Review & Giveaway: Sweet Expectations by Mary Ellen Taylor (CLOSED)

***Congratulations to Traveler, winner of the giveaway!!! Thanks to all who entered!

Title: Sweet Expectations 

Author: Mary Ellen Taylor 

Series: Union Street Bakery Novel, #2

Published: November 2013, Berkley Trade

Format: ARC e-book, 352 pages 

Source: Netgalley via publisher

Daisy McCrae knows that
change can be sudden—and devastating. And while it doesn’t have to be a
bad thing, change has the power to turn your whole world upside down….

Running
the family bakery and living in the store’s attic might not be Daisy’s
dream life, but she’s beginning to understand what being content feels
like. And then she gets some unexpected news. In one moment, Daisy’s
calm existence turns into chaos. Now she’s struggling to keep it
together, especially with renovations at the bakery spiraling out of
control.

But when a box of recipes and mementos is found hidden
behind a wall in the bakery, Daisy suddenly has something to cling to—a
mystery that echoes her own troubles and gives her the opportunity to
figure out what she really wants out of life….

My thoughts: This is the second book in Mary Ellen Taylor’s Union Street Bakery series but the first that I have read and I really enjoyed it. I felt that it worked well as a stand-alone but I will definitely be going back to read the first one, just because I feel like it!

In this installment of the series, while Daisy and her sister Rachel are renovating the family bakery, they  each find themselves trying to find their new selves – Daisy’s life has been turned upside down yet again with some unexpected news and Rachel is trying to adjust to her new life as a single mom. In the midst of the renovations, they find a box of recipes hidden in the wall and so unravels the mystery to figure out who the box belonged to.

As the box was discovered, I wondered if the story was going to be told using the dual-narrative time technique and I was actually glad it wasn’t. I felt that in this case, it wasn’t needed. The history that Daisy and her sisters dug up, the stories that the people Daisy spoke with all gave the necessary back story to help solve the mystery about who the recipe box belonged to quite nicely. I even enjoyed the ghost aspect, despite not really being a fan of the paranormal!

I can’t wait to go back and read Union Street Bakery and will certainly be giving the recipes that are included in this book a try – I love when authors include some of the recipes they mention in the story!!! And I really do hope this is not the last we’ve seen of Daisy and the Union Street Bakery…I would love to visit with these characters some more!

Be sure to come back tomorrow when Mary Ellen Taylor visits to talk about her novel and share some of her recipes with us.

Books in this series:

  1. Union Street Bakery
  2. Sweet Expectations

GIVEAWAY DETAILS – (CLOSED) (US & Canada only) 

Thanks to Joan and Deb atJoan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting I have one copy of Sweet Expectations to give away to my readers. 

To enter… 

  • For
    1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway. (For fun – if you enjoy baking, tell us what your favorite recipe is – mine is applesquares!)
  • Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.
  • ***Please include email address so I can contact you if you win.***

This giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only and ends November 22nd.  

Good luck!

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24 Comments

  1. Tanya @ Moms Small Victories
    November 13, 2013 / 8:53 pm

    The cover alone makes me want to dive right in with a cup of hot chocolate. I am not a great baker but love to make pineapple banana muffins (recipe on my blog). my email is tanya (at) momssmallvictories (dot) com. thanks for the chance to win!

  2. traveler
    November 13, 2013 / 9:43 pm

    Wonderful giveaway which is enticing. I bake brownies and they are delectable. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

  3. petite
    November 13, 2013 / 10:41 pm

    The book sounds captivating. Lemon squares are a baked goodie I enjoy making. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

  4. Carol N Wong
    November 13, 2013 / 11:14 pm

    I love to make pies and cookies but haven't have time lately because I have been reading so much. My favorite pie is simple, peaches on the bottom and then a layer of blueberries on top wth the juices dripping down making the peaches sparkle with red marbling.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  5. Carol N Wong
    November 13, 2013 / 11:16 pm

    I tweeted: t.co/zwUS9MDuP5

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  6. Unknown
    November 14, 2013 / 1:34 am

    I totally love baking but my favorite is a no–bake recipe: Chocolate Unbaked Oatmeal Cookies. I think I need to go make some now 🙂

    Ingredients:

    3 cups rolled oats
    1 cup coconut
    1/2 cup cocoa
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 cups sugar
    1/2 cup milk
    1/2 cup butter
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    Unbaked Chocolate Cookies
    Directions:

    Mix rolled oats, coconut, cocoa and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

    Mix sugar, milk and butter together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.

    Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix.

    Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper and let cool.

  7. cyn209
    November 14, 2013 / 1:52 am

    would love to read this series!!
    thank you for the giveaway!!

    oh & i do not cook and/or bake…..but i love to eat!!!!

    cyn209 at juno dot com

  8. cyn209
    November 14, 2013 / 1:53 am

    shared on my FB wall:

    facebook.com/cyn209

    cyn209 at juno dot com

  9. Wendy Newcomb
    November 14, 2013 / 2:01 am

    I would say Chocolate Chip Cookies and Apple Crisp (with double the topping of course, lol).

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

  10. Wendy Newcomb
    November 14, 2013 / 2:06 am

    I tweeted the giveaway: twitter.com/WendyNewcomb/status/400806688954925056

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

  11. Wendy Newcomb
    November 14, 2013 / 2:06 am

    I shared on my blog: wrensthoughts.blogspot.com/p/contests-and-giveaways-good-luck.html

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

  12. Meghan
    November 14, 2013 / 3:40 am

    I like to make cupcakes and my favorite so far is a Vegan Mocha Espresso cake with Maple buttercream.
    I tweeted: twitter.com/MeghanStith/status/400830384427917313

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    mestith at gmail dot com

  13. Marie
    November 14, 2013 / 12:46 pm

    There's a Pinterest recipe for Apple pie cheesecake bars that is delicious. It takes a long time to make, but it's always a huge hit.

    Mcstone84 at gmail dot com

  14. lag123
    November 14, 2013 / 7:48 pm

    Red Velvet cake!

    lag110 at mchsi dot com

  15. Carl Scott
    November 14, 2013 / 10:17 pm

    Oh so tricky getting comments on two posts for the same book. Well done! Personally I love all desserts, chocolate, fruit, candy, bring it on!! Thanks for the giveaway.

  16. Carl Scott
    November 14, 2013 / 10:18 pm

    Of course I have an email, but I forgot to leave it: carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx

  17. Margie
    November 15, 2013 / 3:27 am

    A recipe box from the 1930s sounds intriguing. Thanks for the book giveaway on the other post.
    mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

  18. Suko
    November 15, 2013 / 4:01 am

    Thanks for hosting this terrific giveaway, Kristin! The book sounds fabulous.

    Felicia's recipe sounds wonderful! As for me, I like to bake madelines from time to time.

    I will post this in my blog's sidebar. Thanks again! 🙂

    suko95(at)gmail(dot) com

  19. Nicole
    November 16, 2013 / 6:21 pm

    I love making brownies! nodonahue at gmail

  20. Pat L.
    November 18, 2013 / 1:08 pm

    So many recipes…LOL. But my favorite is a 3 layer fudge cake made with buttermilk and bittersweet chocolate and topped with a bittersweet ganache.

  21. Pat L.
    November 18, 2013 / 1:09 pm

    Did you need my email?

    patoct[at]yahoo.com

  22. Anonymous
    November 18, 2013 / 3:28 pm

    Love to make apple pie.
    pattyb43coral[at]gmail.com

  23. Anonymous
    November 21, 2013 / 3:31 pm

    I love to make banana pudding with real whipped cream.
    Cuzie Dawn
    DLMartin54[at]gmail.com

  24. Helen L.
    November 25, 2013 / 11:31 pm

    I love to make pineapple upside down cake.
    gmapeony[at]yahoo.com