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The Gingerbread Cafe #1-3
The Gingerbread Café Trilogy
Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B00VKH2MHG.
Enjoy the warmth, cupcakes and hot chocolate at The Gingerbread Café…
Christmas is the season the Gingerbread Café was made for and Lil has every recipe down, from gingerbread men to cinnamon muffins. So when gorgeous outsider Damon opens a shop opposite The Gingerbread Café in the lead up to Christmas, Lil refuses to let him steal her customers without a fight – no matter how much he makes her heart flutter.
When it comes to love, Lil’s never quite got the method right! But as the snow begins to fall, it looks like this time deviating from the recipe might just lead Lil to the magic ingredient she’s been missing all along…
This Christmas, curl up with three delicious stories from best-selling author Rebecca Raisin – the ultimate romantic indulgence.
Enjoy the warmth, cupcakes and hot chocolate at The Gingerbread Café…
Christmas is the season the Gingerbread Café was made for and Lil has every recipe down, from gingerbread men to cinnamon muffins. So when gorgeous outsider Damon opens a shop opposite The Gingerbread Café in the lead up to Christmas, Lil refuses to let him steal her customers without a fight – no matter how much he makes her heart flutter.
When it comes to love, Lil’s never quite got the method right! But as the snow begins to fall, it looks like this time deviating from the recipe might just lead Lil to the magic ingredient she’s been missing all along…
This Christmas, curl up with three delicious stories from best-selling author Rebecca Raisin – the ultimate romantic indulgence.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2015
69 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
August 6, 2017
A lovely, charming, feel-good read that celebrates the power of friendship and love. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
December 13, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
Yet again one of my favourite authors of 2018 manages to ensconce me in her winning combination of contemporary romance, adorable characters, a genuinely interesting story and the added bonus of a delicious round of baked treats. A Gingerbread Café Christmas, written by the delightful Rebecca Raisin, is a set of three novellas in one. These three stories all follow the likeable Lil, owner of the Gingerbread Café and her adventures in life and love in the quaint town of Ashford, Connecticut. A Gingerbread Café Christmas offers readers the perfect excuse to indulge in some yuletide reading. I guarantee it will send your heart soaring!
Three heavenly stories make up A Gingerbread Café Christmas, a 2015 publication by Australian author Rebecca Raisin. Do not be deterred by the shorter length of these stories, each one packs a real punch! Within a reduced frame, the very talented Rebecca Raisin dazzles with this spectacular trilogy. In book one, Christmas at the Gingerbread Café, we first become acquainted with dear Lil, the heroine of this story collection. Lil, along with her trusty offsider CeeCee, fill the bellies of the local community of Ashford with their baked delights and scrumptious drinks. Lil has worked hard to get to where she is now, despite still nursing a broken heart, after her ex left her high and dry for a bimbo. When a new man in town moves in and makes his presence known, Lil must devise some new business strategies to obtain the upper hand. While this twosome try to battle it out to see who will reign supreme in the local café stakes, an undeniable attraction sparks between these two local business owners. Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café continues on with Lil’s story as she contends with a money hungry ex during a local chocolate festival. In Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café, it seems all Lil’s dreams are going to come true as she prepares to walk down the aisle with her Prince Charming. However, a cake disaster, an upturned café and monster mother in law may derail Lil’s wedding plans. Prepare to be doused with plenty of Christmas sparkle as you follow Lil on her Gingerbread Café adventures.
It was such a nice homecoming when I opened A Gingerbread Café Christmas. It was a true pleasure to be able to immerse myself yet again in the sensational writing of a much treasured favourite author, Rebecca Raisin. This three book collection proved to be the perfect pick me up, as I curled into the groves of this novel I found myself lost in the world of Lil, Damon, CeeCee and the Gingerbread Café!
If you are a lover of culinary delights, A Gingerbread Café Christmas will send you in a frenzy of sorts! My mouth was salivating as I made my way through the delightful and scrumptious sounding treats baked by Lil and her only employee CeeCee. I guarantee this book will send you off to the kitchen and mixing up plenty of yummy gingerbread inspired dishes. The vivid descriptions of both food and beverages contained within the pages of this novel collection will have you seeking out a piece of gingerbread and hot chocolate as a side accompaniment to enhance your reading experience.
