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Mary Simses
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The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe Hardcover – July 9, 2013

by Mary Simses (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,772 ratings
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A high-powered Manhattan attorney finds love, purpose, and the promise of a simpler life in her grandmother's hometown.

Ellen Branford is going to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish -- to find the hometown boy she once loved, and give him her last letter. Ellen leaves Manhattan and her Kennedy-esque fiance for Beacon, Maine. What should be a one-day trip is quickly complicated when she almost drowns in the chilly bay and is saved by a local carpenter.

The rescue turns Ellen into something of a local celebrity, which may or may not help her unravel the past her grandmother labored to keep hidden. As she learns about her grandmother and herself, it becomes clear that a 24-hour visit to Beacon may never be enough. The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café is a warm and delicious debut about the power of a simpler life.

"You will devour The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café. Mary Simses can write evocative detail that puts you right in the scene, with dialogue that always rings true." -- James Patterson
Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little, Brown and Company
  4. Publication date
    July 9, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0316225851
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0316225854
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this bittersweet debut, Simses tells the story of Ellen Branford, who sets out to investigate her grandmother's mysterious past and ends up finding herself. As she lays dying, Ellen's grandmother extracts a promise from Ellen: that she will deliver a long-overdue apology letter to the man her grandmother jilted back home in Beacon, Maine, nearly six decades earlier. After leaving her fiancé in Manhattan, Ellen heads to Beacon and promptly falls through a rotted pier. A strong rip current catches her and she is saved from drowning by local boy Roy Cummings, who pulls her to safety and lands them both on the front page of the local paper, gaining Ellen much notoriety as the Swimmer. Fighting her budding feelings for Roy, Ellen digs deeper into her grandmother's past, unearthing not only her grandmother's jilted hometown crush but also a whole host of new questions. The answers that come to light will drive Ellen to make a choice that will change the course of her life. Agent: Deneen Howell, Williams & Connolly. (July)

From Booklist

Ellen Branford, type-A Manhattan attorney, is completely out of her element in Beacon, Maine. Her hotel has terrible cell reception; restaurant menus feature meatloaf, fried food, and clam chowder instead of the seared tuna and chicken breasts she’s used to; and big-city anonymity is a completely unfamiliar concept. Although she’s only supposed to be in Beacon long enough to hand-deliver a very private letter from her recently deceased grandmother, Ellen soon discovers a more complicated story behind her grandmother’s seemingly simple small-town life. Completely transfixed by the new mystery, Ellen realizes that the tiny town of Beacon might have more to offer than she originally thought. This charming, tender first novel emphasizes the power of simple pleasures, comfort food, and undeniable chemistry. Fans of the leads in the movies The Proposal and Sweet Home Alabama will recognize a kindred spirit in high-strung, perfectionist Ellen, and the novel’s small-town setting will appeal to loyal readers of Mary Kay Andrews, Elin Hilderbrand, and Jan Karon. Simses’ story of emotional discoveries, shifting priorities, and new beginnings is a delightful beach read. --Stephanie Turza

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; Large Print edition (July 9, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316225851
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316225854
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 1,772 ratings

About the author

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Mary Simses

Mary Simses

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I grew up in Darien, Connecticut, and spent most of my life in New England, where I worked in magazine publishing, and, later, as a corporate attorney. I wrote fiction “on the side” for many years, and during that time several of my short stories were published in literary magazines. I am the author of The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café, which became a hit movie called The Irresistible Blueberry Farm for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel, and The Rules of Love & Grammar. I enjoy photography, listening to old jazz standards, and escaping to Connecticut in the summer. I live in South Florida with my husband, and we have a daughter in college who is quite a writer herself.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
1,772 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States

Booklover
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Like A Malne Blueberry Muffin - Yum!
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014
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This was a light read that was so entertaining!! The storyline was very good and I liked all the characters. One of those books that keeps you reading because you feel like you know these people.

Ellen's grandmother Ruth has passed away. Ellen loved her grandmother very much - they were a lot alike and very close. Before dying, Ruth asks Ellen to go to Beacon, Maine and deliver an envelope to a gentleman there. She makes Ellen promise.

Ellen isn't too keen to go. After all, she's still mourning the loss of her dear grandmother and she's also only 3 months away from her wedding day. Going to Maine is the last thing she wants to do. She decides it's the best thing to do because she promised her grandmother. So, off she goes.

The story is full of fun mishaps that Ellen never expected. She learned a lot of things about her grandmother that surprised her. Also her life was getting turned in lots of directions. You'll have to read it yourself to learn all the surprises that come one after another.

