It’s a slow burn, with more shy chickening-out than I usually like. (With hilarious mocking, I should add, in the form of Trice, on said chickening out.) And yet— it works. It pays off. The tropes are inverted. The bakery exists for more than just a cute set piece. The requisite trip out of town in the early budding relationship doesn’t stall anything; it does a backflip into deeper intimacy. The parental figures are best friends. It’s devoid of what I call angst, despite the heavier subjects— grief, loss of loved ones, midlife ennui. It’s got lots of joy. I loved spending time with these characters, Trice included, who is a trip. Nobody slipped into mere caricature.
The end had to deal with some issues that weren’t Teddy-centric, and the only reason I minded was because I wanted more Teddy. I call that a win. If I had to stick with the theme, I’d say this book is sweet in the way that has salt mixed with it, a complexity to the flavor that just makes me want more.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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Finished reading
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1 June, 2019:
Reviewed
