food

Another delicious romance: Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau @PRHGlobal #partner #BookLovers #romance

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lou book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I am so, so, so happy to bring you my review for a book I read and enjoyed so much, and now days after I finished it I can say I appreciate it even more than I did right after I finished it. It is like… thinking about this story provoke good feelings in me… I don’t know how else to explain it.

Donut Fall in Love will be published on October 26th by Berkley and it has 368 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

A baker provides the sweetest escape for an actor in this charming romantic comedy.

Actor Ryan Kwok is back in Toronto after the promotional tour for his latest film, a rom-com that is getting less-than-stellar reviews. After the sudden death of his mother and years of constant work, Ryan is taking some much-needed time off. But as he tries to be supportive to his family, he struggles with his loss and doesn’t know how to talk to his dad—who now trolls him on Twitter instead of meeting him for dim sum.

Innovative baker Lindsay McLeod meets Ryan when he knocks over two dozen specialty donuts at her bakery. Their relationship is off to a messy start, but there’s no denying their immediate attraction. When Ryan signs up for a celebrity episode of Baking Fail, he asks Lindsay to teach him how to bake and she agrees.

As Lindsay and Ryan spend time together, bonding over grief and bubble tea, it starts to feel like they’re cooking up something sweeter than cupcakes in the kitchen.

Review:

First of all, let’s take a moment to appreciate this amazing title that can be interpreted in three different ways (you got it: DONUT like sweets two main characters were making, then DO NOT fall in love, and DO NUT fall in love, like do crazy fall in love)!

Second, let’s also appreciate that the story is set in Canada.
Maybe that is not a big thing for some of you guys, but I rarely read books that take place in that country, so it means a thing to me.

Now let’s talk about the book…

I guess I have a thing about romance with cakes/baking, as this was the third novel in that subgenre I read in a row, and I liked it.
Also, two main characters are Asian, just like in previous books I read too, and I loved that (huge) aspect of the story.

The novel was enjoyable in general. It was well written with easy to connect with characters.
It was written in third person following two different POVs: Ryan’s and Lindsay’s.

This book touches the topic of losing a parent, so keep that in mind, as it could be triggering.

To me, Ryan’s relationship with his father was too familiar as it reminded me of the one I ha(d)ve with my mother.

This book is pitched as gender reversed Notting Hill and I can see why.
It is also one of romances where the couple gets together pretty early in the story (I think it was before 50% mark) so the conflict that was necessary to keep the story going felt forced.
Other than that, the book was really good.

So if you are looking for an easy read to relax with, Donut Fall in Love is the perfect choice, and I hope you will do NUT fall in love with it.

Continuation of a tasty series: The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee #bookreview @STMRomance #BookLovers #Romance

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about the series I fell in love with. This is only the second book in it that I have read, and I don’t know if there will be more and how more if yes, but I feel like I want to shout and shout how much I like it, in hope that will make you want to pick it up too.

The Dating Dare came out this year on August 3rd and it has 320 pages. I want to say thank you to Sara from St. Martin’s Griffin for inviting me to read and review this book via Netgalley.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Tara Park doesn’t do serious relationships. Neither does she hop into bed with virtual strangers. Especially when that particular stranger is her best friend’s new brother-in-law. It isn’t an easy decision, though. Seth Kim is temptation personified. His unreasonably handsome looks and charming personality makes him easy on the eyes and good for her ego.

When a friendly game of Truth or Dare leads to an uncomplicated four-date arrangement with Seth, Tara can’t say she minds. But their dates, while sweet and sexy, have a tendency to hit roadblocks. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings get frequent and heated.

Seth is leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But soon Seth realizes that Tara Park doesn’t come in a “nice & little” package–she’s funny and bold, sweet and sexy, and everything he ever wanted and never expected to find. Neither of them are ready for something serious and both have past relationship baggage they’ve been ignoring, but with a shot at forever on the line will they follow their hearts and take a chance on happily-ever-after?

Review:

Recently I read A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee and because I enjoyed it so much, I decided to dive immediately into it’s sequel called A Dating Dare.
Guess what? I loved it even more.

As I stated in my review for the first book, I started the series with low expectations, and I ended up appreciating it so much that I hope the author will continue giving us new books featuring characters we already got to know (for example, Tara has brothers who would make awesome MCs or that girl who works in bakery).

The writing style was very good, easy to follow and it felt kind of… comfortable.

