A review by thewizardofbooks
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 Set in the mountains of northern Vermont, The Golden Spoon features six home bakers arriving at Grafton Manor to compete in a friendly competition à la Great British Bake Off. They will reside in the manor for the next week, performing baking challenges set by “America’s Grandmother”, the host, Betsy Martin. But secrets lie in the manor, and with each of them. 

Okay so let’s introduce the characters. We have…
Stella Velasquez, a young former journalist from New York. 
Hannah Severson, the youngest of the bunch and desperate to get out of her small town. Gerald Baptiste, a technical man who follows time, instructions (and recipes) to a T. 
Pradyumna Das, a young millionaire who just wants to have fun. 
Lottie Byrne, the oldest of the contestants and no stranger to Grafton manor. 
Peter Gellar, who, when not working construction, is found baking for his husband and their daughter. 

Only 30 pages in and I was already attached to all the bakers. I certainly didn’t want anyone to be sent home from the fictional competition. And I really didn’t want any of them to die. They are all diverse, with their own quirks and varied personalities coming together because of the thing they have in common, baking. They feel all too real and I wanted all of them to take home the “Golden Spoon”. They all have their own story to tell, the baker’s chapters being written in the first person to let the reader inside their minds. A few other characters had their own chapters, though they were written in third person. 

The book starts a little slow. I was expecting more murder mystery, less baking description and that threw me off at first. But, be prepared for this book to make you hungry. I really wanted to try my hand at making some of the creations described in this book, and I really really wanted to eat them. You can tell that it is as much a homage to baking as it is a mystery. Despite the slow start, there is a bit of tension felt throughout the book as the anticipation of something big happening builds and more minor disruptions are introduced. 

I would recommend this one to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery and who doesn’t mind a large cast of characters. 

I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

 
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