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Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, non-magical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun.

So Rose and her siblings experiment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke.

A few Love Muffins and a few dozen Cookies of Truth couldn’t cause too much trouble . . . could they?

Kathryn Littlewood’s culinary caper blends rich emotional flavor with truly magical wit, yielding one heaping portion of hilarious family adventure.

374 pages, Hardcover

First published February 14, 2012

374 people are currently reading
6275 people want to read

About the author

Kathryn Littlewood

21 books243 followers
Kathryn Littlewood is a writer, actress, comedienne, and bon vivant who lives in New York City, works often in Los Angeles, and has a sweet tooth for pain au chocolat and sweet novels for middle-grade readers. This, her second novel, is a sequel to her first, Bliss.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,177 reviews
Profile Image for Bookworm007.
260 reviews
May 23, 2012
LONG AND EXTENSIVE REVIEW WITH SEVERE CRITICISM


3.5 stars

I reeeeally enjoyed this book. It had suspense and magic, and was easy to read. Reminds me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Candymakers.



But I have to say, there were three things I didn’t like (possible spoilers):

1) Throughout the entire book, Rose had these stupid fantasies and just plain STUPID REMARKS about her crush and her.

She’d be like “Oh if we were boyfriend and girlfriend, we’d stand on top of the highest hill and look down at the town with the wind breezing about us” (like that’s romantic) or “I’M NOT PRETTY ENOUGH FOR HIM TO LIKE ME” or “I wanted to shove Love Muffins down his throat as fast as I can so he’d love me” or “I WANT HIM TO TAKE ME OUT ON A DATE THIS INSTANT!!!” or “He smells like soap and dreams” (who the FRICK smells like DREAMS) or “I’M NOT PRETTY ENOUGH FOR HIM TO LIKE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

If you asked me, that girl is friggin obSESSED with that guy, whatever his name is, (I think it was D something.) Like hello Rose, here’s a bright idea: Why don’t you actually take action and DO something about it, instead of having these ridiculous daydreams!!!

You know, I actually thought that the guy would have a bigger role later in the book, and that whatever heroic deed he did, him and Rose would actually start to fall in love or whatever. (Cuz ain’t that what befalls almost every other “love-interest” guy in books these days.)


2) Rose is the most low-confidence girl EVER in the history of eternal EVER. She thinks everybody in the whole friggin universe outshines her. Like wtf is wrong with you, do you really think you sink that low? I mean, just because your older brother is Abercrombie & Fitch gorgeous, doesn’t mean you aren’t (maybe you really aren’t, but whatev I just feel like criticizing you.)

And she said she’s not pretty in almost ev-ver-reeeee. dang. chapter. By the time fake-ass Aunt Lily gave her a makeover to make her PRETTY and BEAUTIFUL and GLAMOUROUS and SOMETHING TO LOOK AT, I was already pissed at this girl. And wanted to ring her neck. And shove her head down a toilet. And then chuck her down that stupid hilltop she favours so much.

In short, Rose had serious self-esteem issues.

(Well it’s no wonder her crush, D-something the other, hasn’t paid her much attention, HA!)


3) Aunt Lily. Sweet, beautiful, tall, supermodel Aunt Lily. The woman who waltzed into the Bliss siblings' life after their parents went away on some mission in Florida to cure a sickness. The woman who made Ty and Sage wanna help out in the bakery. The woman who was able to calm Chip’s grouchiness down. The woman who brought the siblings closer together. The woman who was caring and friendly. The woman who outshined Rose by a million miles. The woman who was supposed to have a bigger antagonist role at the end of the book!!!!!!!!!!

Myyyyyyy goodness, I can't express my disappointment enough.

What I HOPED would happen was that Aunt Lily would drop her nicey-nice act and reveal her intentions for wanting the "Bliss Bakery Cook Booke", and her true identity. I HOPED there'd be a big secret bomb-shell. I HOPED her Bliss family ladle-shaped birthmark was fake. I HOPED all the siblings would've united together and take her down or something. I HOPED she'd use dark magic on the Bliss siblings. I HOPED a lot of things.


But nope, what really happened was this:

Aunt Lily: Hey Rose, I'm leaving for New York and I need the Bliss Cook Booke for my tv show, so why don't you let me "borrow" it.

Rose: Uh I'm not sure that's such a good idea...

Aunt Lily: Ok, but just so you know, I outshine you by a million miles, and I think we all know that, so why don't you come along and I can make you shine like the brightest star in the sky.

Rose: omgomgomgigettolookprettyandbeautifulomgomgomg

Aunt Lily: Then it's settled. I'll make a "forgetful" bread for your family to eat. That way they won't remember you, me, and the cookbook.

Rose: ...ok.....

--the next day--

Aunt Lily: Rose I'm gonna have to throw away that picture of your siblings in your hand cuz you have to forget them. -throws pic away-

Rose: *finally has a clear mind* NO. I am not going away with you no more. -throws bag of "forgetful" bread in garbage can- You're a meanie, and even though my family will forget me, I won't be able to ever forget them.