Not only is A Gingerbread Café Christmas a sensory overload in the food and drink department, it is a fantastic example of a contemporary romance novel. I loved the way in which Raisin approached the slow but steady relationship between Lil and Damon. Their romantic interlude was a pleasure to follow! The complication of Lil’s past relationship and Damon’s little secret, combined with his mysterious phone calls all adds to the romantic sensation of this tale. Raisin knows how to tick the all the boxes in the romance department and I have nothing to fault in her presentation of this story thread.
There are a few more features that all come into play in A Gingerbread Café Christmas to ensure that this book is an evenly set tale. There are themes of friendship, loss, sorrow, betrayal, regret parenting, family politics and business ownership. Although the context of these issues is not always on the light side, the fluffy moments come from the all encompassing romance, the cooking, the tender moments of true friendship and the genuine support from the local community of Ashford.
A hint of what awaits me next time I delve into another Rebecca Raisin book closed off A Gingerbread Café Christmas just perfectly. The low key introduction of two new characters certainly had me hooked! If you are feeling in need of some holiday cheer I highly recommend seeking out A Gingerbread Café Christmas.
A Gingerbread Café Christmas is book #149 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
4.5 stars
Yet again one of my favourite authors of 2018 manages to ensconce me in her winning combination of contemporary romance, adorable characters, a genuinely interesting story and the added bonus of a delicious round of baked treats. A Gingerbread Café Christmas, written by the delightful Rebecca Raisin, is a set of three novellas in one. These three stories all follow the likeable Lil, owner of the Gingerbread Café and her adventures in life and love in the quaint town of Ashford, Connecticut. A Gingerbread Café Christmas offers readers the perfect excuse to indulge in some yuletide reading. I guarantee it will send your heart soaring!
Three heavenly stories make up A Gingerbread Café Christmas, a 2015 publication by Australian author Rebecca Raisin. Do not be deterred by the shorter length of these stories, each one packs a real punch! Within a reduced frame, the very talented Rebecca Raisin dazzles with this spectacular trilogy. In book one, Christmas at the Gingerbread Café, we first become acquainted with dear Lil, the heroine of this story collection. Lil, along with her trusty offsider CeeCee, fill the bellies of the local community of Ashford with their baked delights and scrumptious drinks. Lil has worked hard to get to where she is now, despite still nursing a broken heart, after her ex left her high and dry for a bimbo. When a new man in town moves in and makes his presence known, Lil must devise some new business strategies to obtain the upper hand. While this twosome try to battle it out to see who will reign supreme in the local café stakes, an undeniable attraction sparks between these two local business owners. Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café continues on with Lil’s story as she contends with a money hungry ex during a local chocolate festival. In Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café, it seems all Lil’s dreams are going to come true as she prepares to walk down the aisle with her Prince Charming. However, a cake disaster, an upturned café and monster mother in law may derail Lil’s wedding plans. Prepare to be doused with plenty of Christmas sparkle as you follow Lil on her Gingerbread Café adventures.
It was such a nice homecoming when I opened A Gingerbread Café Christmas. It was a true pleasure to be able to immerse myself yet again in the sensational writing of a much treasured favourite author, Rebecca Raisin. This three book collection proved to be the perfect pick me up, as I curled into the groves of this novel I found myself lost in the world of Lil, Damon, CeeCee and the Gingerbread Café!
If you are a lover of culinary delights, A Gingerbread Café Christmas will send you in a frenzy of sorts! My mouth was salivating as I made my way through the delightful and scrumptious sounding treats baked by Lil and her only employee CeeCee. I guarantee this book will send you off to the kitchen and mixing up plenty of yummy gingerbread inspired dishes. The vivid descriptions of both food and beverages contained within the pages of this novel collection will have you seeking out a piece of gingerbread and hot chocolate as a side accompaniment to enhance your reading experience.
Not only is A Gingerbread Café Christmas a sensory overload in the food and drink department, it is a fantastic example of a contemporary romance novel. I loved the way in which Raisin approached the slow but steady relationship between Lil and Damon. Their romantic interlude was a pleasure to follow! The complication of Lil’s past relationship and Damon’s little secret, combined with his mysterious phone calls all adds to the romantic sensation of this tale. Raisin knows how to tick the all the boxes in the romance department and I have nothing to fault in her presentation of this story thread.
