The Candy Apple Café: An utterly addictive, cozy and heartwarming Scottish small-town romance

by Donna Ashcroft

Genres: Romance

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 25, 2026

Reviews

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

You always know when you pick up a Donna Ashcroft novel it is going to have certain delightful ingredients like romance, community, animals, identity, new starts and heart aching drama. And this new one has these elements and more in spades! Yes, these tropes are present: Grumpy x Sunshine, Small Town, Found Family and a healthy dash of Spice but as always, Donna puts a fresh spin on everything she creates. This is the beginning of a new series titled Honey Haven and it is divine, delicious and moreish—like the cakes and treats made by the main female character Izzi!

And speaking of Izzi: she is such a warm, friendly and considerate character you cannot help but love her. Not only because she has a talent for cooking but she cares deeply about those she connects and works with and in doing her best in all things. She is conscientious in relationships and in delivering her beloved food creations. As Cameron’s grandmother sees, Izzi is dependable in fulfilling her tasks to the highest standard and her treats are drawing in a good crowd and increasing sales.

But why has she come to Honey Haven, a quaint Scottish town? Her aunt has died and she was the last of Izzi’s family. But this lady was less than kind to her. She made dear Izzi feel unwanted and left her without an inheritance. But Izzi discovers a letter among her aunt’s things that reveal there is a family member she knew nothing about as her aunt never told her. This sends Izzi to the destination Honey Haven where this person is supposed to be living. While working for Cameron’s grandmother, Maud, she hopes to uncover more information. She is given a place to stay and this is when she meets someone who will set her heart on fire. Cameron is Maud’s grandson and Izzi cannot help bit notice he is quite attractive. They have their ups and downs but their romantic relationship unfolds unexpectedly for each of them but it is heart-warming to watch the sparks fly as they are both such good people who deserve a special love.

But Cameron has had his heart broken and his ex-girlfriend took advantage of him and his grandmother. So he has trust issues. Although Izzi seems like a breath of fresh air, initially her cheery attitude annoys him until he gets to know her better. And then things steam up but it is not just a carefree fling. Always under the high tension attraction is a true heartfelt connection between these two. Until something happens that upsets the apple cart…

I enjoyed the Scottish setting, feisty engaging characters, beautiful German Shepherd named Cupcake!, the festive spicy Autumn atmosphere and colours, the search for family and finding love in an unexpected place and time. This brewing romance between two gorgeous souls who need a bit of help and healing—make this escape to the fictional world a treat and memorable experience. There’s a twist added to the mystery of who Izzi’s relative really is and it creates some momentary havoc! But everything works out in the end and the story lands on a high note. Good things happen out of the bad. Lessons are learned and hearts are restored. I loved The Candy Apple Cafe -- a worthy page turner for the wild romantic heart! 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC.

[Emma Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

🧡 Blurb-
When Izzi pulls up in her battered old car outside The Candy Apple Café, she takes a deep breath and channels her trademark optimism. She’s run away to Honey Haven to escape the mess her life is in right now. Only, she hasn’t bargained on a handsome, broad-shouldered Scotsman appearing out of nowhere and grilling her on why she’s parked there… it turns out the baking work she has lined up is in his gran’s café and he’s her new landlord...
Cameron is immediately rubbed up the wrong way by Izzi’s chirpy demeanour, and yet, his eyes keep meeting hers across his gran’s cake display at The Candy Apple Café. Cameron’s heart beats a little faster every time she looks up at him through those long, dark lashes and there are only so many times Izzi can pretend she hasn’t noticed the way he towers over her, his dark brooding eyes failing to avoid hers…
Then Izzi and Cameron find themselves thrown together to organise the town’s Autumn festival. Planning a spectacular cinnamon-scented event as a surprise for his gran, they find themselves pressed up against each other as they work to turn a crumbling castle into the perfect haunted house filled with sweet treats…
Will the heat between grumpy Cameron and sunny Izzi dial up a notch? Or will their relationship turn as chilly as the Autumn air in Honey Haven?
💜 Review -
This was such a cute and cosy read, perfect for the upcoming Autumn months. From the very first chapter I knew that I would love this book. I loved the cute and cosy easy to follow story and the pacing was just right. I loved Izzie and Cameron's chemistry and I wanted them to have their happy ending. I also loved the cute small town place setting in the story and the back ground characters sounded lovely too. Overall a brilliant novel that I highly recommend to other people. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Bookouture, the author Donna Ashcroft and Netgalley for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[TheInfiniteTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Donna Ashcroft, Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy!

