Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes: Book Review + Giveaway (Blog Tour)

I am so happy to be today’s host for Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes blog tour. I enjoyed reading this story and would like to thank Jenny from Nevrland Blog Tours for giving me this opportunity.

 When all-round buttercream princess, Millie Carter, becomes stranded at Craiglea Manor Cookery School, she believes her chance of enjoying a merry festive season is over.

The village of Aisford is Christmas-card perfect, but Millie hates it – she hates the snow, her freezing fingertips, and being forced to look like her Aunt Marjory in a mud-splattered wax jacket and wellies instead of her beloved shorts and sparkly sandals.

She plots her escape but ends up locking spatulas with the estate manager, Fergus McKenzie, who is forced to rescue her before she succumbs to a severe dose of hyperthermia. Things start to improve with the arrival of handsome Sam Morgan, fresh from the beaches and rum shacks of the Caribbean.

Can Millie accept her fate? And will Aisford sprinkle some of its seasonal magic on her troubles?

Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes is a festive story of love and friendship and reaching for the buttercream icing and edible glitter when life gets tough.

Amazon UK * Amazon US

My Review:

If you know me for some time now, you are probably familiar with my weakness for festive reads and gorgeous covers.
Just one look on this cover and it will be crystal clear why I decided to read Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes.

Although I enjoyed this story, in my opinion the only festive thing about it is it’s cover, and the fact that our main character stays snowed in in the village of Aisford.

We can’t deny that cakes and Christmas go hand in hand together, and there are a lot of food and cake in this novel, but to be complitely honest with you, I feel like the story would be the same if it took place during any time of the year. The only strong reason why it’s festive read is the snow (which is used as the tool to keep our main character, Millie, in the village).
As I already said, I enjoyed this story, but it did nothing to put me into the Christmas mood. My Christmas Spirit stayed asleep.

Lindsey Paley introduced us to many characters (and I have a feeling we’ll get to hang out with them through the whole series).
I liked all of them, but only one stood out from others: Fergus. He was my favorite character and he was the only fully developed, in my opinion.
I like how he put Millie back to the ground with his comments and I appreciated the way his thoughts flew.
I honestly think that he is the strongest point of this novel.

What I expected from this story was romantic comedy and what I got was that blended with crime, especially towards the end.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, not at all. As a matter of fact, the crime aspect woke up my attention and made read faster.
However, I think it is of importance to stress out that this is not a typical chick lit (don’t let the cover  full you!).

The writing style is simple and because the novel is pretty short, it reads fast. Faster readers will probably read it in one sitting.
It is written in third person.

This is the first book in the four books series.
I find it to be a solid read and I’d like to continue with the series at some point.

Giveaway (UK Only):

In this giveaway you can win:

• 1 eBook copy of Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes and an actual Christmas cake. Mmm!

Enter HERE

About the author:

Lindsey Paley is a Yorkshire girl and author of contemporary romance novels with page-turning plotlines and satisfying endings. When not scribbling away in her peppermint and cream writer’s retreat (shed) she loves baking cakes, enjoying a spot of afternoon tea with friends and taking long walks in the countryside.
Snowflakes and Christmas Cakes is the first book in the Camille Carter series set in the beautiful Lake District and the Caribbean. The latest in the series is April Showers and Wedding Flowers and is out now.

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