Meet Me at the Art Cafe

Art Café #2

by Sue McDonagh

Would you take a chance on a bad boy with a leather jacket and a vintage motorbike?That's the question single mum Jo Morris has to ask herself when she collides with local bike mechanic Ed Griffiths on a rainy Welsh hillside. Working at the Art Cafe, Jo hears the gossip and is all too aware of Ed's reputation.But whilst he's certainly no angel, there is something about Ed's daredevil antics that Jo can't ignore. And as she gets to know him better and watches the kind way he deals with her young son Liam, she begins to wonder - is there more to this `bad boy' than meets the eye?

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

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2019

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Me at the Café by Sue McDonagh is a 2019 Choc Lit publication.

What a cute story!

This is a mild and easy contemporary romance with an adorable ‘opposites attract’ theme. Jo is a single mom who works at the art café, and Ed, is a bike mechanic who has gained a little notoriety as a local Lothario. Jo and Ed get off to a rough start, but the chemistry between them in undeniable.

Although Jo has been warned about Ed from some well-meaning residents, when she sees Ed with her son, Liam and begins to spend a little more time with him, she discovers there is more depth to him than his playboy reputation suggests.

This is a sweet romance featuring two characters with painful secrets, which prevents them from taking a chance on love. Liam is a scene stealer on occasion, but Ed is also a truly wonderful character. I loved his occupation, which shows that talent, a certain skill set, and hard work can be just as profitable and rewarding as white- collar occupations.

Jo’s backstory is heart wrenching, making her a sympathetic character, but also one who is supportive and can think for herself- something we should all practice.

The light tone is slightly deceptive, as there are a couple of embedded moral reminders and the added emotional depth gives the story a nice balance without becoming too sappy.

With the summer months just ahead, this would be a great book to carry with you on vacation, to relax with by the pool or on the beach- or like me- indoors under the air conditioner!!

Overall, this is a gentle and charming story anyone can enjoy!

3.5 stars

[Bookread2day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always liked Choc Lit books so I decided as they don't send out paperbacks any more to blogger's , I would read Meet Me at the Art Cafe from netgalley. As there are a lot of chapters to get through, I would have much preferred to read this in paperback, but nether the less I enjoyed reading it from netgalley. About the story. Jo Morris received a phone call from Liam her son's school, they needed to see her. From the Art Cafe, she took bike to the school. It doesn't seem to be Jo Morris day, she crashed into Ed Griffiths vintage motorbike. But Ed is the hero who saves the day taking Jo to her son's school on the back of his motorbike. Will Jo & Ed see each other again? Certainly a wonderful feel good story.

[Rennekesblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samenvatting
Dit verhaal gaat over Jo Morris, zij werkt in het Kunstcafé in Wales, waar twee partners de scepter zwaaien, Richard die doet het culinaire gedeelte en Lucy het artistieke. Jo is een alleenstaande moeder van een zoontje van vijf jaar en ze hebben het niet breed en wanneer de school van haar zoontje Liam belt dat ze direct naar school moet komen, pakt ze haar enige vervoermiddel haar fiets. Onderweg zit het haar niet mee en tot overmaat van ramp wordt haar fiets vernield. Dit is de eerste echte kennismaking met Ed Griffiths, van wie alom bekend is dat hij een bad boy is.

Quote: ‘Hij was Ed. Een van Lucy’s motorvrienden. Knapste man op de planeet. Dacht hij zelf dan.’
Omdat ze geen andere keuze heeft laat ze zich door hem naar de school van haar zoontje brengen. Vanaf dat moment draaien ze om elkaar heen, ook al heeft Ed op dat moment een vriendin. Jo heeft zichzelf aangeleerd om op de achtergrond te verblijven en de aandacht niet op haar te laten vallen. Dan wordt ze door omstandigheden door de dorpsgenoten als een held gezien en dat verandert haar hele huidige leven en daar heeft ze totaal geen behoefte aan doordat ze vele geheimen heeft die niet uit mogen komen.

