What Would Mary Berry Do? by Clare Sandy
Publication date: July 31st 2014
Genre: Women’s fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 450
Format: Paperback
Source: Pan Macmillan
Goodreads – Wordery – The Book Depository
S Y N O P S I S
For fans of The Great British Bake Off, this is a story about family life, unfriendly rivalry and flat Victoria sponges.
Marie Dunwoody doesn’t want for much in life. She has a lovely husband, three wonderful children, and a business of her own. Except, 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 sheets and so puts on the pinny: serious redundancies are on the horizon. 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?
This is a delicious feast of a funny novel, perfect for fans of Jenny Colgan and Allison Pearson.
*** This is a work of fiction, in no way endorsed by Mary Berry, and where neither Mary Berry herself nor her recipes feature. ***
R E V I E W
We follow Marie, a mother and wife who leads a chaotic life. She has a happy family with her husband and three children. Running her own business as a dentist which is her dream job, working with two assistants who are some of her closest friends.
She isn’t very good at baking. When asked to provide a showstopper for the school fair she ends up producing french fancies. Crushed in their box. Her neighbour Lucy is amazing at baking constantly producing delectable dishes – pretty and immaculate, Lucy appears as the perfect wife. Lucy appears superior and calm on top of things.
Following this disaster, Marie decides that enough is enough and that she needs to change her ways. With a copy of a Mary Berry recipe book in tow she decides to turn the tables. However, Marie’s husband, Robert, has trouble at work. He attempts to develop his skills in the kitchen to gain brownie points at work *pardon the pun*.
Marie’s twin girls, are usually causing havoc and leaving a trail of mischief wherever they go and her son Angus is quiet and distant. Marie knows that something is troubling, Marie has no idea what it is that Angus is going through. Will baking help Marie bring her family closer and less chaotic? And will the wisdom guide, the holy grail that is Mary Berry help solve her problems?
Marie is such a funny and level headed main character. She’s truthful and she knows what her best and worst features are. I found the twins endearing, they were always creating plans or causing mischief. Angus is quiet but collected teenage boy, who we see struggling to come to terms with an event during a class party. Marie and Robert’s marriage is a great example and is quite realistic. The family across the street is very different, but they aren’t as perfect as they want everyone to believe. What Would Mary Berry Do? is a story about friendship and perseverance.
C O N C L U S I O N
What Would Mary Berry Do? is a story about friendship and perseverance. Marie is determined to learn how to bake and soon she’s starting to love it. I liked reading about pies, sponges, icing and glaze, it was great – I bake myself and there’s some things that I would not even consider attempting to make! There’s a lot of food and love in this book which is its strongest feature – sometimes I felt the book dragging, but something else would happen. The novel is both delicious and delightful and I enjoyed reading it very much!
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