Today I am sharing with you my review for A Gift from the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson. Don’t miss out on the new Comfort Food Cafe novel and return to Budbury for a Christmas to remember.

Title: A Gift from the Comfort Food Café (Comfort Food Cafe #5)

Author: Debbie Johnson

Published: October 18th 2018 by HarperCollins

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Blurb: Christmas has never been Katie Seddon’s favourite time of year. Whilst everyone else shares memories of families coming together and festive number ones, the soundtrack to Katie’s childhood wasn’t quite so merry.

But since she moved to the village of Budbury on the gorgeous Dorset coast, Katie and her baby son have found a new family. A family who have been brought together by life’s unexpected roads and the healing magic of a slice of cake and a cupful of kindess at the Comfort Food Café.

This year, Katie’s new friends are determined to give her a Christmas to remember, and with a gorgeous newcomer in town, Katie’s Christmas wish for a happy home for her son might just come true.

Review: I love the Comfort Food Café. I've completely fallen in love with this series, its characters and of course, the cosy setting. Like the previous four stories in this series, this book can be perfectly read as a stand-alone as it has its own independent story, but I would highly recommend reading all the books, as each one of them is a real treat. And the big cast of characters can be a bit overwhelming for new readers. 

This time, the focus falls on Katie. She has appeared a bit in previous books, but we just know that she is a single mum to a very active toddler and that she spends some afternoons in the Café. With this story though, we immediately discover Katie's past: coming from a very disrupted family, all her life she has been trying to escape, but she has never been sure of where to escape to.

Now she has something that she has never had before: people to rely on. Budbury's residents are a big family and they are determined to welcome Katie and her son with open arms. Something that might not have the desired effect on Katie herself... 

As usual, author Debbie Johnson balanced the sadder and harder parts in Katie's story with the more humorous scenes perfectly. It's a story that can made you cry in one page and then make you laugh out loud in the following one. And of course, for fans of the series, it's a real treat to catch up with our favourite characters. 

The only thing I didn't enjoy as much as in the previous books was actually the main character. Katie is a difficult character to like, especially at the beginning, as I couldn't understand some of her actions. But as the story unfolded, I also saw her change and evolve, which was very enjoyable. 

But all in all, this turned out to be a magical story and the setting around Christmas was perfect to put me on the a festive mood. Definitely a story to enjoy on the run up to the holidays with a hot chocolate and some Christmas treats!

Rating: 4 stars

I would like thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion. 

One Day in December, Josie Silver's debut novel, is vert special love story about what happens after you meet, or rather, don't meet the one. A story that completely captivated me, and here is why:

Title: One Day in December 

Author: Josie Silver

Published: October 18th 2018 by Penguin

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Blurb: Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness. 

Review: One Day in December is the kind of story I absolutely love. It's warm and hopeful but also hard and complex, just as real life. It spans over ten years and it follows the lives of two very close friends, Laurie and Sarah. When we meet them, they are roommates, both fresh out of university and looking for that special person that might or might not be the one. 

The story is told from Laurie's point of view and it starts with her falling in love at first sight with a stranger one day in December. It's almost a year later when she finally meets him, Jack, and he becomes a huge part of both hers and Sarah's lives, just not as Laurie had hoped. Since that first scene, I felt a huge connection to Laurie and I was completely invested in their story and with every scene and every passing year, I really had no idea where the story was going to take us.

What I enjoyed the most is seeing these friends grow up. I think Josie Silver made a fantastic job with these characters. They evolved, made mistakes, got stuck, fought for what mattered, challenged themselves, made some really bad decisions and some really good ones... just as any of us has done in the last ten years, and by the end of the book, I really felt like they were really close friends of mine. 

I have no doubt that One Day in December will resonate with many readers and its story will steal your hearts, as it did with me. I will definitely be going back to it for a re-read, to enjoy every detail again, very soon. It is one of the books that have touched me the most this past year. 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Heidi Swain's new festive book, Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland, is the perfect read this Christmas, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance. Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews and Cathy Bramley.