Aunt Lily: Fine, be that way. But I still outshine you by a million miles!! -leaves-with-cook-book-but-it-was-unknown-to-anyone-at-that-time-that-it-was-stolen-and-it-was-only-after-the-parents-came-home-that-everyone-found-out-which-left-Rose-saying-that-she-will-get-it-back-which-then-opened-up-the-possibility-of-a-sequel-

THE END


If you were me, you'd probably be disappointed too. I was sooooo ready for a big showdown between the Bliss kids and Aunt Lily, but instead, THAT crap showed up. What the hell was the whole point of making Aunt Lily a dangerously-beautiful antagonist if NOT A CRAP HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE DANG BOOK.

And goodness me, a possible sequel??? I seriously do not think I can stand another 300 or so pages of Rose internally screaming at herself for not being beautiful.



Ok, deeeeep breathe.

I've poured out all my criticism, and now I don't have the energy or enthusiasm to talk about what I actually enjoyed.

-shrugs- Oh well.
Profile Image for Avada Kaddavra.
545 reviews88 followers
June 14, 2025
Ich schleiche schon länger um diese Reihe herum, jetzt hab ich den ersten Band gehört und es hat mir echt gut gefallen. Ganz niedliche, herzerwärmende Story, hat wirklich Spaß gemacht und ich möchte natürlich wissen, wie es mit Rose und ihrer Familie weitergeht :-)
Profile Image for Angela Noviana.
464 reviews23 followers
January 21, 2013
Yeay, aku baca buku ini pinjam dari temenku =)
Sebenarnya waktu pertama kali lihat buku ini sih naksir ama covernya dan biru-biru halamannya itu. Keren. Heheheheheh..

Keluarga Bliss menggunakan nama rempah untuk semua anaknya. Ada Thyme (Ty), Rosemary (Rose), Sage, dan Leigh. Ty yang tampan, Sage yang lucu, dan Leigh yang menggemaskan. Hanya Rose yang merasa dirinya biasa-biasa saja dan terkadang merasa diabaikan.

Dulu, Rose pernah melihat orang tuanya meracik kue dan ternyata menggunakan SIHIR. Well, Rose penasaran ingin melakukannya, tapi kedua orang tuanya masih belum mengizinkan. Dan kini, Rose diberikan kunci yang ternyata merupakan kunci menuju ruangan penyimpanan buku resep yang legendaris itu.

Orang tua Rose harus pergi ke kota sebelah selama satu minggu untuk menyembuhkan penyakit yang menyerang kota tersebut. Rose lah yang diberikan mandat untuk menjaga buku tersebut. Tapi siapa yang menyangka, salah seorang bibinya datang di saat kedua orang tuanya tak ada dan berusaha mengambil hati Ty dan adik-adiknya, bahkan Rose sendiri.

Yang namanya godaan untuk mencoba resep sihir itu tak bisa ditahan. Jadi, Rose dan Ty bereksperimen dengan resep tersebut. Yang terjadi adalah malapetaka, dan setiap kali mereka berusaha memperbaikinya, malah muncul malapetaka lainnya.

Haruskah Bliss bersaudara memercayakan resep sihir itu kepada bibi yang tak pernah diakui oleh orang tuanya untuk memperbaiki keadaan saat itu? Bagaimana jika sang bibi menginginkan buku itu untuk dirinya sendiri?

Ceritanya pure fantasy. Walaupun begitu, ceritanya menyenangkan sih. Lucu juga pas mereka menggunakan kue yang untuk mengatakan kejujuran. Aku baru sadar kalau ternyata ceritanya pendek, namun Noura Books membuat tulisannya cukup besar sehingga gak susah bacanya dan jadinya malah cukup tebal bukunya =P

Overall, emang ceritanya buat anak-anak sih... Tapi buat yang suka fantasi, buku ini boleh coba dibaca =)
Profile Image for Anna.
649 reviews130 followers
May 3, 2024
Καλογραμμένο, διασκεδαστικό, με μπόλικη μαγεία και ωραίες συνταγές για τάρτες, μαγικές και μη. Αυτό ήθελα, αυτό πήρα χωρίς να με απογοητεύσει! Και επιμένω, όσο χρονών κι αν φτάσω να διαβάζω παιδική - μάλλον, ούτε καν νεανική - λογοτεχνία!
Profile Image for Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks).
761 reviews86 followers
October 25, 2022
The story was simply delightful and full of baked goods.
The bliss family creates magic when it comes to food, literal magic! Their muffins and cakes can make people fall in love and cure people along with other fantastical things.

Due to some crisis, the mayor invites the Bliss family to bake muffins and cure the people from plague. The parents leave the household's care to three children Rosemary, Sage and Thyme along with the care of their baby sister Leigh. Rosemary is the second child and wants to grow up and bake in their parents' bakery, she is the only one who believes the food is really magical. The parents lock their secret cookbook and give the key to Rosemary.

