Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe

Jenny Colgan's Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe explores one girl's highs and lows while establishing her own little bakery in London, England.

Written as a work of fiction, Colgan tells the tale of Issy Randall. Issy, who recently became redundant at her office job, searches for her life's meaning and a way to pay the bills in Colgan's work. Vibrantly colourful characters and a shifting plot-line are introduced throughout the text. Not only do readers learn the intricacies of Issy's personality, but the ins and outs of creating a bakery, too.

I *love* baking, and of course, as an avid baker, I have daydreamed of opening my very own bakery (these thoughts were before I contemplated grad school). However, I never quite thought of all of the work involved - work that Colgan expertly weaves throughout her tale.

At times, it feels as if Colgan is writing a story just about a young Londoner establishing a bakery... a book strictly on a store. And, at these times, I must admit that her work becomes a bit tedious to read. But... Colgan also creates a cute and lighthearted romance.

The only downfall to this book is its ending. I became captured by Colgan's plot and eagerly awaited to read her final pages. I find the ending branched too far away from the plot. I won't spoil the novel, but the ending does not fit Issy's character - a girl who loved and fought for her cafe above everything else.


Bibliographical Reference:
Colgan, Jenny. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe. London: Sphere, 2011