The Cherry Tree Cafe: Cupcakes, crafting and love - the perfect summer read for fans of Bake Off

Wynbridge #1

by Heidi Swain

Lizzie Dixon's life feels as though it's fallen apart. Instead of the marriage proposal she was hoping for from her boyfriend, she is unceremoniously dumped, and her job is about to go the same way. So, there's only one to go back home to the village she grew up in and to try to start again.   Her best friend Jemma is delighted Lizzie has come back home as she has just bought a little cafe and Lizzie's sewing skills are just what she needs to help get it ready for the grand opening. With a new venture and a new home, things are looking much brighter for Lizzie. But can she get over her broken heart, and will an old flame reignite a love from long ago...?

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Adult

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2015

About the author

Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi Swain gained a degree in Literature, flirted briefly with a newspaper career, married and had two children before she finally plucked up the courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions seriously.

A lover of Galaxy bars, vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes contemporary fiction and enjoys the company of a whole host of feisty female characters.

Heidi can be found at the keyboard at all hours of the day and night and quite often scribbling longhand in her car during her lunch break. She lives in stunning south Norfolk with her wonderful son and daughter and a mischievous cat called Storm.

Reviews

[Reyes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Girl is dumped by asshole #1 on her birthday. Girl moves back to her little town to mend her broken heart and help her BFF on her new cupcake business. Girl runs into her high school crush, who turns out to be asshole #2. In the mean time, she also gets involved with asshole #3. And all the while every single character in the book acts like an idiot. For. The. Whole. Bloody. Book.
Just not for me :(

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

Instantly feeling like I was being transported into the scenes of 'The Great British Bake-off' and 'The Great British Sewing Bee', I loved the entire story. There is a perfect blend of cupcakes and sewing, making me want to simultaneously grab my apron and pins! My first read by Swain and I am certain that this won’t be my last.

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

[Hannah Clarke (Love Books Actually) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find all my reviews on my blog!
http://lovebooksactually.blogspot.com...

So I will let you into a little secret, I have never read a Heidi Swain book before. I know what you are all thinking... what a shocker! So I decided to start from the beginning and read her debut novel 'The Cherry Tree Cafe' I LOVED it!! I mean seriously why have I never read her books before, I have been missing out on some fantastic reads!

'The Cherry Tree Cafe' is a total feel good book packed with friendship, love, crafting and of course CAKE! What's not to like!

We meet Lizzie, out for a romantic dinner thinking her boyfriend Giles was about to propose when in fact she gets dumped, being dumped on any day of the year is gutting but it's poor Lizzie's birthday and to top it off Giles didn't even remember! Oh Giles what a sleazebag he was totally in love with no one but himself, he decided he wanted to get back with his ex Natasha. Natasha we soon realise was the girl he had left at the aisle just before he met and romanced Lizzie.

Lizzie had moved to London, changed her hair and style all for Giles, but without him in her life now Lizzie decides its time to pack up and head back home to Wynbridge. This is where we meet her best friend Jemma, her husband Tom and daughter Ella, thankfully Jemma comes to her rescue and lets her stay with them saving her from having to move back home to her parents.

Lizzie soon finds out that she isn't the only homeless one camping out on a friends sofa, she meets Ben (Hottie Alert!) Ben, a close friend to Jemma and Tom and also an old school crush of Lizzie's. Eeek! Is also bunking down at theirs however we don't know why, of course Jemma and Tom are in on the secret but as a true friend to him they do not let on to Lizzie which drove me mad during most of the book as I just wanted to know his secret!!! Of course I wont tell you and let you find out for yourself, I guessed completely wrong and my god I was so wrong! What a secret!

Jemma and Tom have recently bought the little village café and asks Lizzie for her help in refurbishing in time for the grand opening in return Lizzie is offered to stay in the cosy little flat above the café. The café is transformed and Lizzie's passion for needlework and craft come to light, something she hasn't done or thought of for quite a while but becomes so popular in the café with the locals that Jemma decides that Lizzie should hold a crafting session to bring in business.

Business is booming in the café and the crafting sessions are super popular, but then Ben's big secret is let out the bag and Lizzie soon realises that everyone knew but her. After cutting off her friends and feeling lost an opportunity arises back in London could this send Lizzie packing back to the big smoke? I wont tell you of course!

