
Member Reviews

Really enjoyable read. Good characters and a Good story. Well worth a read. Think others will enjoy.

I really enjoyed 'Love Among the Treetops'. The main character, Twilight, has been bullied and the book begins with a powerful prologue, in which Twilight describes an altercation with her bullies, an event which has had a lasting effect on her life. That is not the only heartache in the book as her father has cancer and Twilight makes it her mission to save the family home and comes up with a novel solution - to open a café in her treehouse. A great idea however one of the bullies hears of her plans and opens up a rival café in the village.
The story is a great read, there are sad moments but they all make Twilight stronger. I therefore think it would be a good book to pass onto friends and families who may have suffered at the hands of bullies in their past or are going through similar now. It is an emotional rollercoaster of a book but one which has a great message at the end - the bullies don't win! There are great laugh out loud moments in the book and these parts left me wanting to read just a few more chapters each time and i therefore flew through the book.

I really enjoyed this book. Lighthearted but heartwarming, well written with lovely well rounded characters who I really liked (apart from one character), this book tackles the serious issue of bullying and how it can continue into later life. A heroine, a knight in shining armour and a bully. I was rooting for Twilight to be a success. The story has some lovely cakes which made me feel hungry whilst reading.
Well written with a very engaging plot, enough twists and turns to keep me reading and a satisfying ending.
Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A cafe in the treetops sounds wonderful. A lovely feel good read. A heart warming story with believable characters. This is definitely worth curling up on the sofa with.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Review: If you are looking for a great summer read then this is one such book that is perfect to while away some summer hours. It is not your normal chic lit romance style book. It is set around a topic that is very current today. Bullying. You may be thinking how does that fit in and is it written in this authors normally funny and warm writing style? Well she does it extremely well.
Firstly, I just want to point out what a great cover and title. Refreshing is the word that springs to mind when I look at the cover.
I have enjoyed all of Catherine's previous books and this is no exception. A lovely feel good read full of strong characters that you can relate to.

A fabulous feel-good story, entertaining, funny with great, well-written characters! A great read for the summer!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a nice feel good read, particularly liked Twilight Wilson (great name) This made me smile nearly the whole way through and I shall be certainly looking out for other novels by this author

A book that is very entertaining and fun to ready. Very likeable characters and a very sound plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley

I want to start this review by saying a massive thank you to the author for including a topic in her story which, to this day, still affects me, and it's a topic which people still aren't taking seriously. Bullying. I have known this authors books to be hilarious, so as soon as I realised that this book contained a rather stigmatic theme, I had absolutely no idea how she was going to pull it off without losing her trademark story telling, whilst also creating awareness for such a sensitive subject.
I needn't have worried in the slightest because Catherine Ferguson not only pulled it off, she baked it perfectly.
Twilight's dream for as long as she can remember, has been to own her own cafe by baking for a living. Due to the fact that her father is facing an uncertain future, Twilight has taken it upon herself to do what she can to keep the family cafe in the family where it belongs. Unfortunately for Twilight, a bully from her school days still lives in the village and, even though Twilight is fully aware that many years have passed, she can't seem to forget what the school bully did to her.
On a personal level, this book was hard to read due to my own history with bullying, but I am so, SO glad that this subject is being put under people's notice in hope that someone finally takes notice, and realises that bullying can ruin people's lives.
As always, 'Love Among the Treetops' contains such wonderful humour which keeps the storyline on an even keel. Twilight is such a brilliant character who, whilst being quite naive, has a heart of gold (maybe even a little feisty!). I did feel sorry for her whilst I was reading the book, I just wanted to give her a big hug and tell her that she could do it.
I really did enjoy reading 'Love Among the Treetops' as it made me laugh, it made me smile, and it seemed to be the perfect antidote when I needed a little pick me up. I loved the fact that the book was an easy read as it allowed me to lose myself in it completely, feeling as though I was part of the storyline instead of an outsider looking in.
Cakes, laughter, cakes, friendship, fun, and cakes, what more could you want?
I truly think that this is an ideal book to curl up with when the skies are grey and you're feeling blue as, when the book is finished, I can guarantee that you will be feeling as golden as a Victoria sponge cake - perfect amount of layers, right amount of bitterness in the jam, and just sweet enough.

