Love, Lies and Lemon Pies, the debut YA novel from Katy Cannon, is the perfect summer read for fans of Sarah Dessen and Louise Rennison. With a Bake Club recipe at the start of each chapter, this book perfectly captures the current appetite for all things baking!
Sixteen-year-old Lottie is on a mission to protect her biggest secret, and it’ll take every lie and every baking trick she can muster. Since her dad died, life hasn’t been the same for Lottie. When the school suggests she joins Bake Club to get her back on track, Lottie reluctantly agrees. The alternative – the school paying her mum a home visit – is not an option. But Lottie’s uncertainty about Bake Club melts away as she rekindles her love of baking and gets caught up with Mac, school rebel and another unwilling Bake Club member.
As the end-of-year Bake Off approaches, the tension rises. Can Lottie keep up the façade of her perfect life? And can her bubbling romance with Mac survive the pressure?
The Review
Having read and reviewed Katy Cannon's Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines last month I just had to start Love, Lies and Lemon Pies as soon as humanly possible!
This is actually the first in the series (I never like to be conventional!) but as both books can be read and enjoyed in their own right it didn't really matter that I'd been a little bit squiffy with the order I'd read them in.
Lottie is the central character in this one, and she's thrown into Bake Club. Although she's reluctant at first, she can't deny it's an escape from the realities of life-home, her Mum and the accumulation of 'stuff' which is taking over their house. Throughout the book she develops as a character, maturing and realising that sometimes in life you do need the love and support of your friends. The teens in Bake Club are an unlikely group but become a tight unit working towards a common goal and their loyalty towards each other is heartwarming.
Of course, there's a romantic element too when Lottie falls for bad boy Mac. He's troubled and edgy and has a reputation which everyone around school believes. But when he's stirring a cake mix or kneeding a dough he's a different person, and Lottie sees that. It's just a shame that the secrets they're hiding have the potential to end their relationship before it's properly begun...
I admire Katy Cannon greatly for writing contemporary teen romances which don't revolve around sex. Instead they're built on gently moralistic foundations- the need to be honest, to believe in yourself, to take help when you need it- vital lessons to learn at any age.
The writing itself is also top notch. It's well paced, appropriate for the target audience and I loved the dialogue. The added bonus of some simple recipes (without hundreds of ingredients, which is my bug bear when baking) offers something different which sets this apart from other teen romances.
These books are without doubt some of my favourites in this genre. I'm desperately hoping there are more in the pipeline!
With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.
Love, Lies and Lemon Pies is out now, published by Stripes, an imprint of Little Tiger.
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