Peace Love Books: Blog Tour: The Marquess of Cake by Heather Hiestand

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Blog Tour: The Marquess of Cake by Heather Hiestand

The Marquess of Cake

By Heather Hiestand

Release Date: July 4, 2013

Source: Blog Tour

Summary: Coffee…tea…or a pastry chef sweeter than any confection…

Scotch trifle fit for Queen Victoria, scones with clotted cream…Alys Redcake knows the way to a man’s heart. Yet she is unaware that with each morsel—and flash of ankle—she is seducing the handsome marquess frequenting her father’s tea shop. Unmarried at twenty-six, Alys’s first love is the family business. But thoughts of the gentleman’s touch are driving her to distraction…

With his weakness for sugar, the Marquess of Hatbrook can imagine no more desirable woman than one scented with cake and spice. Mistaking Alys for a mere waitress, he has no doubt she would make a most delicious mistress. And when he finds himself in need of an heir, he plans to make her his convenient bride. Yet as they satisfy their craving for one another, business and pleasure suddenly collide. Will Hatbrook’s passion for sweets—and for Alys—be his heart’s undoing?

Review: Hmmmm, this one confused me. There's nothing I love more than a delicious baked good, and historical romances are one of my favorite genres, so I thought I would love this book. In the end, though, this one didn't really feel like a historical romance (it got confusing when this book exactly took place) and I wasn't that big of a fan of the characters.

Alys Redcake absolutely loves working in her father's bakeshop. At 26, she has no interest in marrying anyone, but her family has other plans. And so does the Marquess of Hatbrook. There's nothing more than a good pastry to put Hatbrook in a good mood, unless it's Alys serving those pastry. When Hatbrook discovers he needs an heir, he couldn't think of a more perfect person for the job. Can Hatbrook win Alys over and make her his bride?

Like I said, this was supposed to be a historical romance, but I didn't get that vibe at all except when they were talking about Queen Victoria. I actually started the book and was confused because it seemed to take place nearish modern day times, which threw me off. It seems like this book didn't capture the historical time period as much as I wanted to.

As main characters, Alys and Hatbrook were just okay. I wasn't too connected to either of them and I didn't feel liked we really got to know them as individuals. I don't know, there just should have been much more chemistry between them other than that one moment where he caught her when she fell that they both obsessed over for the next 100 pages. That moment wasn't all that monumental but was continuously brought up throughout the book.

In the end, this one just missed the mark. The idea was really intriguing, but the execution sort of fell flat for me. But maybe the sequel One Taste of Scandal will be better, which comes out December 5th. I think I'll give it a try and see if Judah's story is more passionate and interesting!