All goes well until a certain Aunt Lily shows up out of the blue and successfully manages to woo the rest of the kids who further implore Rose to give the secret cookbook to Lily, but her gut feeling doesn't agree yet she has no reason to deny her access.

I loved all the mentions of food and the family bonding time, nice cozy book


Profile Image for madame Gabrielle.
756 reviews639 followers
January 4, 2022
4.5 étoiles pour cette surprenante histoire à laquelle je ne m’attendais pas! elle m’a fait penser — un peu, à « La maison Chapelier » et c’est un roman que j’avais tout autant aimé!
assurément, je lirai la suite éventuellement parce que je veux savoir ce qui arrivera à la famille Bliss.
si vous aimez tout ce qui est magique et merveilleux et drôle, alors vous aimerez cette belle belle série! 😊
Profile Image for Sonja P..
1,704 reviews4 followers
Read
November 18, 2012
So so disappointing. IT HAD SUCH A GOOD COVER AND PREMISE.
So, the premise of this is that Rose Bliss works at a magical bakery with her family. She is never allowed to touch the magic, though, and this irks her, because she knows she can make something special. She wants to make snickerdoodles that cure colds or cookies that warm hearts. But instead, she is always left out, and her brothers and her family don't seem to appreciate her. So, when her parents leave to take care of a town ailing with swine flu, and "Aunt" Lily shows up, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She can make muffins that make those two star-crossed lovers get together! She can do this!

The plot suffered from obvious issues that didn't get figured out until the end, and obvious bad guys. A lot of the characters were fairly unlikable, including Rose herself. She was SO WHINY. More than that, the plot went exactly where I thought it would go, and of course, it ends on a sort-of cliffhanger to set it up for a series. *Sigh*. It just didn't have all the charm and magic I wanted it to; it felt like it was missing that something special that could really make it magical, which is shame, because I wanted this to be so good.
Profile Image for Natalie.
296 reviews29 followers
February 27, 2021
Αυτό το βιβλιαράκι ήρθε να μου θυμίσει την επίδραση της "μαγείας της ειλικρίνειας, της θέλησης, και της σωστής στιγμής".

Ένα βιβλίο όλο "γλύκα"! :)
Profile Image for Cintya Larasinta.
306 reviews31 followers
May 10, 2015
Aku sangat membenci Rosemary memiliki ego yang terlalu tinggi.
Aku sangat membenci Ty laki2 terlalu pede setinggi langit dan tkg mengeluh.
Aku sangat membenci Sage yang sk mencari perhatian.
namun. . .
Aku sangat menyukai Leigh anak perempuan terakhir yang periang nan menggemaskan.
Aku sangat menyukai Purdy dan Albert pembuat kue sihir yang cukup keren buatku.
andai membuat buku menceritakan tentang awal-terakhir Purdy & Albert.
bukan anak2 Bliss yang tidak begitu diandalkan. setiap kubaca si Rose/Ty/Sage membuatku mengesalkan. tetapi ada cerita humor juga lumayan menaikkan mood untuk menyelesaikan akhir baca.


