By Louise Miller, 2018c., 333 pages

The Late Bloomer’s Club draws you immediately into the lives of those living in small town Guthrie, Vermont. The main characters are Nora and Kit Huckleberry, sisters who lost their parents when they were young. They are close-knit but have completely different ideas and personalities which is evident right from the start. Nora puts family and friends first before her own desires. Kit is a passionate dreamer with luck on her side. Her fanciful ideas of making movies and traveling add curiosity to the story.

Nora felt obligated to take over running the family diner after their parent’s death. Along with a cast of caring, down-to-earth employees she does her best to keep the diner going, but her lack of interest and cooking skills barely have her making ends meet. Kit returns from her travels after hearing she and her sister have inherited a farm from a quiet neighbor they barely knew. Why they inherited the farm they have no idea. The neighbor was known affectionately in town as “The Cake Lady”, baking cakes for special events. As the sisters learn more about the neighbor and her quiet life, they are faced with a decision to sell the farm to a big box store. Financially, selling could be the answer to all the sister’s questions; but how will it affect the town of Guthrie. While preparing for the local fall festival, completing promised cake orders and discovering “treasures” at the farm, we learn more about the sisters, the town-folk and what final decisions they come to. This is a nice little story; a quick read, to fill a lazy fall afternoon.

Review by Marcella Queen