Stirred With Love by Marcie Steele

Stirred With Love
By Marcie Steele
Published by Bookouture (3 September 2015)
ISBN: 978-1910751381

Publisher's description

Sometimes the best friends can be found where you least expect them …

Still grieving after the loss of her beloved husband, Lily Mortimer is determined to do something with the time she has left.

After the end of her fairytale marriage, thirty-something Kate is trying hard to mend her broken heart.

Chloe, a young woman with the world at her feet, is struggling to know what to do with her life.

When Lily embarks on a new venture in the picturesque town of Somerley, the three women come together to open The Coffee Stop, the most charming café for miles around.

But opening a coffee shop is never as simple as it seems, especially when you add neighbouring competition, local heart throbs and heartbreak to the mix.

When tragedy strikes, can the three women pull together to make the new business fly, or will Lily’s last chance disappear down the drain along with yesterday’s coffee grinds?

My verdict
Marcie Steele is actually the lighter floaty romantic alter ego of author Mel Sherratt, who is well known for her gritty realistic crime novels. So I knew this book would be well written and well plotted before I started. I just wasn't sure how much I would like it, as I don't always enjoy chick lit these days. But I discovered that Stirred With Love provided a lovely relaxing break from all the crime/thrillers I usually read.

The story flows well, with snappy dialogue and a fast-paced plot. It focuses on three very different women, Lily, Kate and Chloe, all of whom have life-changing decisions to make. Kate and Chloe are brought together by Lily, who wants to reopen her café as a coffee shop.

As expected with chick lit novels, there are disasters, romances and adventures along the way. The book is warm and humorous and a lovely holiday read.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.