The Little Brooklyn Bakery

by Julie Caplin

  ‘What’s happened?’

  ‘I’ve only gone and broken my leg.’

  ‘Shit man, when?’

  ‘Yesterday. Taken out by one of those bloody cabin bag pull along fuckers. Twisted as I fell.’

  ‘Ouch. You Ok?’

  ‘No,’ Sebastian growled. ‘Everything’s gone tits up. Turns out one of the new places I bought in Paris has a metaphorical sitting tenant. It’s a beautiful little patisserie but the previous owner ran cookery courses and forgot to tell me that there’s a six-week course coming up that’s all booked and paid for.’

  ‘Can’t you cancel?’ asked Nick flicking the indicator and turning the car off the main road towards the village.

  ‘Unfortunately, I committed to it. I thought I might as well because I can get my French contractors to start work on the other place first and they’ll take a couple of months, so I might as well keep this going. Which would have been fine if I hadn’t broken my sodding leg.’

  In the darkness, Nina pressed her lips together. She wouldn’t normally wish misfortune on anyone but somehow Sebastian just irked her. It wasn’t his success she begrudged, lord knows he’d worked hard enough to become a top chef with a small chain of his own restaurants. Too hard if you asked her. No, it was his superior, dismissive attitude. Over the last ten years whenever she’d seen him, she’d always managed to appear at a disadvantage. And the last time had been truly mortifying.

  ‘Can’t you get someone else to do it?’

  ‘I’m not sure I’m going to find anyone at such short notice. The course starts next week. Besides, all I need is a spare pair of legs for the next six weeks. Until I get this cast off.’

  ‘Nina could help. She’s just been laid off at the restaurant she works at.’

  Nina shot up in her seat, narrowing her eyes at her impossibly stupid brother. Had he had a brain fart or something? Seeing the movement in the car, Nick turned and she saw the flash of his teeth in the dark as he gave her a great big grin.

  ‘With respect Nick, your sister is the last person in the world I’d want helping me.’

  Nick’s grin faded. There was a lengthening silence in the car.

  Then Sebastian muttered, ‘Oh shit, she’s there isn’t she.’

  With an icy smile, Nina drew herself up. ‘Oh shit indeed. But don’t worry, with respect Sebastian, I’d rather help castrate the lambs on the farm using my own teeth.’

  With that she leaned forward and disconnected the call.

  Coming Soon from Julie Caplin

  Grab your passports and get ready to fall in love all over again with…

  The Little Paris Patisserie

  The Little Café in Copenhagen

  Acknowledgements

  I find writing the first draft of any book a painful process akin to pulling out your own teeth with a pair of pliers and this book was no exception. Heart-felt thanks go to my wonderful editor Charlotte Ledger and my darling agent, Broo Doherty, without whose support, encouragement and pep talks, this book probably wouldn’t have made it into the big wide world. Equal gratitude goes to lovely copyeditor, Caroline Kirkpatrick, for her encouraging comments in the margin. Caroline, you’ve no idea what a confidence boost they were!

  And now (and I can hear the ‘told you so’ comments) after all the self-indulgent angst I put them through, I think Todd McLennan might just have become my favourite character to date.

  I was inspired to set Sophie’s story in Brooklyn after a family holiday to New York a couple of years ago. We stayed in an Air BnB just off Smith Street and found the area to have a wonderful, buzzy vibe which I really wanted to use as a setting. From there we headed out to stay with my dear friend Professor Roberta Elins and her husband, Steven, in Amagansett and I just had to include a side trip to the Hamptons.

  A massive thank you to Roberta who corrected my American slang and despite that generosity, I’m afraid I’ve blatantly stolen some of her and Steven’s stories about the locality (well wouldn’t you if Gywneth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker were near neighbours) and the celebrities that can be spotted in the area. Guys, a massive thank you for your wonderful hospitality and for letting us stay in such a gorgeous spot. There’s definitely something to be said to having a house on the beach!

  A huge thank you is owed to Sherry Hostler, the most amazing and talented cake designer, who kindly shared some of her inside baking tips with me and also very generously let me steal her fabulous silver ball Eat Me wedding cake design. I urge you to Google it, simply stunning!

  Thanks also go to Nick, my domestic god, who steers the household ship while I’m holed up in the writing cave, plying me with gin and making the occasional heroic effort on the ironing. I couldn’t do without his or my children Ellie and Matt’s unconditional support.

  Last but not least my writing buddies Donna, Anita and Liz as well as the wonderful HarperImpulse gang; Jane Linfoot, Caroline Roberts, Zara Stoneley, Debbie Johnson, Bella Osborne and Georgia Hill who are all so fabulously supportive … and write great books too.

  About the Author

  Julie Caplin is addicted to travel and good food. She’s on a constant hunt for the perfect gin and is obsessively picky about glasses, tonic and garnishes. Between regular gin tastings, she’s been writing her debut novel which is set in just one of the many cities she’s explored over the years.

  Formerly a PR director, for many years she swanned around Europe taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it. These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the trilogy, The Little Cafe in Copenhagen, The Little Brooklyn Bakery and The Little Paris Patisserie.

  @JulieCaplin

  www.facebook.com/‌JulieCaplinAuthor

  About HarperImpulse

  HarperImpulse is an innovative, award-winning digital imprint. In the four years since launch, we have continually hit digital bestseller lists, hosted the UK’s first online romance festival, published into over ten countries and grown an exciting stable of commercial women’s fiction authors.

  Readers, come and say hi to the team and your next read…

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  Writers, our vision is to publish the very best in digital-first commercial women’s fiction and we are simply looking for good stories! So, what are you waiting for? To submit, e-mail us at harperimpulse@harpercollins.co.uk.

  About the Publisher

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