Smorgasbord Bookshelf – New Book on the Shelves and #Review – #Ireland – Recipes and Tales from the Kitchen of Oceanic Temptations: A Taste of the Wild Atlantic Way by Mary Crowley

Delighted to share the news of the latest release by Mary Crowley, an author I enjoy reading, and my review for Recipes and Tales from the Kitchen of Oceanic Temptations: A Taste of the Wild Atlantic Way

About the book

Meet the women of Oceanic Temptations and try their recipes…..

Oceanic Temptations Café is featured in the novel, A Sweet Smell of Strawberries.

Kilmer Cove sits on the beautiful coastline of Donegal where the Connolly family has strived to keep their beloved father’s legacy alive by adapting their farmland and extending their businesses, one of which is Oceanic Temptations.

Ocean Temptations started out as a small farm shop run by Sarah Connolly and her sister-in-law Lily selling fresh produce from the farm and home baking. The two women soon discovered the need to expand their business and take on more staff, due to its idyllic spot along The Wild Atlantic Way. Oceanic Temptations Café was built to accommodate passing coaches of tourists on their way to Fanad Head Lighthouse. It also became a place for locals from the seaside town of Kilmer Cove to meet and socialise.

This book tells the stories of the four women who work together in Oceanic Temptations. Lily, Olive, Lena, and Sarah along with their specialty deserts, some prose, and a selection of recipes.

A Taste of the Wild Atlantic Way

The Wild Atlantic Way is Ireland’s first defined touring route, stretching along the Atlantic coast from Donegal to West Cork. It was a yearly trip to Donegal where my son Steven competed in the Errigal Youth Tour in 2016, 2017 and 2018, which inspired the setting for A Sweet Smell of Strawberries, having fallen in love with the beautiful coastline of the Wild Atlantic Way.

My review for the book August 13th 2022

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Sweet Smell of Strawberries by Mary Crowley and was delighted that some of those memorable characters from that book would be featured again.

This is an unusual recipe book, as it is combined with short stories reflecting the lives of four women who work together at The Kitchen of Oceanic Temptations on the coast of Donegal. It is based after the Covid lockdown when all businesses are struggling with getting back on their feet, particularly in the heavily restricted hospitality industry.

Lily is strong and resilient but is hiding a frightening secret from her husband and friends and will need all their love and support.

Olive has a grown family but realises after many years of marriage that life has passed her by and now wonders if her relationship can survive sudden and shocking news.

Lena and her husband have built a life far from their homeland, leaving behind a tragedy that still haunts them and might drive them apart.

Sarah has built a wall around her emotions and is reluctant to love again, happy to be friends with and a substitute mother and sister to the other women in her life and the one man she trusts but keeps at a distance.

Kilmer Cove as also attracted the attention of a gang of thieves who will impact the lives of these women and those they love in a dangerous way, adding an extra edginess to the book.

Between the stories you will find some delicious recipes with a larger section towards the end of the book, before a satisfying final story to bring the book to a close.

The recipes include such delights as apple tart, cup cakes, mini chocolate eclairs, chocolate brownies, scones and homemade strawberry jam, coronation chicken filling, strawberry cheesecake, raspberry and chocolate roulade, bacon and onion quiche and lasagne.

With wonderfully crafted stories and memorable characters, easy to follow recipes, I have no doubt you will leave as satisfied with this book as I was.

Head over to buy the book: Amazon UK –  And: Amazon US

Also by Mary Crowley

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon UK – And on : Amazon US – Follow Mary : Goodreads – Blog/Website: Mary Crowley WordPress – Twitter: @marycrowleym

About Mary Crowley

Mary Crowley writes Contemporary Irish Literature. Author of A Sweet Smell of Strawberries and Under a Dark Cloud . Her fictional work generally focusses on strong emotional relationships and family conflict, adding intrigue and humour, with a sprinkle of hope but most of all heart.

Mary lives in County Waterford, on the South East Coast of Ireland, with her husband and three children. Having worked as a Dental nurse and Dental Health Educator for many years she decided to follow her dream of writing and went on to study creative writing and journalism. Winner of The Waterford Writer’s Weekend Short Story Competition (2016), she also has several short story publications, in Magazines and newspapers along with publications in writing.ie, one of which was inspired by her literary heroine Maeve Binchy, another about the local legendary Hoffman’s event, “The Pram Race,” which took place in Tramore back in the late eighties. Mary is currently working on her third novel along with writing for local newspaper The Munster Express and freelance writing.

When she is not writing, Mary loves reading and spending time with her husband John and their three children Damon, Steven and Katie, though they are growing up too quickly. Her most favoured way of family time, is travelling to new and interesting places in her beloved VW Camper searching for the next story to tell. It was a yearly trip to Letterkenny in Donegal where one of her son’s competed in the Errigal Youth Cycling Tour that inspired the setting for her first novel A Sweet Smell of Strawberries.