I am giving it 5 stars but I felt like taking 1/2 a star away just because I was disappointed that there was no Blueberry Muffin recipe included. Despite this disappointment, I do recommend this book highly. It's a fun, humorous, quick read!!
9 people found this helpful
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BrainyBlonde
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Women's Fic
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2015
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I'm late to the party on reading The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe as it's been out for about two years, but I'm glad it finally reached the top of my TBR pile. The book opens with a really gripping and dramatic scene in which the heroine, NYC attorney Ellen Branford, finds herself in an unexpected fight for her life when the dock she's standing on collapses and she's swept away from the shore. Even though Ellen's an excellent swimmer, she's no match for a wicked undertow and has to be saved by a scruffy stranger named Roy. You'd think that this would be the beginning of a beautiful relationship, but the two of them don't get off on the right foot. Besides, Ellen's not interested in romance; she's in Beacon, Maine to fulfill her grandmother Ruth's dying wish and she's got a blue-blooded fiancé back in Manhattan.

As Ellen attempts to deliver the letter entrusted to her, she stumbles upon some surprising tidbits about her grandmother's past. Wanting to know more, Ellen decides to extend her stay in Beacon, which does not sit well with Hayden, the aforementioned fiancé, or her mother who's deep in the throes of wedding planning mania. While uncovering more eye-opening info on her grandmother, Ellen begins to discover long-buried desires of her own. The parallels between what happened when Ruth was younger and the personal crossroads Ellen finds herself at made for a compelling story. I thought it was interesting that even though the two women seemed very much alike (both having a creative side), in the end they needed to choose different paths in life in order to be happy.

The author's writing style was beautiful, very descriptive and evocative. Her words transported me to all the spots in Beacon that Ellen visited. Having said that, I will confess that I struggled with the pacing of the book. It started out very exciting with the drowning scene, then things slowed way down and the narrative was in Ellen's head a lot as she delved into her grandmother's history. And when Hayden became a strong presence in the story, I felt like skipping pages because I just didn't like the character (He was uptight, controlling, and worst of all, whiny.), nor did I like Ellen when she was around him. Fortunately, I hung in there and I really enjoyed how the last quarter of the book played out.

If you're a fan of stories about women's emotional journeys, especially ones set in charming small towns, pick up a copy of The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe. I will be interested to see what author Mary Simses writes next.
12 people found this helpful
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R.H. McCort
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't go by the reviews, read it and judge for yourself
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2013
Verified Purchase
I have to admit that I purchased the book because James Patterson suggested it. It sat on the book shelf for several months as I was reading other books.

It was a raining day and I was feeling very sorry for myself over the loss of my husband when I picked this book up to read. I like the other review though ok it will be girl finds love and changes life. What I found was a wonderfully written story of yes girl new boy, but for me it went beyond that.

Ellen, a Manhattan attorney, who loves her grandmother agrees to delivery a letter to Beacon, Maine to someone who she knows nothing about, Chet Cummings. When Ellen starts her trip it was get there delivery the letter and return to New York and her fiance Hayden and finish planning her wedding.

What she finds is the beauty of Maine, so very well described by Ms. Simses, a uncomplicated life of people in the small town of Beacon. Ellen soon realizes that a lot of things in her grandmother's life were not as she had been told. As Ellen begins finding her Grandmother's secrets, she begins to unravel her life and begins to really look at where she is and where she would like to be.

It is hard to write a review as you don't want to give away too much of the story, but let me say for me; I also thought back on my life, where I had been, where I was now. Would I have made changes, who wouldn't. The author Mary Simses grabs you almost on the first page and leaves you wanting more on the last.

Be an individual, read this wonderful story for yourself. You may not agree with me, but I pray that Ms. Simses continues her writing and gives us another story soon.
58 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amy
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story of love and finding yourself
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Such a beautiful story. Arrived yesterday afternoon and I haven’t been able to put it down. I can’t remember the last time I read a book all the way through in less than 24 hours
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Tess McNally
5.0 out of 5 stars An historical story that still holds its weight
Reviewed in Canada on November 2, 2019
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A great read with characters you care about
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MF
3.0 out of 5 stars A nice book to relax
Reviewed in Brazil on May 10, 2018
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This book is no different from the others thousands romantic books that I read. But i love to read those book that take you to country side and says "there's nothing wrong in loving a small town and having a simple life"
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Naty
5.0 out of 5 stars Tender
Reviewed in Spain on September 5, 2016
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A very tender, funny, sad, and happy all at the same time. I have really enjoyed reading this book. Congratulations
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ninemiki
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice chick-lit
Reviewed in Germany on May 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
I really liked the story (although it is quite predictable right from the beginning), but it is one of those books which you read from 1st to last page in a row and then you sigh, when you have finished them. It's like eating a lovely piece of pie...
3 people found this helpful
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