Today I’m sharing my review for this gorgeous debut romantic novel about new beginnings, creativity and cake. Thank you Claire for a digital review copy – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.
Synopsis:
There’s no problem Becky Watson can’t fix. Except her own love life…
Struggling single mother Becky Watson longs to revive her career as a life-fixer, working miracles to solve her clients’ problems, no matter how big or small. Since the birth of her two-year-old son she has been stuck preventing wedding fiascos for the richest and rudest residents of the Comptons, a charming, leafy area of southern England known for its artistic heritage.
So when semi-reclusive local artist Charlie Handren reluctantly hires Becky to fix his six-year creative slump, she’s delighted to set him up with a come-back exhibition and Rachel Stone, the woman of his dreams.
Though they get off to a rocky start, Becky and Charlie soon become close. But as the beautiful Rachel becomes Charlie’s muse, Becky is forced to wonder: will giving Charlie everything he wants mean giving up her own happily ever after? A heart-warming, uplifting romance served with a generous slice of cake.
My thoughts:
This weekend was warm and sunny (much more than usual in the UK in mid September), so I decided to sit in the back garden to read Art and Soul on my Kindle. Claire whisked me off to the Comptons, to meet Becky and her toddler son Dylan, plus Charlie and his almost adult daughter Phoebe.
Becky is much more than a life coach, she is a life fixer – whether stopping disgruntled exes from spoiling weddings or helping people start a new business, she sometimes has to be slightly cruel to be kind to encourage clients to make changes.
Charlie (aka John) needs her help even if he doesn’t immediately realise it, despite hints from Phoebe and his sister, Lauren. The world famous artist has lost his creative streak and his passion for life, and his family hope Becky can help.
I enjoyed this uplifting story, where the course of true love for a number of characters didn’t run smoothly. In addition to the characters mentioned above, we also meet Ronnie and her cake creations. Having enjoyed the story, I was thrilled to discover that Claire has put the recipes on her website.
I happily recommend this book for an escape from the anxiety inducing news of 2020 and I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes too. If you enjoy books by Jill Mansell, Milly Johnson and Caroline Roberts, then I suggest you read this next.
Author Bio:
Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children. Art and Soul is her first novel.
A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul at clairehuston.co.uk along with over 100 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.
Social Media Links
You can also find Claire on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads and Pinterest: https://linktr.ee/clairehuston_author
Universal purchase link
You can get your own copy of Art and Soul here: getbook.at/ClaireHustonAandS
It’s also free to download if you have Kindle Unlimited.
Published: 23rd April 2020
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pages: 397
Available formats: Ebook and paperback
Author Twitter: @ClaraVal
Karen K is reading 
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😊❤ This has cheered me up so much after a rocky start to the day with the toddler spilling his drink everywhere 😐😂 Thank you!!
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I have shared on Facebook, but it wouldn’t let me tag you! Don’t know what that’s about, sorry!
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