What do you think?
Rate this book
Tea Is So Intoxicating
“I shall turn this into a tea-house, with lunches if requested, and shall serve pleasant meals in the orchard,” announced David, “and with my penchant for cooking I ought to make a fortune.”
“Oh dear!” said Germayne.
David Tompkins thinks it is a splendid idea to open a tea garden at his Kentish cottage. His wife, Germayne, is not so sure. The local villagers are divided on the matter, and not necessarily supportive, particularly Mr. Perch at the Dolphin, who sees it as direct competition to Mrs. Perch’s own tea garden. It doesn’t bode well when the official opening coincides with a break in the beautiful weather. Things are further complicated by the arrival of the "cake cook" Mimi, a Viennese girl with a mysterious past, Germayne’s daughter Ducks, and finally her "rather stolid" ex-husband Digby. With rumor rife that the couple is – whisper it – not actually married, the lady of the manor, who has failed to realize that nowadays that title carries no real weight, makes it her mission to shut the enterprise down.
British Library Women Writers 1950's.
Part of a curated collection of forgotten works by early to mid-century women writers, the British Library Women Writers series highlights the best middlebrow fiction from the 1910s to the 1960s, offering escapism, popular appeal, and plenty of period detail to amuse, surprise, and inform.
“Oh dear!” said Germayne.
David Tompkins thinks it is a splendid idea to open a tea garden at his Kentish cottage. His wife, Germayne, is not so sure. The local villagers are divided on the matter, and not necessarily supportive, particularly Mr. Perch at the Dolphin, who sees it as direct competition to Mrs. Perch’s own tea garden. It doesn’t bode well when the official opening coincides with a break in the beautiful weather. Things are further complicated by the arrival of the "cake cook" Mimi, a Viennese girl with a mysterious past, Germayne’s daughter Ducks, and finally her "rather stolid" ex-husband Digby. With rumor rife that the couple is – whisper it – not actually married, the lady of the manor, who has failed to realize that nowadays that title carries no real weight, makes it her mission to shut the enterprise down.
British Library Women Writers 1950's.
Part of a curated collection of forgotten works by early to mid-century women writers, the British Library Women Writers series highlights the best middlebrow fiction from the 1910s to the 1960s, offering escapism, popular appeal, and plenty of period detail to amuse, surprise, and inform.
215 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
13 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
April 3, 2023
Mary Essex is one of many pen-names used by Ursula Bloom, who wrote a staggering 500+ novels. I must admit that this information made me a little dubious about this book; how can you keep up the quality when you're churning out novels at a rate of knots? I took a chance on it because it's included in the BLWW series, and so far I have found these books to be very enjoyable.
David and Germayne move into a cottage in a small Kentish village following the break-up of Germayne's marriage. David fancies himself as a cook and de3cides that the best way to make ends meet is to open up a tea garden to cater for the weekend hikers and day-trippers heading to the countryside. Unfortunately, someone in the village has found out that they weren't properly married when they moved in, and the lady of the manor, who seems to think she still has as much power as she had before the war, is vehemently against the idea of the hoi polloi turning up in her village, attracted by the tea garden, (although David's idea is that it will be a high class establishment), and she sets about trying shut down the enterprise. Things become even more complicated with the arrival of Germayne's ex-husband and daughter on the scene.
I found the story funny and enterytaining, but there were several loose ends that could have done with being tied up at the end and ultimately, there was no real substance to the book, it almost felt as though she were already thinking about her next book, and eager to finish off this one; perhaps she was. One for when you just want to switch off.
David and Germayne move into a cottage in a small Kentish village following the break-up of Germayne's marriage. David fancies himself as a cook and de3cides that the best way to make ends meet is to open up a tea garden to cater for the weekend hikers and day-trippers heading to the countryside. Unfortunately, someone in the village has found out that they weren't properly married when they moved in, and the lady of the manor, who seems to think she still has as much power as she had before the war, is vehemently against the idea of the hoi polloi turning up in her village, attracted by the tea garden, (although David's idea is that it will be a high class establishment), and she sets about trying shut down the enterprise. Things become even more complicated with the arrival of Germayne's ex-husband and daughter on the scene.
I found the story funny and enterytaining, but there were several loose ends that could have done with being tied up at the end and ultimately, there was no real substance to the book, it almost felt as though she were already thinking about her next book, and eager to finish off this one; perhaps she was. One for when you just want to switch off.
August 5, 2023
This book made me laugh! It’s like a Barbara Pym novel but almost a straight-up farce with its village setting and diverse cast of characters who are not exactly likable and yet tremendously amusing. The tea house is bound to be a disaster but, again, an amusing disaster. There is a Wodehousian flavor to the language and the comedy, especially in reference to main character David’s “grey matter”, which is decidedly lacking.
