I absolutely loved this book—it was like stepping into a warm, cozy bakery filled with the scent of fresh bread and possibility. Daisy McCrae’s journey resonated with me on so many levels. Her struggle to find balance between responsibility and personal dreams felt incredibly real, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The discovery of the hidden recipes and mementos was a beautiful touch, adding layers of nostalgia and intrigue. It felt like peeling back history to uncover forgotten stories, something I’ve always found fascinating. But what really made this book shine for me was its emotional depth. Daisy’s moments of doubt, resilience, and hope mirrored so many of the struggles we all face—trying to find our place while holding onto the things that matter. The writing had a comforting, immersive quality that made me feel as if I were right there in the bakery, watching renovations unfold, smelling the flour and cinnamon in the air. I finished this book with a full heart, grateful for the reminder that even the most unexpected changes can lead us somewhere beautiful.

I did not read the first book, and may have been why it took me a bit to get into this one. Three sisters, running a bakery. when they find an old box of recipes in the wall. A ghostly request, an issue each sister has to deal with, all adds to an interesting read. Would recommend.

I loved this one even more than the first one. We are back with Daisy and Rachel and Margaret as they are renovating the bakery. But they find a box of recipes in the wall and the search to figure out this mystery begins.
Daisy has some hiccups of her own. Life is getting even more complicated. And just when she thinks are going great with Gordon, something pops up and could get in the way.
Rachel is finally starting to feel the grief from her husband's death and is not liking how she is feeling and isn't sure what he life is supposed to look like going forward.
Margaret has finally landed her dream job, but that means leaving the bakery. Which she doesn't love as much as her sisters anyways.
I loved being back in Union Street Bakery with these characters. I loved watching them work together to solve the mystery of the recipe box. I loved that Margaret has so many connections when it comes to getting information. I loved the way Rachel creates baked goods and really starts to become the woman she wants to be.
Daisy, she is complicated, but she is so real and it makes you feel like even if a lot of things go wrong in life there will be ways to fix it and sort it out.

If there are more books coming with this clan I would definitely read them!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, I absolutely loved it! As a mother currently expecting my second child, the themes of motherhood in this book hit very close to home on that front, as well as the sisterly love element. I thought the ending was beautiful and comforting but the book held enough suspense throughout that I wasn’t sure how everything would end. Such a beautiful book about love and choosing your family.

I don’t realize this was book 2 of the series until I was looking at other reviews. Not having read book 1 took nothing away from this story or how it unfolded for me. This was a great story of family dynamics, the bakery business and a little bit of mystery thrown in. I enjoyed this and will look for more with these characters.

Are you looking for your next read? Check out Sweet Expectations by Mary Ellen Taylor. It's available in just a few weeks. You'll enjoy it.

This is the second book in a series and suffers from that. It weirdly ignores things that happened in the first book and also leaves things dangling for a future book.

We find the McCrea sisters back in their family bakery and getting ready to renovate. There is a ticking clock of two weeks, because they can't afford to be closed any longer, as the margins are still so tight. Eldest sister Margaret announces that she will be going on a dig and will be leaving the bakery; master baker and young widow, Rachel is working through her grief and becoming interested in dating again, whilst also indicating that the bakery may no longer be the be all end all that it once was to her; and Daisy - she is still dealing with her largely absent birth mother but now she is pregnant (not by her on again and off again ex, Gordon) and this brings up all her issues again.

Surly French bread maker Jean Paul is handling the renovations and finds a box hidden in the walls. This once again excites historian/anthropologist Margaret and ghost magnet Daisy (eye roll). It's a box of recipes from a former employee of the bakery from 1944, named Jenna. They begin to bake some of her recipes and look for information about her life. Daisy in her attic room hears 'find him'. After the events of the first book, it takes her far too long to put together that the 'him' she's supposed to find is Jenna's son Walter.

Once again Margaret and her connections make easy work of finding the secrets of the past and Daisy is able to give 65yr old Walter photos and letters from his mother.

My quibbles? Unlike book one where the 'haunting' involved an ancestor that actually lived and worked at the Union Street Bakery, this one was by an employee that worked there less than 2yrs before she died and had no other connection to the McCreas. I wasn't a fan of the paranormal stuff in the first book; and still thought it unnecessary in this one. Margaret's love of history is enough to make them pursue the clues, no ghost crap needed.