There are a few more features that all come into play in A Gingerbread Café Christmas to ensure that this book is an evenly set tale. There are themes of friendship, loss, sorrow, betrayal, regret parenting, family politics and business ownership. Although the context of these issues is not always on the light side, the fluffy moments come from the all encompassing romance, the cooking, the tender moments of true friendship and the genuine support from the local community of Ashford.
A hint of what awaits me next time I delve into another Rebecca Raisin book closed off A Gingerbread Café Christmas just perfectly. The low key introduction of two new characters certainly had me hooked! If you are feeling in need of some holiday cheer I highly recommend seeking out A Gingerbread Café Christmas.
A Gingerbread Café Christmas is book #149 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
November 13, 2021
This was such a lovely, warm and very readable book. It didn’t drag it kept up the pace all the way through. This book was three stories in one book which was great as it flowed from one to the other without a pause which meant you remembered the characters. The descriptions of all the chocolate goodies made me mouth water. I’m wondering if there will be a fourth as I would love to know what happens next.
December 9, 2021
I can't lie about it; I wasn't a fan. A little too twee and lovey, even for Christmas!
November 30, 2016
I loved the first novella in this one, I found it to be sweet and very cute. I couldn't get enough of this one.
The second one was pretty average, though, I found that the vibes were a little off, but I'm unsure if it was because of a certain character or just in general.
All I have to say about the third one it that I couldn't get through it. It wasn't great, though I did skip to the end to get an Idea of what went on, it was still just utterly tiresome.
The second one was pretty average, though, I found that the vibes were a little off, but I'm unsure if it was because of a certain character or just in general.
All I have to say about the third one it that I couldn't get through it. It wasn't great, though I did skip to the end to get an Idea of what went on, it was still just utterly tiresome.
May 2, 2015
I have nothing but love for The Gingerbread Cafe series, it's such a wonderful read! Beautiful writing which transports you right there with the characters; who are by the way completely charming!
In this trilogy there is everything you want from a series; love, Frendship,passion and all things sweet and yummy!!
I highly recommend this enchanting series to everyone because it's wonderful. It's something you would pick up to read again and again.
In this trilogy there is everything you want from a series; love, Frendship,passion and all things sweet and yummy!!
I highly recommend this enchanting series to everyone because it's wonderful. It's something you would pick up to read again and again.
April 12, 2015
This is a wonderful, uplifting - and scrumptious! - trilogy. Raisin has a real talent for creating a cosy world, with heartwarming characters you very quickly care about. Her writing is descriptive without being slow-paced and soon hooks you into the plotline. Highly recommended but not for anyone just starting a diet!
December 13, 2022
I really wanted to like this book, being such a big fan of cheesy Christmas romance novels and it wasn’t all bad. I loved the cosy cafe descriptions and the scenes set in the Gingerbread Cafe but other than that the book fell really flat. I love cheese but my gosh, the dialogue was absolutely cringe-worthy. What are ‘country girl curves’ for a start?! The characters were so cliche and one dimensional, the relationship between Lil and Damon made me squirm reading about it - Lil going from broken hearted to madly in love within the space of a page! Also the description of Cee-Cee’s size, ethnicity and southern accent made for quite uncomfortable reading with some serious stereo typing at play. A bit of a disappointing read.
October 24, 2020
My fav book of all time!! And still is!!
December 28, 2024
Characters were a bit one dimensional with very little plot development and just straight scene cuts. 2.5 stars
December 23, 2019
I truly loved and enjoyed reading this wonderful book by Rebecca Raisin. It’s a perfect read for Christmas. This book is all about Christmas, good food, wishes coming true and finding true love and fighting for what’s right and togetherness .
If you believe in the spirit of Christmas, you must read this book.
If you believe in the spirit of Christmas, you must read this book.
April 20, 2017
This is actually three books in one: "Christmas at the Gingerbread Café", "Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café" & "Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café" which is just as well as halfway through the first book I couldn't see how on earth it was going stretch a further 200+ pages!