Simon Thomas, of StuckinaBook.com, wrote the afterward and it is five stars! He gives succinct and helpful historical background and notes how the novel is very firmly rooted in its post-WWII setting. There is talk of rationing and the major changes in government with the rise of the welfare state but it’s all veiled in comedy.
Mary Essex’s prose flows along easily and is a pleasure to read. I can see this book appealing to fans of Angela Thirkell. In order for me to love a book, I must have a character to love so that’s why this book didn’t earn more stars but I enjoyed the absurd plot and the wry, laugh-out-loud descriptions of both characters and village life.
Simon Thomas, of StuckinaBook.com, wrote the afterward and it is five stars! He gives succinct and helpful historical background and notes how the novel is very firmly rooted in its post-WWII setting. There is talk of rationing and the major changes in government with the rise of the welfare state but it’s all veiled in comedy.
Mary Essex’s prose flows along easily and is a pleasure to read. I can see this book appealing to fans of Angela Thirkell. In order for me to love a book, I must have a character to love so that’s why this book didn’t earn more stars but I enjoyed the absurd plot and the wry, laugh-out-loud descriptions of both characters and village life.
February 2, 2021
4.5 Stars
First published in 1950, Tea is so Intoxicating is another recent reissue in the British Library’s excellent Women Writers series, and it’s probably my favourite so far. Ostensibly the story of a couple’s quest to open a tea garden in an insular English village, Essex’s novel touches on various areas of British life in the years immediately following the Second World War. More specifically, it is a book about class, social attitudes, the pettiness of village life, and perhaps most importantly of all, the failure to recognise one’s own limitations.
The couple in question are David and Germayne Tompkins, who are relative newcomers to Wellhurst in Kent, the sort of village where everyone knows everyone else’s business. David is one of those men with big ambitions but precious little skills or knowledge to put his ideas into practice. He is also something of a self-conscious snob, forever envying other, more successful individuals for their achievements and contentment with life.
While recuperating from a short illness, David develops an obsession with cooking, convincing himself that he can produce dishes of the highest order when in fact his efforts are little short of disastrous. This, coupled with his experience in the accounts department of the Dolly Varden Cosy Tea Shops, Ltd., leads David to the view that he should open a tea garden in the grounds of the couple’s cottage – a rather primitive, poorly-equipped property that the Tompkinses have unwisely purchased at a knockdown price. Germayne, on the other hand, is somewhat dismayed at the prospect, fearful in the belief that poor David is getting carried away with himself…
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2021...
First published in 1950, Tea is so Intoxicating is another recent reissue in the British Library’s excellent Women Writers series, and it’s probably my favourite so far. Ostensibly the story of a couple’s quest to open a tea garden in an insular English village, Essex’s novel touches on various areas of British life in the years immediately following the Second World War. More specifically, it is a book about class, social attitudes, the pettiness of village life, and perhaps most importantly of all, the failure to recognise one’s own limitations.
The couple in question are David and Germayne Tompkins, who are relative newcomers to Wellhurst in Kent, the sort of village where everyone knows everyone else’s business. David is one of those men with big ambitions but precious little skills or knowledge to put his ideas into practice. He is also something of a self-conscious snob, forever envying other, more successful individuals for their achievements and contentment with life.
While recuperating from a short illness, David develops an obsession with cooking, convincing himself that he can produce dishes of the highest order when in fact his efforts are little short of disastrous. This, coupled with his experience in the accounts department of the Dolly Varden Cosy Tea Shops, Ltd., leads David to the view that he should open a tea garden in the grounds of the couple’s cottage – a rather primitive, poorly-equipped property that the Tompkinses have unwisely purchased at a knockdown price. Germayne, on the other hand, is somewhat dismayed at the prospect, fearful in the belief that poor David is getting carried away with himself…
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2021...
October 13, 2020
A book in which none of the characters are at all attractive does not seem at first glance to be a good idea, but in the experienced hands of “Mary Essex”, or the thinly disguised Ursula Bloom, this is a funny and truly wonderful read. First published in 1950, this book has just been republished by the British Library in their Women Writers series. This book offers a group of characters who are obsessed, searching for something, or just a bit dissatisfied, but they are put together with an effect which is quite dramatic. David is obsessive, and struggles with what he can actually achieve. For complicated reasons he decides that nothing will do but to start a tea garden out of his small, uncomfortable and impractical cottage, much to the dismay of his wife, the struggling Germayne. The locals to a woman and man are opposed to the project, from fear of competition in the form of the public house, to the vehement disgust of the lady of the manor. Mrs Arbroath has fancied herself as running the village for decades, and is appalled at the prospect of the incoming couple opening such a vulgar enterprise in her village. The Vicar, the resident retired Colonel and many others get dragged into a programme of protest, much to Germayne’s discomfort. This is a very funny, surprising and enjoyable read and I was so very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.