Quote: ‘Ze was zo gewend geraakt om zichzelf te camoufleren - de praktische kleding die deed waar ze voor bedoeld was en die haar figuur verborg, hielp natuurlijk mee – dat het een schok was om te ontdekken dat iemand haar gezien had, zelfs haar naam had onthouden, laat staan dat diegene op haar gevallen was.’

Mijn mening
Een fijn boek om te lezen, gewoon een aangenaam boek, kabbelt lekker voort met hele prettige personages, ook met humor en een traantje, zonder te veel heftige scenes, pas aan het eind wordt het een beetje spannend.

Conclusie
Het is een prettig boek om te lezen, een heerlijke zomerroman en feelgood. Een boek dat geheimen met zich meedraagt die in het hoofd van de personages heftiger lijken dan ze eigenlijk zijn. Ook erg leuk is het grappige personage van Liam, die duidelijk een vroegrijp kereltje voorstelt.

Hele recensie te lezen op: interessesvanrenneke.com/2020/05/03/o...

[Toast · Rating 2 out of 5]

Again, I love the cover.
It was going really well then what a wet ending!!!
Funny, light with a great foil in 5 year old Liam until the 2 page ending. What happened - run short of paper? typewriter ribbon? only had 5 minutes left of the deadline? all the good work tumbled into a hugely disappointing, quick and unsatisfactory end section. Shame.
Toast

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to the Art Cafe and it is just as wonderful as the first visit - check out Summer at the Art Cafe if you missed it! - and I just adored every aspect of this book! The setting, the characters, the predicaments they found themselves in... it just all worked to make for such a wonderful reading experience and I'm already hoping that there'll be more visits to come in the future as the characters are people you want to check on every now and then to see how life is treating them!

In this book we follow Jo, who works at the Cafe with Lucy, and is a single mum to the rather adorable and very cheeky Liam! 'Out of the mouth of babes' sums him up perfectly and his comments and quips had me laughing out loud many a time! And Jo is one of those women who gets on with things and is rather partial to a bit of upcycling, and goes everywhere by bike! You soon find out why she's so wary of travelling by car and as her past is revealed you can't help but feel sympathy for her.

And one day she meets Ed, in not the most glamorous way, and is drawn to him immediately despite her concerns about his reputation in the local area. Him and his motorbike are well known in the village as he and his family have been there for years, and as a attractive bloke he seems to have a 'love em and leave em' kind of attitude! But you soon find out there's reasons for his attitude too, and it's clear the pasts of Jo and Ed have shaped them and how they react to certain situations.

When Jo is in the right place at the right time to become a hero, it is only too clear that her and Ed are going to be spending more time together and I just loved their relationship, and the bond he builds with Liam too! Not many blokes are willing to take on a child but he seems to relish the role as a surrogate dad!

I just loved every minute spent with Jo, Ed and Liam and despite the obstacles they found themselves facing there always seemed to be time to enjoy life - and a special word for Jo's neighbour Beryl! She certainly knows how to enjoy life and she's another character you can't help but adore!

Fabulous!!

[Els · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody knows the saying ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’, but it’s sometimes very hard to ignore what you see. You only have one chance to make a first impression and people often are put offf by that and don’t take the time or make the effort any more to get to know that person better. They think that what they see is what they get, but under a rough exterior a heart of gold is very often buried.

A lot of times it is a wall that has been build to protect someone and once you can make a hole in it, you are pleasantly surprised.

This is what happens in this story. Don’t let your eyes and head rule your heart, but take a jump in the unknown. It might be the best thing you have ever done.

Enjoy this lovely romantic story. It’s certainly worth picking up. I certainly liked it a lot. 4 stars.

