Book Review: The Cake Fairies

By Sara Steven

1960's Somerset is no fun for cousins Polly and Annabelle Williams. Mourning their non-existent love lives, and the mundanity of village life, their only pleasure is baking - until a chance encounter has them magically transported to the bright lights of London... in 2019!

Promised a chance of love, first they must teach the people of the future about the simpler pleasures of life by becoming Cake Fairies. Over the course of a year they set off on a delectable tour of the UK, dropping off cakes in the most unexpected of places and replacing the lure of technology with much sweeter temptations.

But will their philanthropical endeavours lead them to everlasting love? Or will they discover you can't have your cake and eat it? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

The Cake Fairies had a few different genres- a Pay It Forward theme, mixed in with foodie delectables, wrapped up in a Quantum Leap bow. Even with such vastly different genres, when those three elements were stirred up together, it made for a fun and unique read!

In the beginning, there was no way of knowing just how Polly and Annabelle would project into the year 2019. And once they get there, I felt right at home with the experience. Sometimes as a reader, a moment that displaces characters from one era to the next might feel jarring, but it was well-written and cleverly done, considering where they find themselves once they make that leap and all that unravels from there. In teaching others about simpler pleasures, I felt a yearning for those days, too. A time before cell phones and electronics that are a constant time suck. It was a nice reminder in taking a break and getting back to those basic roots of existence.

Polly and Annabelle were contrasting characters, at times reminding me of The Odd Couple. Polly is the more conservative one, while Annabelle has the charisma. Yet, leaping forward fifty years can do a number on a person, as witnessed by character evolution for both ladies. We get to see each one do something unexpected and against the grain, which was a nice experience. While a primary goal is to work towards finding love, I felt as though that took a backseat to doing nice things for other people, and hopefully finding that it manifests into others doing the same thing.

I would have liked to see a bit more reflection on the differences of 1960’s Somerset, vs. London, 2019. While there was mention here and there about how Polly and Annabelle don’t look the part, I didn’t get as much of a sense of how they felt about the experience. It seemed they fit in pretty quickly, but I think it would have been interesting to hear more about their reactions to various electronics and contraptions that they’re not used to and don’t know anything about. Aside from that though, I enjoyed the quest for love, and the desire in doing something good and decent, particularly in a time when a lot of people have forgotten what that looks like, and what it means to look out for our fellow man. It was truly a sweet read!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalusia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the mountains and the sea. Having grown up on Glastonbury’s ley lines however, she’s unable to completely shake off her spiritual inner child, and is a Law of Attraction fanatic.

Cake, cocktail, churros, ice cream and travel obsessed, she also loves nothing more than to (quietly) break life’s rules.

The Cake Fairies is her fifth novel.

Visit Isabella online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Visit the other stops on Isabella's tour: