SQUEAL! … Michele Gorman aka Lilly Bartlett has just the most utterly gorgeous book covers. The second I saw this book, I knew I wanted to delve straight in! This was the first book I’d read by Lilly and it certainly won’t be the last!
I adored Emma from the outset, such a likeable character and one I could relate to. As well as juggling twins and her husband Daniel, Emma opens up a café in Carlton Square to provide jobs for vulnerable at-risk youths, but everything is far from plain sailing when she discovers someone is trying to sabotage her business. From the milk disappearing, cancellation of cake orders to bloomicide on all of the café window boxes but this doesn’t deter Emma fighting for what she believes in.
There are a diverse range of characters which adds to the love of this book especially the two trainees that Emma hires. I loved Joe the wannabe CEO and Lou who by the end of the book was most definitely one of my favourite characters.
Over all, This was a well-paced beautifully written tome by Michele Gorman aka Lilly Bartlett with the right amount of humour, (that I could relate to and had me laughing on many occasions), romantic confusion and learning curves. The story touches on the struggles of motherhood, juggling life, friendships and I loved the sense of community spirit in life at Carlton Square.
The Second Chance Café in Carlton Square is a highly enjoyable read and guaranteed to brighten up your day.
