When a new start full of hope changes in a chase for clearing your name

Synopsis

When Ruby Watkiss lands a job at the True Loaf Bakery, she feels as if the sun has finally come out. Having been through a traumatic time that wrecked her confidence levels, it’s a joy to be working for Ellie, and now all Ruby wants is to lead a quiet life and support her mum in getting the help she needs.

But life, it seems, has other plans for Ruby.

Working alongside the bafflingly rude Hudson Holmes would be bad enough – but then odd things start happening. It seems that someone is out to sabotage the café and bakery, and to her horror, Ruby finds the finger pointing at her.

Desperate to prove her innocence, she teams up with the most unlikely person in order to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Tailing suspects and hiding in bushes isn’t something she ever imagined she’d be doing, although her partner in mystery-solving seems the perfect man for the job. Can they clear Ruby’s name by discovering the real culprit?

With all the drama afoot, at least there’s no time for romance. Because that’s the very last thing on Ruby’s mind these days. Or is it…?

My review

Ruby Watkiss hopes that starting her new job at the True Loaf Bakery will be the start of many happy and joyful moments. Her mother being sick and not finding a match for a much needed transplant, made Ruby feeling sad and helpless.
Already during her first day, she enjoys working for Ellie. But not everyone is who Ruby thought. Her aunt trying to blackmail her, someone sabotaging the café and bakery, fingers are pointed towards Ruby rather quickly.
Determined to clear her name and find the real culprit, she joins forces with rude Hudson Holmes. Hudson seems to be the perfect partner for tailing suspects and why not, hiding in bushes. But could it be that Hudson could be more than just an investigating partner?

This was the first book I’ve ever read of the Little Duck Pond Café series, so I was a bit afraid I wouldn’t be able to catch up.
But my fears were unfounded, because this story can be perfectly be read as a standalone. Although I have to admit, I totally fell in love with each characters, I now have the actual need to catch up and read every previous book and every future book!

Most of the times, I just wanted to jump into the book, and give Ruby the biggest hug possible. The situation she finds herself in is just terrible. She wants to do whatever she can to help her mother, even if that would mean to do the unthinkable.
And Ruby being ready to do that to help her mother, shows just how far she would go for the people she loves.
She accepts the consequences, because she knows that she betrayed Ellie in the worst way possible and Ellie surely didn’t deserve it.

But when she is accused of sabotaging Ellie in the café and the bakery, she shows her inner strength. She will not let someone drag her through dirt while in these cases she was innocent! She shows also her investigating skills, because instead of just pointing fingers towards her suspects, she starts to search the truth with the necessary proof. She shows us that she doesn’t want another innocent being dragged through dirt!

And how wrong can first impressions be! Hudson was totally not what I expected. And of course, if he would be a real asshole as it would seem, he wouldn’t be taking this big part in the story. But when the truth about his past is revealed, my heart early broke, because his pain was so palpable from the pages!

The search for the real vandal was both intriguing as funny. There were several suspects, and I was looking myself for clues all over the place to find the culprit. However the situations Ruby found herself in, were sometimes hilarious.

The author wrote a captivating story, even for people who haven’t read the previous parts. The book has some sadder bits in it, even a few twists, which I didn’t see coming, that could have let the story take a whole different turn. But Rosie Green found a way to fill even the darker moments with a lightness, showing that nothing is unsurmountable.
All the character (with the exception of the villain of course) were so lovable, recognizable and just normal, making reading this book a real joy, making the reader wishing to be staying with them!

Now all I need is extra time because I have some serious catching up to do with the other parts!!!