I absolutely loved this book! It delivered all the cosy autumn vibes I could have hoped for, and it was exactly the kind of read I was in the mood for.

The story follows Izzi, who arrives in Honey Haven after her aunt passes away, hoping to uncover the truth about a mysterious relative. She lands a job at the Candy Apple Café, owned by the wonderful Maud, and ends up staying in the home of Maud's grandson, Cameron.

The romance between Izzi and Cameron is a classic small-town, opposites-attract story, but I really enjoyed how their relationship developed. Izzi is the definition of a glass-half-full optimist, while Cameron is guarded, distrustful, and reluctant to let anyone in, but he does have his reasons. Their chemistry and slow-building tension made it impossible not to root for them.

I fell in love with every character in Honey Haven. From Izzi and Cameron to Maud, Lachlan, Flora, and, of course, Cupcake, who completely stole my heart. As someone who is from Scotland, I found the use of 'lass' and 'lad' really charming. It's not something I usually come across in books, and it made the story feel even warmer and more comforting.

The autumn and Halloween atmosphere was absolutely perfect. It had me craving hot chocolate, pumpkin spice treats, and cosy evenings wrapped up with a good book. The descriptions of all the delicious food Izzi created were so vivid that I had to stop myself from heading to the shop for snacks!

Overall, this was such a heartwarming, feel good read, and I can't wait to pick up more books by Donna Ashcroft, especially the rest of this series.

If you love small-town romances, mouth-watering food descriptions, autumn vibes, and all the cosy feels, then this is definitely a book you should add to your TBR.

[Julianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Candy Apple Cafe has the cutest Halloween and fall vibes! Our FMC Izzi travels to a small town in Scotland hoping to find a long lost relative after she discovers a secret letter hidden amid her questionably wicked aunt's belongings. Her new boss offers her lodging without getting permission from the homeowner and Cameron is the end-all, be-all of verification after he was scammed from someone he thought he could trust! Their meet cute is anything but for this sunshine x grumpy pair! I loved it! Totally here for the drama because we're allll hoping it only adds to the tension between them 🤐😍

Izzi works to win this handsome stud, I mean, Scotsman and his huge Cupcake over with delicious food and acts of service. Through her faithfully proven character, Cameron's gruff exterior begins to soften, letting Izzi in to his life and heart. As the temperature falls in Honey Haven, the heat turn up near Cameron's state of the art stove... But we alllll know life isn't that easy! Just wait for the third act reveal!!

Ashcroft does a great job explaining why each character makes the choices they do- I just wish she included recipes! I can't wait to read the second book in this series and am so excited I can pick up one (or ten?) of her other cozy romances in the meanwhile!!

Troupes: Scotland/small town setting, bakery romance, quest, grumpy x sunshine, found family, forced proximity, shocking reveal, requisite break-up, change of heart, HEA
Spice: 4/5 🌶️
Gore: 0/5 🩸
Language: 2/5 👀
Triggers: financial scam, abandonment

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC!

[Taylor-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was packed with warmth, cinnamon, sugary treats and autumnal vibes! This book was a lovely cosy read that has me excited for October days celebrating halloween and drinking chai. The fact that it features my favourite trope of grumpy x sunshine was the icing on the cake! 🍄

When Izzi travels to Honey Haven in the hope of discovering something meaningful amongst the messes of her life, she did not expect her landlord to be a hot, grumpy Scotsman. Izzi and Cameron find themselves working together to a host a spectacular autumnal festival for beloved Maud, but he’s not open to trusting anyone and she will be leaving in a few weeks… 🍂

This was a lovely cosy read to enjoy while curled up with a blanket and a hot coffee. I loved watching Izzi and Cameron’s relationship weather the storms that came up for them, and was rooting for them the whole way. The charming community of Honey Haven working together to create the most spectacular autumnal festival was the perfect feeling of community togetherness. And who doesn’t love a little spice? I could just imagine myself in this small village in October and getting to know the lovely background characters. I am so excited for autumn now! I wish I could have a visual tour of what the festival looked like🫶🏼

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Donna Ashcroft for letting me read this amazing, cosy ARC✨

[Amy Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM HOOKED!!

