The Wedding Cake by Isabella May #BookReview #BlogTour #RomCom

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

The Wedding Cake by Isabella May is a foodie romance about an unusually large and simply divine wedding cake that was accidentally double booked for Freya Ashcroft’s 5-star bakery. She doesn’t have the resources to be able to complete two of these cakes at the same time, and the results are a fun ride of figuring it all out and making everyone happy.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):

I initially expected this story to be a light and fluffy confection, much like the icing on the cake on the cover. The cover pictures a wedding cake near the coast, and the blurb talks about a coastal setting, my favorite kind of setting. There are many references to cake, and I love cake almost as much as a coastal setting.

Actual Reading Experience:

This is the first book I have read by Isabella May, and what a yummy treat. I love the cake descriptions as they made my mouth water and created a strong desire to bake a cake. The cakes made by Freya and her team are described in such delicious detail that I could imagine them in a rewarding sensory manner. The novel indeed is aptly called a foodie romance.

I also loved the setting and the characters, which I discuss in the sections below.

Characters:

Freya Ashcroft is one of the main characters. She owns a bakery in Marbella, known for its beautiful wedding cakes. She has been successful in business but utterly unlucky in love, but there are people in her life who want to help her change that. She is a bit angsty and a bit frazzled but endearing all the same because of her genuine regard for all people. She is likable and relatable in all the right ways.

Tim Nutkins is a fitness instructor who is marrying the very demanding Piper. They ordered a cake from Freya’s bakery for their weddings. He is a highly complex character, and I found him the most compelling in the novel. That’s not to say I liked him exactly, but his life and choices were just so annoyingly complex that I wanted to know more.

Alice is the last character whose perspective the story focuses on. She is everything, goodness, and light in the world. She is easy to get along with, and her main concern is helping others. I adored Alice for everything she brought to the story.

Narration & Pacing:

The narration is done in 3^rd person focused and follows three different characters in alternating chapters. I liked this narration because it kept me wondering how all three stories would come together and become one story. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste, but then I like my focused and fast-moving stories. Meandering just isn’t in me.

Setting:

The setting of Marbella is stunning. I’ve been near there a few times and just love the area. It’s coastal and has that relaxed atmosphere of a seaside village. I love the Moorish influences found in the aesthetics, like architecture and design. And the Mediterranean Sea is just gorgeous with its naturally turquoise waters that look like someone threw large vats of dye in it because nothing natural could possibly be that stunning. Yet it is!

To Read or Not to Read:

If you enjoy a story that will make your mouth water and leave you craving cake, The Wedding Cake is just the story for you.