All the characters were written so well, believable, likeable (apart from a few...), and totally down to earth and fun that by the end they felt more like friends than just characters in a book.
Like I said earlier, this book does not disappoint, it's brilliant, a real page turner with hidden twists and turns throughout.

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Fresh Starts**

**3.5 Stars**

Lizzie is living what she thinks is her best life with her boyfriend in a beautiful flat in London. Things seem to be going well as her birthday comes around she is treated to a spa day and is all pampered ready for the evening. She is so sure he is going to propose. But at the restaurant she receives unwelcome news that he is not only dumping her but he is marrying someone else.

She has completely forgotten that little by little he has been changing her to fit into his lifestyle, makeup to cover her freckles, her clothes and the list goes on. The job she has that she dislikes means her leaving as her now ex works there too.

She decides to head back to Wynbridge. Home is also where her best friend Jemma lives with her husband and daughter who is a real character. It is also home to Lizzie’s parents which includes her overbearing mother. As with all small towns everyone knows your business.

Now my issue is that Lizzie does a lot of assuming without getting the full picture which annoyed me and ends up making poor choices when it came to two men but the one that has her heart, her old crush seems to get to virtually then end of the book to really get stuff off his chest.

There is also a very tender moment when Lizzie’s Dad is rushed to hospital and her mother re-evaluates what is most dear in her life

All this and while helping her friend Jemma realise her dream to renovate and open open the cherry tree cafe. Whilst doing this Lizzie realises with all the changes she had made to her life she is a talented craft/knitter/many more skills that she must utilise is someway but how….

Apart from my issues with the protagonist it was a cozy listen. It is part of 9 standalone books but there is an order as spoilers may occur.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book I loved it. The way you can just sink into the story was great.
I’ve read only one of her books plus this one so I’ll be looking out for more.
It’s the sort of book that just carries you along without too much effort which sometimes it makes a nice change from more challenging books.

[Gabby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Constantly looking for something to match up to The Cookie Club, by Ann Pearlman which I read last year. Cute romances & a cafe with amazing baking? This should do the trick! What made me actually decide to buy this was when it was on sale for $2.99 on iBooks, so I grabbed it (in which time I was half-way through, my phone broke, the sale ended and I had to buy it full price- ugh).

The start of this was promising, I enjoyed the characters and the story and then it just- bleh.

Every single character became irritating and made the STUPIDEST decisions ever. Ella is cute? Oh, so an irritating brat of a child that throws a tantrum every time she doesn't get something she wants is meant to be perceived as adorable? IN WHAT WORLD?! Jemma was just irritating the whole time (much like her pouting, brat-like daughter) & Pam, Lizzie's mother was just a bitch. I don't even care that she changed. The only characters that I actually liked was Tom and Lizzie's Dad. (Oh and Deborah & Heather- cuties!)

I don't think Ben had to explain himself! It's his life and he can tell whoever he wants. All the gossip Lizzie wanted was none of her business! I can't believe the last sentence of the book they just jumped up and got together. What. The. Heck. Such stupid characters. I'm really disappointed. Especially disappointed that I had to pay for this twice.

[Yara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Sunshine and Sweet Peas at Nightingale Square, which is the first book of a different series but also connected to this series. This is my second book by this author.

I didn’t like the book as my two stars show. I managed to finish it but it became a bit of a drag. The main character was one of the most painfully indecisive people I’ve read about. She couldn’t make up her mind about anything and it just because increasingly annoying. Basically, what should have been a cute and fluffy romance just because an annoyance.

Don’t know if I’ll read anymore books by this author.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of crucial conversations between the characters just didn't happen, and I can't really work out why. The relationships between the characters suffered and became a bit nonsensical as a result, so overall I felt pretty disappointed. I did, however, really like the setting in a small-town cafe, and the flat over the cafe where Lizzie lived sounded idyllic.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Dear bookish folk, I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't Heidi's absolutely gorgeous cover AND title which originally drew me to her book. If you know me at all, then you'll know how much of a sucker I am when it comes to pretty covers, and the cover of The Cherry Tree Cafe ticked every-single-box for me. The bunting, the charming tables and chairs, the silhouettes of the birds and the flowers... It just screamed 'romance' and 'delectable treats' right into my face, and who on earth can resist romance and treats?! When Heidi's cover reveal took place, I'm pretty sure my eyeballs moulded into love hearts as I gazed at it lovingly. It's safe to say that once I'd feasted my mind on Heidi's blurb, I couldn't wait to dive into what sounded like a fabulous story with a heroine whose life really wasn't going the way she'd planned.