The subject of a tea garden in the early 1950s was a contentious one. Rationing of the basics of life was still very much in the news, and tea itself was still a highly valued commodity. David is a man who has obsessions but not the skill to pull them off, much to the despair of his wife Germayne. It is after the war, and David’s quiet military experience and employment in the accounts department of the Dolly Varden Cosy Tea Shops, Ltd has in no way fitted him to be an entrepreneur, even to the extent of running a tea garden especially in the face of local opposition. The story of how he came to marry the despairing Germayne is also tackled, especially in the light of her previous marriage to the large, dull and relatively well off Digby and their memorable daughter Ducks. The scheme to establish a tea garden is borne of desperation and financial need, but sadly David vastly overestimates his skill at cooking, his organisational abilities and his eye for a bargain in terms of equipment. Meanwhile, Mrs Arbroath has not only discovered objections to the tea garden, but also to the morals of the newly arrived Commander and Mrs Tompkins. The situation, already building up well, is made much more dynamic by the arrival of Mimi, dubious, flirtatious and full of winning ways.
This is in some senses a book of its time, with characters probably typical of post war Britain. It also appeals to any audience who enjoys a comedy which borders on tragedy, a drama of people and and place, of village life and the problems of weather. I enjoyed the characters hugely and the story works really well. I found the characters appealing in their awfulness and involvement with each other, and the village setting fascinating. The themes of the story are not confined to the time of writing; the problems of relationships, the issues of over ambition and the weather are well known. I recommend this book as a very enjoyable read from a skilful author in a series that is obviously discovering some real treasures.
The subject of a tea garden in the early 1950s was a contentious one. Rationing of the basics of life was still very much in the news, and tea itself was still a highly valued commodity. David is a man who has obsessions but not the skill to pull them off, much to the despair of his wife Germayne. It is after the war, and David’s quiet military experience and employment in the accounts department of the Dolly Varden Cosy Tea Shops, Ltd has in no way fitted him to be an entrepreneur, even to the extent of running a tea garden especially in the face of local opposition. The story of how he came to marry the despairing Germayne is also tackled, especially in the light of her previous marriage to the large, dull and relatively well off Digby and their memorable daughter Ducks. The scheme to establish a tea garden is borne of desperation and financial need, but sadly David vastly overestimates his skill at cooking, his organisational abilities and his eye for a bargain in terms of equipment. Meanwhile, Mrs Arbroath has not only discovered objections to the tea garden, but also to the morals of the newly arrived Commander and Mrs Tompkins. The situation, already building up well, is made much more dynamic by the arrival of Mimi, dubious, flirtatious and full of winning ways.
This is in some senses a book of its time, with characters probably typical of post war Britain. It also appeals to any audience who enjoys a comedy which borders on tragedy, a drama of people and and place, of village life and the problems of weather. I enjoyed the characters hugely and the story works really well. I found the characters appealing in their awfulness and involvement with each other, and the village setting fascinating. The themes of the story are not confined to the time of writing; the problems of relationships, the issues of over ambition and the weather are well known. I recommend this book as a very enjoyable read from a skilful author in a series that is obviously discovering some real treasures.
January 23, 2023
Mary Essex's Tea Is So Intoxicating is the second book I've read from the British Library Women Writers line and I am impressed. I had previously read Father by Elizabeth Von Arnim last summer and was blown away.
What starts out as a seemingly simple story about Germayne’s second husband trying to open a tea garden turns into something else completely.
This is a story about the relationship amongst women with other women, relationships and misunderstandings between the sexes, the changing nature of village life, societal viewpoints toward and expectations of women and their place in society, and self knowledge.
So much of the day to day life was foreign to me and partly because I'm not British, partly because of the passage of time since this book was written. For these reasons, I could never guess where the author would take me. This book will stay with me for a long time and I look forward to reading many more books from the British Library Women Writers line.
What starts out as a seemingly simple story about Germayne’s second husband trying to open a tea garden turns into something else completely.
This is a story about the relationship amongst women with other women, relationships and misunderstandings between the sexes, the changing nature of village life, societal viewpoints toward and expectations of women and their place in society, and self knowledge.
So much of the day to day life was foreign to me and partly because I'm not British, partly because of the passage of time since this book was written. For these reasons, I could never guess where the author would take me. This book will stay with me for a long time and I look forward to reading many more books from the British Library Women Writers line.
June 6, 2023
You know me and my love of Stiff Upper Lip fiction. I started on audio but the narrator got on my nerves. It reads better than it listens.
