Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I read this book whilst sitting on a beach and it was the perfect read it was warm, funny and perfect for the occasion.

How to Bake a New Beginning is definitely a feel good-story. As the author mentions in her afterword: the main message is that you can achieve your goals, be that in work or in love. Another great message: all the Italian cooking. Honestly, I had to stop reading this book at times. Because, you know, I actually read all the recipes and then I got hungry. So, yes, I have a lot of cooking to do now.
I will say that, at times, the book seemed a bit scattered. It jumps from one sister to the next, and while that does allow each of the sisters to have their talents shine through? It also made it a bit harder to connect with each of them. As soon as I would really feel that I got them, there was the next sister! Especially because, at times, the author jumps from one character to the other mid-chapter, that got a bit confusing, sometimes.
The relationship between Amanda, Sabrina and Louisa was definitely one of my favourite sisterly relationships I’ve read in a while. It’s not easy to hit that spot between “being annoyed at each other”, “teasing each other” and yet “always being there for each other”. I’m one of three sisters myself, and I recognized a lot of the way we treat each other in the sisters’ relationship in this book.
One final element that I loved? The descriptions. Naturally, I want to go to San Francisco, and Manchester, and Italy now. From the sea to the emotional connections each of the girls had with a lot of these places, Lucy Knott really managed to get the spirit of these places across. And, well… who knew Italy was the place to be around Christmas?
Rating: 3/5

A real sense of family is at the very heart of this book and coupled with the Amalfi coastline, as the main backdrop, creates a delicious combination to produce a showstopper of a book.

Amanda, Sabrina and Louisa make this book come alive with their sisterly bond that adapts and grows throughout and the love they have for their Grandpa is heartfelt and emotional. I particularly love the Italian recipes that are woven throughout the chapters to solidify and highlight the family ties felt so strongly within the storyline.

Christmas in Italy comes alive in a magical way through the delicious and mouthwatering descriptions of Italian food and desserts to add sheer delight for the reader. I felt as if I could taste and smell the food being created before my eyes, it was a pure joy to behold.

How to Bake a New Beginning is heartwarming and at times emotional but still has the feel-good element. I loved the way the story unfolded bit by bit to keep you hanging on and eager to learn more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next by this author.

Very good debut novel! It was a very lovely read full of family, sisterhood, delicious food, Italy, love. I can recommend this book if you like stories about relationship between sisters. 4 stars out of 5 for me!

How to Bake a New Beginning follows three sisters, Louisa, Amanda and Sabrina who all live very different lives. They are brought together by the death of their grandfather which hits all of them extremely hard.

It is a heart-warming novel that was so easy to lose yourself in and travel with the characters, all of the main and side characters were endearing and brought something special to the table. The recipes at the start of each chapter made a nice addition to the whole reading experience. Overall, I would highly recommend this novel to everyone who is looking for a quick, easy read that has a way of making you smile whilst still dealing with some hard topics for the characters.

Really enjoyable read.
The story of three sisters, set in the weeks just prior to and after the death of their Italian grandfather. I was well written and easily jumped between the story from each of the sisters' point of view.
First book I have read by this author and looknig forward to more!

Wow, I ate this book up!

This book sucked me out of the last days of summer and blew me out into mid-winter, leaving me there to be completely enthralled by the story of this tight-knit family coming to terms with an unbearable loss.
I have laughed, cried, groaned in frustration and literally shouted out in joy whilst living these characters journey’s right along with them.
I have sided with one sister over the other and then changed my allegiance when the tables were turned, for three days last week, this book was my life, it allowed me to escape my own and live as Amanda, Sabrina, and Louisa.
How to Bake a New Beginning is very well written, jumping from one character to the next is easy to follow, each of the main characters own stories will keep you up wishing you had all the baked goodies to hand that they do to work through their issues.
With thanks to #NetGalley #HarperCollins and #HarperImpluse for the opportunity to read this book, but as none of the baked goods were supplied with the advances copy, I’m off on a munchie hunt 😊

I've probably said this next sentence over 50 times in the last few months and I know I've got plenty more left in me: I am so, so incredibly proud of my sister. Can you believe I'm actually sat here writing a book review for her DEBUT BOOK? Actually I can believe it!

