I never enjoyed cooking. It always felt like a chore. It was tedious and all the effort didn't feel worth it. But baking, baking I love. My mom taught me to bake and I have many wonderful memories of us baking together over my life. What most people don't get is that there is a balance to baking, it is not just about making a sweet treat. Make something too sweet and it can be off putting. There needs to be some sweet but also some salty and some bitter or sour.
A great example of this is my mom's chocolate cake. It is a 2 layer cake with caramel and cream. The chocolate cake is a dark, bitter chocolate, the salted caramel goes in between the 2 layers and on top and the cream has been whipped with a little sugar to give it a slight sweetness. On their own each piece is, well, quite underwhelming, but together the flavours all work together to create the most incredible chocolate cake.
Eva Chan made a wonderful romance that has all these different flavours so that you are not over powered by the sweetness. I loved this book. As much as it is about going along for the ride while Delilah falls in love, it is also about being with her while she heals from her past trauma. Reading about her coping with her anxiety was so comforting for me and my anxiety too.
Eva transports you to this small piece of London where you become intertwined in this group of friends. And while Lilah is our protagonist, Eva has created such relateable, 3 dimensional characters that you can't help but be invested and fall in love with the whole group. The story moves along at a pleasant pace, so that you never feel like you are in a slump. The love stories are relatable and feel like they could happen to you.
Lately my reading list has contained a fair few romantasy novels and while they are great, this was a welcome break that made me want to more to London and join this group of friends pronto. I have never seen a K-drama, but if this is what they are like I am very tempted to give one a try. If you love a good romance with well-rounded characters and an ending that leaves you feeling fulfilled then give 'Modern Pen Pals' a read.
Comments