Marshmallows for breakfast by Dorothy Koonson

After a few years living in Australia, Kendra Tamale returns to England. She'd be constantly reminding herself that the bare trees, the cool temperature, the fresh bracing air meant that she was back in the land of her birth. Why is she suddenly leaving Sydney where she had a very different life, an apartment near the city centre and was a communication officer for a large media company ?

Kendra rents a room in London. From Kyle who is an architect and a separated father of a set of twins : Summer and Jaxon. When she first arrived in that new place, she found a welcome note on the dining table from the Gladsborough family. A sweet and unexpected gesture that told her they were good people.

We understand that Kendra is there because she needs a fresh start,a simple life and seems ready to begin a new job in a recruitment agency with her friend Gabriellle.

But then, very quickly (page 29), Kendra understands that Kyle is struggling with the children because their mum had taken off for New York. She felt they needed to have their minds taken off their parents so there she is, one day, on a Saturday morning trying to find a way to entertain them and distract them. Cooking is the right idea and like the title suggests it, she explains that she loves marshmallows for breakfast...But to make it special, you have to pick up a bag of wishes and dip your finger into it. The magic trick is working for the two kids and we get to undertstand that Kendra's wish was to make things right.

Kendra eventually becomes a part of their lives. She would help with the school run, the shopping and almost acting as their « new mother. » She does have some serious discussions with Kyle about the children's well being. Even if things are difficult, they would sometimes seat together watching the children playing in a small park with swings and roundabouts.

Kyle and Kendra are becoming friends, sharing secrets, talking about their childhood and helping each other. They spend some time getting to know each other. They wonder what marriage does to you ? Kyle would explain that Ashlyn (his ex-wife) was not sick but would say quietly that she was an alcoholic. Kendra would confess what happended when she was in Australia. She is hiding a painful secret that makes her keep everyone – especially childen – at arm's length.

I enjoyed reading that book because the writer deals with grown-up issues : friendship, love, betrayal and forgiveness. I just felt very surprised that Kendra became a bigger part of the Gladsborough 's lives so quickly.

I did see myslef highligting some quotes and writing down some notes from the book which is usually a positive sign. There are also a lot of conversations in this book and I enjoyed one of the first dialogue between Kendra and Kyle when for some reasons the kids got into her flat without asking any permission while Kenda was in her shower and Kyle promised that « it won't happen again » (page 19) and then wih a nice smile, he asked « You're going to keep on making shower jokes for the rest of my natural life, aren't you » ? I thought this was very funny for a first meeting.

The book is also interesting because it contains some letters which gives us the chance to change the narrator. I really enjoyed Ashlyn as a character because she could explain what it feels to be a mother who can't cope, her loneliss and the pressure of being perfect.

The candy pink, white and blue cover of this novel seems to suggest it is a light chick lit read, which I don't really like to say because then who am I for judging whether this makes it a good book or not ? I was very pleasantly surprised. We learn more of Kendra's dramatic story, flashback by flashback, and by the time I turned the final page, I felt these characters were likable and I found myself wanting the best for each of them.

Comments

[Folie de plume]

Even if I could first be influenced by the sweet title of that novel, it's definetely your description of the characters that convince me to try to discover it! 😊 Must add it on my wish-list!