The characters I liked even better then our first MCs, from A Sweet Mess.
Being honest is one of great sides of Tara‘s personality and I found her so relatable.
It was also a blast to read about her siblings and their brothers-sister relationship.

Seth is a brother of Landon who we already met in the prequel, so we were kind of familiar with his background.
Once again, honest and that up front approach is what got me to like him.

The book is written in first person, following our MCs POVs.
Both of views sound similar, which can sometimes be a miss, but here I didn’t mind it.

As for the plot itself, it was good, although at some point it felt like Seth and Tara only hung out with each other, even though their whole dating dare started with an aim to have only 3 dates.

This is another love story where couple get together early in the book and then conflicts happen and they have to figure out how to be together for real.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, I do recommend it, and I hope the series will grow.

Sweet, fun and foody: A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee (book review) @STMRomance #BookLovers #Romance

a sweet mess by jayci lee book cover us edition

GIFTED / Today I am so happy to bring you my review for the first book in the series I fell in love with. A Sweet Mess came out long ago (actually, it was last year, but when you are a reviewer who should review books prior their release, a year is like a decade), and although I do feel sorry for being late when it comes to reviewing it, I am also glad I waited (even though I can’t call it a choice) because I could read the sequel right away.

A Sweet Mess came out on July 14th 2020 and it has 306 pages. I want to thank St. Martin Griffin and Netgalley for my copy.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Bake a chance on love.

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible…by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart.

Review:

I think it’s a good thing to go into books with low expectations, because then you might end up really liking it.

Let me tell you a story about my reading experience with A Sweet Mess.
Months and months ago, I saw it on Netgalley as READ NOW. Then life got in a way and blablabla, and I picked it up a year after it’s release (feel free to judge me, I don’t mind) when the reviews were already out there, and many of them weren’t so generous.
I picked up the book with low expectations, thinking I would be bored most of the time, and boom, I was having an awesome time, fell in love with the writing style (especially with dialogues between characters which I found meaningful and deep at times, but more often just entertaining) and I got attached to characters whom stories made me understand where they came from.

This is a romance in which characters get together and then separate because if conflicts and miss communication (or lack of it to be fair) so I do understand why it wouldn’t be appealing to a part of romance audience. To me, it was done right and I enjoyed following their journey to each other.

There were some smut scenes but they weren’t too explicit. However, I wouldn’t recommend this to minors.

Right after finishing A Sweet Mess I went into The Dating Dare, and guess what: I loved that one even more!
I guess Jayci Lee should find her spot on my list of authors who’s work I am eagerly anticipating.

A novel full of sun, ocean and delicious food: The Secret Cove in Croatia by Julie Caplin (Book Review) #SummerRead #Books #Croatia

GIFTED / I am so happy to present you my first #OwnVoices review (if you can call it that). This was my first time that I read a romance novel set in my own country, written by an foreign author. It was interesting to see how people outside Croatia look upon our little country.
I got this novel in an exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
The Secret Cove in Croatia was published on July 28th 2019 by HarperImpulse and it has 400 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Sail away to beautiful Croatia for summer sun, sparkling turquoise seas and a will-they-won’t-they romance you won’t be able to put down!

When no-nonsense, down-to-earth Maddie Wilcox is offered the chance to work on a luxury yacht for the summer, she can’t say no. Yes she’ll be waiting on the posh guests… But island-hopping around the Adriatic sea will more than make up for it – especially when Nick, her best friend Nina’s brother, is one of them.

Sparks fly when they meet on board and Maddie can’t believe self-entitled jerk Nick is really related to Nina. But in a secret, picture-perfect cove, away from the real world, Maddie and Nick discover they might have more in common than they realise…

Review:

When my friend Amanda (who has an amazing blog ChocolatePages and you should check her blog) told me about The Secret Cove in Croatia I knew I had to read this book.
You see, I love reading books set in different countries that talk about people, food and love, but I have never read that type of book set in my own country.
I wanted to see what perspective foreign author would have on Croatia and it’s residents, and critical side of me wanted to check if descriptions will be authentic.

I have to say, I was so impressed by the way Julie Caplin described Croatia and I truly believe this book will make you consider to take a trip to this country after you finish it.
It was obvious that the author loved places she visited while she was doing her research for this novel, and I applause her for the way she described everything.

There are plenty of places and food mentioned, and even some characteristics of Croatians.
I like how characters of the book drank Karlovačko, our national beer, or Cedevita (which, actually, you can find in more then three flavours and everyone drinks it, not only kids (I’m drinking lime-mint flavour as I’m writing this review)).