Can Twilght's Café save the day?' so reads the tagline for Catherine Ferguson's new novel Love Among the Treetops. With a gorgeous cover and an intriguing question I was keen to get going and discover just what the problem was that Twilight was having and would she be resilient and resourceful enough to solve it?
The prologue although brief really did reveal a lot as to the Twilight's state of mind throughout the majority of the book. When we meet her she is aged 6 and describing being chased home from school by the resident bullies who always seem to have it in for her. She uses the treehouse high up off the ground that her beloved father built for her as a sanctuary. It is her safe place, where she can put her demons at bay even if only for a short while. Fast forward many years and Twilight is 32 and still the threat of bullies is ever present, always lingering away. Clearly the damage done in childhood extends its reach right through to adulthood.
Bullying is such an ever present issue for everybody. Sadly, I don't think anyone could say they were never affected in some way or other by some form of bullying at a time in their lives. I was glad the author choose to include this topic in her book because no one can evade bullying even as an adult, it's not that we go searching for it for. I am sure Twilight would not have wanted such hurt and pain to come knocking at her door. It's almost like it seeks us out, maybe the people who are slightly weaker than others, those who can't cope with what it will bring.
Coming back to her home village of Hart's End stirs up many memories for Twilight and she questions whether she has made the correct decision? But needs most and pressing personal issues with regard to her small family take precedence. She tries to push the memories to a corner of her mind where they can't be accessed. But will returning to the scene of the crime so to speak just bring everything rushing to the surface? Plus when you encounter the bully and cannot avoid her will it just be history repeating itself once again? If so has Twilight the courage, grit and determination to overcome this once and for all? Maybe she does but certainly not without a battle on her hands?
Twilight's Dad is away in London receiving treatment, whether it will be successful or not remains to be seen. His shop at the end of the garden is shut up and financial issues are starting to make themselves known. Twilight deeply loves her parents and knows now is the time she needs to be there for them, to do anything to help out be it big or small. Her passion is for baking as, just like the tree house, she can take comfort and refuge in the baking process. She knows a huge responsibility lays on her shoulders that she is the one who has to try and keep up the mortgage payments to alleviate the stress her parents are going through.
Throughout the book Twilight deserved nothing but admiration. She wanted a positive outcome for her family and always did her best even when it seemed to me as if one bad thing after another was constantly happening. I thought she was creative and had good ideas but at times lacked faith and confidence in herself. So much happened to her that if it had been me I would have given up and just cured up in a ball and cried. But not Twilight she kept on wading her way through the obstacles even if at times she doubted herself and the love for her family kept her going through many horrible, unjust times.
I loved how Paloma, Twilight's best friend, was always there for her in the darkest hours. When everyone else seemed to be abandoning ship she stayed right by her side and was determined, honour, truth and positivity would win out. When they hit upon the idea of converting the shop into a café it seems through hard work all Twilight's problems will be resolved. But really the issues that have plagued here are just begin to rear their ugly heads once again. This problem comes in the form of Lucy, the bully from Twilight's childhood. She has to have been one of the most despicable characters I have ever read about. I don't often use the word hate in relation to a character but that is exactly how I felt about her. She was full of spite, malice and always wanted to exact revenge on Twilight. For what I didn't know but there would have wanted to be a good reason for the suffering and pain she put Twilight through.
Lucy did not in any way enamour herself to me instead my dislike for her grew and grew. On the outside she portrayed that she was all sweetness and light and that no one would see through her façade. She was full of venom and would do anything to hamper any success that may come Twilight's way. But the question remained does a leopard ever truly change its spots? I never took anything she said as gospel. My gut was telling me this is one person not to be trusted. I just hoped Twilight wouldn't be gullible enough to walk into the arms of apology no matter how big the olive branch that was being extended. Lucy felt she had one up on Twilight as she was now living with Jason whom Twilight always had feelings for ever since they were teenagers. I thought Lucy was better off without him as he was a wimp who should have put a stop to Lucy's harsh words and actions.
There were many trials and tribulations, and ups and downs, for Twilight to attempt to overcome especially when Lucy plays her ultimate card in opening up a rival café. This was just so mean, she knew the game she was playing and what the outcome would be but she forges ahead and did so in the most sneaky and underhand way. Twilight only ever came under increasing pressure and I questioned whether given her history with Lucy how could she emerge stronger or else would she have to slope off into a corner and admit defeat? But really we shouldn't ever let the bullies get the better of us. We should stand tall and keep going even if it is the most difficult thing we have to do. I admired Twilight for her changing, emerging attitude even at her lowest point she wanted to keep going. Theo, a man she had encountered on the train as she travelled home makes appearances every now and again and I thought he was a lovely character. He offered sound advice and perhaps had the most brilliant idea of all. But would they be able to pull it off?
Love Among the Treetops was a really enjoyable read, one that you would fly through in one or two sittings. You find yourself rooting for Twilight and firmly hoping that by the end Lucy would be sloping away with her tail between her legs. There was lots of humour and funny moments dotted throughout the book to counter act the awful experiences and sneaky tactics that Twilight endured. The scenes in the gym were very funny and also the charity run. There was the perfect balance between dealing with a serious topic and then offering some light relief. The café topic may have been done numerous times before but here it had slightly more depth given the nature of the various other issues being dealt with and that made for a good interesting read. It had been quite some time since I had read a book by Catherine Ferguson but I think I definitely choose the right one to reacquaint myself with her writing. I won't leave it so long the next time as Twilight sure had lots of life lessons to teach us all.