I'd never read a book by Donna Ashcroft before, but I'm definitely going to be reading through all her books now. I read The Candy Apple Cafe and was sold almost immediately. It's the story of Izzi who travels to a small Scottish village to (secretly) look for a mystery relative she had no idea she had, but she's also working as a baker in the local cafe and living with the cafe owner's hunky grandson, Cameron. Cameron is skeptical of Izzi having been recently scammed by a woman he was developing feelings for.

The chemistry between Cameron and Izzi is perfect. The yearning ... and the inevitable spice is well worth the wait. Their friendship feels natural and I really enjoyed the relationships Izzi built with the people throughout the town. What kept me hooked was, of course, the mystery surrounding the relative. It was well-written and enjoyable and I was able to read the whole thing in a few days. I didn't want to put it down.

The only thing I wished for was more description about the village itself. There were a lot of moments that I forgot the book even took place in Scotland, and would have liked more of a visual feel for the surroundings. I thought the descriptions of the castle were perfect and some more moments like that would have helped place me there a bit better.

Overall, I give this one five stars, and I can't wait to read more!

[cakecoffeeandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Firstly, what a pretty cover! This was my first book by Donna Ashcroft and won’t be my last, I enjoyed her writing style and how the story flowed so well. There were no plot holes or questions left needing answers and the story felt original which held my interest throughout.

Whilst this is set in the lead up to Halloween it’s not necessarily super autumnal but definitely has some nice Halloween vibes, especially when the main characters start to work together on putting together a Halloween festival which I loved!

Izzi is in Honey Haven temporarily looking for a relative she’s never met. She works at the Candy Apple cafe with Maud, who offers her free accommodation at her grandson Cameron’s cabin. There is immediate chemistry between the 2 when they meet, and their physical attraction soon becomes much deeper. Both have been deeply hurt in the past and find it very hard to trust, so it was really nice to see them start to open up to each other.

A lovely read, I’ll be on the lookout for more seasonal stories from this author!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Agnes Odek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzi has never had a loving family apart from her deceased mother. Living with her aunt Regina and working at her cafe didn't change her aunt's hostile attitude towards her. Her curiosity piqued, she wishes to trace her relatives. She finds a letter after the death of her aunt, and the only hint is Honey Haven. Izzi chooses to find her missing relative. Cameron, on the other hand, trusts no one. He regards each and everything with scepticism and a hard exterior, but he can't hide his fascination with the overly kind girl who is taking up residence in his cabin.

The Candy Apple Cafe by Donna Ashcroft is the first book in the Honey Haven series. With adorable characters and an easy plot, this book calls for an easy read. With the book being character- and plot-driven, it holds so much growth. The challenges they face and how they approach them shape who they are at the end of the book. Every plot twist happens because of who the character is and their beliefs, whether real or prejudiced.

This addictive, cozy, heartwarming small-town romance makes for an entertaining read. With the classic grumpy x sunshine and a bit of spice trope, it highly favours romance lovers.

[Dominique Franklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC gifted in exchange for honest review.
2.5 stars
I was very excited to read this because it screamed cozy fall romance. I loved the setting. Honey Haven was described so beautifully and really seemed like the coziest picture perfect little fall village. The supporting characters for the most part, were welcoming, kind and just generally really lovely. Now I did like the female main character up to a point. I understood why she packed up and moved to the village. She was kind to a fault even when Cameron was rude and awful to her but I was literally yelling "GIRL STAND UP" after she forgave so easily when everything went down and he treated her like literal trash. I did not like Cameron at all. I don't care that he was hurt in the past. Okay grow up and go to therapy like the rest of us. The way that he was so suspicious, constantly looking for the worst in others, and was so quick to believe the worst of someone he supposedly cared about? Get out of my face. He actually pissed me off so bad. He does not deserve Izzy, he doesn't deserve Maud or Cupcake either. He deserves absolutely nothing at all.