The story itself was pretty enjoyable, although I think I would like it more if it was little shorter.

The writing style was also really good and now I understand why so many readers are in love with Caplin’s work.

However, there are two things I didn’t particularly like:
1. The characters were unlikeable, and they were all black and white (even though I wasn’t a fan of the main character who was “white” (and here I talk about personalities)).
I wish they were more dimensional, especially the one character who is pictured as main villain.

2. I don’t like the way author handled a serious topic called eating disorder (bulimia).

This is the fifth book in the series, but it can be read as standalone.

I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for a relaxing summer read filled with sunshine, sea, food and romance.

Beautiful Corfu in a shiny story: One Last Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot #SummerReading #OneLastGreekSummer #Greece

Today I bring you my review for the latest book I read. It’s a sunny, relaxing story set in Greece, and I want more people to know about it. If I’m not mistaken, it is still on sale for only 0,99 pounds on Amazon, so grab it while you can.
I purchased this book via kindle when it first came out because I wanted to support the author. It was published on June 6th and it has 280 pages.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Beth Martin is 31, newly divorced and wondering just what life holds for her…

Best-friend, Heidi, is adamant that all the answers lie in Corfu – the island where the girls partied away their youth. So cue a trip to a sun-drenched Greek island, ouzo cocktails, a trip down memory lane… and Alex Hallas, the man Beth has never quite forgotten.

As they dance under the stars, the sand beneath their toes, old feelings begin to resurface and Beth might just have a chance to take back her life. If they can learn to love the people they’ve become…

Review:

Mandy Baggot is one of authors I really like and love to support. I usually always go for her Christmas stories, because she always knows how to awoke Christmas Spirit (I liked her books One Christmas in Paris and One New York Christmas). This time I wanted to read one of her summer reads, since she has so many of them, and let me tell you: she didn’t disappoint!

One Last Greek Summer was exactly what I wanted to read on a beautiful sunny day. It was a relaxing and heart warming story set in wonderful Corfu.
Not only was it full of beautiful descriptions of the island, but it also talked about food and local people.
I was never in Greece myself (of course, I’d like to go there!), and to be honest, before I read this book, I didn’t know there were so many goats living there.
I always imagined Greece as some exotic place, perfect for tourists who love to relax on the beach and eat delicious food, but it never occurred to me to think about animals that live there. I am glad Mandy Baggot opened my eyes, because now Greece sounds even better!

At the end of the book there is a letter from the author in which she tells that she has cottage (or maybe it was house, I can’t remember for sure) in Corfu, so that is the reason why many of her novels are set there. It kind of explains why her descriptions of people and places are so well done, since she’s so familiar with them in the first place.

I loved this second chance romance and it’s characters. I liked almost all of them, with only one exception: Alex’ mother. I get why she acted the way she did, but it still does not make it right. But if I’m being honest, I think Alex has some blame for her behaviour too. In the end, it was his life, and he gave her control.

The only thing that bothered me was how our main characters were 31 and 30 years old, but they talked about their age like they were 45+. I mean, non of them had children or some kind of burden that would make them feel this way. The story is placed in our time, I mean, they were listening Dua Lipa for God sake!
In 2019 people in their thirties who have not started families yet act like people in their twenties acted in 90es. At least when they are on vacation. They don’t feel like all the youth is behind them.
Thirties are new twenties (and forties are new thirties)!
I don’t want to sound rude here, those are just my thoughts (and feelings as it shows).

Anyway, I liked everything else about this novel, and since Mandy Baggot has so many summer novels I will read another one of her stories next month, and I am really looking forward to it!

I also can’t wait for her newest Christmas book One Christmas Star to come out later this year. I just love her festive stories!

If you haven’t, I recommend you to check one of her books, and One Last Greek Summer in an excellent choice!

An amazing book filled with sunshine: My Lemon Grove Summer by Jo Thomas #SummerRead #Sicily #BookReview

GIFTED / With sunny weather active days and days without any break, I thought it was the perfect time to tell you all about new release by my favourite author Jo Thomas. My Lemon Grove Summer was published by Headline Review on July 11th and the paperback version has 352 pages. I want to say thank you to Anna Pallai for sending me a copy of this book.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS / Could the lemon groves of Sicily be the perfect place to start over? The irresistible new novel from Jo Thomas, the author of Sunset Over the Cherry Orchard, will transport you to the island of mountains and sparkling blue seas.

When life hands you lemons … is it ever too late for a second chance?