A few years ago, I got given a Kindle from a friend who had never used it. I stared at it for a couple of days, very much in the "I only like book, books" camp, until I discovered quite a lot of authors and some fantastic stories that were only published for Kindle format. What had I been missing!!?? One of the companies myself and Lucy found that produced some brilliant Kindle books was HQ Digital. After devouring so many of their stories and revealing a few of their covers on YouTube, where we gushed over how cute the covers looked and how amazing the artists were at HQ, Lucy looked at me and said "I'll have a cover with them one day."

From that day on, Lucy disappeared into book world and wrote, wrote, wrote. She started writing one story, then promptly deleted the 10,000 some words and started again. She came up with ideas, changed them round, added bits in and basically worked tirelessly to write the book she wanted to see on the shelves. I believe she has done just that. As a matter of fact, when I was two chapters in, I messaged her to say that I think she's written the book I wanted to see on the shelves!!

I have so much to write about, so instead of writing my own rundown, I'm going to give you the Amazon blurb and also because I can actually write, here is the blurb from Amazon of MY sister's book...

The Blurb!

Three sisters. One trip to Italy. The chance to change their lives.
Amanda has always taken the role of big sister seriously. She has her life in order; a fantastic job in a great restaurant, a wonderful house and a best friend who’s a Rockstar. But, Amanda’s beginning to realise that her life is missing one monumental piece…
Sabrina is living the high life in LA. Her Instagram is full of lavish parties, her tweets are brimming with celebrity names, but in reality she’s stuck behind a desk working for a boss who is determined to make her suffer. Is it time for her to stand up and take charge of her life?
Louisa has always been drowned out by her sister’s successes. As the university drop-out she’s always felt third best. But a chance encounter in a little Italian village may be about to change that…
When their beloved grandfather passes away these sisters are forced to take another look at their lives. These three sisters are about to embark on a journey of self-discovery that could just lead them down a road of romance (with a little help from the kitchen)!

Here's a few quick tidbits about #HowToBakeANewBeginning, that I hope Luc doesn't mind me sharing:

Luc got the call to tell her that she was going to be a published author the night before we flew to Italy to take our Grandad home and to his final resting place. It was a very bittersweet moment. While the events in the book weren't based on real life - Luc wrote about the sister's Grandpa passing away way before ours actually did, probably three years before - but it all became very real and therefore meant that Luc got to do a bit of research on that trip. You could possibly say it was a little therapeutic. It was a trip we were dreading, but always knew would happen one day. It was both a sad and happy time, as we hadn't seen our Aunties and been to our Nannas childhood home in sixteen years. So, all the love and emotion in this story is very, very real.

The sisters! Okay, so even though all three sisters are actually very different from myself, Luc and our sister Jen. We have all picked who we are! :p There's very tiny little bits of each of us in Amanda, Sabrina and Louisa, but they are mostly, I think, three different versions of Lucy! I'll leave you to guess who we all picked! ;) The sister bond is absolutely real life. We fight, we disagree, but we love each other more than anything.

They say write what you know. There is so much of our Nanna and Grandad sprinkled throughout #HowToBakeANewBeginning and then also a lot of fiction. The town of Orzoro is based off where they are from and if you fell in love with it in the story, just wait till you see it in person, although I thought Luc did a fantastic job of bringing it to life between the pages.

As far as the recipes from the book...watch this space!!!!! :)

My Review!

Trust me when I say, Lucy and I are each other's worst critics, so while yes she is my twin, I'm not being biased when I say that this book was an absolute delight. I read so much, so have grown accustomed to different authors writing styles. Some books speak to me right away, others don't. For this being Luc's debut, I think she did incredible!

I completely fell in love with the girls and their family straight away. I fell into step with them and each of their separate lives, but could also tell how no matter how far apart they were, there was so much love shared between them. I actually said to myself upon finishing it, that this book is like Frozen. You know when everyone was so happy that Disney had released a movie where the characters didn't need a man to save them, rather they had that sisterly love and bond? Well, I feel Lucy captured the essence of this in her book. While yes, there is romance and some mighty fine gentlemen - I mean hello, how can you not fall for Harry Styles and Giulio Berruti lookalikes?? - that to me wasn't the most important part. The pure, heartwarming, makes you all cosy inside love came from the family, the setting and the passions that the girls had. It was prominent in the kitchen, in the family home, when the sisters spoke. It was woven between the pages beautifully.

