One flaky family. One ex-boyfriend who won't go away. And a handsome stranger who probably will ... For fans of Doc Martin and Monica McInerney, a warm, witty novel, brimming with the trademark romance, friendship and eccentricity that Danielle Hawkins's readers love.

On the outskirts of a small seaside town, Lia and her friend Anna work serious hours running their restored cafe. The summer season is upon them, they have Anna's wedding to plan and Lia's ex-boyfriend seems not to understand it's over. When a gorgeous stranger taps on Lia's window near midnight and turns out not to be a serial killer, she feels it's a promising sign. But no one comes without a past, and his arrives in the form of a four-year-old son. Just as Lia decides to give this complicated relationship a go, her own past rears up, jeopardising everything. The Pretty Delicious Cafe reminds us of the joys - and hazards - to be found in family, friends and good food - and that being a little bit weird isn't necessarily a bad thing.

PRAISE FOR DANIELLE HAWKINS The Pretty Delicious Cafe `everything a summer read should be – warm and witty' Who Weekly `Incredibly fast paced with effortlessly flowing witty dialogue, it's hard to believe The Pretty Delicious Cafe is a book and not a television series - this is a book fans of Bridget Jones' Diary and Offspring will love to sink their teeth into' Better Reading 'A sweet, tasty treat of a tale, sprinkled with wry humour and sparkling dialogue, dusted with a touch of the bitter-sweet' The Reader booksellers' blog

Dinner at Roses 'A cross between All Creatures Great and Small, Bridget Jones's Diary and something the Topp Twins would write if there was only one of them and she was straight, this is a very funny book' Next Book Club 'What really carries it is the quality of the writing. The dialogue is absolutely spot on. You would almost believe the author wrote for TV or writes sitcoms. It's very, very funny' Paper Plus, Winter Reads 'It's so good that it's hard to believe it's a first novel. It had better not be her last. Please, Danielle' Lee Matthews, Manawatu Standard 'Reading this is better than sleeping!' Sunday Star Times

Chocolate Cake for Breakfast 'Another sweet, gently funny depiction of life in the back blocks of New Zealand' Next 'Helen is frankly delightful - intelligent but oh-so-human ... a plausible, relatable storyline and hugely appealing characters. A charming summer read, and a giggling good time' Australian Women's Weekly 'The only problem I could see in the book was the Wallabies did not win often enough' Jodie, GoodReads 'This is a delightful, contemporary romance' - Herald Sun