I love a good timeslip novel and, after reading Laura Madeleine’s Where the Wild Cherries Grow, I’ve now read her debut novel, The Confectioner’s Tale. And what a tale!

In my experience, what tends to happen in novels that are based in two time periods, is that the ‘modern’ period is contemporary, but in Laura Madeleine’s novels, the ‘modern’ section is still historical for us – in this case, it’s 1988. This works really well, as there is still the mystery of a person many years later trying to figure out how many pieces of a puzzle relate to one another, while still being a truly historical novel. Plus, I’m sure that in the modern age of mobile phones and the internet everywhere, the slow unravelling of the early 20th Century portion would resolve far too quickly!

Alongside the mystery being resolved, and the romantic tone of the story, I’ve found in both Laura Madeleine’s books a real reverence for the food. There are such sumptuous descriptions of the fare coming out of the Patisserie Clermont, and the book is positively alive with delicious sights and smells. If you look at Laura Madeleine’s blog, you’ll find a great many recipes there, shared with the same enthusiasm.

I really enjoyed this book, and Laura Madeleine’s writing style. It was easy to root for love to find a way for the young couple and the book resolved in a heartwarming way. I’ll definitely be grabbing Laura Madeleine’s latest two novels – in fact, I think I already have one of them!

I like stories that go back and forth between modern time and history, especially when there is a slight mystery to uncover. I enjoyed the historical story more than Petra's, yet felt gypped and disappointed with the way the two stories tied together at the end. I felt that there could have definitely been more to it to satisfy and complete my time spent in these pages. It was a sweet tale, but I just wanted a bit more.

Love and guilt.
In 1910, a young man and woman fall in love - she is rich girl and he is a poor guy.
In 1988, Petra fears that her beloved late grandfather was not the man she had thought him to be. After all, there are the rumours about some unknown scandal and there is even the photograph with the writing of "Forgive me" at the cover.
Petra, driven by love for her grandfather, decides to find the truth.

This is one well-thought novel.
The historical part of the story is as delicate as chocolate eclairs or violet macarons. Tender, simple yet catching - and the most important part: you can fell that authentic pull of the young love.
Gui and Jeanne are not from the same worlds and a seasoned reader like me can see all the trouble brewing in paradise when they step towards each other. And the fears and issues are real. But they can not let that feeling go.
Modern part is more - well, "modern" - I mean it feels more realistic, with better portion of the slice of life. Sly biographer, egoistic father, young and idealistic girl prioritizing her family over her career. But Petra is also more relatable, her life is the everyday fight that we know well.

I enjoyed that story very much. The story is simple, yet not silly - and there are even some nice plot twists that can surprise.
The novel is also classy - no erotica, no lascivious scenes. I like the dignity presented.

Buy yourself a quality hot chocolate and go read. Winter is ideal for this tender novel.