Rough Beginnings – Erin R. Flynn

Arabella (as she now calls herself) is a goddess in hiding. Thousands of years ago she was assaulted and nearly destroyed, and since then she has lived under the radar. As “Rough Beginnings” opens, she has taken on a new alias, and is coming to Boston to open a bakery.

Much, if not most, of RB follows the nuts and bolts of opening a bakery - furnishing and equipping the bakery, finding help, deciding what bake, baking it… That part of the book works well, which I would not have expected.

There isn’t much tension in the book, because - despite the trauma Arabella still caries with her - she is still a goddess and can still solve most problems through, well, miracles. Equipment not delivered in time? Poof, it’s there. Too many cakes to bake in too little time? Poof, they’re there. Someone won’t take ‘no’ for an answer? Poof, they’ve just taken ‘no’ for an answer.

The book was fun to read. The characters are likeable, and the book’s narrow focus - the protagonist is trying to sell excellent cakes at excellent prices, not to overthrow Olympus - keeps the reader engaged and interested.