There's not much to say as it's all pretty predictable - the only surprise to me was it wasn't set in the Cotswolds - although if it hadn't been for CeeCee & her southern cooking it could have easily been.
By the end of "Christmas Wedding etc" I'd pretty much had enough, what with the stereotypical mother-in-law to be *yawn*, the minor upsets & the romantic, handsome Damon who, quite frankly, had as much character as one of Lil gingerbread men!
Amusing enough to pass the time but would probably benefit from not being read straight after one another.
There's not much to say as it's all pretty predictable - the only surprise to me was it wasn't set in the Cotswolds - although if it hadn't been for CeeCee & her southern cooking it could have easily been.
By the end of "Christmas Wedding etc" I'd pretty much had enough, what with the stereotypical mother-in-law to be *yawn*, the minor upsets & the romantic, handsome Damon who, quite frankly, had as much character as one of Lil gingerbread men!
Amusing enough to pass the time but would probably benefit from not being read straight after one another.
April 25, 2015
The Gingerbread Café series is definitely one of my favourite book series. The series has it all: love, friendship, sweetness, passion, emotions and so much more.
The story is set in lovely Ashford, Connecticut. The town sounds amazing! Rebecca describes it so vividly and full of detail, wish I could live there with the characters. The characters are perfectly lined out and Lily the main character is very relatable. I loved following her story.
In Christmas at the Gingerbread Café she gets to know Damon and he’s wonderful. BOOK BOYFRIEND ALARM!!! Hot, sweet, caring, romantic, sexy…
I adored how their relationship developed and the surroundings and their family and friends were always included in such a beautiful way.
Book #2 in this series is called Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café. It plays around Easter, so a few months later. And this book shows once more that Lily and Damon are such an adorable couple. Their relationship is deep, honest and real. There is some drama included, which is great and lots of memorable and adorable scenes.
And here we go, book #3 Christmas Wedding ate the Gingerbread Café, probably my fave out of the three, if I had to pick, but they are all just incredible! I fell in love with the characters even more. It’s so wonderful to see what strong bond they have and that they would do anything for each other, real friendship. The wedding preparations and the wedding itself were amazing to read about, it came from the heart and was full of emotions and touching moments.
The atmosphere in these books is magical and unique. The storyline and the writing are gripping, fascinating, sweet, fresh, fun and so much more. This series has a lot of sparks and it definitely manages to put a huge smile on your face, a MUST-READ by a wonderful and talented author!
I had the honor of meeting this wonderful lady and she's even more amazing in person!
The story is set in lovely Ashford, Connecticut. The town sounds amazing! Rebecca describes it so vividly and full of detail, wish I could live there with the characters. The characters are perfectly lined out and Lily the main character is very relatable. I loved following her story.
In Christmas at the Gingerbread Café she gets to know Damon and he’s wonderful. BOOK BOYFRIEND ALARM!!! Hot, sweet, caring, romantic, sexy…
I adored how their relationship developed and the surroundings and their family and friends were always included in such a beautiful way.
Book #2 in this series is called Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café. It plays around Easter, so a few months later. And this book shows once more that Lily and Damon are such an adorable couple. Their relationship is deep, honest and real. There is some drama included, which is great and lots of memorable and adorable scenes.
And here we go, book #3 Christmas Wedding ate the Gingerbread Café, probably my fave out of the three, if I had to pick, but they are all just incredible! I fell in love with the characters even more. It’s so wonderful to see what strong bond they have and that they would do anything for each other, real friendship. The wedding preparations and the wedding itself were amazing to read about, it came from the heart and was full of emotions and touching moments.
The atmosphere in these books is magical and unique. The storyline and the writing are gripping, fascinating, sweet, fresh, fun and so much more. This series has a lot of sparks and it definitely manages to put a huge smile on your face, a MUST-READ by a wonderful and talented author!
I had the honor of meeting this wonderful lady and she's even more amazing in person!
May 2, 2015
The Gingerbread Cafe Trilogy follows the adventures of Lil and Damon, which are both romantically and food-ish-ly delicious. Each of the installments can be read separately, and you'll always get a satisfying ending, but I think it's nice to see them packaged like this, so readers can enjoy the journey from Lil and Damon's first meeting as rival shop owners in Christmas at the Gingerbread Café, to their final happily ever after in Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café.
