When I first heard about Amy Bratley's debut The Girls' Guide to Homemaking, I was intrigued. As always with a brand new author, it's exciting to see what they have to offer, and of course, Amy was no exception! Having heard good things about her novel, it was even nicer to discover that the book was even better than I imagined it to be.Admittedly though, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book if browsing in a bookstore. The cover is pastel-coloured and flowery, something that wouldn't have jumped out at me on the shelf! However, this is a classic case of 'never judge a book by its cover', because this book contains a much darker tale than one would imagine...
When Juliet moves in with boyfriend Simon, she's finally gaining her dream; a secure and stable home with the man she adores. However, Juliet's homely dreams soon come crashing down when she discovers that Simon has cheated on her with pretty former flatmate (and one of Juliet's best friends), Hanna. With her boyfriend gone and her grandmother's cherished old home-making journals for company - along with friend Imogen - Juliet realises that she has to move on in her life.
But it's hard for Juliet, whose dream of having the perfect home has been quashed. Juliet was abandoned by her own mother, who had wanted to be free and independent, leaving Juliet with her grandmother. With Juliet's love for homemaking, following her grandmother's old books and creating things from patterns found inside, it's hard not to feel for her when Simon obviously doesn't share her ambitions of settling down.
Having to deal with her new life alone is a feat Juliet must learn to cope with, but she's not without her friends, and when her 50s-style homemade aprons gain interest, life begins to look up. But things are about to change dramatically when one of the journals reveals a mysterious letter, and Juliet's about discover one huge family secret...
I don't want to give away the rest of the plot, as the plot twists make this book fantastic. It's hard to put down, especially when it comes to Juliet finding the letters, although to be honest it's addictive from the beginning. I particularly liked the snippets and quotes from homemaking journals at the beginning of each chapter.
The Girls' Guide to Homemaking is a wonderful debut; a dark story yet at the same time uplifting, focusing on the reality of family and how dreams, although difficult, can eventually come true. The book had me hooked from start to finish, and as previously mentioned, was a lot more enjoyable than I'd originally expected! Am very much looking forward to Amy Bratley's future novels.
Rating: 5/5
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