As soon as The Cherry Tree Cafe begins, we're thrown in at the deep end, during a pretty devastating moment in poor Lizzie Dixon's life that. It became clear to me immediately that what Lizzie wanted more than anything was for boyfriend Giles to pop the question. Heidi places the reader right there in the restaurant alongside Lizzie and Giles as her dreams of her happy ever after are destroyed. Lizzie decides to return home to Wynbridge, where her best friends and family have remained after she was whisked away to bigger and (supposedly) better things by Giles. Now, back in Wynbridge, Lizzie is staying above The Cherry Tree Cafe and unsure of what move to make next. She has a real flair for crafting, and best-friend Jemma needs some help with her venture, so it's the perfect set-up, right?

The Cherry Tree Cafe is Heidi's debut novel with Simon and Schuster, and I really can't tell you how much I loved it. From beginning to end, I was absolutely rooting for Lizzie, mainly because she'd been let down by such an idiotic man, even if he had been dashingly handsome and flash with the money. The main thing for me was that I cared about Lizzie and where she'd end up. Heidi did such an excellent job of building up Lizzie's past, so much so that she felt real to me, rather than fictional. I knew all about her hopes and dreams, and I think that's what it did. The fact that her hopes with Giles were sliced right down the middle in one fell swoop only made me feel closer to Lizzie, which was why I was so eager to turn the pages and make sure that her story turned out okay in the end. She was such a likeable character, too. The fact that she'd made the wrong decision in Giles highlighted Lizzie's flaws, making her seem all the more normal and genuine.

Heidi's writing was gorgeous within this story, her descriptions and dialogue so effortlessly strung together like the bunting that Lizzie is so fond of! It wasn't clunky, but smooth and allowed my reading of the book to move fluidly along at an easy pace. Heidi's detail when writing was something that caught my attention again and again, whether that be with the food in The Cherry Tree Cafe, or the countless items in the crafting area. I was able to visualise every single little thing in my mind's eye.

The plot within The Cherry Tree Cafe was excellent! So many problems cropped up in Lizzie Dixon's life, including blasts from the pasts and an admirer who isn't all that he seems! Everywhere she turned it seemed something would go a little wonky! But, with her wonderful friends beside her, I was happy to see Lizzie tackle everything with determination. She'd already been taken down once by Giles so she sure as hell wasn't going to let it happen again!

The Cherry Tree Cafe was a truly terrific read, full of entertaining, colourful characters and a plot that kept me guessing. There was romance, tricky situations and scrumptious cupcakes. All in all, I'm thrilled to report that I will definitely be reading more of Heidi Swain's books in the future. There was something effortlessly enveloping about the world that Heidi created within the pages, and I slipped between there and reality with ease.

Becca's Books is awarding The Cherry Tree Cafe with five of my gorgeous cupcakes! I really cannot wait to see what Heidi writes next. I see a long & successful writing career ahead!

[Rhosyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Positives: the writing style makes the book easy to read (very simple vocabulary and simple descriptions). I finished reading it in a day.

Negatives: the characters in the book all feel superficial/'cookie cut-outs' etc. I never believed the main romantic paring - mainly because the book never showed me why/how the characters liked each other (the author keeps saying they had a crush on each other when they were in school but, apart from this, there is no character development!). There is no depth to the characters or plot.

Overall: despite the book being easy to read, there's nothing memorable or inspirational about the book.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

It is important to me - in Women's Fiction especially - that our main character is both likeable, and somebody that you can really believe in and want to see succeed. In the opening chapter we see Lizzie Dixon assuming that her posh boyfriend is about to propose on her birthday and anniversary when in actual fact he hasn't even remembered about those two things and is actually about to break up with her, to marry his ex-fiancee. Think he sounds a $%£? You'd be right! Heidi Swain really conveys to the reader how this makes Lizzie feel, and how lost and confused she now is in life thanks to Giles completely ruining all of the plans and expectations she had for their future.