Sebuah kota kecil dengan nama Calamity Falls sebagai kota yang tidak menyenangkan, di sanalah sebuah toko roti yang dijalankan oleh keluarga Bliss. Rosemary Bliss adalah gadis kecil berumur 12 tahun, dirinya tahu bahwa orang tuanya adalah penyihir dapur. dia sangat senang membantu orang tua bekerja di dapur, belajar memasak seperti orang tuanya dan nantinya mengambil alih toko. dan ingin menjadi juru masak seperti ibunya.
tiba2 ibu dan ayahnya mendapat kedatangan walikota Hammer dan meminta bantuan orangtuanya untuk memberantas penyakit flu musim panas di Humbleton.
orang tuanya pun bersedia membantu keinginan Walikota,sebelum orang tuanya berangkat, Purdy & Albert memberitahu Rose tentang Ruang rahasia serta buku resep rahasia dan disuruh menjaganya, sayangnya Rose tidak boleh menggunakan sihir dalam membuat roti, Rose jelas kecewa berat. Akhirnya Rose ditinggalkan orangtuanya, dia tidak sendirian dan ditemani laki2 sulung tampan tp kerjanya tkg ngeluh bernama Ty, bocah laki2 mencari perhatian bernama Sage dan adik perempuan umur 3 th senang memotret bernama Leigh, serta Chip dan Mrs.Carlson.
setelah orang tuanya pergi, datanglah orang asing misterius. wanita muda, jangkung dan sensasional, orang misterius itu mengaku bibi Rose bernama Lily. alasannya untuk menyatukan kembali keluarga bliss. Rose jelas tidak prnh mendengar namanya Lily, dia mengusir Lily namun dilarang oleh Sage. Lily memohon2 bersedia membantu Rose membantu membuat roti di tokonya.
Rose pun menerimanya.
Rose menyadari, Lily telah memperdaya Ty dan Sage. sehingga kelakuan Ty dan Sage berubah total menjadi ingin membantu Lily-Rose membuat roti.
suatu hari, Lily menceritakan bahwa dia butuh resep2 yang unik untuk acaranya, suara yang memikat nan indah bibi Lily membuat saudara laki-lakinya yang bodoh, Sage dan Ty memohon Rose, padahal Rose sudah berjanji pada orang tuanya harus menjaga buku resep rahasia itu, namun dia sendiri juga terkoyak dan akhirnya dia menyerah pada saudara laki-lakinya permintaan untuk menggunakan buku resep sebenarnya - yang ajaib. Tentu saja, ada sesuatu yang salah, dan menggunakan sihir untuk memecahkan krisis semakin aneh yang menimpa kota seluruh Calamity Falls menjadi hal-hal buruk.
Ini adalah buku yang menarik, penuh karakter eksentrik, dan dengan banyak adegan lucu seperti anak-anak Bliss berusaha mati-matian untuk memperbaiki kesalahan mereka.
Profile Image for Vicky Ziliaskopoulou.
689 reviews133 followers
May 11, 2021
Ε, τι κριτική να γράψω, γλυκούτσικο ήτανε, για παιδάκια πιστεύω θα είναι πολύ καλό.
Profile Image for Hannah.
281 reviews12 followers
February 17, 2021
OMG I’ve been trying to find this book for forever! This series help me get through a lot of sleepless night and pain when I was a young teenager! It would be 11 at night and my 12-year-old self would stay up so I could read and reread these book!
Profile Image for Bookphile.
1,979 reviews134 followers
November 3, 2012
Whew. This one took a long time to finish. It was a really clever idea, but the execution didn't excite me very much. More complete review to come.

Full review:

When I read the premise of Bliss, I was very intrigued. It sounded like such a fun idea: would the temptations of her family's magical bakery prove too much for young Rose Bliss? My daughter and I read the book over the course of several months and, though reading it in short chunks didn't help, it never really captured me the way I might have thought. Minor spoilers to follow.

I think the biggest problem with this book is it's far too wordy. It felt to me like there was a lot of filler that could have been trimmed, which would have made it a tighter, more compelling story. Since it's middle grade, I found it kind of odd that it delved into minutiae that struck me as the sort of details only adults might fully be able to appreciate. I know a lot of these things went straight over my daughter's head.

What I did like about the novel was Rose. I'm sure most kids can identify with feeling a little invisible at times. The book has some good things to say about the way people tend to fills the roles they're assigned. Rose is seen as the mature, responsible one, and she is, but she chafes under the weight of those expectations. She's likable and sympathetic, yet flawed in a way that makes her seem entirely real. Why wouldn't she find it hard to refuse someone who makes me feel like she exists? I really enjoyed her and thought her character was deftly handled.

Another strong point was Rose's relationship with Aunt Lily. Littlewood isn't heavy-handed about presenting Aunt Lily in a very self-serving way, but my daughter picked up on the subtext. We talked a lot about Aunt Lily and whether Rose really saw Lily as she actually was. I liked that she and I were able to dive into a pretty deep analysis of the book, yet in a way that clearly caught my daughter's interest instead of giving her the impression that we were having a literary lecture.

Still, there's just something so flat about this book. The recipes are interesting and the little stories accompanying them are fun, but they just never seemed to live up to their potential. Littlewood has something to say about the burdens of having special abilities and whether or not it's always a good idea to use them, and I thought it was all to the good that the recipes had consequences, but I didn't think the writing was quite deft enough to carry the stories. It's missing an essential spark that makes stories like this come to life.

While it felt fairly obvious to me that this book was meant to set up a series, I don't plan on coming back to it. It's not a badly done novel, it just wasn't one that really pulled me in. My daughter said she liked it, but she wasn't as excited about it as she has been with some of the other books we've read together, and she took a long hiatus at one point in favor of reading something else--usually a good indication that she's not entirely engaged with a story.
Profile Image for Tifany.
676 reviews15 followers
June 13, 2020
3

