Book Review: What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy

What Would Mary Berry Do? by Claire Sandy
Publisher: Pan (31st Jul 2014)
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Received a proof copy for review from Pan, thank you!

Blurb:

Marie Dunwoody doesn't want for much in life. She has a lovely husband, three wonderful children, and a business of her own. But her cupcakes are crap. Her meringues are runny and her biscuits rock-hard. She cannot bake for toffee. Or, for that matter, make toffee.

Marie can't ignore the disappointed looks any more, or continue to be shamed by neighbour and nemesis, Lucy Gray. Lucy whips up perfect profiteroles with one hand, while ironing her bed sheets with the other. Marie's had enough: this is the year it all changes. She vows to follow - to the letter - recipes from the Queen of Baking, and at all times ask, 'What would Mary Berry do?'

Husband Robert has noticed that his boss takes crumb structure as seriously as budget cuts and with redundancies on the horizon, he too puts on a pinny. Twins Rose and Iris are happy to eat all the half-baked mistakes that come their way, but big brother Angus is more distant than usual, as if something is troubling him. And there is no one as nosey as a matching pair of nine-year-old girls...

Marie starts to realise that the wise words of Mary Berry can help her with more than just a Victoria Sponge. But can Robert save the wobbling soufflé that is his career? And is Lucy's sweet demeanour hiding something secretly sour? 

Who exactly is Mary Berry? Baking goddess? Celebrity baker? Bestselling cookbook writer? TV host? All of the above, people. I was so excited to get into Claire Sandy’s debut novel, What Would Mary Berry Do? and being a fan of food-themed books, it was such a treat from the beginning to the end!

What Would Mary Berry Do? follows the story of wife and mother of three, Marie Dunwoody who has the perfect life. Sort of. She has the most loving husband, a gorgeous house and a successful job. BUT she can’t bake to save her own life. After a humiliating incident at her children’s school fete, she vowed that she’d make a showstopper in the following year’s fete. But is she taking on something that is too much for her to handle?

As I’ve mentioned, I’m a huge fan of books which revolves around food and in What Would Mary Berry Do?, Marie bakes! Or attempts to bake! I really enjoyed reading about the challenges she makes herself go through and her baking ups and downs, but I would love for more baking antics though. The plot is well-written and I loved reading about each and every character’s stories, including Marie and her husband, Robert’s struggles at work, their son, Angus’s love woes and the Terrible Twos’ naughty antics.

The characters in the book are such a lovely bunch. I adored Marie’s twin daughters, Iris and Rose! They are mischievous, sassy and very sneaky. The Terrible Twos! Ha. I thought the heroine carried herself through the entire novel very well and there were some funny moments that really made me laugh. 

What Would Mary Berry Do? is a story of cake, cake and loads of cake. Okay, maybe there’s more to life than cake. It’s about family, love, motherhood and friendship and cake. Funny, original and absolutely delightful. Highly recommend this book to fans of Jenny Colgan!

The absolutely hilarious Leslie Mann as Marie and Colin Firth as Robert