In saying all that, I do have to give a proper shout out to the men and the love stories, because they were hopelessly romantic and dream worthy. I myself have a soft spot for a certain drummer. I couldn't resist his charm, but also his caring, protective side. All of the boys in San Francisco Beat could have been arrogant rock stars, but they were all so humble and down to earth. It was refreshing to read about lovely men, who really were good, kind hearted people.

I will admit to getting very close to tears a couple of times reading #HowToBakeANewBeginning. The Grandpa being the biggest reason. Lucy honest to goodness captured the essence of a man that was just so loved that his legacy lived on and became part of who the girls were. I could feel his presence in everything the girls did and it added a touch of magic that was already very much there. How could it not be in Italy at Christmas time?

The setting itself is remarkable. There is no place in the world quite like the Amalfi Coast. I'm actually going to curl up at Christmas time and read this book again because I just think it's perfect for enjoying under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, with a hot chocolate and an Italian cake or two!

How To Bake A New Beginning is a brilliant debut from an author who deserves all the success in the world. It's proof that dreams really do come true and that love is the most powerful tool you can possess.

A delicious escape of a book.
Three sisters 're group after some time apart and go to Italy.
The food they devour and the drinks yummy. You can imagine the taste of everything.
This is a brilliant book. Must read

Such a lovely story about three sisters trying to figure their lives out. I must say I really likes the recipes throughout the book it was a fun touch. Although when I started the book I found it hard to figure out which character was which, this became easier as the book progressed!

Hopefully we will hear more from this author as it was a lovely book!

This is the first by this author but hopefully won't our last.

Three sisters, living completely separate lives, pulled back together through a tragic family event.
Amanda... the oldest, has always been protective of her sisters, an accomplished chef who works in a great restaurant, has a lovely home and a best friend, but something is missing from her life.
Sabrina... lives in LA, her life is full of parties and celebrities but her work is based in an office with a boss who isn't the nicest.
Louisa... the youngest, dropped out of university and is working in an office... that is until Italy!

The loss of their beloved grandfather, a trip to Italy over Christmas for the funeral, a small village... can they change their lives and find love?

The food descriptions will have your mouth watering with envy... so many delicious recipes shared through generations and love.

I couldn't put it down... there is passion, heartbreak, joy and good old fashioned romance!

A story of family, food and love, the best ingredients for a book.

Thank-You Netgalley for my ARC.

How To Bake a New Beginning is warm, soulful and packed with delicious goodness. It’s a fantastic debut which follows the story of Amanda, Louisa and Sabrina, three sisters living completely separate lives, who are pulled back together after a tragic family event.

Amanda is the one with her life in order - the perfect job and the rock star best friend. Sabrina has a glamorous life in LA and Louisa is the university drop out who feels like third best.

Set mostly in Italy during the winter, the backdrop is both stunning and unique. This picturesque little village could just happen to be the start of something new for the sisters.

The story is incredibly warm-hearted and the characters all sweet and very likeable. I loved the yummy recipes at the start of each chapter and found these were really well woven into he story.

How to Bake a New Beginning left me feeling cosy, Christmassy and in desperate need for ‘grandpa’s hot chocolate’.

Bittersweet tale very strongly anchored in family values and relationships. Loved all the recipes that are intertwined in the story , I found my mouth watering many times! It was a little confusing switching between the three sisters at first but they soon took shape as very individual personalities in my imagination. Relaxing, life affirming read for a lazy afternoon.

A story of family, food and love, the best ingredients for a book.
Three sisters and how their lives become more fulfilling after the death of their beloved Grampa.
Set in the magnificent Italian countryside the descriptions are so beautiful that you believe you are there, you can even taste the delicious recipes which are included in each chapter. A well written romance, the main character Amanda is in denial about her relationship with her best friend Dan. With the help of her sisters and the men in their lives a beautiful story ensues.

