The Cake Therapist

In The Cake Therapist, cookbook author and now novelist, Judith Fertig conjures up a lusciously layered tale that keeps the reader intrigued and craving more. The main character, Neely, has just moved from New York City to a small community near Cincinnati Ohio to open her dream bakery in her hometown. She caters to brides, but meets personalities of all ages, learning more about them than they or she would care to know. Neely has a sixth sense, which she often wishes she could dismiss, but allows her to discern a person's personality, longings and secrets through their taste preferences. I read The Cake Therapist on a cross-country flight from my son's wedding in California and just loved it ! Judith Fertig is a talented writer who can make you LOL and bring you to tears in the same paragraph. The reader is transported beyond just visualization to actually craving everything described from Cincinnati chili to cappuccino to sweet confections. I read sections aloud to my husband as he sat in the seat beside me. When we landed he wanted to go for a late night snack at our local chili parlor and I wanted to stop at the first bakery we encountered. Unfortunately all were closed, but the taste for more lingered.

This is a cozy story and diverse. The cake is used as a subject during the process of the story, some history on cakes and a newly opened bakery in a cozy town. The characters in the story are centered around or in the bakery. I liked the surprise in the end of the story that gave the story itself some substance, and that made it more satisfying to read.The thing I really really liked was the type of elongated book and pages like rag-paper (as in the old maybe antique type of books), just loved it as it was very pliable and made it so easy to read and hold. This was a new type of binding (to me) and I had never experienced this before and I would definately look for books again with this type of binding and printing. To be honest I often don't finish books and it might be because I find it just heavy and tedious to read. This I breezed through very fast. Of course, a little picturesque cake on the cover made it an inviting read, but still did not make me want deserts as the creations of the deserts were referred to as more an art form. Enjoyed.

I found The Cake Therapist to be a very enjoyable read. It drew me in enough that I stayed with it and completed it in one sitting (with a few breaks for food, etc.). I found the main character to be likeable and interesting, and I wanted to keep reading to find out more about her abilities and her history. The supporting characters were all interesting and added to the story; and I enjoyed trying to figure out how the past stories would tie in with the present. I will definitely check out Ms. Fertig's next book.

Cake Therapist is a wonderful story of moving on and looking back all centered around a small town bakery. I loved how flavors were weaved into the story as almost a sixth sense. The story pulls you in quickly. A little soul searching, a little romance and a little mystery - it's all there. What's not to like!

Didn't like the end. MIt seemed rushed and just bailed out. Otherwise it was good.