Title: A Year at the Little Duck Pond Cafe
Author: Rosie Green
Published on: 29th November 2018
Genre: Chick-lit, Women’s Fiction
Purchase Link: Amazon.com
A Year at the Little Duck Pond Cafe is a collection of first four novellas in the Little Duck Pond Cafe series. The books in this collection include – Spring at the Little Duck Pond Cafe (Book #1), Summer at the Little Duck Pond Cafe (Book #2), Christmas at the Little Duck Pond Cafe and Snowed in at the Little Duck Pond Cafe.
Ellie and her boyfriend Richard (not to be confused with Fen’s brother Richard) are no longer together. He cheated on her so she asked him to get out of the house. She later repents for having taken such a drastic step and asks him to move back. However, he refuses, stating that a little distance between them might make things better. But Ellie soon learns that the women he slept with is pregnant and Richard has no interest in going back to Ellie.
Devastated and heart-broken, Ellie goes to Sunnybrook to divert her mind. There, she meets Slyvia, the owner of the Little Duck Pond Cafe. After a little chat, Slyvia suggests that Ellie should move to Sunnybrook for some time. Slyvia’s nephew, Zak and Ellie’s first meeting goes on the wrong track. But as time passes by, Ellie sees herself drawn towards Zak. He too likes her but something stops him from taking the first step.
Meanwhile, Ellie starts to work at the local artisan bakery managed by Monster Madge. She meets Fen at the bakery and they strike a chord. They then meet Jaz at the Zumba class – run by Jaz. Fen says that though Jaz seems rude in the beginning, she’s actually very kind-hearted. But Ellie doesn’t agree. As Spring turns to summer, the trio – Ellie, Fen and Jaz – turn out to be good friends.
Jaz has had a tough life too. Her boyfriend of 18 months Grant threw her out on Christmas Eve. With nowhere to go, Jaz moves in with a friend and a few days later, moves to Sunnybrook. Jaz misses Titch aka Summer, Grant’s daughter, but Grant is ghosting Jaz. Later on, Grant is arrested for fraud and Summer gets to spend her vacations with Jaz.
Fen is a shy and a die-hard romantic at heart. But lady luck never seems to be by her side. Her brother’s childhood friend Ethan makes an appearance at Sunnybrook and sweeps Fen off her feet. And then there is Rob, a handsome, macho man who seems to like Fen. Fen is torn between choosing Ethan and Rob but as Christmas approaches, Rob seems to win Fen’s heart.
In summer, when Ellie is so happy that she’s found love again, Maisie’s biological mother tries to create tensions between Ellie and Zak. At Christmas, Jaz and Harry seem to have drifted apart. In Snowed in, with the Arctic blast, Sunnybrook is knee-deep in snow. Fen has a baking contest to attend when she comes across a shocking piece of news that distances her from Rob.
From the above gist (ahem! 😉 ), I hope you know what to expect from Little Duck Pond Cafe series. I read the fifth book first – Bakery at the Little Duck Pond Cafe – and I absolutely liked it. I have also read Confetti, the sixth book in this series and my review will be up on Wednesday (26th).
These novellas as perfect for a weekend binge read or as feel-good short reads. Ellie, Jaz and Fen’s stories make you believe in second chances when it comes to love. No matter how cruel life might seem at times, with friends by your side, nothing can go wrong, at least not as worse as your nightmares! I liked Ellie and Fen’s story the most. Both go through a lot. Ellie’s mum is diagnosed with an early stage of dementia while Fen seems to have problems adjusting with her mum. Not just that, they were both betrayed by someone whom they thought to be ‘the one.’
If you are feeling low or lonely and have lost hope in finding love again, do read this book because it is sure to make you feel good about yourself and make you believe in second chances. 🙂 Sunnybrook seems to be a village straight out of a fairy tale. Oh yeah, before I end this post, the Mallard Duck on the cover – she’s called Jessica. Quack Quack!
Featured Image Credits: Goodreads
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