I loved this lovely romance story about three sisters who have all taken different paths in life. A sad death in the family occurs and they are all forced to reassess their lives whilst on a trip to Italy. I now want to go to Italy to eat the lovely food that is featured in the book whilst drinking a mug of Italian hot chocolate.

At first whilst getting to know the three sisters I had to re-read some sections to ensure I knew which sister it was. Once I was fully acquainted with them all I was with them on their journey. My heart was in my mouth when reading about Amanda. Just a lovely warming story and I would be keen to read more from the same author.

A book about family values, love, and finding your future. Three sisters all very different share one thing - their love of their family and their Italian grandfather who cooks delicious food. Amanda has learnt the art of cooking from her grandfather, Sabrina lives in LA and Loiusa dropped out of uni but loves fashion and design.. When their grandfather dies they all travel to,his home town on the Amalifi coast for his funeral. Here their love of Italy, the food and the beautiful scenery lead to changes In their outlook and love life. They have so many happy memories not only of their grandfather but also of their childhood.

I have to say I struggled a bit with this book and the characters. I loved how every chapter started with a recipe, I loved the descriptive writing about Italy and the closeness of the family but I'm sorry it just didn't hold my attention and I had to make myself read to the end. It would have been easy for me to put the book down half way through.

“How to bake a new beginning” is a truly wonderful read, with real heart. The story is centred around the 3 main characters, who are sisters, and their Italian family living in the U.K. Coming from an Italian family myself, I could absolutely relate to Sabrina, Amanda and Louisa’s family and I felt as though, at times, my own family were being described. I love how the author described the grandparents speaking in broken English, which was speckled with Italian phrases too, bringing a lovely family feel to the story. I particularly enjoyed how each chapter started with the grandfathers delicious Italian recipes, as it was a really different idea, making it stand out from other books and adding a lovely touch. The writing throughout the whole book was so beautifully descriptive that I could almost taste all the delicious food, which the book was heavily centred around, and was able to picture myself in Italy, making me want to whisk my own little family over to Italy very soon. A lovely read and I’m looking forward to more lovely books from this exciting and promising new author.

I was a little bit surprised to find out (via another reviewer) that this was a Christmas book as I think I just saw the Italian coastal cover and read the blurb and assumed it was travel fiction/contemporary romance, which it is but it's also much more. Luckily, the British heatwave had just broken when I sat down to read it, so I could start to feel immersed in the Wintery magic just a little bit, but I plan on reading it again near Christmas, as a treat.

The way the book transports you to Italy in the Winter is fantastic; typically I've only thought about places like Italy, Spain and Greece in Summer books with Winter typically being reserved for New York, London & Prague etc, but there is something wonderful about how it is written, you become completely absorbed in the beauty of the place.

This story is all about the characters. Initially, I did find it a bit of a juggle trying to recall which sister was which, and decipher what was happening in the flashbacks featured, however after a few chapters I completely got the hang of it, and it's very important that you persevere if you find this too, because it is so worth it and a wonderful ensemble of loveable characters.

This book is a foodie's delight! The recipes at the beginning of each chapter not only give an insight in to the characters and their love of food, but inspired me to try a few new Italian style dishes myself (I am definitely making the Pastina to take in a flask on my next picnic!). I love books that combine travel and food and this is an excellent example. However, this isn't just a "girl travels to foreign lands" story; the return of the family to Italy unearths the real side of Italian culture, family and food, the kind that only comes from the author's own experiences of her own Italian family, and is therefore uniquely authentic and so genuine you just feel a part of it.

There is passion, heartbreak, joy and good old fashioned romance to enjoy within the pages and it is ultimately a wonderful tale of family, in all its forms.

Towards the final third of the book I just didn't want it to end because I was enjoying the setting and the journey of the characters so much, and I feel there is also so much more to follow up as they each embark on their "new beginning".

My review has been posted to my blog & Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

Three sisters, Amanda, Sabrina and Louisa are reunited from their jobs with their parents and grandparents when tragedy strikes and they have to go to Italy. The journey is emotional with highs and lows and men who are either going to help or hinder them in their romantic goals.

This was a gorgeous read and very emotional and I loved it! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.