April 29, 2021
Written by Ursula Bloom under one of her many pseudonyms, Tea Is So Intoxicating provided my first taste of the British Library’s collection of works by forgotten women writers. In post-WWII rural England, David and Germayne face many misadventures in their attempt to open tea gardens at their quaint cottage. Unfortunately, the village vehemently opposes the scheme, partly because local gossip leads to the shocking discovery that the pair weren’t properly married when they moved to the village. Even worse, Germayne is a divorcee – escandalo! The novel presents an intriguing portrait of shifting values in England following the devastation of the war.
I loved the first half of the novel. Bloom presents the reader with picture-perfect images as she sketches the backstories of David and Germayne prior to their relationship. I think any old home owner can relate to passages concerning the couple’s escape to the country: their initial elation as they fall for the character charm, quickly followed by ominous dismay as the property’s numerous faults come to light.
Sadly, as a reader, I experienced a similar arc of joy followed by disappointment, as the novel lost much of its initial charm in the final third of the narrative. David’s determination to follow through with his absurd business plan despite an appalling ignorance of basic entrepreneurial know-how, juxtaposed with Germayne’s (often silent) disapproval, quickly becomes tiresome. The character of Mimi, the bombshell baker hired to produce a steady stream of cakes, presents an especially static cliché of the femme fatale. With her ability to transform any male in the vicinity from a rational being to a drooling pile of goo, she’s a long-legged stereotype rather than a character in her own right. For me, there simply wasn’t enough nuance here to sustain the wonderful setup.
I loved the first half of the novel. Bloom presents the reader with picture-perfect images as she sketches the backstories of David and Germayne prior to their relationship. I think any old home owner can relate to passages concerning the couple’s escape to the country: their initial elation as they fall for the character charm, quickly followed by ominous dismay as the property’s numerous faults come to light.
Sadly, as a reader, I experienced a similar arc of joy followed by disappointment, as the novel lost much of its initial charm in the final third of the narrative. David’s determination to follow through with his absurd business plan despite an appalling ignorance of basic entrepreneurial know-how, juxtaposed with Germayne’s (often silent) disapproval, quickly becomes tiresome. The character of Mimi, the bombshell baker hired to produce a steady stream of cakes, presents an especially static cliché of the femme fatale. With her ability to transform any male in the vicinity from a rational being to a drooling pile of goo, she’s a long-legged stereotype rather than a character in her own right. For me, there simply wasn’t enough nuance here to sustain the wonderful setup.
July 18, 2021
Tea Is So Intoxicating is a social satire that sits somewhat uneasily between E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia series and the infamous Carry On films.
Published in 1950 (and set a couple of years earlier) by Ursula Bloom, under one of her many noms de plumes, the book works on two levels, poking fun at small village politics, while casting a wry look at the personal sphere and its newly, more relaxed mores.
Essex/Bloom depicts a world no longer held by the socially liberating turmoil of the war and trying to cobble a new equilibrium. Although it is obvious that things can't go back to how they were (and the old order is literally dying), the author seems in the end to rally with the forces of conservatism that are trying to reassert themselves. New ways may have their alluring and deceptive charms, but, in the end, there is, it seems, a lot to be said for comfort, conformity, and predictability.
As a book written by a woman, the male characters are not presented in a positive light, but the women fare only marginally better. Together with its structure as an ensemble piece (without any truly central character), this lack of real likability in any of its characters (most of them recognisable types) is perhaps the main problem of a book, that, while mildly amusing and full of mordant observations, failed to really engage me. I didn't particularly care about what was happening and who it was happening to. A common pitfall of satirical fiction, unfortunately.
Published in 1950 (and set a couple of years earlier) by Ursula Bloom, under one of her many noms de plumes, the book works on two levels, poking fun at small village politics, while casting a wry look at the personal sphere and its newly, more relaxed mores.
Essex/Bloom depicts a world no longer held by the socially liberating turmoil of the war and trying to cobble a new equilibrium. Although it is obvious that things can't go back to how they were (and the old order is literally dying), the author seems in the end to rally with the forces of conservatism that are trying to reassert themselves. New ways may have their alluring and deceptive charms, but, in the end, there is, it seems, a lot to be said for comfort, conformity, and predictability.
As a book written by a woman, the male characters are not presented in a positive light, but the women fare only marginally better. Together with its structure as an ensemble piece (without any truly central character), this lack of real likability in any of its characters (most of them recognisable types) is perhaps the main problem of a book, that, while mildly amusing and full of mordant observations, failed to really engage me. I didn't particularly care about what was happening and who it was happening to. A common pitfall of satirical fiction, unfortunately.