please be aware that :
• this review was written in 2014 by my 16-year-old self



(this is a very nice book!! I love it so much, and suddenly I realized that I could see myself in Rose character lol. I bought this book (actually) because of its cover, it's very adorable and it's about cake and cookies, I love those sweet things!! anyway, the plot is going very well and I'll bought the second one asap!! I really can't wait to read how Rose is going to take the Cookery Booke back to her family!! xD)
Profile Image for Karina Shah.
64 reviews1 follower
April 17, 2021
The book Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood was a great read! I love magic and baking so this was a good read for me. It kind of reminded me of a television series that I watched on Prime Video that was based off a book too called Just Add Magic. The book is about Rosemary and her family’s magical cookbook that have been in the family for a long time. They have one of the two copies that exist and must keep it safe. When her parents are not home and her evil aunt shows up unexpectedly Rosemary gains her trust because she thinks she’s fun for riding a motorcycle and being very laid back. Before she knows it and can stop it things start going downhill. My favorite part of this book was when the main character Rosemary finds out at the end that her evil aunt stole the magical cookbook from a letter that she wrote. I know that isn’t exactly a happy part of the book but I know Rosemary will be determined to get the cookbook back in the next book in the series. I also liked that before the cookbook was stolen the spells that Rosemary cooked. They had very interesting and fun effects that kept me and probably other readers too engaged in the book and want to keep reading. Another thing that I just liked about this book was that Rosemary and alI her siblings were named after spices. I just thought that was kind of fun and creative. I would give this book an eight on a scale from one to ten and would recommend this book to anyone ages nine to thirteen that are into magic, baking, and books that are a fantasy genre!
Profile Image for Book Concierge.
3,078 reviews387 followers
July 30, 2017
From the book jacket: Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke – an ancient leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and key while their parents are out of town, but then a m mysterious stranger shows up. “Aunt” Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic dishes for dinner.

My reactions
Okay, I knew it was a children’s middle-grade book, and I knew it involved magic. But still … this was just so awful I don’t even need some Cookies of Truth to write this review.

Rose is only eleven, but she is so unsure of herself, so certain she isn’t pretty or clever or (insert positive attribute here), and she bemoans her lack of looks, brains, etc on practically every page! Given her lack of confidence, it’s no wonder that she’s quickly seduced by Aunt Lily’s glamour and flattery. This, of course, makes me wonder why her parents would entrust the key to the special cabinet to Rose – or any of the children, for that matter. Why not just lock it up and take the key with them? Clearly, I’m not the intended audience, but I can’t imagine my nieces and nephews enjoying this either.

Still, I admit that some of the unintended results of their experiments were entertaining. So I’ll give it 2 stars.
Profile Image for Clover White.
511 reviews2 followers
October 11, 2012
The cover was the best part of the book. I picked it up for my eight-year old to read, but I ended up reading it myself. The premise is good, but it didn't live up to its potential. I don't know if it was a problem of plot holes or weak characterization, but this book had lots of problems. Why don't Rose's parents let her help more? Why do they go away leaving four (basically) unattended children to guard a valuable book AND run a bakery? Why does Aunt Lily do more nice things for Lily then her parents, despite the fact she's evil? Why on earth didn't Lily realize Aunt Lily would take the book with her? All in all, will not be seeking out the strongly-hinted-at sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bea Cano.
100 reviews
April 25, 2020
La leí hace 3/4 años y me encantó, está genial, la recomiendo bastante.
Profile Image for barbara_abhome.
147 reviews7 followers
August 8, 2018
"Innanzitutto abbiamo bisogno di mangiare. Mai nessuno è riuscito a fare qualcosa di buono a stomaco vuoto."
Profile Image for Vi ~ Inkvotary.
675 reviews32 followers
Read
May 13, 2017
Not sure about the stars. The first chapters were nice to read and fun but then it turned and became weird. Full review to come.
Profile Image for Miss Clark.
2,888 reviews223 followers
August 1, 2012
2.5 - 3 stars

A 3 had there been a solid conclusion that did not give the impression of an impending sequel and the loose ends that necessitate one.

Rosemary Bliss is the underappreciated, low on self-esteem daughter of magical bakers with three siblings.

I liked the story, thought it was fun and cute, but it lacked depth, real humor, any sparkle to its prose and worst of all, no conclusion or resolution to Lily's absconding with the magic cookbook. Also, I wanted more from Ty and Sage appreciating and showing that they actually cared about Rose, which I never felt we received. And her parents' sudden, "Oh, no, you are so important! You make everything work!" felt forced and abrupt, not to mention, insincere. Prove it! I would actually have preferred Rose to leave with Lily than this! So much needed characterization, world-building and defined inter-relationships.

Next book isA Dash of Magic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Nancy Kotkin.
1,405 reviews30 followers
September 29, 2018
Very predictable plot. Characters, including the adults, exhibit poor decision-making. Seems more appropriate for chapter book readers than a middle grade audience. Unsatisfying ending focuses on setting up the sequel.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
593 reviews
July 14, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! I could have finish it in one day, but school slows me down! And this is so sad that I can't continue the other books: I don't own them... Grr :')
Profile Image for bakanekonomama.
573 reviews85 followers
July 21, 2013
Di sebuah kota kecil bernama Calamity Falls, hiduplah sebuah keluarga yang mengelola sebuah toko roti yang mungil. Bliss Bakery namanya. Diambil dari nama keluarga mereka, Bliss. Toko roti dan kue ini adalah toko satu-satunya yang ada di kota itu, dan mereka mengemban tugas suci untuk mengatasi kelaparan warga kota setiap harinya... Jadi, tugasnya si Bliss Bakery ini seperti tukang bubur dan tukang nasi uduk di deket kantor saya, yang memenuhi hajat hidup orang banyak ya.. xD

Segala jenis muffin, cake, ataupun cookie yang lezat bisa kau dapatkan disini? Muffin apa yang kau suka? Rasa wortel dedak seperti Mr. Bastable? Atau muffin blueberry yang lezat dan segar di mulut? Atau mungkin kau lebih suka cheese cake yang lembut dan cookies cokelat yang renyah?