Lil is the sweet, yet fiery, friend to all, while Damon is the naughty, sexy guy who loves her, even when she's not making that easy! There are a number of hiccups along the way through their romance, from problems caused by Lil's scummy ex, to those caused by Damon's meddling mother, Olivia.
By the end, Olivia was my favorite character, mostly because she is just so terrible. I do love a good villain, and who hasn't dealt with a mother-in-law from hell at some point? But like Lil and Damon's baked goods, most of the inhabitants of Ashford are sweet as cherry pie. I adore Lil's friend CeeCee, always fixing everyone else's problems, and of course Damon's daughter Charlie, whose developing bond with Lil is one of the sweetest subplots.
The gorgeous characters are what brought these stories to life for me, and I just love Rebecca Raisin's wicked sense of humor. A word of warning though: Don't read this series without some cake handy or the descriptions of the food in The Gingerbread Café Trilogy will have your stomach growling!
This is a series that will make you as hungry as it makes you happy, as Lil and Damon bake up a storm in the little town of Ashford.
Lil is the sweet, yet fiery, friend to all, while Damon is the naughty, sexy guy who loves her, even when she's not making that easy! There are a number of hiccups along the way through their romance, from problems caused by Lil's scummy ex, to those caused by Damon's meddling mother, Olivia.
By the end, Olivia was my favorite character, mostly because she is just so terrible. I do love a good villain, and who hasn't dealt with a mother-in-law from hell at some point? But like Lil and Damon's baked goods, most of the inhabitants of Ashford are sweet as cherry pie. I adore Lil's friend CeeCee, always fixing everyone else's problems, and of course Damon's daughter Charlie, whose developing bond with Lil is one of the sweetest subplots.
The gorgeous characters are what brought these stories to life for me, and I just love Rebecca Raisin's wicked sense of humor. A word of warning though: Don't read this series without some cake handy or the descriptions of the food in The Gingerbread Café Trilogy will have your stomach growling!
This is a series that will make you as hungry as it makes you happy, as Lil and Damon bake up a storm in the little town of Ashford.
December 24, 2015
I really did enjoy this book! I was sceptical to begin with as i thought it may just be another lovey dovey book, which i am known to always go for. But I was mildly surprised.I found it enthralling and thouroughly enjoyed it. It had a lovely story line and it makes for a cute read. Ok so you can predict the end, like most of this genre, however, i would still reccomend it.
April 3, 2016
Lost my reading mojo, so thought I'd read some, er, trash. Didn't help.
Sorry, the book. It was just kind of cringy - so cheesy that it stunk out the room, and the saccharine story was rivalled only by the huge amount of description that was given to describing chocolate and cake. I bought three of the series. God help me.
Sorry, the book. It was just kind of cringy - so cheesy that it stunk out the room, and the saccharine story was rivalled only by the huge amount of description that was given to describing chocolate and cake. I bought three of the series. God help me.
December 28, 2015
This was the first book I have read by Rebecca Raisin. It was 3 stories in one all follow on from each other: It was quite predictable and all leading up to a predictive ending but still a good festive read.
August 5, 2016
I know this is a trashy book so I shouldn't expect much, but it was just so corny and cheesy that I couldn't finish it. The characters and storyline are predictable, and the repeated use of phases like 'mighty fine' and 'mosey on down' made me cringe. Very disappointed.
December 22, 2015
Really nice and feel good story, perfect for Christmas time
December 3, 2015
A delightful Christmas read full of families ,traditions,love and of course gingerbread an ideal read to curl up to at the fire.
December 5, 2016
Sickeningly sweet. Too cheesy. Everything ended too perfectly! Hated it.
December 24, 2021
A Gingerbread Café Christmas by Rebecca Raisin is a delightful contemporary festive offering of three stories.
Christmas At The Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin is the first book in the Gingerbread Café series and is absolutely delightful. It is a gentle novella about friendship and love during the festive season. We see that we achieve more when we work in partnership rather than viewing others as competition or rivals. All the characters are warm and welcoming. This is Christmas wrapped up in a tale.