Thank you, Sue McDonagh and Choc Lit.

https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

[Ilse · Rating 3 out of 5]

het is 5 dagen geleden dat ik het boek las en eerlijk, ik moet al heel hard nadenken om te weten hoe het weer ging.
Dat wil dus zeggen, dat het een boek is dat zeker niet blijft hangen.
opppervlakkig verhaal, waarbij je maar blijft wachten tot het goed op gang komt.
de schrijfstijl en personages doen erg denken aan de boeken van Katie FForde, maar daar stopt de gelijkenig dan ook.
beide hoofdpersonages hebben 'grote geheimen' over hun verleden en die zorgen op het einde een beetje voor wat ongeloofwaardig gehannes.
ik werd er niet warm of koud van

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one of the best ‘chick lit’ books I’ve read in a long time, the characters were perfect, had flaws, but had amazing chemistry. Slow burn romance and a wonderful storyline. I read this one one sitting as had to know how it would play out. A wonderful read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet romantic story. That is light and airy and is perfect for the times when you want a predictable story that you don’t have to concentrate too hard on but which has a good storyline to it as well.

[Linda Kwakernaat (Linda Linea Recta) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mijn volledige recensie is terug te vinden op:
https://linda-linea-recta.nl/ontmoeti...

Ontmoeting in het Kunstcafé is een compleet los te lezen boek dat zich in hetzelfde café afspeelt als Zomer in het kunstcafé.



ONTMOETING IN HET KUNSTCAFÉ
Hoofdpersonage zijn Jo en Ed. Er wordt ook vanuit hun perspectief geschreven, soms zelfs op dezelfde bladzijde. Ik moest hier even aan wennen.
Jo een gescheiden vrouw. Zij woont samen met haar zoontje Liam. Zij werkt in het Kunstcafé wat eigendom is van Lucy en haar zakenpartner Richard. Het Kunstcafé ligt op het schiereiland Gower in Zuid-Wales.
Ed is de plaatselijke motor monteur.

Op de weg naar huis wordt Jo, die op de fiets is, aangereden door Ed, de plaatselijke motor monteur en bad boy. Haar fiets is total loss en Ed brengt haar naar school omdat ze ander geen vervoer heeft.

Ik weet wie je bent. Dubbele caramel macchiato met extra siroop en room.
Hij was Ed. Een van Lucy’s motor-vrienden. Knapste man op de planeet. Dacht hij zelf dan.

Jo huurt een woning van Chad Evans, een gladjanus. Hij wil de huur verhogen omdat Jo de tuin opgeknapt heeft!

Het is misschien een moestuin voor jou, maar het is wat wij huurbazen een verbetering van de grond noemen
O. Oké. Het was geen probleem. Dus, als dat alles is, meneer Evans. Jo. Ik denk niet dat je het begrijpt. Hij zette zijn voet op de stoep. Een verbetering van de grond betekent meer waarde.
We hebben de huur al vastgezet, meneer Evans.
Voor nu, ja. Maar deze zou best eens verhoogd kunnen worden zodra je huurcontract verlengd wordt.

Als er een probleem is met de huur, dan vind ik het geen probleem om “wel iets te regelen” met je.
Ik ben klaahaar, mama.
Veeg mijn billen nou!
Even wachten liefje, riep Jo naar boven en fronste naar haar huurbaas. Ïets regelen?
Ja. Je weet wel. Hij trok zijn wenkbrauwen wellustig omhoog, mocht Jo het niet begrijpen. Misschien eens per week?

Langzaam maar zeker kom je erachter dat Jo een moeilijk en verdrietig verleden met zich meedraagt, met daarnaast meerdere geheimen. Ook Ed is belast met een forse rugzak.
Alle twee lopen hier niet mee te koop. Al doen ze dat beiden om verschillende redenen.

CONCLUSIE
Een lekker snel en makkelijk weg lezend boek, wat je in no time uit hebt. Het verhaal doet wat het moet doen, het leid je even van de dagelijkse problemen af.

Wat ik ,persoonlijk, ontzettend gaaf vind is dat er een verwijzing naar een van mijn favoriete kinderboeken in staat. Namelijk Over een kleine mol

[Maya Lanters-denneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helaas, ik ergerde me vreselijk aan het feit dat de vertaler in elke zin bijna letterlijk de Engelse zinsconstructie overnam en het gebrek aan idiomatisch Nederlands in de zinnen. Hopelijk was het een eerste vertaling.
Ik heb het boek geluisterd en de voorlezer legde ook nog eens steevast de nadruk op verkeerde plekken in de zin.
Lastig hierdoor te concentreren op de inhoud, die ik toch ook wat vond tegenvallen. Arme damsel in distress moet gered worden en daarvoor moet ze zich ook nog eens optutten. Ik geloof dat ik klaar ben met deze serie. 3 sterren dat het boek nog wel vermakelijk is en de auteur niets aan de NL uitvoering kan doen

[Femke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 sterren. Opnieuw een heerlijk boek van Sue McDonagh. Hier had ik wel iets minder mee omdat de hoofdpersoon moeder was, maar het verhaal was weer heerlijk om te lezen. Er zat lekker wat girlpower in, natuurlijk wat geheimen en vooral humor en liefde.

[Harriet Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about having a secret past and even though it may seem terrible to you, having new friends and finding a man who loves you for who you are no past is that bad. A gripping book with lots of twists :)

[Teresa Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Choclit (ChickLit) books aren’t usually my sort of thing, but having so enjoyed Summer at The Art Café, I eagerly awaited the follow-up.
I loved all the characters, even the repulsive Alexis with her sneering, look at me, I’m so much better than you, attitude. Just the sort of woman we all love to hate 😂
A lovely story, where we see the heroine, Jo, blossom and grow.
I could close my eyes and be there in the background, literally watching the book play out.
Easy to read, my only criticism was that in the first half of the book, Jo was a little too self-effacing for my liking. Probably because I’m a sort of in-your-face-person and find meek people difficult to understand.
Without giving too much away, I let out a couple of cheers when Jo started to mature from shrinking violet to strong, determined and very capable woman. Hurrah for Jo!!
A lovely feel-good book with characters written so well that you can’t help but really root for them.
Roll on book no 3!

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

If you enjoyed SUMMER AT THE ART CAFE, then you’re certain to have a wonderful time in a return visit with MEET ME AT THE ART CAFE. And if this is your first visit to “…THE ART CAFE”, no worries, you’ll feel right at home and perhaps decide to go back for a visit later on. (I would highly recommend both stories for they are the perfect feel-good romance with a bit of a lesson to be learned)

MEET ME AT THE ART CAFE takes us back for another visit with a different couple for a lovely, heartwarming, believable romance. Jo is a devoted single mother to her young son, Liam. She will do anything to protect him and give him a good life… even if that means that she trusts practically no one and keeps to herself for the most part. She has her reasons yet on this day she’s about to discover that there are kind people in the world who want nothing more than to be kind. And perhaps she’s about to get the chance to find happiness for herself as well.

Ed has more than a bit of a reputation, whether it’s completely deserved is another subject. He hasn’t found that one woman who is right for him just yet. And has no problem in continuing his search until he does find her. What the townsfolk think of him may bother him at times, but for the most part, he simply lives his life. On this day his path and Jo’s are about to connect and the resulting crash will bring secrets to light, hope for the future and bring walls tumbling down… eventually.

I enjoyed MEET ME AT THE ART CAFE on many different levels. It’s a lovely slow burn romance that allows us to see the real people, and there are three of them, in this growing relationship. It’s also a very real lesson in actually taking the time to see the real person we are dealing with in any capacity. We all have walls we erect around ourselves for various reasons, and we all definitely wear protective armor as well. Life happens, decisions are made (right or wrong) that will affect our lives for years to come. How we protect ourselves becomes instinctive… and who we let in becomes very selective. I loved watching Jo realize, through her son’s interactions with Ed, that it is alright and completely safe to trust the real person you see beyond the armor and walls. But you have to be able to give them the same gift of trusting the unique person that is you that lives behind your own armor and walls. I would not hesitate to recommend MEET ME AT THE ART CAFE to any reader who enjoys going a bit deeper, learning a few lessons themselves and simply love a good romance.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Summer at the Art Cafe last year which combined art, baking and motorbiking. At the time I said that, though I’ve never fancied motorbiking, even I found it appealing the way Sue McDonagh wrote about it. Well, here I am just finished Meet Me at the Art Cafe featuring another member of staff, Jo Morris, and finding myself thinking again that perhaps biking sounds fun after all, especially with the vintage bikes in this book. The author is a woman of many talents since as well as writing, she can, like her characters, ride a motorbike and she painted that beautiful cover herself. Isn’t it gorgeous?