Zelda’s impulsive nature has got her precisely nowhere up until now. A fresh start in a beautiful hilltop town in Sicily looking for new residents, together with her best friend Lennie, could be just what she needs. And who better to settle down with than the person who knows her best?

But the sun-filled skies and sparkling seas can’t hide the shadow hanging over Citta d’Ora, which means not everyone is pleased to see their arrival. The dreams Zelda and her fellow new residents had of setting up a new life might be slipping away. But a friendship with restauranteur Luca could be about to unlock the possibilities that lie in the local lemon groves. And there’s a wedding on the horizon that might be just what the town needs to turn it around…

Could a summer in Sicily help Zelda learn to trust her instinct and follow her heart?

Review:

Every time I finish one of Jo Thomas‘ books I am thankful to know about her and her work.
I mean it. I am so thankful that I have stumbled across one of her books last year (Sunset Over the Cherry Orchard), because I know my life would be emptier without her stories.
I loved every single book by her (so far) and if you still haven’t read one of her novels, I highly suggest you to do yourself a favour and purchase (or borrow) something by her because trust me, you will be glad.

My Lemon Grove Summer is typical Thomas’ novel set in a beautiful place , filled with sunshine, tasty food and unforgettable people.

Now when I read almost all of her books, I can see why some people would say Jo Thomas’ stories seem to follow the similar formula, but I don’t mind it at all, because, as I already stated, I loved every single one of her books, and the feeling of familiarity makes me feel comfortable. I always get that positive feeling after finishing her stories, and My Lemon Grove Summer was no exception.

I really liked Zelda, our main character. She was really interesting to read about, and I admire her courage and persistence.
I liked how all the characters were in their late thirties or older, with mature perspective on life but at the same time they were fun and amusing.
I would like to read about them again, so I am hoping that My Lemon Grove Summer will get a sequel.

The setting was amazing, and it was the best part of the story (because the story centers around it). Beautiful Sicily, even in it’s neglected state still sounds so appealing and I would love to go there. I loved small town atmosphere and how bizarre but yet believable mental state of the residents was.
It reminded me of the state people who run my home town have and to be honest, it made me angry at some points. I hope one day they will also see the sense just like characters from this little novel have, but until then I can only hope (but that’s the whole another theme).

The story is written in first person, it follows Zelda’s POV, and it reads pretty quickly.

If you’re looking for a novel to relax with on a sunny day, My Lemon Grove Summer is the one! More then one smile while reading is guaranteed!

Trip to Budapest: Visiting Frida Kahlo exhibition, exploring the city and eating delicious food #FridaKahlo #Budapest #Travelling #Food

This October me and my colleague and a friend Monika spent a weekend in the magical city called Budapest.
This is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and to me it is the most beautiful city I have ever visited.

Our main reason for this trip was Frida Kahlo exhibition (which was impressive to say the least), but we also wanted to explore the city, eat some Hungarian food and just have good time.

Most pictures from this post were taken by Monika Hranj.

Day 1

We travelled with an agency, and took us less then 5 hours with bus to reach Budapest.
First thing we visited was Citadella. You can see the whole city from there (and the first pic from this post is taken there, and it was taken by me so excuse my lack of talent).
Everything we saw there was so mind blowing.

After that we went to explore the city and their main street called Vaci.
I remember it being my favorite part of Budapest, back when I visited this place for the very first time. Since I was there the first time around Christmas time, the whole street smelled of food and mulled wine, but this time around that wasn’t the case.
It was still beautiful, and while exploring we stumbled upon Starbucks (that was located in some other street that I don’t know the name of).
It was a big deal for us since we don’t have Starbucks in Zagreb.
For the first time ever I tried Pumpkin Spice Latte (it was my desire to try it for the longest time), and I ate the most delicious apple pie ever.

In the evening, after some relaxation in our 4 stars hotel, we took a cruise trip on the Danube river.
It was nice and relaxing and some buildings and views took my breath away.
We drank champange, because that is the ritual.

After the cruise trip we went to have a dinner.
We located one beautiful magyar restaurant with authentic food.
Hungarian food is pretty similar to croatian, and we were pretty satisfied with taste and portions.

After the dinner, we decided to walk through the city and then went into our hotel.

Day 2

Day two was the day of the exhibition, but before that, we went to Heroe’s Square.
I don’t think pictures can ever prepare you for the magnificentness of that place and sculptures that are there.