April 25, 2022
4.5🌟 For a book that has very few likable characters, I loved it! Mary Essex's (aka Ursula Bloom) writing style is just so witty and flowing. It was very much like a soap opera in feel and I just couldn't get enough of it. The title itself drew me in because I love tea and tea houses of all sorts, especially afternoon tea.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Even the unlikable characters you feel sorry for in some way. I wanted to give them all a nice, hot bath, a good cup of tea (finally!), and a soothing animal companion to pet.
I will definitely read more by this prolific author and can't wait to see if some of her other books are as good as this one. Entertaining, addictive, frustrating, but very fun to read.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Even the unlikable characters you feel sorry for in some way. I wanted to give them all a nice, hot bath, a good cup of tea (finally!), and a soothing animal companion to pet.
I will definitely read more by this prolific author and can't wait to see if some of her other books are as good as this one. Entertaining, addictive, frustrating, but very fun to read.
May 24, 2021
What a charming novel. The characters were typical of the time in the lovely rural setting of Wellshurst. The local gossip and resistance to change is well played out as David and Germayne attempt to open a tea-shop, which is foiled at every turn. A highly amusing tale.
March 26, 2022
Dnf 50%. Characters lack depth and are, unintentionally, caricatures so it was hard to care about them and therefore engage in the story.
August 5, 2023
This was the first book that I have read from the British Library Women Writers series. I bought 4 of them recently and it’s hard not to compare them to the Persephone publishing collection as they both highlight women writers from the 1900’s that were once popular but have been forgotten. That being said, I didn’t love this as much as I hoped. I enjoyed reading it but it wasn’t a stand-out for me. It was just okay. I did enjoy the 1950’s language throughout and a look at the postwar years. You don’t think about food rationing lasting 14 years in England, only ending in 1954!
July 4, 2024
My first in the British Library Women Writers series, and could best be described, as termed by Dean Street Press, as a ‘Furrowed Middlebrow’ read…most enjoyable.
January 14, 2021
The first book I've read from the British Library Women Writers series and excellently reviewed online at JacquiWine's Journal.
Pure escapism and sheer fun! There is never a dull moment or loose threads dangling at the end. A perfectly constructed novel about a couple trying to open a cottage tea shop in a small village whose various inhabitants are less than happy with these newcomers and their venture. Published in 1950, it reflects post-war life. I loved it and plan to read more in this series.
Pure escapism and sheer fun! There is never a dull moment or loose threads dangling at the end. A perfectly constructed novel about a couple trying to open a cottage tea shop in a small village whose various inhabitants are less than happy with these newcomers and their venture. Published in 1950, it reflects post-war life. I loved it and plan to read more in this series.
June 8, 2021
3 1/2 stars. Sort of like an episode of Midsomer Murders without the murdery parts. The villagers are terrible, but/and their petty squabbles and backstabbing are amusing. Interesting look at post-WWII social norms and the ongoing constraints of rationing, plus the growing pains of a rapidly changing social structure.
January 26, 2021
Rather hard going.
July 6, 2025
Short satirical novel from 1950 about a hapless couple's misguided attempt to open a tea-shop, helped (or hampered) by their attractive refugee cake-cook.
David Tompkins fancies himself both a good cook and an entrepreneur. Having worked in the accounts department of a chain of tea-shops before WWII, he is convinced he will make a success out of "Cherry Tree cottage". His long-suffering wife, Germayne, is not at all enthusiastic, and when David hires Mimi, a sexy but manipulative Viennese cake-cook, she is even less sanguine about the enterprise. The village is up in arms about the projected tea-garden, especially the authoritarian Mrs. Arbroath, who seems not to have noticed that in the post-war world, he lady of the manor can no longer enforce her will in all village matters. Fortunately she is distracted by the smooth manners of Colonel Blandish, ex-Indian army. Germayne, increasingly worried about David's hopeless lack of business acumen, reaches out to her ex-husband Digby for moral support. This, unfortunately, comes at a price : she is expected to host her daughter, Ducks, who, after a childhood as a spoiled brat, has now bloomed into a know-it-all teenager.
The book was funny, but with mordant undertones. Germayne and David are both not very bright, not very skilled, not very well equipped for the entrepreneurial life. The difference is that Germayne realizes this, whereas David is convinced that he is a business genius- if only other people would not keep interfering! Digby, Germayne's first husband, is a fussy, just-so stockbroker, but poor Germayne comes to understand that perhaps she had acted prematurely in leaving him for David. As for Mimi, the cake-cook, she is the type of Becky Sharp-ish survivor that the reader doesn't need to worry about. We know she will land on her feet and encounter more men who will bend over backwards to help and protect this "poor little innocent girl".
