When Only Cupcakes Will Do was the first book written by Daisy James that I have ever read before and I can certainly guarantee that it will not be the last. Released in 2016, one thing that has to be said from the very start of this review is that I found this book to be every bit as beautiful on the inside as its gorgeous cover is on the outside. From beginning to end this book was full of humour, romance and, as the title suggests, lots of tasty treats.
This is a book that wastes no time in throwing us straight into the action where we meet Lucie as she is getting ready to propose to her boyfriend in Tiffany’s. After not getting the answer of her dreams she experiences a meltdown which sees her making a terrible mistake at work when she mixes up cocoa powder and chilli powder on a dish that gets served to a food critic. Insisting on meeting the food critic, they share an exchange which is filmed and ends up going viral, something which forces her to re-evaluate her life and results in her setting up the Travelling Cupcake Company with her sister. After all that’s happened, one thing that Lucie doesn’t expect is to fall in love with someone new…
When Only Cupcakes Will Do is full of so many characters, the majority of whom I absolutely fell in love with. Lucie was a character who I adored throughout the novel as she demonstrated a remarkable amount of strength, unafraid to stand up for herself and what she believed in even if doing so didn’t always have the most desirable outcome. I had so much admiration for her determination to make her new business venture a success. She was the sort of character who you could tell worked hard in life and so I couldn’t help but sit with my fingers crossed, desperately hoping that she would get the happy ending she deserved.
Being new to Daisy’s writing, I went into this novel with absolutely no idea what to expect but I absolutely loved it. The level of description that this book contained was absolutely spot on, I could picture everything, including all of the wonderfully creative cupcakes and cute cake pops that were being baked perfectly - they sounded divine and it certainly felt like I was part of the action! I really loved the effort, thought and creativity that Daisy had put into this novel, particularly with regards to the ice cream van, which kept me interested from beginning to end.
When Only Cupcakes Will Do was a heart-warming and uplifting story that I think any reader would be guaranteed to fall head over heels in love with. Whether you choose to read this book on a rainy or sunny day, it’s a book that will leave you with a smile on your face. I’m now really looking forward to picking up There’s Something About Cornwall, which is Daisy’s latest release to date.
