A Scottish Teashop in Napoli by Jane Lambert

The Scottish Teashop in Napoli

 by Jane Lambert

 

A Scottish Teashop in Napoli  by Jane Lambert was published on 3rd July by Bedford . My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review.

Also thank you to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto the tour.

Synopsis

When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart stands her up on their wedding day, leaving her alone on a plane eloping to the tropical location of his choosing, their dream– now feeling like just her dream - of their bairn filled future disappears in a heartbeat (or the time it takes for her to listen to the rambling drunken voicemail he left calling off the wedding). In Naples, Elena is recently widowed and struggling to keep her husband’s family’s beloved and centuries old mozzarella factory afloat, whilst running her language school and bringing up their son. At risk of losing both businesses- and adding even more disruption to their life - she advertises a job and hopes for the best. The stars seem to align and Elena and Lucy, each suffering from a very different sort of loss and loneliness, set about trying to lift the struggling business and each other. A charming, tender and funny novel about the power of female friendships, the importance of letting go and the joys of eating pasta .

My Thoughts

What a lovely story to sit and escape with. I absolutely loved this easy read that centred around the importance of friendship and the true qualities of love. It is also a beacon of light to show that you can come back from something that sets you back and find yourself in a better place.

Elena and Lucy are lovely characters who find comfort and salvation from each other and move forwards together, supported by family and friends. The taking of small steps along with huge leaps of faith is paramount within the storyline. I love the fact that Elena and Lucy have that beautiful friendship which balances each other perfectly like a set of old fashioned weighing scales. As the book progresses and other friendships and family appear we start to get a real depth to the narrative and I really loved Lucy’s brother Jamie along with Elena’s family.

If that isn’t enough there are also recipes at the end for cakes that Lucy has baked in the story and believe you me the Torte al Limoncello is amazing. I would have included a picture , however we had eaten it all before I thought about that , oops…………

A perfect book to read with a bowlful of Pasta Al Forno followed by a slice ( or two) of Torte al Limoncello when you have a few hours to yourself for “Me Time”

About Jane

 Jane Lambert was brought up on the west coast of Scotland, studied Modern Languages at Stirling University, then taught English in Vienna. Her love affair with Italy began when she married an Italian chef from Naples and spent a lot of time out there with his family. Her debut novel, THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL, was published by HarperCollins in 2018 and inspired by her rollercoaster transition from globe-trotting air hostess to aspiring actor.