I enjoyed the farcical aspects in the book, but there was not really a single sympathetic character in it. David and Digby are both insufferable in their own ways: one a deluded nincompoop, the other a self-important fusspot. Ducks, in the parlance of her times, needs a good spanking. Mrs. Arbroath considers the village her personal fiefdom. Germayne, poor woman, has blundered from a bored marriage into a disastrous one, twice the victim of her inability to see beyond the surface.
David Tompkins fancies himself both a good cook and an entrepreneur. Having worked in the accounts department of a chain of tea-shops before WWII, he is convinced he will make a success out of "Cherry Tree cottage". His long-suffering wife, Germayne, is not at all enthusiastic, and when David hires Mimi, a sexy but manipulative Viennese cake-cook, she is even less sanguine about the enterprise. The village is up in arms about the projected tea-garden, especially the authoritarian Mrs. Arbroath, who seems not to have noticed that in the post-war world, he lady of the manor can no longer enforce her will in all village matters. Fortunately she is distracted by the smooth manners of Colonel Blandish, ex-Indian army. Germayne, increasingly worried about David's hopeless lack of business acumen, reaches out to her ex-husband Digby for moral support. This, unfortunately, comes at a price : she is expected to host her daughter, Ducks, who, after a childhood as a spoiled brat, has now bloomed into a know-it-all teenager.
The book was funny, but with mordant undertones. Germayne and David are both not very bright, not very skilled, not very well equipped for the entrepreneurial life. The difference is that Germayne realizes this, whereas David is convinced that he is a business genius- if only other people would not keep interfering! Digby, Germayne's first husband, is a fussy, just-so stockbroker, but poor Germayne comes to understand that perhaps she had acted prematurely in leaving him for David. As for Mimi, the cake-cook, she is the type of Becky Sharp-ish survivor that the reader doesn't need to worry about. We know she will land on her feet and encounter more men who will bend over backwards to help and protect this "poor little innocent girl".
I enjoyed the farcical aspects in the book, but there was not really a single sympathetic character in it. David and Digby are both insufferable in their own ways: one a deluded nincompoop, the other a self-important fusspot. Ducks, in the parlance of her times, needs a good spanking. Mrs. Arbroath considers the village her personal fiefdom. Germayne, poor woman, has blundered from a bored marriage into a disastrous one, twice the victim of her inability to see beyond the surface.
August 14, 2024
Tea is So Intoxicating follows several characters in the village of Wellhurst as they variously deal with the arrival of its newest residents Commander David Tompkins and his not quite yet wife, Germayne, only recently divorced from her first husband, Digby. Upon moving in, David, who can never seem to do anything very successfully and yet has the confidence of one who can, has a dubious hit with a jelly and some bottled gooseberries and decides to open a tea house for tourists. Cherry Tree Cottage Tea House seems doomed from the start, and with no money of his own to put into it and the problems of a ramshackle rural idyll to contend with, Germayne finds herself wishing she had never left Digby who is now doing rather well on the stock exchange. The arrival of “cake cook” Mimi, a young Austrian girl, may help a little - especially where the men of the village are concerned, but even so, there is still Mrs Arbroath of the Manor House to convince and Germayne’s estranged daughter, Ducks also has a part to play.
Set in Kent, post WWII, Mary Essex, also known as Ursula Bloom, takes a lighthearted look at village life and the changing attitudes of the time. The first half reminded me of a D E Stevenson's Fair Miss Fortune and up until halfway through I thought it was easy weekend reading. But then it just gets a bit odd. Mrs Arbroath falls in love with the Colonel, after he kisses her. She then announces their engagement, the Colonel faints with astonishment and takes to his bed. Once recovered he breaks it off and then she dies! In the meantime she has left the Manor House to him in her will.
David manages to secure finance for the Tea House from his friend George who has fallen for Mimi's charms and offers him £500, but it is still a disaster, they don't have the cakes people want and it is pouring with rain so hardly any tea is served. Added to that is the day before opening Germayne's daughter has a car crash and jolts Germayne into thinking that perhaps she should be a better mother. Digby arrives and says he is still in love with Germayne, David punches him but Digby hits back and knocks him out. Then they run off together. Not what I was expecting. The humour in this passed me by (car crashes, death of an infant, an affair etc) but even so I think it was meant to be extremely tongue in cheek.
Set in Kent, post WWII, Mary Essex, also known as Ursula Bloom, takes a lighthearted look at village life and the changing attitudes of the time. The first half reminded me of a D E Stevenson's Fair Miss Fortune and up until halfway through I thought it was easy weekend reading. But then it just gets a bit odd. Mrs Arbroath falls in love with the Colonel, after he kisses her. She then announces their engagement, the Colonel faints with astonishment and takes to his bed. Once recovered he breaks it off and then she dies! In the meantime she has left the Manor House to him in her will.
