Author: Jessie L. Star
ISBN: 9781925596083
RRP: $29.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
Cake at Midnight is one of the first books I have read for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge for 2018 but of course I haven’t gotten around to signing up for the challenge yet, or doing anything for it but I will…. when I get home next week and hopefully have a computer.
Holiday reading is all well and good but getting 3 reviews behind because I don’t make the time to sit and write makes it very difficult to write the review when I do get to it. I think I need to start taking the advice of many of our readers and actually making notes as I read, or directly after, so that I remember the pertinent points I want to discuss and keep the narrative fresh. Between outings, family time and so much going on I’m struggling to remember what day it is let alone what I read weeks ago. But it is what it is and we will see how we go.
Cake at Midnight is an insightful look at friendships that are formed in childhood and are cemented through to adulthood, the way they evolve through the cycles of life and affect the other relationships that are formed.
Gio, Declan and Zoe have been friends for years, they grew up in the same area and share an understanding of a childhood different to the people they associate with as adults. Gio grew up in the same area but her family life was worlds apart from those of Declan and Zoe. They were all encouraged by Gio’s aunt to make a change and dream big, to get out of their neighbourhood and make a brighter future, and they did. Gio inherited her aunt’s apartment and that is the setting for much of the narrative.
Gio has been crushing on Declan for almost as long as she can remember and when things come to a head, very publicly, she decides that it’s time to put her girlhood crush in the past and get over Declan once and for all. Star explores unrequited love with sincerity and insight, the difficulty in ‘getting over it’ when there is a lifelong friendship at stake and the bonds that can be formed in the quietest part of the night.
In her self imposed exile from Declan she ends up spending some unorthodox time with her neighbour, a kind and thoughtful man who is much more than he seems. This strange interaction grows into something neither can explain but Theo is a man unlike any she has known before and offers her a new perspective on her long held feelings for Declan.
Cake at Midnight is a sometimes light, amusing and engaging story of friendship, family and the many different relationships within these situations. The intricacies of family relationships are explored as each of our primary characters come from wildly different backgrounds and it affects their interactions.
Cake at Midnight is a multi-layered story with great characters and some interesting family issues, exploring addiction and the long reaching affects it has on the whole family, and in some cases also the friends of the family.
This is a book that should appeal to a range of readers, not just romance lovers; it’s a character driven story with an unapologetic love of food. It may pay to pick this up with a handy stock of yummy snacks.
Jessie L. Star can be found on her Website and Facebook.
Cake at Midnight is published by Simon & Schuster and is available through Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster a selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members will be reading Cake at Midnight so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
I absolutely loved the book Cake at Midnight by Jessie. L Star, from Pocket Star publishing. As soon as I started reading it, I was obsessed with the storyline. I really enjoyed how Star has written the book.
The storyline follows Gio, a woman in her early 20’s, who has had a crush on a childhood friend Dec for years and years but a spanner is put into the works when she befriends her neighbour Theo. It was refreshing to read both sides of the story, from Gio and Theo, in each chapter.
I found that each of the curve balls in the book made it more interesting to read and harder to put down. I thought the book was relatable and included familiar connections to modern dating expectations, or lack of them, within Australia.
The various relationships represented in the book kept me intrigued while reading, desperately needing to know how it would all pan out in the end. I feel like there was a good mixture of positive/ negative events that happened during the book. Including enough realistic truths to keep the book from trailing off into a gushy romance novel.
I found this book to be a fantastic read and would recommend it to young adults, as the storyline is so relevant and current within today’s society. Very thankful for the opportunity to read this book as part of the book club.
Thanks, Beauty and Lace and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to “discover” a book I probably wouldn’t have picked up if I’d seen it in a book shop because I’d possibly have decided it wasn’t my scene – how wrong I’d have been because I absolutely LOVED IT. “Cake at Midnight” is a love story, but not just a love story. It explores emotions and friendships on many different levels and kept me delighted from start to finish. It’s escape literature but much more than that. The way Jessie L. Star explores and develops the characters and brings everything to conclusion made for one of the most delightful novels I’ve read for a while.
Life long friendships come with strings attached at times and these friendships certainly did. Giovanna, Zoe and Declan have remained friends since they were children and that meant that they could rely on each other but it also meant that one could take advantage of another and expect more than was possible. I loved the way Gio knew she had to let go of her lifelong crush on Declan when he humiliated her after she made her feelings for him known.
