The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler
A confection of a novel, combining big city sophistication with small town charm.
When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny’s life isn’t what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn’t talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there’s Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog’s Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life’s unexpected turns.
This book was really cute! I liked Penny a lot, and Tally and Blake were a lot of fun, too. And Gram! She was fantastic. I really liked the description of the town and the various people in the town. Basically, this book is about Penny growing up and figuring out her relationship to her family and becoming part of Hog’s Hollow. But she’s not the only one that grows and changes, which keeps the book interesting.
I didn’t totally get why she and Marcus liked each other at first. But I really liked them as they got to know each other better. Marcus and his dad were really great characters that made me tear up a couple times.
This book should come with a warning, though – looking too close at the cover will make you crave cupcakes!