The Sweet Life Café

 The Sweet Life Café

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       January 18, 2026

 

Author  Helen Rolfe

Distributor:      Amazon
ISBN:                 978-1835611333
Publisher:         Boldwood Books
Release Date:   17 January 2026  

   Website:   https://www.amazon.com.au/Sweet-Life-Caf%C3%A9-Helen-Rolfe-ebook/dp/B0F4W9RBK8

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Puddings, family, grief and secrets make an intriguing narrative in The Sweet Life Café, along with a living Funeral, which creates a long overdue meeting of Aunt and Nieces on the small but lovely Anchor Island.

Sisters Addie and Suzanna Rafferty have not returned to Anchor Island other than very briefly in the years since they left to attend University, establishing their own lives and in Addie’s case becoming a mother of seven-year-old Isaac.

When they receive an invitation to their Aunt Gayle Rafferty’s Funeral they are both devastated, each for their own reasons, both reluctantly agreeing to go back to the Island one last time. Suzanna’s marriage is at an all-time low and Addie is wondering if there is more to life than working in a job that does not fill her with happiness.

As they draw closer to the Island, they both begin to realise that there are so many ghosts that perhaps need attending too from the years they lived there with their Aunt after the death of their parents; Suzanna always pushing back determined to leave there forever once she could and Addie agreeing to a pact to do the same.

All does not go as planned and the Funeral is not exactly their Aunts funeral! Their Aunt who is very much alive, has invited them back for a very specific reason, issuing the invitation to what was meant to be a ‘living Funeral’ to ensure they both would come.

As the days pass everyone has to face up to the issues that have caused them to hold on to  old secrets and deeply held hurt that must be bought into the light of day before anyone can heal from the tragedy of the past and they can begin to rebuild their lives as a family once again.

The Sweet Life Café is a gem of a story laced with generous helpings of pudding as fresh beginnings are there to be embraced, one delicious pudding at a time!!!

Fiction, General