Book Review: ‘The Little Ice Cream Shop by the Sea’ by Lizzie Chantree

Today I am pleased to be sharing with you my review of ‘The Little Ice Cream Shop by the Sea‘ by Lizzie Chantree.

I discovered this author through a Facebook support group for writers, and my decision to read this book is an example of how good feelings towards an author purely on the basis of her own character and her goodwill towards others, may encourage new readers to try her books!

The title of this novel intrigued me, and the cover design also drew me in. It’s a genre (light humorous romance) I don’t usually read, and I was expecting a frothy feel-good chick-lit. So I was surprised to discover that the story unfolds as a tense family drama with many mysteries and misunderstandings, and an act of cruelty and betrayal behind it all. Caught in the middle of this is the main protagonist Genie, a young woman withstanding strong opposition as she seeks to fulfil her dreams by running her own business in the way she wants to, as a medium for expressing her creativity. 

The setting is gorgeous – an Essex seaside town; and the description of her cakes and ice creams is highly sensuous. Along with this we have a passionate romance with a new man who also has a mysterious background, and that is skilfully revealed as the story builds.

I was hoping for a sharper more bittersweet ending but that reflects my personal taste for the dark tense psychological dramas I like to read. Nevertheless, the novel was captivating, the setting beautifully evoked, and it kept me reading compulsively right through to the end.