I have read a few books by Catherine and I have enjoyed each and every one. I was over the moon to learn that she had a new book for release called ‘Love Among The Treetops’ and I eagerly and impatiently waited for release day. I managed to get my hands on a copy and I absolutely blinking well LOVED it but more about that in a bit.
I must admit to liking the character of Twilight Wilson from the very beginning but then it would have been hard not to. The book starts with a prologue, which partially describes Twilight’s scary ordeal at the hands of the school bullies. I really felt for her when she was running to escape from them. I so wanted to leap into the pages of the book to sort the bullies out and to just basically give her a hug. Twilight was bullied throughout her school life and it’s safe to say that she has been left with mental and physical scars, which affect her to this day. Twilight and her parents are a tight family unit after her parents went through so much heartache to have her. This tight family unit is rocked to the core by the news that her father Mr. Wilson, is suffering from cancer and he undergoes some experimental treatment in the hope that this will kick the cancer into touch. The downside of his treatment is that he has had to give up work and they are at risk of losing the family home. Twilight is determined not to let this happen and so she moves back to the family home, where she hopes to open a café for the villagers and for the tourists. To start with Twilight’s return to her home village isn’t all that happy as she has several flashbacks and encounters her childhood nemesis. Twilight hasn’t got much self confidence in herself and often puts herself down before anybody else does. The good news is that Twilight does have friends she can count on and who stick up for her whenever possible. Twilight has high hopes for her new café but I just wish that she would have more self confidence. She is one of those girls, who is naturally funny and easy to get along with. Will Twilight make a success of the café business? Will her father kick cancer into touch? Will Twilight confront her childhood bully and put her demons to bed? Will Twilight learn to believe in herself more? Will Twilight find love? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
This was such a difficult book for me to read. I don’t mean that it is badly written as that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s just that I could draw so many parallels between Twilight’s background and mine that in fact I could be the real life Twilight Wilson. I don’t really want to type too much about the reasons why my life is similar to Twilight’s as they are personal and sometimes upsetting. Once I got over the scary similarities between us both, I became addicted to reading ‘Love Among The Treetops’ and I wanted to see whether or not Twilight succeeded as it would give me hope for my own life. I know, I know it’s a work of fiction but Catherine writes about the different characters and their backgrounds so sensitively that you can’t help but think of the characters as being real live human beings. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop and I became addicted to reading one more chapter and then another chapter and before I knew what was happening I had cleared a fair chunk of the book. As I was enjoying reading the book so much I just didn’t notice how quickly the page numbers and the time were passing. The book came everywhere with me and I just couldn’t put it down. ‘Love Among The Treetops’ does deal with some sensitive issues but there is also a lot of humour in there as well. There were certain parts of the book which had me laughing out loud and I was on the receiving end of some funny looks from the other passengers on the bus. I, for one, will never be able to look at a Wotsits packet in the same light again without thinking of this book. ‘Love Among The Treetops’ does take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with all the ups and downs. There are parts of the book that will make you laugh and make you want to cry, make you want to hug Twilight and make you want to slap her bullies silly but at the end of it, you will be rooting for Twilight to succeed in everything she does.
In short I absolutely loved reading ‘Love Among The Treetops’ and I would wholeheartedly recommend Catherine Ferguson and her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this hugely talented and sensitive author. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I absolutely adore reads by Catherine Ferguson so I was delighted when I seen the cover for this - which by the way is just pure gorgeous! I couldn't stop looking at it!
You know I would definitely say this is Catherine's best book so far! It was so enjoyable and I was really excited at the whole story to it.
It has everything I love about a good book, great characters, location, romance, and most importantly food (which made me incredibly hungry!)
I loved how the treehouse was very unique and different and it sounds like a fantastic place to visit and relax there!
Twilight the main character was a brilliant character, it was really nice getting to know her and seeing her come out of her shell and face her high school bully!
I really really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it 100% it is just delightful, and very heart warming! You will not be able to put this down!