After sooo much drama in book one and two between Daisy and Gordon, long fights that go on for pages; we are told in an epilogue that Gordon and Daisy were married in October and that he adopted her baby. Also they name the baby Walter which was weird. Walter had nothing to do with them and they could have anchored the baby in family history by naming him after adoptive Dad, or bio dad or the late Mike anything but Walter. Oh and this is minor but does EVERY store front on Union Street have to be Yellow? The coincidence of Gordon opening his shop down the street in book one was already eye roll inducing but now for them to both be yellow is cringe.

Rachel dates big client Simon Davenport and kisses Jean Paul but we get no follow up because presumably that is waiting for book 3 - annoying.

And after the epilogue we get a recipe, like in book one. This time for Jenna's Pumpkin bread. What?!? Throughout the book we get hit over the head with mentions of Jenna's Maple cookies. Over and over again. Jacob remembers them, Kate had just baked them, the receptionist chooses that one, etc. So naturally, the recipe we get at the end of the book is for something that is mentioned in passing once. Sure, why not.

That being said, I did read this book in one sitting.

Sweet Expectations is book two in the Union Street Bakery duology series, and it was even better than the first! That doesn't happen very often. The story picks up right where book one left off, and continues with a new mystery to solve, another life-changing event for Daisy, and a little bit of romance. I loved how this tale unfolded. It was truly heartwarming, yet tragically sad at times. I adored Joey and his feistiness. I wanted to hop inside the book and go sit with him. I am still bummed that the paranormal aspect was never explained. I would have liked to know more about why Daisy was having these experiences. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story, but it would have been satisfying to have the answers. Despite the not knowing, I really enjoyed this book. I have become fully invested in these characters' lives as well as the bakery from the start. I hope that Taylor will decide to write another addition to this series. I would love to have their stories continue and to find out what happens next. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Montlake for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Books have always been my “happy place.” The genre that I can never get enough of is romance. That being said, I do sometimes read contemporary fiction of the description of the book “hooks me.” As this one did, I was really excited to get a chance to read this book. I did get a little nervous when I saw that this was a second book in a series. I need not have worried, though, as I was able to read this as a standalone.

This book held my attention from the very beginning. I liked how; although the main character was told from a first person perspective, we were still able to get POV from one of the secondary characters.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book. Although this appears to be a reprint, I do hope that we get a story featuring the secondary character whose POV was in this book.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

The second in the series and I so wish there were more. I loved the continuation of Daisy's story along with Gordon and her family. Mary Ellen Taylor is a new author for me and I can't wait to read more of her books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Sweet Expectations was an absolute delight—a cozy, heartwarming read that I finished in one sitting. The story follows Daisy McRae, as she tries to rebuild her life after unexpectedly losing her job. She returns to her family’s beloved small business, the Union Street Bakery in Alexandria, Virginia, hoping to find her footing again. But just as she’s settling into this new chapter, a surprising revelation shakes up her relationships and adds unexpected depth to her journey.

One of my favorite elements of this book was the food! The descriptions of baked goods and the day-to-day life in the bakery were so vivid and comforting, I could practically smell the fresh bread and pastries through the pages. I love books that incorporate food in a meaningful way—it adds a sensory richness and emotional warmth that made the story even more enjoyable.

This book had everything I look for in what I call my “Sunday Reads”—the kind of stories that feel like a warm hug, much like a comforting Sunday movie. There’s a mystery woven into the narrative that adds just the right amount of intrigue, and Mary Ellen Taylor does a wonderful job of immersing readers in the charming atmosphere of Old Town Alexandria. (Which, by the way, I’ll be visiting soon—I adore Virginia, and it’s always a treat to read about places I love!)

The characters are incredibly likable (with the notable exception of Roger—every story needs one!), and I especially enjoyed watching them come together to breathe new life into the bakery. There are also a few subtle side plots that hint at what’s to come in future books, and I’m definitely here for it.

Though this is a re-release of a previously published novel, it’s been edited and refreshed, and since Mary Ellen Taylor is a new-to-me author, I’m so glad I found her. I’ll absolutely be picking up the rest of the books in this series.

The second in a series that takes place just moments from my house in Alexandria, VA. The reader returns to the bakery to continue the story with the three sisters, Margaret, Rachel and Daisy. It continues the story right where it left off, so don't miss the first one to set the foundation for the stories to come.

As I am so glad that the synopsis didn't completely bust the twist that does happen at the beginning, but is really enjoyable when you experience it in the story and not on the cover! So this review may be short, but I just can't spoil the goodness in it!

My favorite part about this particular book in the series was how they incorporated the historical digging into Alexandria. There is so much history in this small city and I loved whether it is true or not, the history they dig up in the small city and I feel like there is truth behind it as in these small cities families are freakishly connected!

There are already four books in this series and Thursday and Friday I will review the final two in this series that are already here.