Atau jangan-jangan kau sudah bosan dengan semua kue 'biasa' di atas dan ingin mencoba sesuatu yang berbeda? Misalnya, kau ingin mencicipi segigit muffin asmara yang terbuat dari labu hijau dan telur Burung Cinta Bertopeng, roti berbahan halilintar yang akan menyembuhkanmu dari sengatan petir, atau ingin memberikan temanmu cookies kebenaran--agar dia ta berbohong lagi--yang terbuat dari nafas tidur lembut seseorang yang tak pernah berbohong?

Meskipun terdengar aneh, tapi percayalah bahwa keluarga Bliss sanggup membuat makanan-makanan di atas. Mereka bahkan bisa membuat cheesecake labu yang mampu menyembuhkan flu babi!

Ya, keluarga Bliss memang keluarga yang ajaib. Keluarga yang terdiri dari Albert dan Purdy, serta keempat anak mereka: Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, dan Parsley, ini telah mengelola toko kue kecil di sebuah kota kecil di Amerika, berkat bantuan sebuah buku resep kuno yang diwariskan turun temurun di keluarga itu.

Suatu hari, Albert dan Purdy harus pergi ke kota sebelah, yang penduduknya sedang terserang flu musim panas. Mereka menyerahkan tanggung jawab toko pada Rose, sang putri tertua, yang memang paling rajin membantu orang tua mereka. Soalnya, si sulung Ty yang teramat tampan, terlalu sibuk dengan urusan remaja ngga pentingnya, sedangkan Sage terlalu heboh hingga tak mungkin diserahi tanggung jawab itu. Lalu Leigh? Dia masih 3 tahun, jadi mana mungkin bisa membantu?

Rose, seperti layaknya anak seusianya, selalu merasa minder dengan dirinya. Ia merasa kalalu dirinya tak semenawan kakak lelakinya, ataupun seimut adik perempuannya. Oh iya, jadi si Sage itu cowok sedangkan Parsley alias Leigh itu cewek. Namanya agak aneh sih ya, jadi nggak ketauan jenis kelaminnya deh... ^^; (kecuali si Rose). Tapi, saya suka sama nama-nama unik anak keluarga Bliss ini.

Okay, balik ke Rose. Rose itu merasa dirinya nggak cantik, padahal dia punya bakat bikin roti (nggak nyambung ya? bodo.. xp). Ya, singkatnya... Kedua orang tua Rose memberikan sebuah kunci kecil kepada Rose. Kunci itu menyimpan apa yang dilindungi oleh keluarga itu selama bertahun-tahun, sebuah buku resep bernama "Bliss Cookery Booke".

Selama membantu orang tuanya di dapur, Rose sebenarnya yakin bahwa mereka menggunakan sihir ataupun hal ajaib lainnya selama membuat kue. Tetapi, kedua orang tua Rose tak pernah mengakuinya. Padahal, Rose melihat sendiri bagaimana Purdy sang ibu mengambil halilintar dan memasukkannya ke dalam botol kaca ketika ia masih berusia sepuluh tahun. Kini, setelah diberi tanggung jawab untuk menjaga buku resep itu, Rose makin yain kalau keluarganya memang menambahkan sihir untuk resep-resep mereka. Sayangnya, kedua orang tua Rose nggak mengizinkan Rose membuka buku itu, apalagi mempraktikkannya. Mereka memberi Rose kunci itu, hanya untuk berjaga-jaga jika ada sesuatu yang tidak diinginkan menimpa toko mereka. Jadi, Rose bisa menyelamatkan harta keluarga itu.

Setelah kedua orang tua Rose pergi, rumah keluarga Bliss tiba-tiba kedatangan seorang tamu. Dia adalah Lily, wanita cantik nan menawan, yang mengaku sebagai bibi mereka. Dalam sekejap, Lily mampu memikat Ty dan Sage. Ia juga sangat pandai memasak dan membuatkan mereka masakan luar biasa serta membantu Rose menjalankan toko roti itu.

