Showing posts with label Abby Clements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abby Clements. Show all posts

Saturday, December 20, 2014

630#Ai no Kotoba ~ [Book Review] Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop

A second read from Abby Clements! A delicious-looking book actually.
Dalam buku ni asyik ais krim aje. Macam macam perisa pulak tu.
Rating: 4/5


When Imogen and Anna unexpectedly inherit their grandmother Vivien's ice cream parlour, it turns both their lives upside down. The Brighton shop is a seafront institution, but though it's big on retro charm it's critically low on customers. If the sisters don't turn things around quickly, their grandmother's legacy will disappear forever.

With summer fast approaching, Imogen and Anna devise a plan. Rather than sell up, they will train up, and make the parlour the newest destination on the South Coast foodie map.

While Imogen watches the shop and conjures new marketing ideas, her sister flies to Italy to attend a gourmet ice cream-making course. But can their best-laid plans survive their warring family, tempestuous love lives - and the great British Weather? One thing is for certain - this summer will be like no other . . .



I prefer Amelia Grey's Fireside Dreams lagi daripada buku ni. Mungkin patut ada lebih banyak development for the characters, I mean.

The story is okay as it is. How they manage to open the shop, Anna flies to Italy for ice-cream making course. Tapi rasa macam ada kurang something. Macam bila ada masalah yang timbul, cepat dan senang aje sesuatu solusi tu muncul dan tup! Masalah dah selesai.

I love how things going for Anna and Matteo - both of them are foodie! And for Imogen and Finn. They need more sparks - Anna and Matteo - masa diorang kat Italy. Ceritakan banyak sikit macam mana si Matteo tu boleh terjatuh cinta pada Anna.

That's it. Cerita dah okey tapi macam kurang perasa. 

Maybe the writer needs some vanilla and salted caramel ice cream? To sweeten the story, and of course for the salty breeze at the seafront ;)

Till then.
Wassalam. 


Monday, December 15, 2014

629#Ai no Kotoba ~ [Book Review] Amelia Grey's Fireside Dreams


I'm updating this the seconds I've finished this book!

Dahhh lama cari buku ni. Thank you Captain Wolf for keeping this book safe for me ;) Alhamdulillah jumpa kat BBW tahun ni. Agak meroyan bila nampak buku ni ada dalam website BBW. Apa lagi, grab terus!

Jatuh cinta dengan cover buku ni since I saw it months ago on a website. And the story! About a cottage! My fave!

I love to own myself an English cottage. It's such a bliss.

Rating: 5/5

Amelia has a dream: toasting chestnuts by the fire with her husband Jack in their own cosy cottage. Their real life is another world - a cramped one-bedroom flat in Hackney. But when life takes a surprising turn, removal vans are soon heading to the Kent countryside.

They soon realise the cottage makeover is a far bigger project than they'd anticipated. On top of that, there's Amelia's newly loved-up mum and her tearaway half-sister, Mirabel, to contend with - pushing Amelia and Jack's marriage to breaking point.

Amelia begins to strip back the wallpaper and fittings in the cottage and discovers the story of the cottage's previous owner - and a hidden secret. As Amelia's ideas about love and family change, will her fireside dream finally come true?


Actually sinopsis buku ni agak misleading. Ingatkan ibu Amelia dan Mirabel tu macam jahat nak hancurkan rumah tangga dia dan Jack, rupanya tak. Ibu Amelia is a good mom and Mirabel is a free-spirited girl.

I love the idea of cottage makeover. I've read about department store makeover, wedding shoes store opening, a little bakery at a beach, and a traditional sweet shop. This is my first time reading a story about a cottage makeover - and the very first time reading Abby Clements' book.

I love this book. Bahasa yang mudah untuk difahami, boleh bayangkan bagaimana susah payah si Amelia nak jadikan cottage yang dah lama tu jadi seperti cottage idaman dia. And the garden, I could picture one in my head. A garden with a stream.

And I love Jack, Amelia's husband ;) such a good and kind-at-heart one walaupun sejak pindah ke cottage baru tu rumah tangga mereka ada krisis. I salute him for trying to keep things straight, tak tergesa-gesa buat keputusan yang boleh menambahkan lagi krisis mereka.

Till then.
Wassalam.

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