Marion Marchetto

Sweet Expectations is the sequel to Union Street Bakery. Daisy McCrae, ex-financier has taken on the role of running the bakery so that her father can retire. All of this is established in the first book. This book picks up with Daisy and her sisters renovating the bakery that has been in the family for several generations. The mystery begins when an old recipe box is uncovered during the demolition of a wall in the bakery. Too tired and suffering from what she thinks is the flu, Daisy sets the recipe box aside during the renovations. When she finally picks it up she discovers the recipes of Jenna Davis, a former employee, along with an old photo of the girl standing between two WWII soldiers. Amidst the turmoil of the renovations Daisy finds herself dealing with morning sickness and a quick trip to the doctor confirms the fact. The only problem is that the baby’s father is not her last boyfriend but a one-night stand with an old colleague she considers a jerk. Oh, and then there’s the ghost of Jenna who wants Daisy to find Jenna’s son who was taken away the day after he was born as Jenna died during childbirth.

There’s a lot going on here but all of it is marvelous. Not one dull moment. Yes, there are some things that are repetitious but all in all I found it a very satisfying book. Easy to read and follow, a charming tale overall. I certainly hope the author is working on a third installment as I’m curious to follow the adventures of all the McCrae sisters.