Returning home to the village she grew up in seems like the only answer, back to best friend Jemma who to Lizzie, seems to have a much better life, and who is about to open a little cafe which is in need of some help. Lizzie also returns to her mother who judges her quite unfairly, and I already had Judy Geller vibes even before Lizzie brought up the Monica Geller comparison. In the beginning I found myself wanting Lizzie to be stronger, to speak up and defend herself and I hoped these traits would come out of her as the book progressed. So for me Lizzie was one of those characters I very quickly became endeared to, and wanted to see find that happiness she so deserved. I think readers will also fall in love with her, and will be cheering her along on every step she makes along the rocky road to happiness.

There's a really great mix of characters in The Cherry Tree Cafe, some I don't want to discuss in too much detail because spoilers! but I especially liked the friendship between Lizzie and Jemma which was very believable. Both are two characters that have a friendship you can really picture and that makes some scenes in the book all the more emotional because you know how much these two women care about each other. The characters that make up the story will certainly leave an impression on readers, and I hope we get to read about some of them again in the future. Lizzie learns a lot about herself throughout the story because of returning home. I wanted her experience with Giles to strengthen her somehow, to give her the resilience and determination to not let people treat her that way, and I also liked how different she was in a genre that can often contain a particular sort of main character but Lizzie wasn't like that. The story is packed full of drama and romance, and it doesn't have that rushed predictable storyline which meant I was kept guessing until the end of the story.

I loved the setting for The Cherry Tree Cafe which was brought to life beautifully by Heidi Swain. There's a real trend in Women's Fiction for all things shops, cafes, food and villages but given that those books tend to be some of the most popular in the genre it's certainly a winning formula. I loved the vivid descriptions from Heidi and the craft elements of the story reminded me of my own best friend, and how much she would love visiting a place like this. It's clear on every page the effort and love that has gone into the story, and Heidi Swain is definitely an author I wouldn't hesitate to read another book from in the future. The Cherry Tree Cafe is another book to add to your TBR this summer.

[Rea Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happened to stumble across Heidi Swain’s blog in January and I have enjoyed finding out snippets about the book, the excitement when the publication date was announced and the stunning cover revealed, I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to read The Cherry Tree Café as it has been one I have been really looking forward to.

Lizzie has had her life turned upside down, what started off as a hopeful day soon ended in one of the worse days of her life as she has been pampered and treated like a princess she had hopes that by the end of the day a marriage proposal would have finished the day perfectly but she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Lizzie now has to decide what it is she wants to do with her life and as she heads back to her home where her friend Jemma is only too pleased to see her she is hopeful Lizzie will be able to help her and husband Tom with their new project of opening The Cherry Tree Café.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and more, as soon as I started this book the storyline had me captivated and I couldn’t put it down so I ended up reading it in one sitting. The storyline is so uplifting and cheerful even though both the main characters and supporting characters do face challenging times but they all pull through to help one another with their various problems.
The author has a great skill in descriptive writing, she set the scene perfectly in the quaint little Cherry Tree Café I could really visualise the ladies ( and gent ) sitting in The Cherry Tree Café making reams of bunting whilst eating the delicious signature Cherry and Chocolate cupcakes surrounded by all the quirky original upcycled furniture.

Lizzie was a delightful and warm-hearted heroine and each of the supporting character were all very believable, down to earth characters who all brought their own little something to the storyline. Jemma was everything you could hope for in a best friend, generous, loving and supportive and she really was superwoman managing to make her dream a reality whilst still juggling being a mother too, she was a favourite character of mine alongside Lizzie.

Lizzie has such a great skill when it comes to crafting and you could feel how passionate she was but at times her heart was preventing her from jumping in with both feet and I found myself urging her to take a leap of faith as I could see it was sure to be worth it in the end. At times I wanted to throttle her in frustration as she was a little naïve but I really did love her character.

I loved the mystery and suspense that the author created around Ben, I had an idea or two in my head what his story could be but I will hold my hands up and say the author managed to pull the wool over my eyes!


I really feel that this is a praiseworthy debut by Heidi Swain, she has ticked all the boxes for me, engaging characters, descriptive writing, captivating storyline, perfect setting with a splash of romance and mystery thrown in too. It was a charming and vibrant read that had me hooked the whole way through, I really hope that there is a sequel to this book as I still feel like there is more of these characters story to be told so people with the power please lock Heidi away and don’t let her emerge until we have another installment!