Chocolate Dreams At The Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin is the second book in the Gingerbread Café series and moves forward in time towards Easter as we catch up with Lil and CeeCee making their chocolate Easter eggs. The reader is once more enveloped in an atmosphere of love and friendship. We learn that the richest people are those with love in their hearts, surrounded by family and friends. The love of money is the root of all evil as we witness how grabbing at money is ugly. We see kind and generous hearts who go the extra mile for those they love.
Christmas Wedding At The Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin is the final book in the Gingerbread Café trilogy which has been absolutely delightful. Once more the reader receives a warm welcome as the book is full of love and a generosity of spirit. People come together to celebrate new life, a wedding and a death – for all the stages of life, there is love and support as a community pulls together. There are occasionally those who are out to cause mischief as bumps in the road need smoothing out.
I have adored this Gingerbread Café series. It has been a pure delight and just perfect for the Christmas season.
Christmas At The Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin is the first book in the Gingerbread Café series and is absolutely delightful. It is a gentle novella about friendship and love during the festive season. We see that we achieve more when we work in partnership rather than viewing others as competition or rivals. All the characters are warm and welcoming. This is Christmas wrapped up in a tale.
Chocolate Dreams At The Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin is the second book in the Gingerbread Café series and moves forward in time towards Easter as we catch up with Lil and CeeCee making their chocolate Easter eggs. The reader is once more enveloped in an atmosphere of love and friendship. We learn that the richest people are those with love in their hearts, surrounded by family and friends. The love of money is the root of all evil as we witness how grabbing at money is ugly. We see kind and generous hearts who go the extra mile for those they love.
Christmas Wedding At The Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin is the final book in the Gingerbread Café trilogy which has been absolutely delightful. Once more the reader receives a warm welcome as the book is full of love and a generosity of spirit. People come together to celebrate new life, a wedding and a death – for all the stages of life, there is love and support as a community pulls together. There are occasionally those who are out to cause mischief as bumps in the road need smoothing out.
I have adored this Gingerbread Café series. It has been a pure delight and just perfect for the Christmas season.
November 28, 2018
I really enjoyed the first novella in this set. I loved Lily and Damon. Lily was so cute and the chemistry between her and Damon was awesome. I thought their relationship was great. But I had issues with the other two novellas. The second one was so ridiculous with the character of Joel. And it was manufactured drama since he left just as quickly as he came. There was really no point to it. The third one was just slow and boring. And it got to the point (with the second and third novellas) where the focus was on the food way more than the relationships. Now, don't get me wrong. I loved the concept of the cafe and the descriptions of the food were mouthwatering. But did I really need a step by step description of how they made their desserts? Or several pages about all the desserts they had to make? It was too much. It started to feel like a cookbook or something. And maybe this sounds weird, but I really thought Sarah would be shown more. I thought her and Lily were best friends and yet, her presence was barely felt. It was weird. But I thought CeeCee was a real trip and I loved her. Since it was obvious how the third one was going to end, I just felt like it was too long and boring to be one book. I normally love the author's writing, but I felt like Lily could have had one book and that would have been fine.
October 27, 2024
If you think Christmas needs a lot more drama and black people talk in catchphrases (lest you forget for one moment they are black), this is the book for you. Glory be.
Lilly is an idiot. She doesn't understand business and is scraping by creating elaborate concoctions that sell well because she clearly doesn't include a labor cost in her pricing and everyone where she lives wants to see how quicky they can get diabetes. When rich, handsome Damon moves in to the shop across the road and threatens to destroy Lilly's business by teaching everyone to cook her stuff for themselves, Lilly falls in a heap and prepares to sink. Luckily her friend Cece offers a compromise. You know that catering business you seem to know nothing about? Why not ask Damon to join you in that? Clearly he is trying to destroy your business because he likes you. Wait, that's two sentences. Glory be.
It's silly, it's superficial, there's a great deal of fixation on certain recipes, and in the audiobook I listened to, the narrator seemed intent on letting her audience get a well earned rest. She'd place all these unnecessary spaces in there, in case you managed to go to sleep by that point.