So as I said, this book is about single mum Jo who works in the Art Cafe. A encounter with a herd of sheep whilst out cycling results in some bruising, a damaged bicycle and her meeting Ed. Ed has a bit of a reputation for being a bit of a ladies’ man, getting through relationships rather quickly. Jo, on the other hand, is absolutely not looking for any kind of relationship and very much focused on providing the best life she can for her little boy Liam. Forced to accept help from Ed after their meeting with the sheep, he is soon far more indebted to her.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the slowly developing relationship between Jo and Ed. They both had their reasons for behaving the way they did when it came to relationships and had built up defences around their hearts. Secrets from their pasts were having a profound effect on how they lived out their lives. Although they didn’t seem to believe it themselves, they were both good, caring people and both deserved happiness. My heart melted a little at the gentle way Ed related to little Liam. Their friendship was so lovely to see and Jo began to realise that if her little boy could trust Ed, then perhaps she could too. But then, there were still those bothersome secrets holding her back from putting her heart on the line.

Meet Me at the Art Cafe is a lovely, uplifting read. It has some surprises and many moments to make your heart swell. Jo, Ed and Liam are characters you will definitely take to your heart. I really liked Jo’s neighbour Beryl too, who provided quite a few of the lighter moments in the book. Ed’s parents were also lovely. There’s a really supportive community feel throughout this book, particularly during a heart-stopping incident near the end of the book. I really enjoyed this visit to the Art Cafe and really hope the author will be writing another book so I can look forward to visiting this lovely part of the Welsh coast and countryside again soon.

[Allison Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Sue McDonagh and I’ve ordered the other two in the Art Cafe Series, I enjoyed it that much. Such a well written story with lots of twists and turns that kept me entertained throughout. I always feel sad when I get to the end of books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed as I feel like I’m in the characters lives. Highly recommend.

Jo Morris who works in the Art Cafe, receives a call from her son Liams school and has to go in. She grabs her only mode on transport a bicycle and races to the school. Only some sheep get in the way down one of the country lanes and bad boy Ed Griffith’s from the local motorbike bike garage comes hurtling round the corner and squashes her bike. So he offers to put the cycle on the back of the pick up and give Jo a lift.

Over the coming months Jo and bad boy Ed end up spending lots of time together and even though Jo has been warned off Ed because of his bad boy reputation, she finds him intriguing. Both are hiding lots of secrets and nothing is as it seems. Jo also gets friendly with her crazy neighbour Beryl. And they find themselves in a beautiful friendship. Lots of twists and turns and a bumpy ride throughout the book. Will Jo and Ed find love? A real treat of a book with some great surprises in store

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is in Dutch, because I read it in Dutch. A few words in English at the bottom.

Dit is zo'n boek wat ik niet kon of wilde wegleggen toen ik er in begon te lezen. Ik werd het verhaal ingezogen en wilde er niet meer uit.
Jo heeft het als alleenstaande moeder niet makkelijk. En Ed staat bekend als iemand die niet doet aan serieuze relaties.
Maar de chemie tussen die twee wauw. Aangevuld met haar zoontje Liam en buurvrouw Beryl is dit een heerlijk feelgood verhaal.
Met daarbij dat het zich afspeelt in Wales aan de kust. En stoer zoals Jo door zet om Ed en zijn ouders te helpen met de beurs. Ze leert er zelfs voor motor rijden.
Gedurende het verhaal komt er steeds meer naar boven uit het verleden van zowel Jo als Ed wat het verhaal nog meer diepgang geeft.
Op het eind komt er zelfs nog iemand uit het verleden langs wie Jo (eerst) liever niet meer had gezien.
Hopelijk gaat deze schrijfster nog meer boeken schrijven, ik zou ze graag lezen.

This is one of those books in which I started reading and I didn't want to stop.
Luckily this second book in this series is as good as the first one and I am looking forward to read more from this writer.

