Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes    by Roisin Meaney Order:  USA  Can 5 Spot, 2011 (2011) Softcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Bob Walch After appearing on the Irish Best Seller list for over a month in 2010, this novel has made its way to America. It's set in the small Irish community of Clongarvin, where the story's main character, Hannah Robinson, finds herself in the throes of launching a new business, a cupcake shop. If getting Cupcakes on the Corner weren't a challenging enough endeavor, Hannah also must cope with the loss of her boyfriend - he has left her for another woman who is now pregnant. Wondering if this was a huge mistake, the befuddled Hannah gives herself five months to make a go of her business. While tending to the demands of commerce and piecing her life back together, the novice entrepreneur may be a tad oblivious to the handsome customer who frequents her shop but that, in time, will change. As you follow this beguiling woman and her family and friends, you'll be immersed in the life of this Irish village. As with the novels of another Irish writer, Maeve Binchy (an author to whom she is now compared), Roisin Meaney shares the bittersweet lives of these folks. While some of them may enjoy the sweet taste of success, others will encounter heartbreak. A set of characters you can truly care about and a story that has the ring of authenticity make this a novel that you'll be totally focused upon from start to finish. And, if you are a fan of the reigning Queen of Irish fiction, Maeve Binchy, why not give the pretender to the throne a try! Note: This novel was published in England under the title Love in the Making and the book comes with a Reading Group Guide. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews