The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe - Catherine Greer

A woman's midlife reinvention and a beach village of eccentric Aussies collide with stupendous results in this witty, razor-sharp and immensely enjoyable debut from author Catherine Greer.

Audrey Sweetman wakes up one morning next to her husband, excited for the promotion she's been working towards for years. But by nightfall, everything in her life has been upended.

She escapes to the seaside village of Whitehaven Bay, but her plan to hide is derailed by her meddlesome new neighbours. The Coffin Cheaters bikie gang. A cranky pensioner with a habit of naked swimming. Shez, the dubious 'CEO' of the holiday flats. A mouthy teen who's nothing but trouble. And a handsome yet elusive retiree, Dr Flood.

When Audrey learns she's facing financial disaster, the villagers help her launch the haphazard Bittersweet Biscuits. Targeting divorce parties for Sydney's elite, Audrey begins selling fortune cookies that tell the bitter truth.

With a little help from her unpredictable friends, Audrey just might be able to make the outlandish business work—if the law doesn't catch up with her first.

Published March 4, 2025