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The Sugar Palace

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The Sugar Palace

By: Fiona McIntosh
Narrated by: Ainslie McGlynn
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About this listen

'How about we call it the Sugar Palace? And when people enter, we'll make sure it feels like a colourful fairytale spun from sugar.'

Under the clamour of the Sydney Harbour Bridge being built nearby, Grace Fairweather is working in her father's grocery shop in The Rocks when she begins making her own confectionery. Her colourful creations of toffees, lollies and chocolates soon become crowd favourites, and Grace begins to dream of one day opening her own sweetshop.

When the roguish but irresistible Londoner Alfie Sweeting comes to work for the Fairweathers, his ambition for her success thrills her - so much so that she begins to question her engagement to Norman. Perhaps the 'safe' option in life isn't the right thing for her after all. Alfie encourages her to open not just a sweetshop, but a delightful destination for young and old - a sugar palace!

With Grace's natural business acumen and Alfie's creative sales skills, it seems like they could be the perfect pairing - in work and in love - but when Alfie's criminal past catches up with him, both their lives come under threat and Grace is forced to make the most difficult decision of all.

Moving between the colourful world of a carnival-like confectionery store and Sydney's organised crime world of brothel madams, gambling dens and cocaine dealers, this is a thrilling romantic adventure that shows not everyone is to be trusted, and life isn't always as sweet as it seems.

©2023 Fiona McIntosh (P)2023 Penguin Random House Australia
20th Century Action & Adventure Historical Fiction

What listeners say about The Sugar Palace

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Sugar sugar sugar!

Made my mouth water have such a sweet tooth. Not good for the wait line 🤣🤣🤣🤣

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining novel

An enjoyable novel mostly set in 1920’s Sydney mostly in The Rocks and nearby areas of the city. Interestingly during the construction of the Sydney Harbour bridge. Famous underworld characters like Tilly Divine are woven into the story.
It was entertaining but occasionally the reader’s emphasis was a bit overdone.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent and engaging writing style!

My first Fiona McIntosh book outside the Jack series. I loved it as much and now keen to read more while I hope another Jack book is being written.
Thank you Fiona for some escapism on my rides! My 40 minute commute to work feels like 10 minutes x

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Average at best

Love Fiona’s books and was excited to listen to this one, however I found it very average at best. Very little to the storyline. Super disappointing

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

The Sugar Palace was such a sweet story, I loved the characters and reading/listening to what The Rocks and other parts of Sydney would have been like in the 1920’s!

Definitely recommended!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable

Nostalgic of a time no longer touchable. It was beautiful to follow the story of characters living in a time of my grandparents' younger years. My husband and I both enjoyed the book and would love a follow-up book.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Slow and boring

Not up to Fiona’s usual standard. I found it a bit boring with not much substance.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not her best

I love Fiona McIntosh but this story really disappoints. Weak story, characters not investible and just a bit ‘fluffy’ compared to her other books.

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    2 out of 5 stars

Storyline initially dull, gets mildly better

While listening to the beginning of the book I had wondered if I'd made a mistake as it seemed quite boring but I perservered. I believe there were some redeeming moments, only due the introduction of Holly, otherwise all other characters lacked substance.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

awful

I have suffered through 2/3 of it, hoping it would get better. Had I been reading it, I would have skipped pages of dialogue and explanation, but that is not possible with an audio book. I have previously enjoyed Fiona Macintosh's work. This is just boring.

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