We had some free time before the exhibition so we decided to try magyar cremeschnitte. There was no place to sit in the cake-shop, so we ate it from the paper plates.
Magyar cremeschnitte is unique and (allegedly) different from every cremeschnitte all over the world.

As we walked to Hungarian National Gallery, where the exhibition took place, Monika took this photo. We named it “Looking in the eyes of death”:

The exhibition was stunning. It was so spectacular, impressive and breathtaking.
Frida had a hard life, and she transferred her pain into her work. We noticed it all and the feeling I had while I was there is hard to describe with simple words.
All I’ll say is that I will remember it for a long, long time.

After the exhibition, it was time to go home.
On our way back to Zagreb, we had a quick excursion to Balaton Lake where we also ate dinner.
Sadly, because we were too tired or too hungry, we forgot to take a picture of the main course, but only took a picture of the soup, which was mouth-watering.

Overall,

I loved being in Budapest. I love that city. I could easily imagine myself living there, but the main problem in reaching that goal would be to learn the language.
But hey, you never know where life can take you, and what you are capable of doing, until you are there.

I think visiting Budapest this year was one of the best decisions I made. I liked hanging out with Monika and I think this trip brought us closer.

It also sparked my passion for travel and reminded me how good it is just to get away from your routine and explore something new.

If you’ve never visited Budapest I highly encourage you to do so, because it is one breath-taking place to see.

Trip to Albania: Where I went, what I did and what I ate in Albania

This summer me and my boyfriend spent our summer vacation in Albania.
We decided to go there because his friend was there last summer, and loved it so much that he decided to go back this year.
My boyfriend was really intrigued since he loves travelling, so we booked 8 nights via Booking app, packed our bags and went for an adventure.

Sarande

Our main destination was Sarande. It is the tourist based city with lots of programs to offer. You can go on boat trips (there are organized trips to Corfu Island, Greece daily), you can enjoy yourself clubbing and hanging out with young people. They also have rich street program, you can try your luck in the small amusement park, get a tattoo, let the artist draw your portrait, or enjoy the music played by a young boy with violin (he played only popular songs, and he was amazing).
Of course, there are lost of restaurants and coffee shops with the most amazing and serviceable staff.

As it goes when you’re on vacation, most of our days we spent chilling on the beach, and taking walks in the evening.

I finished four books while there, and I am happy to say that all of them were good.

Blue Eye

If you go to Albania, you have to visit Blue Eye. It is one of the most beautiful places in the Europe. It is a water spring and natural phenomen in which people actually do swim. It is so beautiful, you could stare into it all day long.
There you can also visit one of the caffee shops or restaurants, and enjoy yourself by the river, surrounded with beautiful nature sounds.

Ksamil

Ksamil is one of the most beautiful beaches in Albania, and it was my favorite place.
We spent there one day, whole day, just chilling and relaxing. The color of the sea is so blue and beautiful because of the white sand. The sand makes it so easy to walk into the water, and it is so easy to swim. So many people play with ball or toys there, even the older ones, but of course, this place is like a heaven for children.

Borsh

My boyfriend’s favorite place in Albania was Borsh. It is a village with 7 km long beach, and it is so beautiful. It’s a perfect place for relaxation, because it is pretty quiet there.
This place is THE PLACE for bookworms, because you have ideal conditions for reading. So many people read on that beach, that I couldn’t believe. It felt like every third person had a book in their hands, and what is even more amazing, you can buy books there on the spot, in case you forgot or already read yours.
You can also order drinks or coffee there and enjoy yourself without moving from your deck chair.

We had breakfast in our hostel (we stayed in a hostel called Gjika and I can’t say enough good things about them. Staff are the most amazing and likeable, always ready to help and always asking if everything was okay, and the housing itself was nice and always clean).

Breakfast would usually be composed of an egg, frankfurter, leafy cheese-pie, vegetable casserole and fruit.
The best thing – it all tasted surprisingly well.

During the day we would usually take something from the bakery (the have really good bureque with cheese, meat, onion or spinach) and drink it with one dairy product that is not available my country, so we were all into it.
It’s structure and taste is like milk with splash of yoghurt.

Dinner we would always eat in the restaurants. We were very pleased with all the food and how work-hard but still very friendly and polite staff are.
Prices are very affordable too.

Albanian Ice Cream is one of the best ice creams I have ate in my whole life.
They have so many tastes and it has one spectacular note in every taste, that is what makes it special.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take the picture of it.