But for all that, sometimes something low stakes and easy is exactly what you need.
Lilly is an idiot. She doesn't understand business and is scraping by creating elaborate concoctions that sell well because she clearly doesn't include a labor cost in her pricing and everyone where she lives wants to see how quicky they can get diabetes. When rich, handsome Damon moves in to the shop across the road and threatens to destroy Lilly's business by teaching everyone to cook her stuff for themselves, Lilly falls in a heap and prepares to sink. Luckily her friend Cece offers a compromise. You know that catering business you seem to know nothing about? Why not ask Damon to join you in that? Clearly he is trying to destroy your business because he likes you. Wait, that's two sentences. Glory be.
It's silly, it's superficial, there's a great deal of fixation on certain recipes, and in the audiobook I listened to, the narrator seemed intent on letting her audience get a well earned rest. She'd place all these unnecessary spaces in there, in case you managed to go to sleep by that point.
But for all that, sometimes something low stakes and easy is exactly what you need.
December 28, 2018
This is my first Christmas read of the season and I’m honestly gutted it was such a let down. Firstly, when I picked this book up I didn’t realise it was 3 short stories (I really dislike short stories) however, I read them anyway.
The first one was okay...I really really struggled to get through it because of CeeCee’s character. I hate it when people don’t speak properly in books, it comes across awfully. And the sayings that were constantly overused irritated the life out of me.
I think I only got through it because I didn’t understand what the other two short stories could be about. Then I got to the end and thought of okay, exactly what I expected, they got together.
The second one I got through in about half an hour. It wasn’t that great in all honesty. Very predictable. I did enjoy Charlie’s character though, it was very sweet to have the little girl be part of the proposal. I thought the whole Joel thing wasn’t written that well, how could anyone love someone who was that cruel and how did she not see that years before? Silly really.
I struggled to get through the third one about the wedding as it was so cringe. I enjoy some cheeky/cheesy lines like most readers but it was just too cringe for my liking. It wasn’t just that it was cringe to be honest it was the fact of all the in depth descriptions of such pointless things. One thing I did really enjoy from this book was CeeCee and Janey’s relationship, that was lovely. However, the rest of the story is quiet predictable. Definitely not a book I’ll reread in a hurry.
The first one was okay...I really really struggled to get through it because of CeeCee’s character. I hate it when people don’t speak properly in books, it comes across awfully. And the sayings that were constantly overused irritated the life out of me.
I think I only got through it because I didn’t understand what the other two short stories could be about. Then I got to the end and thought of okay, exactly what I expected, they got together.
The second one I got through in about half an hour. It wasn’t that great in all honesty. Very predictable. I did enjoy Charlie’s character though, it was very sweet to have the little girl be part of the proposal. I thought the whole Joel thing wasn’t written that well, how could anyone love someone who was that cruel and how did she not see that years before? Silly really.
I struggled to get through the third one about the wedding as it was so cringe. I enjoy some cheeky/cheesy lines like most readers but it was just too cringe for my liking. It wasn’t just that it was cringe to be honest it was the fact of all the in depth descriptions of such pointless things. One thing I did really enjoy from this book was CeeCee and Janey’s relationship, that was lovely. However, the rest of the story is quiet predictable. Definitely not a book I’ll reread in a hurry.
December 23, 2019
This was such a fun, sweet, holiday novella. I love CeeCee and Lil’s relationship , the shop seems magical. Damon is a sexy single dad that loves how feisty Lil is. Their relationship starts to build and it is so much fun reading about them getting to know each other. Can’t wait to read the next book. The continuation of this romance is surrounding Easter time, I loved reading about Lil and CeeCee getting ready for the Chocolate Festival. Damon and Lil are so adorable together and I love his daughter Charlie, she is so sweet. There is trouble in town though when Joel, Lil’s ex husband shows up and making demands. The road to love got a little rocky but love won in the end. This was such a beautiful story but it did have its sad parts and frustrating parts but in the end it was worth it. Lil thought she had everything under control with the wedding plans but things start to fall apart and sabotage is in the air. I love Damon and Lil together and they are tested. CeeCee has a great loss. There are surprises in this book and such a beautiful wedding in the end.
