Review: "Fat Girls & Fairy Cakes" by Sue Watson

TV Producer Stella Watson is trying to keep it all together. When she's at work, she feels guilty about being away from her family and when she's at home, she's thinking about the sheer number of things that she needs to do to get ahead at work. Making matters worse is the fact that her purely evil boss, MJ, has it out for her. The only thing that makes her problems go away, if only for a little while, is baking sinful creations that might just explain the extra weight that she has piled on in the past couple of years.

When MJ finally succeeds in getting Stella fired for something insignificant, and when Stella's husband, Tom, confesses that he's leaving her for another woman, Stella can't imagine that the pieces of her life can ever be glued back together. However with a little help from her friends, as well as the courage to finally follow her dreams, there may be light at the end of the tunnel after all.

Sue Watson's debut is as charming as the cupcakes that adorn the cover. I couldn't help but root for imperfect Stella from the very beginning as she's facing the same battles that many of us face over our lifetimes. Her marriage is far from perfect, her figure is not what it used to be, and her guilt about the lack of balance between her home and work lives is overwhelming. I loved her odd assortment of friends; the outspoken Lizzie is good for comic relief and much-needed support, as are her friends Sebastian and Al. Add to this the idyllic setting and Fat Girls & Fairy Cakes is a winner.

Fat Girls & Fairy Cakes is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold day with a hot cup of tea, and I can highly recommend this to anyone looking for a light read that manages to be both fun and inspiring at the same time. This is a great (calorie free!) choice for fans of women's fiction, especially if you enjoy stories set "across the pond" as much as I do.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Thanks to both the author and the publisher for sending me this review copy.