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Lizzie Dixon was swept off her feet, and moved to London with her sophisticated boyfriend Giles, she never thought it would lead to heartbreak.

After a day of pampering and feeling gorgeous, Lizzie thinks that Giles is about to make her a very happy woman, with a proposal. Giles however breaks Lizzie’s heart, telling her that he’s leaving her for his ex Natasha, and to add insult to injury, informs her that they are soon to be married.

With her life in tatters, she finds solace in her best friend Jemma, who offers her the flat above her newly purchased café, "The Cherry Tree Café".

Returning home to the small town of Wynbridge fills her with dread, but what other option does she have?

Coming face to face with her old high school crush, Ben Fletcher, wasn’t the homecoming she was expecting, nor needed, especially when it would seem that Ben is not best pleased to see her either.

After helping Jemma out financially with the café, Lizzie follows her dream and takes over a corner of the café to start up the crafting classes she has always dreamt of, putting the passion, she has been suppressing, to good use.

Can Lizzie get her life back on track and follow her dreams, where ever they may take her?

I loved "The Cherry Tree Café" right from the start. The cover is gorgeous and I was overjoyed with the premise of the crafting and cake combination.

Lizzie is an intelligent, beautiful young woman who I had a lot of sympathy for. She had lost all of her confidence when her heart was broken in two. She is very caring, but wears her heart on her sleeve, and is sensitive, leading to many misunderstandings, especially with taking people’s comments the wrong way.

Moving back to Wynbridge is a big upheaval for her, seeing as she left in such a whirlwind, and she knows that everyone will be talking about her, not helped by her mother, placing an ill-judged article in the local newspaper about her daughter’s, non existent engagement.

Ben has his own reasons for not being thrilled to see Lizzie. He’s dealing with his own problems and the return of Lizzie stirs up his emotions once more.

Ben has an air about him. He’s mysterious and secretive, but there was something about him that made me really like him. I was dying to know what his big secret was. I certainly wasn’t let down when it was revealed; I was however shocked – it truly wasn’t something that had crossed my mind.

Lizzie’s best friend Jemma, her husband Tom and their daughter Ella (6), bring the story to life, especially Ella with her witty comments and eaves dropping. She’s at that age where she views the world in black and white, and tells you exactly how she see’s it.

The story is pure chick lit. It had me in stitches in parts and gaping open mouthed at others. I had a lot of empathy for the true to life characters who stayed with me well after reading.

"The Cherry Tree Café" is the perfect summer holiday read. I couldn't believe that this was Heidi Swain’s début novel, and hopefully Heidi may bring back the characters in a follow up book, as I am sure they have so much more to offer.

www.whisperingstories.com

[Lisa Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t the first of Heidi’s books that I’ve read but it was the first one she had written and what a total delight it was! I knew I’d love this book as I’d loved the other 4 books of hers that I’ve read.

It was lovely to finally read Lizzie’s story and read about how The Cherry Tree Cafe began, especially as it features so much in her other books, along with Jemma and Tom. I couldn’t put this book down. I always feel bereft when I finish one of Heidi’s books as I never want them to end! I immediately want to pick up another book of hers to read but don’t want to be greedy with them as l won’t have any more of hers left to read!

I can’t recommend this book enough. If you haven’t read any of Heidi’s books then please go and read one now!

A definite 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 from me 😊

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely feel good book - first in a series I think. Will definitely be reading the rest.

[Loz Darwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read. Rom Com with feels but I was annoyed with the majority of the characters.

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I’ve been waiting to read for a while. The cover is gorgeous and having been in contact with Heidi and reading the blurb has made me really excited about it.

The story start at a really bad place for Lizzie Dixon. She expects a marriage proposal, but Giles tells her that he wants to be with his ex fiancé again. Lizzie is devastated.

She returns back home, to Wynbridge, her parents are there and also her best friend Jemma. Jemma and her husband Tom just bought the Cherry Tree Café and they need help. Lizzie can help and she does, her sewing skills are just what they need and she also starts giving courses, teaching these skills. There is also someone else helping them, Ben, Lizzie’s high school crush. He seems to be heart broken as well, but doesn’t tell her why for a long time, also Jemma and Tom know, which makes the situation a bit weird.

