Despite some small flaws I really enjoyed this story. Julie Claplin has a knack for writing interesting characters. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Review of The Little Brooklyn Bakery written by Julie Caplin and Published by Harper Impulse 2018
Plot Synopsis, Summary and Reflections:

Sophie, as our sumptuous heroine prefers to be known, leads us delightfully by the hand, taking us with her into the sensuous world of The Little Brooklyn Bakery. Just like the smell of baking bread and coffee are said to the seal the deal on any hopeful house sale, the smells and tastes that waft from the warm heart of her new-found friend Bella’s bakery and the sights and sounds of this vibrant city soon work their magic upon Sophie and most definitely upon this dear reader.
Sophie has headed off for a six-month job placement in the Big Apple. Hurting to her very core, the cosy comforts of the Hygge she found in Copenhagen, where she met her dear friend Kate, have seemingly long-since melted away. Sophie decides to fix herself in the here and now and not to keep mulling over the past or deliberate or dally over the future. What she finds is a baker’s dozen of new found friends. As she settles into her favourite pink chair at the back of the bakery, all the right ingredients of a recipe for self-compassion, good choices, happiness and love find their way into the mix that is Sophie’s life.
The story gives just enough time for all of her relationships to reach the right temperature and like Julie’s first book in this trilogy, make me the reader want to up sticks and follow in Sophie’s footsteps. One thing is for sure, there is no point in having your cake – unless you eat it as well and the book firmly but gently pushes us as reader into facing up to the power we have over our own lives and well-being. This story goes way further than skin deep. It introduces us to friends that kindly remind us that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and that life is there for the living, even if some mouthfuls taste a little strange or sour, there is a sweet one out there worth waiting for and worth savouring. At the end of the story you really feel that without reservation the friends are waving you off, sending you on your way, with the warm glow of friendship, waiting right there whenever you want to return to it.

Coffee Cup Conversations and Teapot Talking Points:
Following the novel, I really wanted to reflect on some of the moving food for thought that the story raised – if you and I reader were sitting down together today, having both read the book, here are a few of the points we could mull over together:
When the pupil is ready does the teacher appear?
Many experiences in our lives require us to take a leap of faith and a leap in the dark. In fact, most of the meaningful things in life seem to have this as a prerequisite. It is a truth that the only certainty in life is that everything is subject to change. Whenever I have acted on intuition or taken a decision because I believed in it, (even if very few others did) it has required a deeper level of vulnerability. It is then that we meet those sweet moments, when all that really matters is crystal clear.
Have you ever lived abroad? Would you take up a work placement in a different country?
When I was 20 and had been married only a few months, my new husband and I went to live and work in Spain for an academic year. I was in the third year, the “year abroad” of my degree in Spanish language, literature and history. My lovely hubby gave up his job and came with me. Within a year we had had the pleasure of sleeping many nights fully clothed together in a single bed as the apartment had no heating and no carpets, we had cooked the same meal practically every day as we had very little money, we had had our hair cut at a hairdressing school, surrounded by plastic mannequin heads –(it was cheap) – and been to watch a free film showing at the cinema, only to realised that it was a showing for young kids – (the free sweets were great, but the noise levels – horrendous.) At the end of the year of teaching English, my husband was offered a permanent job- but we had to return to finish my degree.
If you designed a cake – what would your design, look like?
I think that I would like to design a cake that reflected my husband and our 3 grown up wonders. I think it might be a starfish as we all are different, but very much united as a little family and always there for each other when life takes a nibble. But then again, the Star Wars lovers in my family would probably win out with their design.

Lovely escapist chick lit. Yep, that's what it is. Sophie has had a shock finding out what a rat her love is so she moves to Brooklyn for a change of scenery. How lucky she is to find an apartment above a bakery and to meet Todd, who is also a writer. These two have a wonderful repartee and the story never flags. You know the plot, don't you? That doesn't matter because Caplin does such a nice job with the characters and frankly with Brooklyn as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a happy read!

A lovely feel good book, packed with fun adventures and food. I loved Bella & Sophie from the offset, they are likeable characters that you feel like you could sit down and have a coffee with.

The whole story had a light feel to it and the chapters seemed to flow effortlessly to weave this lovely story.

I really enjoyed this book and was disappointed when I reached the end, I now want to read the others in this series

Another great read from Julie Caplin - although this is the second book in the series it can be read as a stand alone book, but it did make me want to go back and re-read the first book in the series, just because I enjoyed it so much!
Set in New York, after Sophie agrees to a work transfer there after finding out that her boyfriend is already maaried to another woman.
Her job is a food writer, but she soon ends up helping in the bakery downstairs from her apartment, making friends with the owner.
At work she is sitting with Todd, who writes the man about town column and seems to spend his time partying with a string of different women. But the more time she spends with him the more she discovers that he isn't really like that.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a voluntary review

This is the second in a series of books and I am now desperate to read the other two! It is pure escapist chick-lit and I couldn’t put it down. The characters are very likeable and the descriptions of Brooklyn make me want to visit immediately. Definitely recommended as a summer holiday read.

The little Brooklyn bakery is my first contemporary read this year and thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review it honestly.

Wow. What a read! I've read this over the course of a few days in between work and I can say it is one of the best, often funny and emotional contemporaries I have read. I've been in a reading pile of murder mysteries and cop dramas, and it has been so refreshing to find a romance by a new author to me.