[Gemma Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jo is a single mum working at the Art Cafe of the title in a gorgeous welsh town. Ed is the bad boy biker everyone fancies. Match made in Hell right? Well not quite.

Having been graciously been offered this book to review from Choc Lit, my Welsh biker loving little heart jumped at the chance to read something set not a twenty minute drive from my homeland. However, I'm sad to say that this didn't wow me.

The characters are good and well rounded, the setting is beautiful (in real life as well you must go there) and the story line is cute. But it is predictable and I felt that there were twists and turns thrown in at the end just to make it less so.

And speaking of the ending, it just felt extremely rushed to me. It is eluded that Jo has a secret all the way through the book and it just felt as though this was forgotten until the end and quickly pushed in there to lie up any loose strands of storyline.

That said, the setting and writing do save this for me, but sadly its not something I can see myself reading again.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this romance between Ed and Jo and that this book has a single mum trope in and I love the community in the book and how they all help out and I love the friendships as well and there are a few secrets during the book and some of the book made me laugh mostly Liam the little four year old boy Jo son and I like how Ed is the bad boy in the book and he owns a motorbike and I love the family between Ed and his family and I like how Jo saved ed's dad live and I like how we find out more about Jo and Ed during the book and I read this book in one day and I love the café that Jo works at but I am not a fan of her mum but overall I really like this book and the romance and all the events that happend during the book and I really liked Ed's parents who treated Jo like there daughter and Liam like there grandson and I can't wait to read more of sue mcdonagh books and there is some drama at the end of the book and I like how we find out who is Liam biological father is but it turns good in the end for both Ed and Jo and Liam and the rest of the community

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wàt een enorme teleurstelling na het fantastische 1e deel (zomer in het kunstcafé). Het eerste deel liet mij regelmatig schaterlachen en was er een leuk verhaal met leuke karakters en mooie sfeerbeschrijvingen.
In dit boek heb ik geen enkele keer zelfs maar hoeven glimlachen, waren er alleen maar dialogen tussen Jo en Ed en kledingadviezen van buurvrouw Beryl. Teleurstellend. Het beste van dit boek is zoontje Liam maar dat werd op een gegeven moment wat teleurstellend herhalend.. Wat ontbreekt in dit boek is dat er is geen verhaal is, geen verdieping, geen sfeer zoals het eerste boek wel allemaal had. Vanaf de eerste blz. is wel al duidelijk welke kant het op zal gaan en dat Jo en Ed elkaar zullen vinden en gelukkig gaan worden. Tussendoor is er wat teleurstellende bladvulling en niet te vergeten de eerder genoemde kledingadviezen van de buurvrouw . En dan is het "the end..."
Had ik al vermeld dat ik enorm teleurgesteld ben?

[Coco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo is a single mum to 5-year old Liam and when not working at the Art Cafe spends her weekends cycling around the nearby countryside seeking furniture to recycle for her fledgling business.
When Jo is knocked of her bicycle by leather clad biker Ed, a notorious ladies' man, she has neither the time nor the inclination to get to know him, she just wants her only means of transport repaired. Ed starts turning up everywhere, Jo just can't ignore him and begins to believe that he's not such a bad guy after all. Will their new relationship be strong enough to survive if they confess their private secrets to each other?
The second book by Sue McDonagh based around The Art Cafe, a follow up from the excellent Summer at the Art Cafe, with many characters making a welcome appearance. Funny and a delightful read.

[Isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are two schools of thought, to go back to places you have liked to have another enjoyable time or never go back in case the second visit is not as good as the first. I am in the second group but luckily this does not apply to books! Visiting the Art Café again was a good decision. Meet me at the Art Café is the best sort of follow on, it makes sense if you have not read Summer at the Art Café but if you have read it there is continuity. In either case you will have an enjoyable time.
The characters have real lives and real things to cope with. Both Jo and Ed have things in their past which affect their present and the story shows these sympathetically without allowing them to take over. If you are planning a break plan to pack Meet me at the Art Café!