David manages to secure finance for the Tea House from his friend George who has fallen for Mimi's charms and offers him £500, but it is still a disaster, they don't have the cakes people want and it is pouring with rain so hardly any tea is served. Added to that is the day before opening Germayne's daughter has a car crash and jolts Germayne into thinking that perhaps she should be a better mother. Digby arrives and says he is still in love with Germayne, David punches him but Digby hits back and knocks him out. Then they run off together. Not what I was expecting. The humour in this passed me by (car crashes, death of an infant, an affair etc) but even so I think it was meant to be extremely tongue in cheek.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2022
This book was a gift to me and I thought it would be a nice thing to read over the summer. I have read these kinds of republished books by not as well known women writers before and had a good time with them.
This one is about David and Germayne who move to a ramshackle little cottage in the English country at the end of the 1940s. They had bought it before the war and lived in it for a while but then had other things to do during the war. Germayne had an ex-husband who she was vaguely fond of and a daughter she regarded with mild affection. David was a flighty, not terribly bright man but had the idea of opening a tea shop and the book is about them, preparing to open the tea shop and the village's reaction to it.
I enjoyed this book. Essex has quite a funny writing style, gently poking fun of many of her characters both in narration and through their own actions. All the characters were colourful in their own way but none of them were particularly well put together (apart from Gertrude who, despite meddling, was probably the most sensible person in the whole cast) and it was enjoyable to see them all muddle along together.
The plot itself had some twists and turns along the way and although the tea shop is mentioned quite a lot, it's never the true focus of the story, rather looking at all the varying relationships going on around it. Mimi was a scream and I suspect she always lands on her feet, Ducks sounds like a chore and it sounds like everyone gets an ending, deserved or not.
Despite all this, I found this book just missing something for me. It didn't give me as much of the setting as I wanted (though I did enjoy the vicar) and while I enjoyed the ending all round, I thought it could have done with something a little bit more. That said, I think this might be more of a personal thing than anything else so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone who wants a quiet, literary book set in post-war English countryside.
3.5 stars!
This one is about David and Germayne who move to a ramshackle little cottage in the English country at the end of the 1940s. They had bought it before the war and lived in it for a while but then had other things to do during the war. Germayne had an ex-husband who she was vaguely fond of and a daughter she regarded with mild affection. David was a flighty, not terribly bright man but had the idea of opening a tea shop and the book is about them, preparing to open the tea shop and the village's reaction to it.
I enjoyed this book. Essex has quite a funny writing style, gently poking fun of many of her characters both in narration and through their own actions. All the characters were colourful in their own way but none of them were particularly well put together (apart from Gertrude who, despite meddling, was probably the most sensible person in the whole cast) and it was enjoyable to see them all muddle along together.
The plot itself had some twists and turns along the way and although the tea shop is mentioned quite a lot, it's never the true focus of the story, rather looking at all the varying relationships going on around it. Mimi was a scream and I suspect she always lands on her feet, Ducks sounds like a chore and it sounds like everyone gets an ending, deserved or not.
Despite all this, I found this book just missing something for me. It didn't give me as much of the setting as I wanted (though I did enjoy the vicar) and while I enjoyed the ending all round, I thought it could have done with something a little bit more. That said, I think this might be more of a personal thing than anything else so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone who wants a quiet, literary book set in post-war English countryside.
3.5 stars!
September 15, 2021
Germayne leaves the dependable Digby for romantic David but lives to regret it. David is a dreamer, entirely lacking in common sense and his most dramatic dream is to set up a high class tearoom in their ultra conservative village. From the start it's clear it isn't going to work.
Digby has remained a friend and support to his ex wife and 10 years later Germayne appreciates what he has to offer. But meanwhile she is now married to David. So what to do?
Mimi the Viennese cake cook is a breath of fresh air. Her waif like looks prove instantly seductive to almost any man who comes near her. Her problem, she moans, is that the husbands always appreciate her but the wives invariably fire her.
Mimi provides a comedic contrast with the greyness of marriage, and appears to be en route to acquiring a husband, any husband, from among David and Germayne's acquaintances. No prizes for guessing that she's just as treacherous as those jealous housewives suspected.
The plot is light and funny in the manner of old fashioned farce, avant garde in that it treats divorce lightly. At that time divorce was difficult to obtain and considered socially scandalous so author Mary Essex (pen name of prolific author Ursula Bloom) has broken a mould by making it seem so normal here.
Digby has remained a friend and support to his ex wife and 10 years later Germayne appreciates what he has to offer. But meanwhile she is now married to David. So what to do?
Mimi the Viennese cake cook is a breath of fresh air. Her waif like looks prove instantly seductive to almost any man who comes near her. Her problem, she moans, is that the husbands always appreciate her but the wives invariably fire her.
