Review: The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene

Title: The Seafront Tea Rooms
Author: Vanessa Greene
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Publication Date: 8th September 2014
Pages: 416
Book Source: Own purchase

Synopsis: The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for.

Charismatic journalist Charlotte is on a mission to scope out Britain's best tea rooms. She knows she's found something special in the Seafront Tea Rooms but is it a secret she should share? Kathryn, a single mother whose only sanctuary is the 'Seafront', convinces Charlie to keep the place out of her article by agreeing to join her on her search. Together with another regular, Seraphine, a culture-shocked French au pair with a passion for pastry-making, they travel around the country discovering quaint hideaways and hidden gems. But what none of them expect is for their journey to surprise them with discoveries of a different kind . . . 

My Thoughts:

This was just what I needed, perfect escapism complete with tea and comfort food. A light, easy feel-good read, and completely satisfying. 

After a chance meeting in Letty's Seafront Tea Rooms, a special haven in Scarborough, Charlie, Kat and Seraphine become firm friends, sharing tea room research, baking, family crises, relationship dramas and work challenges ... all the normal, every-day nuances of friendship. I'd love to be friends with these women. I also have serious job-envy, well just for this tea room assignment of Charlie's :)

Whilst set in Scarborough, the friends also travel to York, London and a couple of other places I visited on my holiday last year making this extra special, bringing back memories of tea and  treats on my travels. Already being a scones, jam and cream girl, England turned me into a monster. I fell in lust with cream teas ... scones with jam and lashings of clotted cream and the tea of your choice ... English Breakfast of course. The Somerset Cream Tea from the Abbey Tea Rooms in Glastonbury was one of the best I had in England :)

I love tea rooms, there's just something so comforting about them, they bring people together, you leave your troubles at the door, they're the perfect place to escape for a few indulgent hours. 

What could be more perfect ... tea, cake, friendship and just a little romance. I'm looking forward to checking out more of Vanessa Greene's titles.

Cover: gorgeous

Letty's Classic English Scones

(makes 12 scones)

2.5ml/1/2 tsp salt

40-50g /1 1/2-2oz butter

150ml/1/4 pint milk

225g/80z SR flour plus extra for dusting

5ml/1tsp cream of tartar

 2.5ml/1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Lightly butter a baking sheet. 

Sift the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl together. Rub or cut in butter, rubbing the mixture until it forms large crumbs with a flaky texture. 

Mix in the milk and stir to form a soft dough.

Roll out to a thickness of around 1cm and using a 5cm diameter pastry/scone cutter, cut into rounds. 

Arrange the scones on the baking sheet fairly close together and dust with flour. 

Bake in oven 425 °F/220°C for 12-15 mins until they rise and turn golden.

Serve warm with jam and clotted cream. 

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