[Katie Awdas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly not for me. I didn't warm to either of the main characters and whilst Cameron felt he couldn't trust Izzi I didn't feel like I trusted either of them. The setting of the cafe felt like it was in the background especially once an intimate relationship was developed between the characters and then it was just all about how, where and when they could be at it! I couldn't understand why Sophie would ever be stupid enough to go back to Cameron's house with what had passed between them? And if she had borrowed so much money from Maud that it had jeopardised the cafe how did she suddenly have access to that amount of money and could put it in an envelope to give back? And Izzy just rolling over and forgiving Cameron and stopping her car for some unknown car behind flashing her, well she could have been asking for trouble.

All in all it was just too far fetched for me.

I do appreciate having had the opportunity to read a preview copy and thank the publishers, NetGalley and author for allowing me to do so.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cozy small-town romance set in Scotland... in autumn? Yes, please.

This is the type of romance you finish with a warm, cozy feeling. The setting was perfect, the small-town, found-family feeling was very much present. The forced proximity was executed so well, and it made the romance so much better.

The tension and chemistry between Izzi and Cameron was fantastic. Cameron is my favorite type of grumpy, mad at life, but still an absolute sweetheart underneath it all.

The only reason this wasn't a five-star read for me was that the third act felt a little rushed. I would've loved to see more of the resolution.

If you love cozy small-town romances with plenty of chemistry, I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have become a huge fan of Donna Ashcroft. Her books always come alive, and her descriptions make you feel like you can smell the cakes baking and taste all the amazing treats. Honey Haven sounds like a place I would love to live.

This is the first book in the series, and I am already invested in the town and all of its residents. Cameron and Izzy were a wonderful couple, and I really enjoyed their story. The added mystery surrounding Izzy’s reason for coming to Honey Haven and her search for family gave the book a little something extra.

This was such a charming start to the series, and I cannot wait for the next book!

[M Letzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, fast paced and juicy romance set in the Scottish Highlands. Donna Ashcroft has done a fabulous job of capturing the beautiful and quaint town of Honey Haven filled with unique characters that you want to know in real life. Both Izzy and Cameron are well developed characters that come from family trauma but strive to move beyond their childhood constraints. Their bond is instant and the chemistry is undeniable. The Candy Apple Cafe is book 1 in the Honey Haven series and I cannot wait to read more. If you are looking for cozy autumn vibes mixed in with a hot and grumpy Scotsman then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this eARC.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Candy Apple Café by Donna Ashcroft is #1 in her Honey Haven series. A wonderful cozy book to add to your Autumn read pile. Small town, grumpy meets sunshine will be your next heartwarming romance. Loved sweet, helpful with positive vibes Izzy to not trusting, leary of strangers Cameron. Thank you to # NetGalley and #Bookouture for this arc. This is my honest review. Releases Aug 25, 2026

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet romance between Izzie and Cameron who have both had long histories of difficult family and personal relationships. They find themselves falling for each other, but past trust issues loom. A cozy story.

Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca Goss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Izzi is searching for family and finds a whole community willing to embrace her as their own. Cameron is a devoted grandson to Flora, who hires Izzi to work as a baker in her café. He has been hurt and is closed off, suspicious and grouchy. Of course, her kindness warms his heart. This is a sweet cozy romance that will make you want to have sweet treat and a trip to Scotland.

[Britney Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this cozy little story. Such a great book for fall time or really just anytime. I love the characters and storyline and was 100% engaged the whole time reading it. I highly recommend this book.

[The Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and author for gifting me this ARC for an exchange on a review. This book felt cozy and spooky. It reminds me a lot of Laurie Gilmore cozy romantic books because of how cozy this book really is. I definitely recommend it.