The way Giovanna’s and Theo’s relationship developed could have seemed predictable in some ways but it had enough twists to make it unpredictable.
The friendship of Gio and Zoe was wonderfully written and I would have loved more of Gio’s Aunt, who bequeathed her apartment to Gio and who had fostered the three friendships, wanting Zoe and Declan to be able to rise above their difficult home lives.
All in all, I just loved ‘Cake at Midnight” and found it an incredibly satisfying read.
Having not read any of Jessie L. Star’s work before this, I will definitely look for other books because it found this so delightful.
I found ‘Cake at midnight’ a really good book. It wasn’t fantastic, didn’t have me on the edge of my seat, wasn’t unputdownable, but was just a really good book. It was easy to read and easy to pick up and put down when I needed to. The characters were realistic and relatable and for me the storyline made me feel good. I would like to read about what happens to everyone in the future and will keep an eye out for more books by Jessie L Star.
Thank you Beauty and Lace >:o)
A book I may not have read if I was browsing the Shelves , The title however Another story 😀
A beautifully written slow burn romance, that will give you the feels along the way. I got more then I bargained for with this read , the romance the characters and the story line drew me in.. and whats not to love about the cake !
Gio is a young pastry chef, and instantly she was one of those characters that you just love, she is lovable, a optimist, and despite what life throws at her she tries to not give up on people.
Theo was a character that is very deep, hard to understand, but tough and a mans man so to speak. His tough past didn’t define him, he was one of those guys that just kept chugging along.
The long crush that Gio had on her long lost friend and his mannerisms irked me at times !! In Time Geo got tough, and we see her grow along the way.
I think being a romantic at heart, I truly loved the Romance in this story, A sweet, slow burn, creating a build up that will leave you starry eyed and giddy !! A few moments that will make you laugh , lots of moments you will swoon over but overall a love that was unexpected but so very real.
I am off to an author signing in April and get to meet this author and will be getting by book baby signed !! ** haha **
I recommend this to all those who love romance that will sweet you off your feet,
Cake At Midnight by Jessie L Star is a wonderful read. It is a story about three friends, Gio, Declan and Zoe, who’ve been friends for a very long time and have been through a lot together. Gio, who is now an apprentice pastry chef, has had a crush on Declan forever. It’s not until she attends a work function with Declan as his plus one that she is brought down to earth when she overhears Declan refer to her as his ‘last resort’. She realises she needs to move on from Declan.
At the function she runs into her neighbour Theo, who she’s never really spoken to before. Theo works for the same company as Declan. He ends up walking her home and this is where their friendship begins. .
Theo is a bit of a mysterious man with his own secrets. Their relationship develops into something more and even hits a few bumps along the way , when Declan has a crisis and the ever reliable Gio runs to his aid.
I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to others.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thank you Beauty and Lace for allowing me to review Cake At Midnight.
This book was a delight to read, easily flowed and your typical love story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, its nice to read a light hearted book with not so much grief.
I felt sorry for poor Gio, all she wants in life is to feel loved, has chased it all her life but does not realise thats its at her door step.
Sometimes we need to take risks and hope it plans out well.
Looking forward to reading another book from Jessie L Sta. r
What a fantastic read!
When your searching for what you want and can’t see that it’s right in front of you ! Well written so easy to read with characters you can’t wait to get involved with, once you do it’s hard to put down. Really lovely book.
I loved this book!
Cake at midnight is a romantic story that can’t be put down. Gio, a fun loving sweet girl, has a mad crush on her best friend. After overhearing him describe her as a last resort to accompany him to a work do, she resorts to 30 days of no contact with him, to get over him. A series of events led her to spend time with her new neighbour who so happened to work with her friend! The story has a lot to offer and keeps you on your toes hoping for a true romantic ending… and it doesn’t disappoint! I would recommend this book to my friends for a light and enjoyable read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Cake at Midnight.
I had been reading a lot of historical fiction so it made a nice change to read this light hearted but still intriguing romance.
The pace was really good and I love books where the POV alternates to give both sides of the story.
Highly recommended – now if only I could find physical copies of Jessie’s other titles!