First off, I love the Bake off, so was clearly intrigued when I found out Nadiya was releasing another book, but not cooking or baking, oh no, it was women’s fiction. So would this book be as good as her cakes look? The answer would be yes.
The writing is sharp and funny and certainly kept me reading as all the characters were relatable in someway. They evoked sympathy, annoyance and a whole range of emotions. We hear from all four sisters at separate times, each is distinct from each other and it was interesting to see the inner workings of a family that were close knit, but equally, secretive at the same time. Each sister having to navigate pleasing their parents with their own struggles.
While we hear from all four sisters, the main focus is on Fatima. She is shy and incredibly self-conscious. I completely warmed to her and connected with how she was feeling, relating to her weight issues and it also saddened me how disconnected she seemed from the family. You could tell she loved her sisters and parents dearly, but always worried they looked down on her, because of how useless she felt. I think her driving instructor, Ash was a great influence on her.
I also really liked Mae, despite doing something incredibly naïve which hurts her family, I think it shows the age difference between the sisters, and I can imagine the fascination i’d have with youtube and twitter etc. if I was that age. She clearly meant no Malice.
I felt sympathy for the secret Farah was keeping, and then to have her world turned upside down with all the uncertainty must be very hard.
The only thing I wish was that there was more conclusion to Bubblee’s story, we didn’t really get to know her as much as the other sister’s I feel, it does lead me to hope there is a sequel about her, and maybe more from Mae. As I said this book mainly focused on Fatima, and actually there was a fair bit on Farah too, so I think another book focusing on Bubblee and Mae would be perfect.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, I could barely put it down. It was funny, completely true to life, you can definitely imagine each of these characters being alive, as if it was an autobiography rather than fiction. More please!
Published by: HQ
Gratefully received from the Publisher for review
View Book on Goodreads
Order on: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository