The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery

by Jennifer Page

Louise Dearnley has spent her life editing perfectly neat love stories, where heartbreak leads to fresh starts, charming small businesses bloom, and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed.

But now in her forties, she's quit her job – and no, she doesn't want to talk about why – and returned home to Applethwaite, the small Yorkshire village where she grew up. Starting over doesn't feel nearly so much fun in real life as it does in fiction.

It also doesn't help that her mother is convinced she's here to run the family bakery, especially as the locals can't get enough of Louise's legendary ginger cake and scrumptious scones. Between renovations, a quirky ex-stepdaughter (who's unexpectedly come to stay) and a gorgeous Italian who seems too good to be true, Louise's second chance begins to take shape.

After a lifetime spent polishing other people's happy endings, will Louise finally have one of her own?

Genres: Romance, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 17, 2026

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, the best kind of healing can be done surrounded by pastries and books. As someone who loves both baking and reading, this is something I can relate to with the female lead in this book, Louise.

After a divorce and leaving the job that she desperately loved, Louise feels lost and doesn’t know where to go next. This is how she ends up back in her home town of Applethwaite, where she soon finds herself thrust into the life of bakery owner surrounded by the antics of her caring mother, eager locals, her peppy stepdaughter and the tall, dark and deliciously accented Italian.

From the get-go, this book felt like a Hallmark movie put to page. It was so cozy and the vibes were immaculate all throughout. It left me yearning for my own cup of coffee and to take a stroll through their bookshop, because the space they created sounded so magical and interesting that it made me wish it actually existed somewhere for me to visit.

My major qualm with the book, however, was the relationship between our female and male lead. There were multiple parts where I was left wishing for chemistry, wishing for that tension between the two of them to appear, and it would often get close but it would just be missing something to give it that final little push. Even as a slow burn relationship, there were just points where I think a little extra nudge could have elevated their relationship a little further and helped to sell readers on their connection.

All in all, it was a good read. If you’re a fan of cozy vibes, book-ish topics, and small town antics, I’d recommend picking this one up.

Thank you Netgalley and The Aria & Aries team for an advanced readers copy!

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Aria & Aries, Head of Zeus, and NetGalley for this ARC of The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery!

⭐️: 2.75/5
🌶️: 1/5

Tropes: Small town girl moves back home from the big city to take over a family business she didn’t want any part of, friends to lovers (with some steps between)

———————————————————————————————

The Plot/Writing/Characters

Is the book riddled with clichés? Yes. The fact that Louise is aware of most of them makes it slightly easier to digest. It’s a refreshing take for the first few chapters, but it got repetitive quickly.

Where the book started to lose me was with the “If this were a romance novel…,” “In romance novels…,” “In the romance novels I used to edit…,” and other variations of the phrase that grew old quickly. I understand it was her profession and her life, etc, but it’s very annoying, and boring, when work is someone’s entire personality.

Not to mention that I’ve been painfully aware of Louise’s feelings about not wanting to reopen the bakery and her shame over leaving her job. That has been made very clear. Multiple times. In every chapter. Not to mention backtracking every time she says “…the books she edits…edited…” and constantly referencing “the Sheila Penhaligon incident.” Maybe we can cool that off?

All of this fuss is over a dead fictional animal? Don’t get me wrong, an animal’s death always hits me harder than a human’s, but I was expecting something more gasp-worthy.

Not a critique about the book, just an annoyance with Elizabeth as a character. Mom’s interfering with their adult children’s’ lives and taking advantage of their closeness and kindness makes me want to vomit. What happened to leave and cleave? Pressuring and badgering someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself, and having other people piggyback to continue sowing doubt and hammer in the guilt, really grates my nerves.

What I don’t love about Louise, is that she’s a pot calling the kettle black. Getting upset at Jack for lying to her and his dad is not much different than not telling anyone why you left your job and not telling Maddie that you’re not having the grand opening she’s been working like a dog for. Lying by omission is lying all the same. Take the plank out of your own eye, as they say.

I do appreciate her standing up for herself against the GMGs and for pulling her head out of the sand to apologize to Jack. 👏🏼

Jack is like every other man out there. Prideful, and half of the decisions he makes are based on how his ego is doing that day. But he’s kind and good with his hands, so I’ll give him that.

Confusing Bits & Pieces

Twice in the first 50 pages the comparison between the wonderful smell of newly printed books and newborn babies is made. I did flip back to make sure I wasn’t remembering incorrectly, but alas, I wasn’t.

Am I missing something with Jack calling her Luisa or am I just dumb? She doesn’t mention it (that I can find) until after he’s already called her that multiple times and gives no explanation as to why. It was very confusing.

The Romance

Skipping straight to flirtation and dangerously close to romance right off the bat isn’t my favorite, but I can work with it since the book is a bit shorter. If a guy asked me suggestively about my fantasies within 5 minutes of meeting him, it would be a red flag. Thankfully, they take a small step back and scale down for a few chapters before it picks back up again.