Ben and Lizzie spend a lot of time together and it’s obvious that they have feelings for each other. When Ben suddenly leaves to see his dad in Spain, Lizzie doesn’t understand the world anymore. His mother also has some weird comments about his feelings for Lizzie and later we find out what he felt for her years ago. Both of them had the totally wrong idea about the other one. And there is still his broken heart situation, Lizzie told him all about hers, but his’ is a mystery. I have to say I was about shocked when I found out and so was Lizzie. It made her think about her future: Going back to London or staying in Wynbridge?! She also starts questioning her frienship with Jemma; they had some awkward moments.

Ella, Tom’s and Jemma’s daughter was a real sunshine, I loved her and she had some pretty cute moments with Lizzie. Lizzie also had to deal with her parents and there was Jay, who really seemed to be interested in her. Let’s just say she had a lot to think about.

I just wanted everything to turn out well for Lizzie, she had to go through a lot in this book and Heidi really kept up the tension until the end, very well done!!!

The characters in this story are great: colourful, authentic, relatable and sweet. Heidi did a wonderful job with them. The storyline is also beautiful, has a terrific flow and charm. It’s full of ups and downs, including real emotions and feelings. The Cherry Tree Cafe is a warm, charming, sweet, comforting, gripping and stunning debut novel! I’m already eagerly awaiting Heidi’s next novel!!!

[Luise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm so 'the Cherry Tree Café' is not directly a café café story, but about Lizzie starting a new sewing-related life in said café. I'm not a huge seamstress myself, but the story was still quite cute.

A little problematic was the style of writing, though. You can really notice that this is the author's debut novel. It's not that fluent and feels a lot like written-by-the-rules. There's also a slight tendency to repeating the exact same expression twice in two following sentences. I think there's something called 'synonym'? A wonderful invention :)

Next, there is this 5/ 6 year-old child that's so scripted (?) - only there to deliver information etc in that special perky/ wannabe childish manner while not acting like an actual child would. I really don't like those kinds of fake kids. Ugh.

The child's mother, Lizzie's best friend Jemma (and her husband Tom) were also a bit quetionable a lot of the time. There's always some more or less story-relevant information that they knew, but didn't tell Lizzie until afterwards. Every time there's anything 'important' going on. Why?

The middle part got a little messy. I'm not sure what to think of that. I guess there were some good and interesting ideas, just not ideally implemented.

Hm, the story sounds pretty awful now. So 3.5 stars, because it's still a quite good approach and I'm in a good mood due to the sunny weather outside.

[Bookworman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Parts of it were OK but I just couldn’t connect to the characters or believe in their motivations and actions.

I couldn’t find Swain’s books at my library but was able to get this for a bargain $2.99.

This was her first book so perhaps her later books are better. I mean, look how much better Jenny Colgan’s books are compared to her earlier ones. The same author who wrote “Amanda’s Wedding” years later wrote “The Endless Beach”!

Anyway, I may try one of Swain’s later books at some point.

[Bookworm Blogger · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing my first Heidi Swain audiobook a few weeks ago I decided to dive straight into another. Karen Cass is a brilliant narrator and I couldn’t wait to listen to her again. This time I decided to start The Wynbridge series and take a visit to The Cherry Tree Cafe.

Heid Swain certainly throws us straight into the action and by the end of the first chapter I was hooked! I immediately felt sympathy for Lizzie and couldn’t believe the nerve of Giles in that first chapter. To say he was a scumbag would be kind.

As we follow Lizzie back to Wynbridge I couldn’t help but fall in love with the place, I clearly have a soft spot for idyllic, seaside towns. Whilst the cafe may not of been up and running at the start I could see the vision of where it would end up and I was so jealous that I couldn’t go a visit it myself. The food and the crafting sounded amazing and awoke the sewing bee in me.

Jemma and Lizzie clearly had a strong friendship from the start but I adored how Lizzie was with Ella. In fact I would go as far as to say that Ella was my favourite secondary character. Her candid attitude and way of sniffing out the liars was refreshing and often gave me the giggles. I also thought Lizzie was a brilliant main character. Her way of getting stuck in and helping those nearest her was very sweet but it was the change in her relationship with her mum that brought a smile to my face.