I really wanted to enjoy this boom and was willing to overlook my passionate dislike for first person narrative to give it a go. I didn't get very far. The protagonist is supposed to be a woman in her thirties yet her internal monologue sounds more like a whiny teenager. I tried too stick with it but just couldn't get past the irritating main character and gave up at about 10%. 1 star.

I haven't read much women's fiction for a while with the plethora of mystery & psychological thrillers which are on the shelves at the moment so this made a refreshing change.
I love Twilight Wilson's character; her sense of responsibility to step in and try and save the family home despite the fact it meant abandoning her dream of being a pastry chef is so admirable. Then to find out that the decision to return to her childhood home where school bullies had made her life miserable for so long made me respect her even more. She tackles every situation with determination, and with her archenemy seeming to have not left schoolyard issues behind my heart sank for her - especially when events at the school reunion fashion parade prove her fears to be correct: Lucy Slater was still out to get her.
With friends and family suggesting that she is just being paranoid, Twilight throws herself headlong into setting up the café venture which could be the lifeline to rescue Honey Cottage from the jaws of repossession. As has always happened since primary school, Lucy Slater is on hand to scupper her at every turn but this time Fate is finally on hand to prove that the truth will out eventually. Lucy's vindictive actions and true nature finally make headlines, and Twilight feels the weight of over 20 years of humiliation lift from her shoulders as people see what Lucy is capable of at last.
The author has written some excellent, credible characters and scenarios, and I was delighted to see the change in Twilight's personality as she confronted the ghosts of her past one by one. There are some great laugh out loud moments which made the story so much more satisfying as the karma train came to town to settle some outstanding scores.
What I thought was going to be a very light, fluffy tale actually went much deeper to tackle some very tough issues but in a light hearted manner.
A huge success of a novel for me which I will be happy to recommend to all my friends.
My review will be posted on my blog at www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

Twilight is returning to the village to set up a cafe and make enough money to save her childhood home.
The only problem is, Lucy, childhood bully who made Twilights life a misery, is still a bully and trying to ruin the cafe plans.
The chracters of Twilight and her friend Paloma are likeable and you hope that things work out OK for them.
A quick and enjoyable read.

