Scarlett has had a rough time of it lately; she's dropped her friends and all her clubs at school due to her mother's blog. Her mom writes a parenting blog that shares intimate details of Scarlett's life.Scarlett stumbles across a secret. Her neighbor was taken away in an ambulance. When Scarlett walks by her house, she hears the cat crying. Scarlett discovers a house key and lets herself into the house. As she's feeding the cat, she discovers an amazing kitchen. There's a cookbook on the counter and when it opens to a page, her mouth waters.Even though she has no prior experience, she decides to bake cinnamon scones. She's desperate to keep her mom from discovering her secret, but the new girl at school catches her. Scarlett swears her to secrecy. The Secret Cooking Club is formed.
Shireen is super excited to be joining the first Junior Irish Baking Show, but it's wrecking her personal life. She broke up with her girlfriend. Her best friend is away visiting family for the summer. Her parents' donut shop is struggling. Shireen could really use a win.But the competition is intense. She isn't sure who to trust among the competitors. She's torn between her new friend and her ex-girlfriend. Not to mention, her favorite chef is a judge. Shireen really hopes to create an impression. Could she win the whole competition?
Rose dreams of becoming a pastry chef. She's thrilled when she's accepted into the culinary school of dreams. But her parents warn her they might not be able to afford it.The restaurant she works at might be in trouble, but a food critic arrives. This could make or break the restaurant. Rose whips up a dessert that the critic loves. The critic offers her a spot on the Batter Royale baking show in London.Rose and her best friend enter the competition. But while they expected baking, they did not expect traps and kidnapping and sabotage. If Rose and Fred win, they could solve all their problems. But it's going to take both of them - together.
Liza Yang and her mother have a complicated relationship. Her mother's always trying to set her up with horrible boys. Boys that Liza would never consider dating. She dates boys on the sly - boys her mother would never pick out. She's not interested in dating Asian boys or her mother's traditional values. More than anything she wants to got to culinary school and bake.Liza often works in her mother's bakery. But her parents don't want that life for her. They want more for their children. Liza's older sister is perfect in her parents' eyes. Liza wishes she could be more appreciated instead for being molded into someone she's not.It's the 5th annual baking contest at her parents' bakery. Liza isn't allowed to compete, but she and her parents have come to a comprise. She can be one of the judges for the contest. Little does she know, her mother's plan for the contest. And she's not pleased. The only way to get her mother off her back is to start dating an approved boy. But is she willing to do that?
Zoe Washington just turned twelve. On her birthday, she finds a letter from her father. He's in prison for murder. He wants to be part of her life. But she doesn't know him. He claims that he's innocent.My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I loved the baking parts and how Zoe made up her own cupcake flavor. I loved her moments in the bakery - how it was boring awesome and sometimes boring. I liked her friendship drama with Trevor and how that worked out. I loved her relationship with her grandmother. I loved her letters with Marcus and how they started to have a relationship. I enjoyed their conversation about music. I like how Zoe wanted to uncover the truth about her father even if it meant keeping secrets. I love how everything turned out. An impressive debut novel that leaves me waiting to see what Janae Marks writes next!
Zoe's determined to find out. She secretly writes him back. She asks him for information about his case; she wants to prove his innocence. But all the secrets and lying adds up.
She needs to tell someone about him. Will the truth come spilling out and ruin the rest of her summer plans - her baking internship, and her audition for a kid baking show.
