreak in her life for one so young and my heart was literally breaking.
As with the first book, you really get a sense of the loss and devastation that occurred during the war. Not just with just losing family members but the businesses and how it affected them. I really loved how people pulled together though and the whole community spirit at times made me feel like my heart would burst with pride.
Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is such a bitter sweet read. It is heartwarming and emotional and a book that I didn’t put down until I turned the last page. I couldn’t help myself but devour this gorgeous story in one go, only problem is I now have to wait for the next one.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
I adored the first book in the series and couldn’t wait to catch up with the characters again as the author really draws you in so that what happens to the characters feels like it is happening to you or a very close friend at least.
Audrey is as strong and determined as ever. No matter what life throws at her she really takes it all in her stride. The parts to do with her and Mary were so emotional and found myself a blubbering wreck quite a few times. Mary is such an adorable little girl that has had far to much heartbreak in her life for one so young and my heart was literally breaking.
As with the first book, you really get a sense of the loss and devastation that occurred during the war. Not just with just losing family members but the businesses and how it affected them. I really loved how people pulled together though and the whole community spirit at times made me feel like my heart would burst with pride.
Wartime Brides and Wedding Cakes is such a bitter sweet read. It is heartwarming and emotional and a book that I didn’t put down until I turned the last page. I couldn’t help myself but devour this gorgeous story in one go, only problem is I now have to wait for the next one.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
leona_omahony's review
5.0
Having read and absolutely loved the first book in this saga (Heartaches and Christmas Cakes). I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this second book. Well I certainly wasn’t disappointed it was another wonderful read. In this book Audrey Barton is holding the fort at the bakery while her husband Charlie is away fighting in the war. While running the bakery Audrey is also looking after Mary the evacuee child who they have taken in and also making wedding cakes for wartime brides . We get a good insight into how the Second World War affects everyone and how the bakery is a very important part of the community . A wonderful story and I am already looking forward to book 3.
This book may be read as a stand-alone but to really understand and get to know the characters I would suggest reading book 1 in the series first .
A five star read for me 👍👍
This book may be read as a stand-alone but to really understand and get to know the characters I would suggest reading book 1 in the series first .
A five star read for me 👍👍
mal_eficent's review
3.0
This was a fun, cute story about wartime women, but I found the plot struggled a little towards the end since everyone's plots had been neatly wrapped up well before the end and the story started going through the motions of showing all the events that were left over.
Tension was introduced and swept under the rug just as quickly, with any issues between characters being fixed barely a chapter after they were told to the reader. I understand that helps keep the tone of the book light and easy to read (and it was a very easy listen on the audio book) but it doesn't exactly make for an interesting read. It's a good thing that the character are so lovely, since there's nothing else to keep readers interested. The cast of women were delightful even when the narrative wasn't going anywhere, and it was easy to feel empathy for their situations.
Tension was introduced and swept under the rug just as quickly, with any issues between characters being fixed barely a chapter after they were told to the reader. I understand that helps keep the tone of the book light and easy to read (and it was a very easy listen on the audio book) but it doesn't exactly make for an interesting read. It's a good thing that the character are so lovely, since there's nothing else to keep readers interested. The cast of women were delightful even when the narrative wasn't going anywhere, and it was easy to feel empathy for their situations.
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