Mimi provides a comedic contrast with the greyness of marriage, and appears to be en route to acquiring a husband, any husband, from among David and Germayne's acquaintances. No prizes for guessing that she's just as treacherous as those jealous housewives suspected.
The plot is light and funny in the manner of old fashioned farce, avant garde in that it treats divorce lightly. At that time divorce was difficult to obtain and considered socially scandalous so author Mary Essex (pen name of prolific author Ursula Bloom) has broken a mould by making it seem so normal here.
August 31, 2023
Most of the characters in the book are absolutely frightful but nonetheless well observed by the author. Through no fault of my own I did live in a very small village for about ten years and recognise the cattiness and meddling of the residents with nothing better to do than criticise. Happily in the village where I lived there were also some truly genuine and friendly people. One of my most obvious flaws (which I shared with my Father) is that, to quote my Mother:"He does not suffer fools gladly". Consequently the pig headed idiot David is not a character towards whom I feel any sympathy, nor is the frightful snob Mrs. Arbroath (who reminds me of my wife's grandmother)and is typical of those who 70+years since this book was set still wish to live in an Edwardian England. Reading this book has reminded me why I am so glad to be, once again, living in the centre of the metropolis.
October 1, 2023
Much less accomplished than my first BLWW read (Elizabeth Berridge's marvelous Sing Me Who You Are) on the levels of sentence and theme, but this is still quite a fun romp about an odd couple, David and Germayne, who attempt to open a tea house in rural Kent and find their way blocked by local displeasure and prejudice as well as David’s utter incompetence. Germayne has left her husband and teenaged daughter to live with (and eventually marry) David, and the tea house never seems like a good idea to her, but you can tell that she’s applying the sunk-cost fallacy to her second marriage and feels unable to back out. The venture is, of course, a disaster, not least because the baker they engage is a much-too-sexy Viennese woman named Mimi, who is a charming liar and manipulator. The ending, which I won’t spoil, is rather smashing in its own way, a sort of fairytale deliverance that one can’t help feeling Germayne really does deserve.
October 15, 2025
Germayne left her first husband, Digby, and their daughter Ducks, to go and live with David in a ramshackle cottage in Kent. Now David has lost his job, and has decided to turn their garden into a tea garden. While he is trying to get it going, the lady of the manor, Mrs Arbuthnot, is against the idea and tries to get up a petition against it. Germayne doesn’t seem to be very interested in the tea garden or anything else. Various characters drift in and out of the story.
This is a rather odd story. None of the characters are very likeable, and the plot just sort of fizzles out with a lot of loose ends. The title is rather misleading, there is nothing intoxicating about this book.
This is a rather odd story. None of the characters are very likeable, and the plot just sort of fizzles out with a lot of loose ends. The title is rather misleading, there is nothing intoxicating about this book.
November 25, 2023
I at first was a bit hesitant about this one as I’d made the mistake of reading a review on the front page .
I was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving this witty and indeed quite satiric story . Mary Essex has been compared to Angela Thirkell , an author who , while equally prolific is much more reserved .
I think this is far more like one written by Nancy Mitford .
Essex is telling a witty tale and we the audience can see her smirking to herself as she delivers another wicked observation about her characters .
Yet she’s sympathetic too and we can see this in the final dénouement. Nothing really has worked out for anyone it seems and there’s lots of disappointment.
The rain doesn’t help !
I was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving this witty and indeed quite satiric story . Mary Essex has been compared to Angela Thirkell , an author who , while equally prolific is much more reserved .
I think this is far more like one written by Nancy Mitford .
Essex is telling a witty tale and we the audience can see her smirking to herself as she delivers another wicked observation about her characters .
Yet she’s sympathetic too and we can see this in the final dénouement. Nothing really has worked out for anyone it seems and there’s lots of disappointment.
The rain doesn’t help !
not-finishing
September 25, 2023Mary Essex is a pseudonym of Ursula Bloom, whose books I have been trying by the handsful because so many of them are available on Kindle Unlimited. Sadly, I have yet to find one that I like! I am not much for farce, or for coy narration that is making fun of all the characters, and that is what Bloom does even in her romances -- and this one, being a comedy, is (of course) all farce & fun all the time. Definitely the right book for someone, but not for me! [sept 2023]
June 20, 2023
It is post World War II and times are changing but much resisted by the people who reside in the small villages of England. So, when Germayne and David move to a cottage in the Kentish countryside and decide to open a tea-house, the locals get busy talking and plotting to prevent such a venture. This short, sweet read provides lots about the nature of village life, relationships of all sorts and woman's changing role in society. There's one gasp out loud moment with equal parts drama and comedy in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I need to make myself a cup of tea!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews