Written by Kate Hewitt⭐ ⭐ ⭐
|
My thanks to the author Kate Hewitt and Netgalley for a free digital copy of this book to review.
The blurb:
Cupcakes for Christmas
Olivia James has always been happy running a tea shop and bakery in the Cotswold village of Wychwood-on-Lea, and helping her friends find their happily-ever-afters, topped by the perfect wedding cake. But as Christmas approaches, Olivia is home alone and questioning her choices while eating too many of her own speciality confections.
When Simon Blacklock, a handsome, whimsical stranger, breezes into her shop and buys a cupcake and then returns the next day and the day after, Olivia begins to dream. Can romance blossom amidst the sugar and flour? And after a lifetime of living on the side lines, is she brave enough to star in her own story?
Simon may be hiding a painful secret, but Olivia harbors secrets of her own. If they can dare to risk their hearts, this Christmas might be the most magical yet!
Contemporary Romance
My thoughts:
Having been delighted by A Yorkshire Christmas, I was keen to read Cupcakes for Christmas. The cover is enticing, and the blurb made this book irresistible.The story is about Olivia James, a singleton approaching forty, who bakes for her living, and seems to have nothing other than the bakery and flat, a mother who isn't the same since she moved into a retirement centre, a few female friends and a psycho cat called Dr Jekyll - I had one of of those so can relate to the unpredictable moods and behaviour.
Olivia has thrown herself into keeping the bakery going, but is also wondering if the bakery is all she will ever have, when Simon Blacklock enters her shop. She is instantly aware of her attraction to him.
I was expecting a light, whimsical, Christmas romance but instead found the story rather slow-paced as it tackles difficult subjects such as depression and dementia - and does this very well - along side Olivia's romantic hopes for a future with Simon. Whilst Olivia is an interesting and realistic character, I didn't really warm to her or Simon, and I didn't feel invested in their story.
Cupcakes for Christmas is a well-written and plausible happy ending story, but not the uplifting romantic story I was expecting.
No comments:
Post a Comment