This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Cressida McLaughlin
This is the third installment in the Carrington’s series, and I loved both Cupcakes and Christmas at Carrington’s, so I was really looking forward to seeing what happened next for Georgie.
After the events of the last book, everything is going well for Georgie and her gorgeous boyfriend and Carrington’s boss, Tom. She’s working as a personal shopper, Tom is hopeful of taking their romance to the next level, and her relationship with her dad is going from strength to strength. Her best friend Sam is struggling as a mum of twins, but Georgie is determined to help her find a way through the rough patch and out the other side.
When it’s announced that Mulberry-On-Sea will be holding a summer regatta, Georgie is keen to get involved, to show the people of Mulberry-On-Sea, and Tom’s Italian ice-queen mother, Isabella, what she and Carrington’s can do. She’s in her element – organising ice cream vans and tours and fantastic food stalls. She’s confident she can make this the best event that the seaside village has ever seen. But then she gets an offer that’s impossible to turn down – one that threatens her closest relationships, and the reputation of her beloved Carrington’s.
Alexandra Brown writes with such wit and warmth that it’s impossible not to fall in love with Georgie and Sam, the cast of Carrington’s characters and, of course, gorgeous, sexy, kind-hearted Tom. After Christmas At Carrington’s, which I adored, I was wondering where the story could go. Surely she’d found her happiness? Could I really cope with another threat to her and Tom’s relationship? But the premise of this last book is so good, so summery and fun, that I was drawn in straight away.Georgie gets the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance that takes her away from her idyllic life and gives her a sense of what else there is beyond Mulberry-On-Sea. Alexandra’s descriptions – of places, food, clothes and handbags – are so vivid, I can imagine each scene perfectly, and am often left craving a red velvet cupcake or a new, ridiculously expensive handbag. But the characters are always at the heart of her stories, and, as with her other books, I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster with Georgie, hoping and despairing and wishing everything would work out with Sam, her dad, the regatta and Tom.
Ice Creams at Carrington’s has everything wonderful that you’d expect from one of Alexandra’s books, but enough twists and turns – gasping shocks and squeals of delight – to keep you desperately turning the pages. I’m completely torn – I’m sad that I’ve reached the end of Georgie and Tom’s story for the time being, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what she does next. Read this book with an ice cream – preferably a Screwball…
8/10