Namun, benarkah Lily memang bibi mereka? Lantas, mengapa ia tiba-tiba datang ketika orang tua mereka nggak ada di rumah? Kenapa juga orang tua mereka tak pernah cerita tentang orang yang mengaku sebagai saudara jauh itu? Dan kenapa juga Rose tak sanggup cerita kepada orang tua mereka (melalui telepon) tentang kedatangan Lily? Dan mengapa Ty serta Sage tampak sangat terpikat sementara Rose tidak? Apa Lily menggunakan semacam sihir, atau memang seperti itulah fitrahnya seorang remaja lelaki yang sedang puber? Temukan jawabannya di buku ini.. :D

Awal melihat buku ini, saya langsung terpikat dengan sampulnya yang tampak 'magis'. Apalagi ada tambahan warna biru-biru di halamannya, yang bikin buku ini semakin menarik. Ditambah lagi dengan ide cerita yang tampak unik, cerita fantasi-sihir-pake-makanan-enak... Gimana saya nggak tergoda coba? #lapiler

Sayangnya, ternyata jalinan cerita yang ada di dalamnya nggak mampu memikat saya sebagaimana covernya telah memikat relung terdalam di hati saya... #tsaahh Saya nggak terlalu suka dengan tokoh-tokohnya. Rose terlalu rendah diri, hanya karena merasa dirinya nggak semenarik saudara-saudaranya. Oh, come on! Kalau keluarganya dia menawan semua, mana mungkin kau jelek sendirian nak! Memangnya kau ugly duckling ya? O.o

Lalu si kakak lelaki Rose juga menyebalkan. Entah karena si orang tua mereka yang terlalu banyak mengandalkan Rose atau memang si Ty ini anak yang manja, yang jelas menurut saya si Ty ini benar-benar ngga bisa diandalkan banget. Yah, selain ketampanannya yang bikin cewek klemar klemer.. -__- Udah gitu, dia dengan gampangnya tergoda sama Bibi Lily yang menawan sampai nggak menaruh curiga sama sekali sama cewek itu.

Tapi, lebih dari semuanya, saya paling sebel sama orang tuanya Rose. Kalau mereka memang menggunakan sihir di dapur, ya kenapa si anak-anaknya nggak dikasih tau coba? Okelah Sage sama Leigh emang masih kecil, tapi Ty yang udah 15 tahun kan udah bisa dikasih tanggung jawab. Begitupun dengan Rose, yang memang sudah terlihat dewasa. Apa salahnya memberikan pengertian kepada anak mereka tentang bisnis yang mereka jalankan. Tentang buku resep yang harus dilindungi itu, atau tentang anggota keluarga mana yang patut dipercaya dan mana yang nggak. Apa karena si Albert dan Purdy ini benar-benar menganggap anak-anak mereka masih bocah semua ya? Yang jelas, saya langsung merasa nggak simpati dengan mereka berdua setelah kata-kata yang diucapkan oleh sang ibu kepada Rose di akhir cerita. Seriously, yang kanak-kanak itu sebenarnya mereka deh! -,-

Oh iya, bagian Albert dan Purdy harus nyembuhin flu di kota sebelah selama seminggu itu kayaknya berlebihan banget deh. Kan cuma kota sebelah, tiga hari juga udah cukup. Apalagi ini cuma bikin croissant doang, bukan bikin dapur umum, apalagi jadi petugas palang merah... O.o Weird...

Saya hanya bisa menikmati buku ini separuhnya saja, sampai Ty dan Rose berusaha untuk mengembalikan keadaan yang telah mereka buat (setelah bikin muffin asmara dan cookies kebenaran) kembali seperti semula. Bagian Ty merayu cewek-cewek sekelasnya yang tersihir muffin asmara itu benar-benar lucu. Setelahnya, alurnya terasa sangat lambat dan bertele-tele. Dan jujur, saya sangat bosan membaca bagian tentang betapa-menakjubkannya-bibi-lily-dan-betapa-nggak-bergunanya-Rose.

Sebenarnya saya kasihan sama Rose, karena dia harus disadarkan bahwa dia istimewa, justru melalui anggota keluarga yang baru dikenalnya. Buat saya pribadi, saya merasa orang tua Rose telah gagal. Yah, itu pendapat sotoy saya aja sih... xp

Hufft, buku kedua dari penulis baru yang saya baca di tahun 2013 ini tampaknya belum mampu memuaskan saya. Teman saya bilang, saya terlalu berekspektasi dan membandingkannya dengan Harry Potter. Well, saya tidak pernah membandingkan buku yang saya baca dengan buku yang lainnya, apalagi ketika temanya benar-benar berbeda. Buktinya, saya bisa menikmati kisah-kisah fantasi karya pengarang lainnya tanpa harus terbayang-bayang dengan Harry Potter di benak saya. Lagipula, pada awalnya saya sendiri cukup menaruh harapan pada buku ini. Namun sayangnya, ternyata tidak memenuhi ekspektasi saya.

