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As expected, there is a happy ending which ties everything together nicely - it was enjoyable to witness Meg's journey come full circle by the end of the book.
Will their differences be a recipe for disaster? After all, the course of true love never did run smooth...
Some characters were only mentioned in passing and then given a name, as though for the sake of giving them a name (Clover?). One walk-on who didn't say anything was randomly named Ted, and then we had Edward/Teddy mentioned later on who was a completely different but far more important person. At the end someone called Patsy suddenly featured quite importantly. Who is Patsy? It’s Spring 1966, Dorset. The owner of a hotel known as Nightingale Woods has passed away leaving the property to his sons Andrew and Colin and a mysterious third person, much to Colin’s distaste. Andrew has been running the hotel for two years but has to go to France to sort out some legal things regarding his father. Louise had been hired as a receptionist and office manager, but now it’s down to her to run the place. Andrew’s son, Justin, is only a short distance away so she can ask him if she needs to make any decisions, only problem is Justin thinks Louise is a gold digger and is after his father for money or the hotel. Meg is a very talented cook who is planned to stage under a chef in France to be trained. She travels to Dorset to lend a hand when disaster strikes in the hotel her mother works for. But just before the important banquet, the owner's son, Justin shows up to take over the kitchen.
Meg has always wanted to be a professional cook. But the year is 1966 and all over England restaurant kitchens are very firmly a male domain. Meg and her mother are very close, so when Meg receives a call from her mother Louise, who runs a small hotel in Dorset to help out with a banqueting event, she drops everything to go and help her. The hotel known as Nightingale Woods is old fashioned but charming, though it needs serious updating. Alexander ,'we all loved it at the time , now it seems desperately gloomy and and needs repair and decoration.'. And that Louise has found love with Andrew the hotel owner. Given his dogmatic attitudes it took a long while to warm to Justin. Catherine Rose Gordon-Cumming was born 27 September 1952 in England, UK, the daughter of Shirley Barbara Laub and Michael Willoughby Gordon-Cumming. Her grandfather was Sir William Gordon-Cumming. Her sister is fellow writer Jane Gordon-Cumming. Katie married Desmond Fforde, cousin of the also writer Jasper Fforde. She has three children: Guy, Francis and Briony and didn't start writing until after the birth of her third child. She has previously worked both as a cleaning lady and in a health food cafe. The romance bit was also frustrating because I'm not such a fan of witholding information til the very end, so I didn't appreciate that we actually confirmed from Justin that he WAS with Laura, already quite near the end. Even with his feelings, it was always other people who spoke for him. I'm not a fan of that at all. because he was so silent about things, not clarifying his actions, I felt so confused for Meg.Meg longs to be a professional cook, but in 1964 the idea of a female chef running a kitchen is considered ridiculous. Undaunted, she has plans to travel to France and work on her already impressive skills to chase her dream of becoming a pastry chef. One Enchanted evening is everything you need in a novel when the weather outside demands you snuggle under a blanket with a good book .' One Enchanted Evening is set in the 1960s, I did love the descriptions of Nightingale Woods hotel in the beautiful countryside of Dorset. The hotel was brought to life perfectly and I had no trouble imagining myself staying there in one of the charming rooms. Katie Fforde is excellent at creating worlds. Without a doubt, Meg is definitely the one who was destined for a future in food. Creating beautiful dishes at the cookery school, she also appeared in A Wedding in Provence with a showstopper cake that proved to be far superior to anything that a local pâtissier could produce. Then she gets a call from her mother who is running a small country hotel in Dorset. Her mother needs help in the hotel kitchen, and she needs it now!
I loved watching Meg, together with help of her mum, the staff (who are just as invested) and her friends, breathe new life into the hotel. It felt like I was catching up with old friends when first David then Alex & Antoine (swoon!), and the kids turned up to help and support Meg. This group of friends prove family isn’t just about blood. Then Justin, the son of the hotel owner, appears, determined to take over the running of the kitchen. Infuriated, Meg is determined to keep her place in the kitchen and sparks begin to fly. The magical theatrical evening that the hotel have been planning could now be ruined. It's 1964 and Meg's mother asks her to come to Nightingale Woods to help out with a big event. Nightingale Woods is a quaint, rather rundown hotel in Dorset and Meg is a cook. She hotfoots it there, happy to help out, even when Justin, the son of the owner, turns up and is rather rude to her, especially about women in the kitchen (he's a chef too). This really is a problem for me because it could have been mentioned that it was Book 3 in a series, even though it could and should be a standalone story – and the story does stand up very well by itself. Or it would if it didn't fall down on the number of characters.
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I have to give a special mention to Ambrosine. I could have happily sat beside her for hours as she regaled me with her life stories *sighs*. This is definitely a good bit of escapism for the spring and would also make a perfect holiday read. Will their differences be a recipe for disaster, or will they prove to have all the ingredients for a happy ever after?
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