Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan Published by Harper Collins on October 14, 2014
Genres: Fiction / Friendship, Fiction / Holidays, Fiction / Romance / Holiday, Fiction / Romance / Later in Life, Fiction / Romance / New Adult, Fiction / Romance / Paranormal / General, Fiction / Romance / Time Travel, Fiction / Romance / Workplace, Fiction / Sea Stories, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Amazon
From perennial bestseller Jenny Colgan comes this sugar-fueled Christmas treat of a novel, bursting with recipes and holiday cheer.
Life is sweet for Issy Randall, owner of the Cupcake Cafe. Taught how to bake by her beloved late grandfather, she is proudly carrying on the family tradition with her London eatery. Not only is business thriving, the icing on the cupcake is that she also happens to be head over heels in love. Plus she’s surrounded and supported by close friends, even if her cupcake colleagues Pearl and Caroline don’t seem quite as upbeat about the upcoming season of snow and merriment.
But when her boyfriend Austin is scouted for a possible move to New York, Issy is forced to contemplate the prospect of a long-distance romance. And when the Christmas rush at the cafe—with its increased demand for her delectable creations—begins to take its toll, Issy has to decide what she holds most dear.
This December, Issy will have to rely on all her reserves of calm, courage, and cinnamon to make sure everyone has a merry Christmas, one way or another. . .
- Comes with the author's own recipes for holiday sweet treats!
My Review
My first impressions of Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe are relatively simple I found the start of the book to be a bit slow but super cozy. I was not bothered by the slow start because I have seen from past books by this author that her stories always tend to start out slower for me but always end up being a fantastic and cozy read.
As you can see from the Goodreads description above, the story is about Issy Randall and the choice she has to make regarding her boyfriend Austin and what or who she loves most in her life. That is just a quick overview of what you will be getting with this story. Now let me tell you some things you will not gather from the Goodreads description like the fact that Issy learned how to bake from her late Grandfather who lets be honest basically raised her. You also discover how Issy’s mother was in and out of her life not to mention the scars that it left her with as an adult. Sadly we discover that Issy really has a lack of self-worth due to the fact that her mother just could not be bothered with her both as a child and as an adult.
The story, however, is not just about Issy and Austin as one might suspect based on the Goodreads description. There are so many characters like Darny for example who is Austin’s younger brother and his responsibility since their parents passed away years before. We also learn about Pearl and her son Louise and the struggles of being a single mother at Christmas time. Not to mention Caroline who is in the middle of a divorce with two children. Caroline is well off but struggles with her relationship with her children, whereas Pearl is not well off but has a great relationship with her four year old son Louise.
The way Jenny Colgan is able to weave all the characters together and make you care about each of them is truly wonderful. If you are looking for a sweet feel good kind of Christmas story with some romance and globe-trotting then this book may be for you. The story is about family, found family, friendship, and finding yourself. I absolutely loved the book and was very pleased when I received it as a Christmas gift in 2022. I would highly recommend it to any Christmas enthusiast who loves cozy reads and happy endings.