Confessions of a Cake Addict

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH:

Londoner Kate Pickles has hit rock bottom. She's funny, kind, and talented but totally unaware about all the great things she has going for her. Day in and day out, she sits back and whines to her sister Laurie in Sydney, Australia, as her boss walks all over her and her best friend Eva bags the hot guys while Kate ends up dating whack jobs and comfort eating cake. Pouring out her heart to Laurie in a series of letters and emails, Kate longs for her sister to confirm she really is the loser in love she fears she is. Abruptly, Kate's life is turned upside down when, on a trip to Vienna with her glamorous pal, Eva, Kate falls for a sexy Austrian and gets sucked into making a Bollywood film a bit like this one:

CHARACTERS:

The story unfolds in a series of letters and emails between overweight, insecure Gherkin (Kate) who lives in London, is tortured by her boss The Haddock at the advertising agency she works at and whose life has generally hit the skids since she split up with her long term boyfriend and has started dating a string of losers. Whenever things go wrong she muffles her feelings with cake. Her sister Egg (Laurie) lives a perfect life in Sydney, Australia, is happily married and has two perfect, high achieving kids. However, the kids do leave her frazzled so she enjoys dipping into Kate's messy life and living vicariously through her romantic disasters but can't resist giving her dollops of sisterly advice. Laurie pulls no punches when commenting on Kate's bad life choices and echoes the reader's sentiments that zany, kooky Kate really needs to get a life.

Laurie is a refreshing burst of reality, cutting through Kate's delusions and encouraging her to lose weight and go for it with Count Alex von Pappenberg when she's scared to be vulnerable. Alex von Pappenberg, is a handsome but sensitive Austrian Count who is similarly disillusioned with life and love as Kate and lying low in the Austrian sticks in his Schloss. Like Kate he is stuck in life - his once successful vineyard has gone bankrupt and he's too unmotivated to start it up again. When Kate arrives at his Schloss as part of the entourage making a Bollywood movie Alex is determined to win her love but scared to make a move himself. Readers will enjoy seeing two insecure people grow to the point where they can take a chance on finding love again and facing the challenges of the future together!

IDEAL READER:

If you enjoy stories about hot holiday romances you'll enjoy this. It's aimed at women aged about 20-40 who are adventurous and full of fun who are tired of romance 'bodice-rippers' with their formulaic plots and unrealistic heros. If you're looking to be entertained by a romantic comedy that's chock full of quirky characters and hilarious situations then you'll love Confessions of a Cake Addict! People who like authors like Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Jenny Colgan Lisa Jewell will find this 'just their cup of tea' and a cake to go with it.

Review by Alice Castle, Author of Hot Chocolate (4 Stars):

I've long been a fan of Emma Kaufmann's blog, Mommy Has a Headache, so was very much looking forward to reading her novel, Confessions of a Cake Addict. It didn't disappoint. I loved the immediacy of the epistolatory format between the accident-prone heroine, Kate Pickles, and her sensible, grown-up sister, always ready to shower Kate with advice which proves all too easy to ignore. Kate's relationship with her best friend and flatmate seemed very real, with occasional flashes of jealousy, envy and loneliness against a background of deep affection. The two, of course, are chalk and cheese. In many ways, Emma has followed the successful pattern of chicklit formula but has added her own characteristic dashes of quirky humour and atmosphere. I loved the sudden injection of Bollywood into the scenes in Vienna, for instance, and the faded glamour of the Austrian castle owned by our hero. The central love affair is nurtured like a delicate bloom and we are rooting for Kate at the end. A great fun read which will make you want to have your cake and eat it too.

Check out more juicy info about the book over at Shelfari!