„It enveloped her, as comforting as a duvet on a chilly winter’s day. The interior of the Seafront was reassuringly familiar – the wooden tables neatly laid with pressed white tablecloths, the delicate china teacups lining the shelves, and the 1920s table lamps.“ (Zitat Seite 8)

Inhalt
Charlie, gerade von Ben getrennt, schreibt seit acht Jahren für die Zeitschrift Indulge und ist für die nächste Ausgabe verantwortlich, sie könnte Chefredakteurin werden. Daher soll ihr Artikel etwas Besonderes werden, sie ist auf der Suche nach den besten englischen Tea Rooms. Ihr Weg führt sie nach Scarborough, wo ihre Schwester Pippa mit ihrer Familie lebt. Dort entdecke sie Letty und ihre Seafront Tea Rooms und lernt die alleinerziehende Mutter Kat mit ihrem kleinen Leo kennen und Séraphine aus Frankreich, die gerade als au pair für die zehnjährige Zoe in Scarborough tätig ist. Charlie ist fasziniert von den Seafront Tea Rooms, doch Kat kann sie überzeugen, diesen besonderen Rückzugsort nicht in ihren Artikel aufzunehmen, sondern gemeinsam weitere Adressen zu erkunden. Doch es sind nicht nur besondere Tea Rooms und dort die Afternoon Teas mit Scones und Kuchen, die sie entdecken, sondern sie finden auch für sich selbst heraus, wer sie sind und wie sie ihr weiteres Leben gestalten wollen.

Themen und Genre
In diesem Roman geht es um englische Küstenorte, Familie, Liebe, Enttäuschungen, persönliche Probleme und Krisen. Es geht um Zusammenhalt und Frauenfreundschaft, aber auch um die besonderen, für England typischen Teestuben. Auch die Freude am Backen spielt eine Rolle.

Erzählform und Sprache
Die Geschichte wird chronologisch erzählt, von Mitte August bis Anfang November, wobei die drei Hauptfiguren abwechselnd oder auch gemeinsam im Mittelpunkt stehen. Die Kapitel tragen das jeweils Tag und Datum als Überschrift und manche Ereignisse können so gleichzeitig, aber an verschiedenen Orten und mit nur einer der Hauptfiguren stattfinden. Dies garantiert ein genussvolles Lesevergnügen. Romane wie diese lese ich prinzipiell in der englischen Originalsprache und bin dann schon mit dem ersten Satz auch mit meinen Gedankenbildern mitten im Geschehen.

Fazit
Eine gemütliche, bezaubernde Wohlfühlgeschichte für entspannte Stunden. ( )

I found this book a little "bitty" the stories of the different characters was good but the didn't seem to come together ( )

Light easy read about 3 women who meet at a tearoom and develop a friendship with each other as well as the owner who it turns out has a big secret about one of them. Nice descriptions of what visiting tea places in England offers as they help Charlie create a magazine about them. There are Charlie with her issues of a cheating fiancé and sister issues, along with Kat trying to realize that her ex will always be her ex as she deals with her toddler and a younger girl learning about her sexuality. All of them were nice people just learning to deal with what has happened in the past and through friendship accepting reality. Letty as the owner was a interesting character that should have gotten more development as a character to really get the ending. ( )

A feel-good story for grey winter days. Four women solve their problems (and others'!) and bring meaning into their lives through the power of friendship. Love-stories included, of course, a whole bunch of them.Yes, it was pretty clear from the beginning who will end up with whom and what life-altering changes would be made, characters were pretty black&white with shallow arcs and not much conflict (especially throughout the various romance arcs) and the dialogue was stiff and expository, but the scenery was pretty and the characters were, if nothing else, at least charming.

Just why is it always the women who turn their lives upside down and question everything they ever believed in for the love of a man, and never the other way around? ( )

4.5 stars.

The Seafront Tearoom by Vanessa Greene is a charming novel of friendship, love and new beginnings. A heartwarming story featuring a unique storyline and a delightfully appealing cast of characters that I recommend to readers of contemporary women's fiction.

Set in the small seaside town of Scarborough, a local tearoom brings together three very different women who unexpectedly form a close friendship. Local Kat Murray is a single mom who is friends with the owner of The Seafront Tearoom, Letty Hill. A position as an au pair brings Frenchwoman Séraphine Moreau to the small town while it is her love of pastries takes her to the town's best kept secret. Charlie Harrison's visit the charming town coincides with her latest writing assignment featuring Britain's best tearooms. When a family emergency leaves her short of time to visit and review a variety of tearooms in the vicinity, Charlie enlists Kat and Séraphine to help her make the deadline for the articles. As three women bond over their love of tea, they become a support system for one another as they traverse through a few difficult times in their lives.

Charlie's visit in Scarborough to meet her new niece is fraught with tension. Her relationship with her sister Pippa has been strained for quite some time and just as she about to depart, Charlie discovers Pippa's perfect life is falling apart. Although she is on the verge of achieving a coveted promotion at work, Charlie volunteers to stay and help Pippa through this difficult time. While trying to balance work and family, Charlie enters into a relationship with Letty's son Euan, but can their fledling romance survive once she returns to London?

Kat is struggling to make ends meet so she eagerly accepts Charlie's job offer. The temporary job coincides with her son's impromptu trip to Scotland to visit his father and grandparents so she has plenty of time to devote to visiting tearooms and writing the reviews. Her relationship with her ex is tenuous and the situation between them deteriorates further after he makes a shocking announcement. A surprise romance brightens her life but a stunning revelation threatens a cherished friendship.

Séraphine eagerly accepts the au pair position in an attempt to temporarily escape from a difficult situation at home. Not wanting to upset her family, she is torn about what to do about an unexpected romance so she hoping a little distance will give her a new perspective about the relationship. Her first few weeks with her young charge Zoe are just the distraction she needs, but Séraphine is soon frustrated by her inability to connect with Zoe. Her new friendship with Kat and Charlie gives her the courage to follow her heart but Séraphine still worries about her family's reaction to her news.

The Seafront Tearoom by Vanessa Greene is a light-hearted, entertaining novel that touches on a few serious issues without angst or drama. The storyline is true to life and the characters are beautifully developed with realistic problems to overcome. The friendship between Charlie, Kat and Séraphine is quite touching and easily withstands the difficulties they each encounter in their respective lives. A few unexpected plot twists keep the story moving at a brisk pace and the novel's conclusion is heartfelt and satisfying. A lovely novel that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend. ( )