very cute. the characters agewise are middle grade and (from my not at all middle grade standpoint) they can be a little uncertainly characterized--most of the time the MC, who we are told is 12, seems to be older--I'd guess 15--which isn't a giant leap in ages, but tends to be a big difference in terms of responsibilities around the house and such. likewise, her older brother reads as 17, when i think he's supposed to be 15. i found myself wondering if the ages had been lowered in a later draft or something. ( )

Rosemary Bliss’ greatest desire is to learn the family business: baking magical recipes. The Bliss family’s bakery is unlike any other thanks to their enchanted goodies that can help bring lost loves together or put a stop to a flu outbreak.

When Rosemary’s parents are needed in a neighboring town, Rosemary is entrusted with the whisk-shaped key that protects the Bliss family Cookery Book. However, Rose and her two brothers are under strict orders to not bake anything from the Cookery Book.

When their long-lost “Aunt” Lily turns up unexpectedly, she brings with her some of her own recipes and instills in the Bliss children the desire to prove to her that they can whip up a little magic of their own. After all, how much trouble can some love muffins and truth cookies really cause in a small town like theirs?

This was a cute middle-grade novel, and it was a nice break from some of the more serious novels I read in 2018.

Rosemary is your average teenage girl who just wants her parents to take her seriously. She wants to prove to her parents that she is responsible enough to learn the secrets of their trade. The Bliss family bakery and home are connected, making the baking business an always present part of their lives.

The character of Aunt Lily is extremely questionable from the very beginning. The fact that the Bliss children have never met her and only have a vague memory of their mother talking to someone named Lily in the past makes one question why she is there and who she truly is.

When Rose and her brothers decide to dabble with the family’s magical recipes, things go incredibly wrong. The more the Bliss family children try to fix the problem, the more it compounds. Before long the entire town is suffering from one thing or another.

I would give this novel four out of five stars and would recommend it to fans of magical fiction novels.

I bought this book from Bookoutlet.com and the image above is my own.

stephanietiner.webador.com

DNF was not my cup of tea or coffee. ( )

From the book jacket: Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke – an ancient leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and key while their parents are out of town, but then a m mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic dishes for dinner.

My reactions
Okay, I knew it was a children’s middle-grade book, and I knew it involved magic. But still … this was just so awful I don’t even need some Cookies of Truth to write this review.

Rose is only eleven, but she is so unsure of herself, so certain she isn’t pretty or clever or (insert positive attribute here), and she bemoans her lack of looks, brains, etc on practically every page! Given her lack of confidence, it’s no wonder that she’s quickly seduced by Aunt Lily’s glamour and flattery. This, of course, makes me wonder why her parents would entrust the key to the special cabinet to Rose – or any of the children, for that matter. Why not just lock it up and take the key with them? Clearly, I’m not the intended audience, but I can’t imagine my nieces and nephews enjoying this either.

Still, I admit that some of the unintended results of their experiments were entertaining. So I’ll give it 2 stars. ( )

Ugh! I feel like I just finished a book I was forced to read. I did give it two stars because the writing was great. I loved the idea of the story I just felt like it was a mess. I did not like the characters and I really had a problem with the parents leaving the children in charge. I also felt that the ending left the reader wanting more but I do not feel like I would want to waste my time and read the next book. I also thought the book had no depth and nothing left me intrigued enough to want to read the next story. As I stated I don't believe it was the writers fault I just had a hard time with the story. ( )