December 29, 2020
If you're looking a for a nice, soppy, Christmas romance then this is a book for you! It is set in the town of Ashford, Connecticut, which is presented as pretty much a small town where everyone knows everyone else. Everyone knows Lil who owns 'The Gingerbread Cafe', and so everyone also then knows when Damon, a new member of the town opens up a cafe just across the road from Lil. The big question then becomes, is there enough room for both these cafes in town? At first it seems not, as both Lil and Damon compete against one another, but in true romantic style the two eventually fall in love and so begins the love story. The book is actually three abridged books in one; 'Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe', 'Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Cafe' and 'Christmas wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe'. I would say that by reading this abridged version of the three books, you get the picture quite clearly and I didn't feel I needed to read the full versions of the books. The book is then split into three short parts, which is ideal if you are someone who finds themselves short of time when reading, as you could read these three short stories in isolation of one another and still understand evetns. Whilst I can't criticise the book for being a romantic, soppy feel-good book, I also can't give it any more than three stars, as it is a book which does what it says on the tin so to speak. If you're in need of an easy read with a feel good factor and don't mind the soppiness of it all, then this is an easy book to dive into. Beware though, if you don't think you've had a big enough sugar rush over Christmas, you certainly will after reading the constant sugary descriptions in the book!
November 27, 2020
The first two chapters were painful
I almost gave up. The beginning of the book was painfully down home and folksy. Like almost every good Hallmark movie, there is a supportive Black friend. In this case, she's an older woman. Throw in love at first sight on the hero's part, and the cliches are all in place. Said hero is tall and blond, with skin tight jeans and 'checker' shirts he unbuttons halfway down his chest. There's also an obligatory nasty character who (of course) becomes a total sweetheart by the end.
The book is full of Britishisms: holiday for vacation, Father Christmas, fall pregnant, punters. They stuck out to me. A British author and her beta readers should be aware of these differences.
Why did I finish, you might ask? Partly inertia, partly my ability to skim, partly mild curiosity. It's the sort of book one reads when paying attention to the story isn't mandatory.
I almost gave up. The beginning of the book was painfully down home and folksy. Like almost every good Hallmark movie, there is a supportive Black friend. In this case, she's an older woman. Throw in love at first sight on the hero's part, and the cliches are all in place. Said hero is tall and blond, with skin tight jeans and 'checker' shirts he unbuttons halfway down his chest. There's also an obligatory nasty character who (of course) becomes a total sweetheart by the end.
The book is full of Britishisms: holiday for vacation, Father Christmas, fall pregnant, punters. They stuck out to me. A British author and her beta readers should be aware of these differences.
Why did I finish, you might ask? Partly inertia, partly my ability to skim, partly mild curiosity. It's the sort of book one reads when paying attention to the story isn't mandatory.
October 22, 2022
I have such mixed feelings about this trilogy! I love the idea, the setting, the characters… Transfer me to Lily’s cute cafe in her adorable town any time! However, the first two books were so shallow, it just fell flat from halfway. They both could have been so much more, but all the conflict was solved so easily… I had a bit of a bore-out at the end of the second book, but thank goodness I went on with book three. Still a little too sugarcoated for my taste (and I love sweet books!), but with a lot more depth en better storylines. So, two stars for the first two and four for the last, makes three stars overall. If you love adorable short books, go and visit Lily and her friends!
October 15, 2022
I’ve read this book but as the three part ebook series rather than this full length novel, which is why this hasn’t been included or added towards my 2022 reading challenge as the individual ebooks have been added to it already.
To see my review for this book, then please visit the individual books on here which are as follows:
Gingerbread Cafe
1. Christmas At the Gingerbread Cafe (2013)
2. Chocolate Dreams At the Gingerbread Cafe (2014)
2.5 The Bookshop On the Corner (2014)
3. Christmas Wedding At the Gingerbread Cafe (2014)
To see my review for this book, then please visit the individual books on here which are as follows:
Gingerbread Cafe
1. Christmas At the Gingerbread Cafe (2013)
2. Chocolate Dreams At the Gingerbread Cafe (2014)
2.5 The Bookshop On the Corner (2014)
3. Christmas Wedding At the Gingerbread Cafe (2014)
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