[Joanna Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, what can I say?  This is a really feel good read. There's Ed a bad boy who's really a good guy at heart. Jo a single mum working at the Art Cafe, making a new life for herself while protecting her small son from secrets of the past. Fun loving Beryl next door whose a mix of practical neighbour and caring surrogate mum to Jo. And of course four year old Liam. He absolutely steals the show with his energy and innocent questions which can sometimes prove embarrassing.  Once again Sue has created a story around motorbikes, which are her passion.   But romance definitely takes centre stage and if you enjoyed  Summer at the Art Cafe, you will love this.

A story packed with characters you'll remember long after you've reached the end of the story.

[Angela Britnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the delightful second book in the Art Cafe series but can be read as a standalone with no problem. Single mother Jo has good reason to be wary of Ed when they collide on a rainy Welsh road. She’s bringing up her young son Liam alone and the local bike mechanic’s reputation as a womaniser precedes him but as she gets to know him Jo starts to wonder where he might fit into their lives. The more Ed becomes involved with Jo and Liam he questions everything about his life including whether the heavy secret he’s kept buried for a long time is holding him back. But he’s not the only one keeping secrets and Jo is even more afraid to reveal her own. Liam is a delight along with Jo’s temporary neighbour Beryl and the Welsh scenery is a wonderfully vivid character in its own right.

[Anja de Rijk]

'Ontmoeting in het Kunstcafe' is het tweede boek van Sue dat ik lees. Het eerste boek 'Zomer in het Kunstcafe' was mij heel goed bevallen, wat de verwachtingen dan erg hoog maakt voor het vervolg. Word dat waargemaakt? Het besef dat met elk boek van een uitgever er één kan zijn die je minder vind, word met elk goed boek een beetje groter. Want gewoon logica, niet alles kan perfect zijn. Gelukkig ken ik mijn smaak goed en kies ik vaak boeken uit die bij mij passen, t komt dus niet vaak voor. Ook de uitgeverijen die ik ken leveren vaak uitstekend werk.
Met elk boek dat ik lees probeer ik blanco te beginnen, al lukt dat met een vervolg nooit zo goed. Klik verder om meer te lezen! FollowMeMove.com

[Sally Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jo is a single mum to Liam and enjoys her job working in the Art Cafe and also having the time to spend with Liam, but when she gets a call from the school to come in urgently she had to rush off on her trusty old bike....... and collides with Ed. Ed is on his vintage motorbike and has to give Jo a lift to the school...... he is the original bad boy but the sparks fly....... can Jo tame him or will the secrets that they are both keeping put an end to any possible romance? A really enjoyable story with very likeable characters.... and you can't help but fall for Ed....... a perfect light feelgood read

[Isabelle D · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good to be back at the Art Café, with a new story I enjoyed as much as the first one (if you haven't read Summer at the Art Café, you can read this second book anyway, but of course I recommend both). Returning readers like me already knew Ed (from the Vintage Bike Palace), but Jo was only mentioned once as a new employee (at the Art Café) so we really only get to meet her in this book. And she's the (single) mother of a little boy, so we have a cute, funny child in this book too. Some motorbikes again as well, for those who like them (I prefer the electrically assisted bicycle, but I did enjoy reading about the vintage motorbikes). And of course a good story, very pleasantly told.

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began reading this book I didn't realise it was the second in a series but this didn't matter and I really enjoyed it as a standalone novel. Although I will be reading the first book as I liked this one so much.

A lovely easy reading feel-good romance novel with a characters who you can easily identify with and empathise with. I loved the location - set in and around the Gower in Wales, which made me long for a holiday there soon. A story of new begginings, romance, secrets and a very satisfying ending. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ella Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply - this book helped me through lockdown (number 1!)

I was struggling to sleep from worry a lot of nights, and loaded this onto my kindle. It's sweet, engaging, warm and with likeable characters you can really root for - exactly what I needed to distract myself in 2020!

I've read this series out of order as didn't realise there was a series at first (oops, my bad!), and while there are themes and characters running through them that it's nice to catch up with, they're strong enough to stand on their own merit.

Good thing is, I can come back later and read again IN ORDER, and I'll probably find lots of lovely nuances I missed the first time!