This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
With frothy peaks, soggy bottoms and lovely wobbles galore, the nation’s favourite cooking show, The Great British Bake Off, is back. If you find yourself craving baking drama in between weekly shows, why not help yourself to a slice of foodie fiction with one of these delicious baking-themed novels?
1. The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel – The North Star Bakery has been in Hope’s family for generations, the secret recipes passed down from mother to daughter. But when the bakery runs into financial trouble and her elderly grandmother Rose takes a turn for the worse, Hope’s delicate balancing act is in danger of crumbling entirely. Can a trip to Paris with a mysterious list of names put things right?
2. How to Bake the Perfect Pecan Pie by Gina Henning – Lauren Hauser is home for the holidays, and she’s been given a challenge: preparing her grandmother’s pecan pie. The problem? Lauren’s not famed for her baking skills. In fact, while her sister would win Star Baker every week, and her mom at least knows a sieve from a spatula, Lauren’s bakes have always been more dangerous than delicious! What she needs is a knight in shining armour. And it might just be that the magic of Thanksgiving will find her one after all …
3. Love, Lies and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson – Faye Dobson dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at the Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband’s passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she’ll get to Rome is a take-away pizza. Then she meets gorgeous Australian surfer, Dan, who works at the local deli and makes the most amazing lemon cake.
4. What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy – Marie Dunwoody has a pretty good lot in life. A lovely husband, three great kids and a business of her own. Despite all of this, something has really started to get her down. She can’t bake. Lucy Gray, neighbour and nemesis, meanwhile, can whip up perfect profiteroles with one hand, while ironing her bed sheets with the other. Something has to change.
5. The Dish by Stella Newman – Food critic Laura Parker first meets Adam Bayley when they vie for the last custard donut in a bakery. Adam just might be the perfect man for her – except his job means she has to keep hers a secret.
6. The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan – In 1966, Kathleen Eaden, cookery writer and wife of a supermarket magnate, published The Art of Baking, her guide to nurturing a family by creating the most exquisite pastries, biscuits and cakes. Today, five amatuer bakers are competitng to become the new Mrs. Eaden. Secrets, unlikely alliances and plenty of drama ensues.
7. The Stall of Second Chances by Dana Bate – Sydney Strauss is obsessed with food. Not just with eating it – though she loves that too – but with writing about it as an aspiring cookery reporter. But food journalism jobs are more coveted than cupcakes, and so Sydney is stuck working for one of TV’s biggest egomaniacs – until she’s left scrambling for shifts at the local farmers’ market. Selling muffins at the Wild Yeast Bakery is hardly going to make her the next Nigella. But soon Sydney is writing the market’s weekly newsletter, and her quirky stories gain attention from a prominent food columnist …
8. Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal – When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine – and a dashing sommelier – he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter – starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club.
9. The Cake Shop in the Garden by Carole Matthews – Fay Merryweather runs her cake shop from her beautiful garden. She whips up airy sponges and scrumptious scones, while her customers enjoy the lovely blossoms and gorgeous blooms. But there’s change afoot, and a new face that will make Fay question every decision she has ever made.
10. The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig – Claire “Neely” O’Neil is a pastry chef of extraordinary talent. Every great chef can taste shimmering, elusive flavors that most of us miss, but Neely can taste feelings – cinnamon makes you remember; plum is pleased with itself; orange is a wake-up call. The decision to return to her hometown to open a bakery seems like a perfect one, until old secrets threaten to resurface …
Are there any other foodie novels you can recommend?