Wonderfully heartwarming story full of cake, treehouses, a hint of romance and a bitter rivalry that was a joy to read.
Twilight (what a fabulous name) has moved back to her family home to set up the Twilight Cafe in a hope of earning enough money to keep the house from having to be sold. Her parents are in London, while her dad has an experimental medical treatment, so Twilight is determined to help out.
What she hadn't counted on was her old childhood bully apparently still hating her as an adult, and the series of instances made me absolutely hate Lucy with a passion. She is a nightmare of a woman, very petty and seems determined to go all out to ruin Twilight.
There is cafe rivalry in a small town, until Twilight hits on the potential unique selling point of her own cafe, from which well I loved hearing all about it.
There are assorted tough subjects dealt with and some of the main themes are bullying and how it doesn't stop in childhood, and also Paloma's (Twilight's best friend) search for family.
There are so many cakes and scones baked in this book that I was starting to get really peckish reading this, and i loved all the various characters. Some fabulous storylines about friendship and just generally a warm and loving feeling from the book.
I always enjoy this author and this was no exception, another highly enjoyable story that I was hooked on.
Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly an voluntarily.

Twilight is training as a pastry chef, on learning that her dad is ill and the family home might have to be sold, she returns home with plans to open her dad’s old shop as a cafe, with the help of her best friend, Twilight looks forward to the opening day of the cafe. Twilight has concerns when Lucy the school bully from her past offers help with her new venture. Twilight’s fears are confirmed when Lucy sabotages her and opens her own cafe on the same day. Can Twilight stand up to Lucy and beat her at her own game?
A good book with some interesting mostly likeable characters with Lucy being the exception, it was an entertaining lighthearted read.

I've had a couple of Catherine Ferguson's novels on my TBR pile now for a while, but when I spotted this one, I knew I just had to read it! The cover itself is so gorgeous, I absolutely love the treehouse - it's so beautiful and the colours are lovely and eye-catching! The bunting, the little curtains in the window, and of course the flowers and the tree surrounding it makes it look so pretty. I just wish I had a treehouse like this! Whatever your age, you're never too old for a treehouse.
This book pulled on my heartstrings from the minute I started reading it. It begins with Twilight running away from bully Lucy when she was a little girl. She runs home after Lucy threatens to once again 'get her after school' and Twilight runs straight for the most safe and secure place she knows - her treehouse. Twilight then starts to calm down and this is when it cuts to the present day.
Twilight is now on her way home after cutting her pastry course in London short after finding out her family are currently undergoing quite a few serious issues at home. She decides to head home and start running a cafe in her dad's old shop to help out and raise some money to allow her family to keep their home. Once Twilight is home, it brings some happy but also saddening memories back to her about her childhood - and I have to admit, I had tears!
Reading about the lovely childhood that Twilight had, it just pulled at all my heartstrings, and without giving too much away, I just really hoped that all worked out well for her and her family. As I mentioned above I have never read a book by Catherine Ferguson before but I really loved it! I really enjoyed Catherine's style of writing. It was witty and funny without being too much and it also had some really emotional moments that made it lovely and heartwarming to read.
I adored all the characters in the book and really found myself rooting for Twilight and her cafe! It's a beautifully romantic novel in a lovely-sounding setting and I can't wait to read more of Catherine's novels. It was lighthearted and a great read. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a chance to read this novel, which I have reviewed honestly.

This is the first book I have read by Catherine Ferguson but I loved it and would certainly recommend it as one to pack in your suitcase this summer. Twilight, the main character, loves the tree house her dad built for her and it became her favourite place both as a child and as an adult. This was the place where she could feel safe and escape the school bullies. When her father becomes ill and falls behind with the mortgage repayments Twilight can't bear the thought of her childhood home being sold and her tree house being lost. She leaves her catering college course and heads home to try and save the house by opening her dads old shop as a cafe. Her best friend is there to support her, the school bully is there to try and make her fail. Add to the mix the man who she once regarded as the love of her life and Theo the personal trainer plus a few twists and turns and you have a very enjoyable read.
I shall certainly be looking to read more books by Catherine Ferguson.