Book Review: Comfort and Joy by Cathy Bramley

Today is Publication Day for Cathy Bramley! Comfort and Joy is Cathy's latest release, a Christmas novella set in the Plumberry School of Comfort Food. If you loved the Plumberry School full novel, you'll be delighted to be back but if you haven't discovered it yet, this is the perfect opportunity for you: 

Title: Comfort and Joy

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: October 13th 2016 by Transworld

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Curl up with this feel-good short story, full of romance, surprises and a sprinkling of Christmas magic…!

It’s been a busy year for Verity Bloom at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food, but Christmas Eve is finally here. With delicious treats all wrapped up and the ingredients packed away, Verity is looking forward to a relaxing few days with her new boyfriend.

Good food, family and friends – it’s a simple recipe for true comfort and joy, and all Verity’s friends in the village are full of excitement about the holidays too.

But the weather has other plans in store… Relentless rain leads to a power cut that spells disaster for many of Plumberry’s residents. It’s starting to look like this year’s celebrations could be a total washout.

With dreams of a perfect Christmas dashed, will the last of the festive cheer be swept away in the downpour? Or can the cookery school create a Christmas miracle for everyone Verity holds dear?

Review: It was a lovely surprise when Cathy Bramley announced she was publishing a Christmas novella this year, even more when she revealed that the story would be set in Plumberry! If you have read Cathy's previous book, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food (which I absolutely loved), you'll already know the characters in this story. If you haven't though, do not worry, you don't need any background to follow this new story. For me, it was great to catch up with this lovely community and see how Verity and her school are doing.

This story is a real festive treat. Set during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it's packed with laughs, love, friendship, Christmas spirit, some drama and of course, joy. It's actually a really touching story that will leave you with a huge grin on your face. 

I had a really good time reading this novella. I started it and without even realising it, I had already read 80% of it. Once I was back in Plumberry, I forgot about everything else. I really thing that this is the perfect story to get you in the mood for Christmas. So I would recommend you treat yourself with this lovely story and enjoy it with a hot chocolate and some mince pies. I'm sure I'll be re-reading it closer to Christmas!