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.

'Funny, heartbreaking and rich with characters, grit and determination. A page-turner.' SUSAN DUNCAN, bestselling author of Finding Joy in Oyster Bay

'A sparkling novel with a tender heart, The Bittersweet Bakery Café offers a delicious take on reinvention. Who would have guessed that a fortune cookie could transform your life?' SOPHIE BEAUMONT, bestselling author of The Paris Cooking School

'I want to move in next door to the Bittersweet Bakery Café so Audrey can become my best friend. Every woman deserves a bestie like Audrey. This is the coming-of-middle-age feel good fiction we all need. A delectable feast of a novel!' TESS WOODS, bestselling author of The Venice Hotel

'Get reading, be inspired, then get ready to cook!' CATRIONA ROWNTREE

'Life-affirming and joyous . . . Audrey will inspire you to raise a glass to a bigger, better, brighter future.' JOSEPHINE MOON, author of the bestselling The Cake Maker's Wish