Cons

As it goes in life, everything has it’s pros and cons, including Albania.
As I already stated everything that I liked there, here I will briefly mention what I was not a fan of.

There are many stray dogs and cats just walking the streets. It is really hard to see them so close to the road because unfortunately, great number of them lose their lives there.
I came home with disturbing images of dead cats and dogs that will hunt me for a very long time.

What is really sad but also hopeful is that this problem can be solved with spreading awareness of importance of sterilization.
If people cared more for animals, their towns would become more beautiful and animals would be happy, therefore people would also be more happy.

The traffic could also be improved.

Poor people asking for money.
Poverty is one of the problems of Albania. Many people just don’t have enough money to survive so they ask for help.
I don’t know how the politics in Albania works and what is the reason for poverty, nor could it be solved easily (probably not), but I know that those kids (I even saw few months old baby sleeping with poor mum) need hope and a chance to build their future, and right now, I don’t think they have it.

Now you have it – my impressions Albania, so if you’ll ever think about visiting that country, you can see how I spent my time while there.
Overall I liked it, and I see myself going back there one day, in a hope that some of it’s problems will be reduced.

Let me know what you think and would you ever want to visit Albania?

Book Giveaway: Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

christmas-at-the-comfort

We have exactly one month to go until Christmas, so to help you get into Christmas Spirit, lovely people from HarperCollins UK offered one paperback copy of Christmas at the Comford Food Cafe to one lucky winner.

I read this novella back in September and I really enjoyed it.
If you want, you can read my review HERE.

About the book:

The brand new Christmas romance from best-selling author Debbie Johnson and the follow up to ‘Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe’.

The Comfort Food Cafe is perched on a windswept clifftop at what feels like the edge of the world, serving up the most delicious cream teas; beautifully baked breads, and carefully crafted cupcakes. For tourists and locals alike, the ramshackle cafe overlooking the beach is a beacon of laughter, companionship, and security – a place like no other; a place that offers friendship as a daily special, and where a hearty welcome is always on the menu.

Giveaway:

This giveaway is for UK residents only
You can win 1 paperback copy of Christmas at the Comford Food Cafe novella
The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond. Otherwise, a new winner will be chosen.

You can entere here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/la/p

Novella Review: Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

christmas-at-the-comfort

Title: Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe

Series: Comfort Food Cafe #2

Author: Debbie Johnson

Publisher: HarperImpulse

Date: September 23rd, 2016

Pages: 187

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

‘My new favourite author’ – Holly Martin

‘A lovely, emotion-filled, giggle-inducing story’ – Sunday Times bestselling author Milly Johnson

The brand new Christmas romance from best-selling author Debbie Johnson and the follow up to ‘Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe’.

Review:

This summer I read Debbie Johnson’s Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe and, even though I had a hard time connecting with the main character Lauren, I ended up liking it.
When I heard about festive novella Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe, I knew I wanted to read it because:

a) I liked Johnson’s full time novel, the setting and characters she created so I was glad I had a chance to revisit that imaginary cafe full of positive vibes;
b) Festive stories are my favorite reads so, of course, the curiosity won me over;
c) The novella follows a different narrator. This time we have a chance to read about Laura’s sister Becca, who we didn’t get a chance to meet properly in the book one;
d) The cover is just plain gorgeous and I am weak when it comes to beautiful covers, especially christmassy ones.

Revisiting Dorset and „exploring“ it during winter was a pure pleasure. It was so nice to see how Laura‘s life is going after the Summer is over and how her relationship, but also the lives of all the side characters I already knew improved.

This novella has 187 pages, so it is on a longer side. Honestly, it felt like a novel to me.
Nevertheless, I think it is just about perfect leight because it reads like a complete standalone story that left me satisfied. I wouldn’t want it to be longer or shorter.

Becca was a narrator I found to be easy to connect with. Because of that, I enjoyed Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe so much more then it’s predecessor.

This is a standalone novella and you can it read even if you haven’t read Summer at the Comort Food Caffe. The writer explained everything that happened before and the story is easy to follow.
However, you should be warned that going into this novella you will be spoiled for the book one, so if you plan to read both stories, I suggest you to read them in order they were published.

The writing style is simple and easy to read.
The story is written in first person from Becca’s POV.
Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe consists of three parts: Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.
The first part is written in third person.

Some parts of the story were little rushed (ex. the wedding), some were a bit predictable (ex. a big thing that happend to Becca closer to the end), but overall it was a good festive read that I would suggest if you’re in the mood for something quick that will put you into Christmas Spirit.

3,75