Review: Once Upon a Breakfast Show by Stephanie MacFie

Debut Aussie author Stephanie MacFie takes the cut-throat world of commercial radio and weaves it into a delightful story of tenacity with a fairy tale ending in Once Upon A Breakfast Show. And the result is terrific.  

Emily Blake has a massively successful career as the co-host of Mack and Blake in the Morning, a top-rating Melbourne based radio show. Nothing has been off limits as Blake discusses her relationships and the realities of being a single mum with her listeners. Things take a sudden twist, however, when her twelve year old daughter starts asking questions about the father she has never known. Suddenly, Blake finds herself talking about the one perfect week she spent with a European visitor to Australia, and an on-air search begins to track the man down. And what happens next is well ... surprising.

This was such a fun read. The author worked in radio for fifteen years and uses her vast knowledge and experience to set the scene against the backdrop of a fun but obviously fictional tale. One thing I really appreciated was her sensitive portrayal of Morgan who is quiet and deeply intelligent and struggles being around people her own age and suffers bullying at school. Rather than treating the character as someone with a personality problem that needs to be fixed, the character is shown to be accepted as she is. It was also interesting reading the flashback scenes of the week Emily spent with Leo. The big reveal at the end is entirely fitting.

A fun, radio-themed read perfect for anyone who likes their books with a strong but flawed female lead and a dash of mystery.

Recommended.  

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