Title: Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls at the Winter Wonderland

Author: Heidi Swain

Published: November 1st 2018 by Simon & Schuster

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Blurb: After calling of her engagement, Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper, wants nothing more than to return to her no-strings fun-loving self, avoiding any chance of future heartbreak. Little does she know, Wynbridge’s latest arrival is about to throw her plan entirely off course...

Moving into Wynthorpe Hall to escape the town’s gossip, Hayley finds herself immersed in the eccentric Connelly family’s festive activities as they plan to host their first ever Winter Wonderland. But Hayley isn’t the only new resident at the hall. Gabe, a friend of the Connelly’s son Jamie, has also taken up residence, moving into Gatekeeper’s Cottage, and he quickly makes an impression on Wynbridge’s reformed good-girl.

As preparations commence for the biggest event of the season, the pair find themselves drawn ever closer to one another, but unbeknownst to Hayley, Gabe, too, has a reason for turning his back on love, one that seems intent on keeping them apart. Under the starry winter skies, will Gabe convince Hayley to open her heart again once more? And in doing so, will he convince himself?

Review: I have read and enjoyed several books by Heidi Swain, but I didn't read Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair (her first book set in Wynthorpe Hall) last Christmas. So for me, all the characters in Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls were completely new.

At the beginning, I struggled a bit with so many of them. But Heidi Swain made a great job of explaining who was who and pretty quickly, I was completely immersed in their story. Wynthorpe Hall is quite a pretty special setting and I completely understand now why so many people fell in love with this place with the last book. And its inhabitants are just as special.

This story focuses in the housekeeper of the Hall, Hayley. Inspired by the love of her friends Anna and Jamie, she has fallen in love herself and is about to celebrate her engagement party. But she (and we) soon realize that her Prince Charming is a bit too charming with other girls...

I loved getting to know Hayley. She wanted to present herself as this tough girl who doesn't care about love and is not hurt by the actions or the comments of other people. But under this façade, she has a huge heart and is ready to help her friends with everything she's got. She was a really complex characters that felt very real.

One Perfect Christmas and Other Stories is the perfect Christmas gift for fans of Paige Toon, as it includes all the enovellas and short stories that she has written about her characters. Perfect to catch up with some old favourites.

Title: One Perfect Christmas and Other Stories

Author: Paige Toon

Published: October 3rd 2018 by Simon & Schuster

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Blurb: One year after movie star Joseph Strike swept schoolteacher Alice off her feet, they are spending Christmas together in snowy Cambridge. But despite the romantic setting Alice can't help but question whether life in the spotlight is really what she wants. Will a Christmas provide some perspective? Or will the life she’d be leaving behind be too much to lose?

In this irresistible collection, bestselling author Paige Toon reunites a much-loved cast from across her fifteen novels, including Johnny Be Good, The One We Fell In Love With and Thirteen Weddings. Fall in love with nine witty and heartfelt romantic stories, published in print for the very first time.

Review: One thing I love about Paige Toon books is how she always tries to link new characters with old ones, so we know that with every new story we will probably read about some old favourite. 

And this is even more the case with this collection of short stories and novellas. It gives us readers the chance to catch up with most of her characters. For me, it feels a bit like opening a tiny window to this special world where all the characters live together, overcoming new challenges, growing their families, falling in (or out of) love... So I basically read the whole book in one sitting, with a huge smile on my face. 

A few of the stories in this collection have been published before as enovellas and some others were part of the Hidden Paige. If you are wondering what it is, here is a short description:

The Hidden Paige is an email newsletter featuring exclusive free content, including occasional short stories about key characters, insight about Paige's writing, event news and offers.

This newsletter always brightens my day when I get it, so if you haven't subscribed yet, then I would definitely recommend it! 

So it's quite possible that you have read some of these stories before, as I myself had. But having them all together, in paper, was like discovering them all over again. There is also a brand new story related to The Longest Holiday, which even brought a couple of tears to my eyes. This book is a real treat and I would definitely recommend it to all Paige Toon readers.

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.