All in all this was an easy, beautiful listen that at times had my laughing and at other’s swallowing that lump in my throat. It’s safe to say that with Heidi Swain you can predict the romances and where the story will lead but the journey there always holds more twists and surprises. I can honestly say there were some parts of this story that really surprised me and I am very much looking forward to heading back to Wynbridge with the next book in the series.

[Carole Hearn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Heidi swain now. This is the 3rd book I’ve read and it didn’t disappoint me. What a lovely way to unwind it was so easy to read and just what I needed.

[Gail Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book I’m so glad it all worked out for Lizzie in the end

[Pat Brackenbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book !

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read with a good mix of characters. Yes, it’s fairly predictable and I felt the ending was a bit rushed but still enjoyable.

[Anja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Lizzie, who gets dumped quite badly and therefore flees from London to her home town again. There, her best friend has just bought a café with her husband and needs every help she can get. It all seems to be the perfect distraction for Lizzie, until her former high school crush enters the scene...

Well, it was nice. But sometimes, Lizzie really annoyed me. Also, I thought it would be more about the café? I mean it was, but not about the baking or anything, only about Lizzie's sewing and crafting skills. I kind of expected something else, to be honest (it is in the blurb, but still).

Then there was this one guy, who was annoying first and then turned out to be full of shit next. I didn't like him. The acutal love interest was okay, but not my favourite of all time.

The ending was nice and everything was solved nicely. Sounds all very negative, but it was still a nice book. Just not worth a 5-star-rating.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this via NetGalley in return for an honest and fair review.

Lured in once again by a gorgeous cover and the promise of combining two of my favourite things - cafes and sewing - and this author doesn't let me down!! One of those books that has you under its' spell almost immediately as it is written in such an easy way that the storyline flows naturally that you just want to keep reading! Which i did as I just couldnt put it down once I'd started reading.

You have immediate empathy with the main character, Lizzie, as she seems to have it all to begin with - the perfect boyfriend and lifestyle - so when she thinks a proposal is coming her way and is sadly mistaken, you are hooked to find out how she will recover from the heartbreak. It means she has to return to her home town where her oldest friend Jemma and her family take her in and ask for her help to reopen The Cherry Tree Cafe that they have bought, and with money Lizzie has been left she gets more hands on than she planned! It also makes her rediscover her love for sewing and designing so to run her own sewing classes from the cafe seem the perfect solution for all!!

Throw into the mix the complication of first crushes, complicated families, old secrets, betrayals and the facts that dreams never seem to run smoothly and you have the perfect blend for this enjoyable and lovely chicklit book. Was a real pleasure to read and i just hope there'll be more from these characters and I'd love to read about the next chapters in their lives as I'm sure there is plenty more to tell!!

Highly recommended to all ChickLit fans!! You wont be disappointed!!

[Elena Granger · Rating 1 out of 5]

After several days I can’t even recall what the book was about. For me that means it was bland and unremarkable. I usually tend to give myself several days to think about the book before I write a review.
Honestly, I had to re-read some chapters before writing a review. And here we are. The whole story is so cliche and it repeats throughout the book. Characters are single-dimensional and bland. And there is not much to the story. Lizzie just bumps into men, who turn out to be… how to put it… not the best ones.
Then I hoped for the cozy, tasty, sweet atmosphere, at least with this setting it should be there? Nope, none. Unfortunately, I don’t even know why I rated the book 3 stars at first.

[Jonna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Parts of the book was fine, but in all honesty I was just waiting for it to be over. It was a long book and stuff happened all the time which was nice, but the things happened too fast. Love interest? It went from 0 to 100, and we barely got to see any development in their relationship. She was moving out of the flat to the new one in London within like 2 pages, making it feel like a horribly rushed ending.

The characters were just hella annoying and what’s up with all the exclamation marks in every single dialogue? The only character I liked was Lizzie’s dad, and even he annoyed me.

Not my cup of tea :)

[Alison Hawkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest I found the story quite dull. The story came across as quite immature with Lizzy sounding as though she was in school rather than someone in her 20s. The narrator was OK but nothing really pulled me in. I did persevere to the end though hoping something would pick up but it became quite predictable as to what would happen.

[Sheerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book encapsulates it all, family, friends, business, love, trust, humour, twists and turns....I could go in forever. A strong believable woman with a great heart. This book is a must read any time of the year. 5 blooming great stars.