Ya, tampaknya gaya bercerita dan segala macam hal di buku ini (kecuali covernya) memang nggak cocok buat saya, jadi saya nggak bisa menikmatinya seperti teman saya itu....
Profile Image for Catwithbooks.
2,391 reviews9 followers
December 15, 2020
Bei Familie Glyck in der Bäckerei gibt es nicht nur leckere Sachen sondern auch magische.
Denn sie haben ein magisches Rezeptbuch.
Als die Eltern gebeten werden bei einem Notfall zu helfen, bekommt Rose die Aufgabe auf das Buch auf zu passen. Selber hat sie aber noch nie ein Rezept raus gebacken. Und wie das mit Sachen so ist die man nicht tun soll, man ist neugierig.
Rose und ihre Geschwister haben dann aller Hand zu tun, denn ganz so einfach sind die magischen Rezepte dann doch nicht.

Die Geschichte ist wirklich zuckersüß und magisch. Es ist schön mit anzusehen wie die Geschwister zusammen halten und aus jeder neuen Notsituation das Beste versuchen. Ein wenig muss man erst rein kommen bis sich dann eine leichte Spannung auf baut. Vor allem als dann noch ein anderer Charakter auftaucht wo man nicht so recht weiss was man vom diesen halten soll.
Rose und ihre Geschwister sind einfach toll und ich bin gespannt was noch in den anderen Geschichten passiert.
Profile Image for Steffi.
3,275 reviews182 followers
May 17, 2017
3.5

Das Cover ist absolut zauberhaft und hat mich als erstes neugierig auf das Buch gemacht. Auch der Klappentext hat dann mein Interesse geweckt.

Die Idee der Geschichte ist wirklich süß. Ich fand die besonderen Rezepte gut in die Geschichte eingearbeitet und außerdem fand ich es echt klasse, dass zu jeden Rezept noch der Entstehungshintergrund erzählt wurde.
Die Geschichte hat von allem etwas, es gibt was schmunzeln und an Spannung fehlt es auch nicht, allerdings hatte es an mancher Stelle doch ein paar Längen.

Mit der Heldin Rose bin ich nicht so ganz warm geworden und es wurde zu sehr darauf rumgeritten wie wertlos sie sich fühlt. Die Geschwister sind teilweise ein wenig blass geblieben.

Das Buch war unterhaltsam mit einem für die Zielgruppe passenden Schreibstil.
Profile Image for Dion Yulianto.
Author 24 books196 followers
August 27, 2019
Ada sesuatu yang tidak biasa pada Keluarga Bliss. Keluarga ini dari luar mungkin terlihat senormal keluarga-keluarga lainnya. Sebuah keluarga sedang (suami istri dengan 4 orang anak) yang memiliki usaha toko kue di kota. Tapi, ada sesuatu yang ajaib dari kue, donat, dan muffin yang dibuat oleh keluarga Bliss. Kue buatan mereka pernah menyadarkan seorang anak dari komanya, menyembuhkan penyakit tidur berjalan yang diiap Mr. Rook, bahkan entah bagaimana bisa mengeluarkan Mr Wadsworth yang terjebak dalam sebuah lubang sempit (ia keluar dengan badan yang terasa agak melayang). Dalam kisah Keluarga Bliss, keajaiban tidak terletak pada rapalan mantra atau ayunan tongkat sihir. Keajaiban milik keluarga Bliss berada dalam seloyang muffin dan setangkup pai nan lezat.

https://dionyulianto.blogspot.com/201...
Profile Image for gigi_booksworld.
146 reviews15 followers
January 26, 2021
Ωραίο ήταν! Σίγουρα θα διαβάσω και τα υπόλοιπα ♥
Profile Image for Truly.
2,760 reviews13 followers
December 23, 2012
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Muffin Zucchini

Bahan-bahan:
1. Sari vanila tahiti 2 cangkang-ek
2. Tepung 1 kepal
3. Gula 1 kepal
4. Labu hijau besar 1 buah
5. Telur Burung Cinta Bertopeng 1 butir

Mantera:
Agapornis Personata

Cara Membuat:
1. Parut labu hijau besar sambil menyenandungkan nama dua orang kesepian yang akan disatukan dalam cinta, sebanyak 3 X.
2. Ayak tepung dan gula dengan mempergunakan pengayak logam .
3. Taburkan sari vanila tahiti terbaik di atas tepung.
4. Campurkan dengan telur Burung Cinta Bertopeng
5. Tuangkan dalam loyang muffin dan panggang pada suhu panas 6 nyala api selama 8 lagu

Muffin Zucchini bukanlah muffin biasa. Kakak-beradik Ty dan Rose Bliss membuat kue tersebut untuk diberikan kepada guru di sekolah mereka, Mr Bastable dan Miss Thistle. Konon kue tersebut dapat mendekatnya sosok yang saling menyuka. Celakanya selesai membuat dan memberikan kepada kedua orang guru tersebut, Ty baru menemukan grafik koversi di dalam lemari pembeku. Kepalan setara dengan setengah cangkir, sementara mereka menganggap satu cangkir. Lagu setara dengan empat menit, sedangkan tadi mereka berdua mengartikan sebagai setengah jam. Muffin yang mereka buat salah resep! Tak terbayangkan gimana akibatnya.
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