We follow Sophie, a talented food writer who ups and moves to New York City for six months for a job swap after a heart-wrenching break-up with her boyfriend of two years. We follow her experiencing one of the biggest cities in the world as she attempts to heal her heart and continue her love for all things food as she writes at a big-time magazine. She rents an apartment from the owner of the bakery below it, Bella, and the two become friends as Sophie rebuilds her life in a new and exciting city, dipped in romance and sugar, especially when she meets Todd - Bella's cousin. He gorgeous and talented and a bit of a ladies man. Sophie and Todd hit it off and the rest is just delicious.

Firstly, the twist of the first chapter had me hooked straight away. I didn't expect the end of that chapter at all and it really gripped me into continuing on. I genuinely love Sophie as a character. My heart broke for her. She isn't one of those naive characters who believes in love at first sight and she comes across level-headed most of the time. She is someone I can relate to. I have anxiety about travelling and the girl is a size 12 which soothed my curvy heart. I was super proud of her as she stood up for herself towards the latter half of the novel. She becomes honest with herself and her feelings towards those in her life, including the mean ex-boyfriend (he totally deserved a slap). Her character arc was lovely, she grew from an anxious, routined girlfriend to someone with a spark of spontaneity and a new love for life. I'd want to be a friend of hers.

Todd is one of my favourite characters in this. He isn't the typical playboy man, sniffing for women all over town. He has a reputation but he also has morals, not sleeping with more than one woman at a time, and is upfront about his expectations and how he feels in regards to a relationship. I applaud his character for this. God knows how many times we've seen the lacklustre breakups when the man has gotten too close without saying it's not what he wanted! I found him charming and really affectionate. I love seeing those qualities in male characters. They are the subtle signs they care. I totally called his role in the novel early on, but that in no way deterred me from reading on. Sophie and Todd's relationship isn't based on Insta-love either which thrills me to no end. Todd's character is well rounded and there are reasons behind his stance on relationships and I loved his sense of family love for his brother. This is something Sophie lacks in the novel but does reminisce about her parents. There are some detailed sex scenes if this would make anyone uncomfortable, but given it's an adult romance it's to be expected and my Lord... wasn't it steamy.

There is such a great sense of atmosphere and community in this novel. I haven't been to America, but the friendliness and sense of belonging were screaming out through the pages at me. I loved the fact everyone was welcoming and sincere. Even if it might not happen in real life, it really added that extra something to Sophie's story. I felt like I was on the streets of Brooklyn and at Coney Island, taking in the hectic loveable lifestyle of a New Yorker. I also loved it was set in Brooklyn and not Manhatten as most New York stories are, it gave a fresh take on New York and I would love to travel around all the spots Sophie visited. The addition of the food and baking was something I personally really enjoyed. As a cake decorator myself at times, I thoroughly enjoyed the baking and icing talk. It was all perfectly accurate too. The fact Sophie lives above a bakery, loves to cook and is a food writer is an integral part of the novel and adds a great sense of creativity to her character. It's not all about romance, it intertwines friendship and finding oneself.

This was such a sweet story filled with a little sadness, a mountain of sexiness and a whirlwind romance set in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The ending drew a tear to my eye and I would not hesitate to pick up a sequel.

Overall this is a binge-worthy, by-the-pool read. One cup of handsome men. Two cups of vibrant creative women and a heap of romance to make one charming atmospheric read. I flew through the last 48% in a few hours after work and I was sad it ended! I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a squishy comfort romance read.

This is pure chick lit and I just loved it. I read it in a couple of sittings and couldn't wait to get back to it. Being set in New York was a winner right off for me, but the writing was so wonderful that I really felt I was there. Thank goodness for Google street view as I found myself looking up some of the locations in the book, including the Brooklyn Public Library - what a building! which I appreciated even more in the book when I had seen it for myself.

To me the dream location would be living in a flat above a friendly bakery such as this one. I just loved all the descriptions of the cakes and makes and the stories of those that made them. I thoroughly enjoyed Sophie moving into her flat and getting to know her way around. Not only does she live in Brooklyn, helps out in a cool bakery - she is a food writer for a magazine - just don't wake me up! I admit I lived vicariously through her in this book.

It is probably the raciest chick lit I have ever read! There are certainly some steamy scenes.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's out 25 May 2018 - make sure you get your copy!

Solid chick lit…doesn’t take itself too seriously! You’ll laugh, cry, and say “Oh! No!” Definitely a fun weekend read :c)

Absolutely brilliant from the first page so gripping and full of starting over again and romance and of course food especially cakes bagels and more. Wanted to give the book far more than the five stars as so deserves it. The characters are brilliant and such an easy read and so hooking from the first page. Totally irresistible and you think you are there with the characters amazing setting in New York. It's amazing setting in the bakery is open to so much and I highly recommend this book as so amazing.
Sophie work in London as a food editor and is very happy with her boyfriend who she thinks is her forever person. Sadly one day she is out and bumps into another woman and she tells her she has pinched her husband and their baby daughter sadly doesn't see his dad much as from mon to fri he's not with them he's living with Sophie. Sophie is so upset and hurt she takes up an offer she can't turn down from work and heads to New York to do her job out there for a top notch magazine. She isn't wanting romance at all after being so hurts she turns up at her accommodation and it's above a bakery so she is more than happy. She keeps herself to herself to start with as so upset with her break up and throws herself into work. She meets columnist Tom and he is everything she wishes she doesn't want. He is very tempting as the cupcakes in the bakery below where she lives everyone thinks he's gorgous and wants him. Sophie and Tom slowly get to know each other and go out and realise that their passion for food isn't the only passion they share. Problem is when when her ex turns up unannounced and asks to marry her which will Sophie choose as her and Tom have always said they don't want to commit they are happy being together but what does she really want and can she be happy.
An amazing read and highly recommend it.