Louise is very critical of romance for someone who talks about it so often. She has been quite vocal about her preference for romance novels instead of real life despite constantly fantasizing about Jack. Really setting us up for her own romance, but it’s a little much. The disbelief of the obvious is a cliché I could live without, and one I’m surprised Louise hasn’t pointed out herself.

[Shree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never been able to resist picking up any book set around a bookshop or a library. And "The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery" is my first book by Jennifer Page.

What I liked about the book

--> The setting—a bustling bakery turned bookshop bakery in the picturesque village of Applewaite— was charming, as expected.
--> The story was a reminder of how we tend to see things as being much worse than they actually are.
--> It is always good to see someone start over and make a success of their second chance. Things may not be as smooth sailing as we see in books and movies. Help may come from the most unexpected places. But if one persists with courage, things will eventually fall into place.
--> Louise feeling a tinge of annoyance at Madie's unannounced visit, and later, her anxiety over Madie's impending move to London made her real, flawed, and relatable.

What didn't work for me

SPOILER


--> CHARACTERS:
None of the characters were particularly interesting or memorable (I liked Madie best). I didn't feel invested enough to root for either of the lead characters or their relationship.
Louise declared her preference for romances in books over a real life relationship multiple times. However, it seemed that Jack was all she could think of from the moment they met (the attraction seemed mostly physical). She kept throwing herself at him at every chance even when he didn't seem as interested in her. In fact, all the women in the family (Louise, Elizabeth, and Madie) seemed to be low-key pushovers with the men they were interested in. I didn't think there was much chemistry or an actual reason for any of the three couples to be drawn to one other. So the romance and the conversations between Louise and Jack were mostly lack lustre and boring.

REPETITION
I understand Louise was an editor and all that, but she seemed obsessed about how things would unfurl in a romance novel. She kept thinking "this would happen next in a romance novel" sooooo many times that it got repetitive and boring.

HYPOCRISY
Admittedly, Jack didn't make a great impression when he wouldn't own up or take initiative to fix things even after finding out he screwed up big time with the permits. But Louisa is no better. She says she can't lie, but apparently, she was incapable of telling the truth either. How difficult would it have been to let Madie and Anna in on the truth? But it was never the right time. And she didn't want to upset them? No I don't buy that for a minute.

THE BIG SUSPENSE
After the number of times (way too many) Louisa referred to the unspeakable career ending mistake, I expected it to be a much bigger screw up. The actual reason was a bit of a let down, considering all that build up.

INCOMPLETE
I understand this is the first book in a series, but the ending felt abrupt and incomplete. There are a lot of things I would have liked to know.
What was happening with Madie? That girl deserved a lot more. Has Louisa come up with a business plan to keep the income steady? Was she able to help Andy finish writing his book?
The sequels will probably focus on a different story with a different (but familiar) set of lead characters. So the author could have made the ending more wholesome by touching upon these aspects as well.


Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for sharing an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie Awdas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick & easy cosy read. I didn't particularly warm to the FMC; from high flying Editor she seemed to become someone scared of her own shadow. If she didn't want to run the bakery then why open the door and why let people in?! She was really breaking the law anyway taking their money and having no insurance, hygiene etc!

All in all though it was an enjoyable read if you glossed over the details. I was left wanting a piece of Grandma's ginger cake myself and could picture a thick sticky slab of it! I enjoyed the concept that the book created as our local bookshop has a cafe inside and does very well from it.

I was left wondering if there are to be more books in the series as what happened with Theo? Really both his and Graham's inclusion in the book added no value which makes me wonder if they are going to pop up again?

I'd recommend the book to those who like a romantic, easy going and somewhat predictable story. I enjoyed it in just over 24 hours.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for allowing me to read and review a preview copy.

[ladyintrovert21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery is a cozy, feel good read with a charming small town vibe.The bakery bookshop setting is warm and inviting, making it a nice book to relax with. I really liked Louise and her stepdaughter Maddie, they were warm and relatable.
Jennifer Page’s writing style is easy to read and relatable, which makes the story flow smoothly.

The romance was just okay for me and some parts were repetitive, the theme of starting over was still comforting. Overall, it’s a pleasant read, especially if you enjoy cozy stories and gentle pacing.

Thank you Netgalley and The Aria and Aries Team for advance readers copy.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise is torn between running the bakery she inherited or continuing to write stories. It's a small town romance, so of course she develops feelings quickly for Jack.

I enjoyed the Narnia references! I liked how Louise was always using her writer brain to create scenarios, but it was a bit much at times.

Overall it was a cozy romance and I enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this. A lovely, fluffy, fun friends to lovers romance. I absolutely love the idea of a bookshop bakery and the life size book nooks that you can sit in, need one in my garden.

[Elena entre libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a lovely book with love, cosiness, amazing characters. Jennifer always writes such a lovable stories!!