The Cake Therapist

A fiction debut that will leave you wanting seconds, from an award-winning cookbook author.

Claire “Neely” O’Neil is a pastry chef of extraordinary talent. Every great chef can taste shimmering, elusive flavors that most of us miss, but Neely can “taste” feelings—cinnamon makes you remember; plum is pleased with itself; orange is a wake-up call. When flavor and feeling give Neely a glimpse of someone’s inner self, she can customize her creations to help that person celebrate love, overcome fear, even mourn a devastating loss.

Maybe that’s why she feels the need to go home to Millcreek Valley at a time when her life seems about to fall apart. The bakery she opens in her hometown is perfect, intimate, just what she’s always dreamed of—and yet, as she meets her new customers, Neely has a sense of secrets, some dark, some perhaps with tempting possibilities. A recurring flavor of alarming intensity signals to her perfect palate a long-ago story that must be told.

Neely has always been able to help everyone else. Getting to the end of this story may be just what she needs to help herself.  

My Review

I was intrigued to check this book out. To be honest, I thought that this book would feature a few recipes. Most of the books that I have read that have to do with baking or cooking do feature some recipes. So that is always a fun bonus to a book. This one does not. I wanted to point this out because if you are looking for some than you will be disappointed. Yet, not having any recipes in this book does not defer from the story as a whole.

Yet, I found myself struggling with this book. None of the characters struck an emotional cord with me. Another I did find the way that Claire had a special ability to relate a flavor or two with her clients interesting. Who knew that so many different emotions can emote such yummy combinations of flavors.

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