Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Cafe

Christmas on Castle Street #3

by Jessica Redland

A few minutes of courage might change your life…

Emotionally, Tara Porter finds the festive period a challenge. Christmas Day is a reminder of the family she lost, and New Year’s Eve holds bitter memories of the biggest mistake of her life: marrying Garth Tewkesbury. Shunning invitations to celebrate, she seeks refuge in her flat with only her giant house bunny, Hercules, for company.

Professionally, though, it’s the best time of year. Tara’s thriving café, The Chocolate Pot, is always packed. With the café hosting a wedding and engagement party, it’s shaping up to be the café’s best Christmas ever.

When former nemesis, Jed Ferguson, threatens the future of The Chocolate Pot, Tara prepares for a fight. The café is everything to her and she’s not going to let anyone or anything jeopardise that.

Tara badly misjudged ex-husband Garth and, since then, has refused to let anyone in. After all, if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. But has she misjudged Jed too? Is it possible that he’s not the arrogant, deceitful man from whom she bought the café 14 years earlier? Can she find the courage to find out for sure?

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Audiobook, Holiday, Contemporary

327 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2020

About the author

I was born in Teesside but now live in Scarborough on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast. My home inspired the creation of the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where I set many of my books although the Hedgehog Hollow series takes readers to a gorgeous new countryside setting in the Yorkshire Wolds.

I live with my husband, our teenage daughter and sprocker spaniel, Ella. I'm a self-confessed stationery addict with a ridiculously large collection of notepads who loves chocolate (although it doesn't love me), hedgehogs, 80s music, collectible teddy bears and lighthouses.

Other than a career detour into retail to set up and run my own teddy bear shop (the inspiration for novel Bear With Me), I've always worked in HR, specialising in resourcing, coaching and L&D. Writing always had to take a back seat to the day job until June 2020 when I left the world of HR to become a full-time author. I'm so very grateful to anyone who has bought or borrowed my books in whatever format, helping me fulfil a long-held dream of writing full-time. I still can't believe I get to spend every day chatting to my fictional friends and making stuff up.

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ Plenty of Surprises, with a Sprinkle of Mystery and Romance.

Wow oh wow what a book. Not only is the cover absolutely sparkling with Christmas Charm, it's also an Enchanting Story filled with many surprises. Just like opening a present. The gift that keeps on giving!

I have to admit the title of the book also captured my attention, as I'm a chocoholic 🙊

For me the most festive part of this book is indeed the cover. But I loved that it wasn't what I was expecting. It was so much more.
Christmas at The Chocolate Pot Café is a charming and emotive read, filled with wonderful characters.

Tara is mending a broken heart. So when she decides it's time for a change, she ups and moves to Whitsborough Bay, where she comes across The Chocolate Pot Café.
She falls in love and buys The Chocolate Pot Café from Jed.
In turn making it a success.

Tara is a complex and flawed Character, but it's not surprising considering all she has been through.
It was so Heartwarming to watch Tara's growth as she becomes more confident and strong, in turn learning to trust and let people in. To experience her journey alongside her was so touching.

I adored reading this Gorgeous Book. It's not just a cosy romance, it's an emotional rollercoaster as you delve into Tara's life.
A story about learning to trust, let go and let people in, it's a story of survival, loss, betrayal, friendship and relationships.

Oh and I have to mention Hercules..... the most adorable Pet Bunny.... Not just any pet bunny.... a Giant Pet Bunny 😍🐇
Tara's baby! That believes he is a dog 😂🐕
I don't think I've come across a book with a pet bunny, but I loved him, he stole my heart.
But believe it or not bunnies make amazing pets, a friend I know even litter trained her bunnies!

The Characters are endearing and likeable, the pace just flows along perfectly, the romance aspect is definitely cosy but wasn't the main focus.
Christmas at The Chocolate Pot Café will definitely evoke all of your emotions, it's a wonderfully Heartwarming read, with plenty of surprises, with a sprinkle of mystery and romance.

Redland has a way of captivating her readers and making you feel part of the story.
She has a knack of storytelling with a lot of heart and emotion, filled with endearing characters and engrossing storylines, which makes for an Unputdownable Page Turner.

Redland has written Another Gem of a Book.
She is fast becoming one of my favourite Authors. Her books are always a joy to read!
So if you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading Jessica Redland's books then you will adore this one! Once you read one of her books, you will want to read them all!
Enjoy!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...

[Berit☀️✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully told story, filled with quirky and charming characters that completely captured my heart!

Loved loved loved this book!Jessica Redland I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship! This book was EVERYTHING I look for in a book! fabulous characters, a charming setting, an emotional heartfelt story, and a touch of mystery...

This wasn’t your typical Christmas read, and I mean that in the best possible way... yes, there were festive moments, tree lighting, Christmas decorations, and winter weather... but there was also tremendous depth to the story it evoked all the feels...

Tara was such a complex well developed character that my heart went out to... she had a rough past and had really close herself off to people.... The character growth in her was the best part of the book, I loved watching this closed off person grow into such a strong vibrant character! I also enjoyed her friendship with Carly and her blooming relationship/Romance with an unlikely character... and my review would not be complete if I did not give a big shout out to Hercules the giant house bunny, I need to Google how big this bunny could be? He really acted more like a dog then a rabbit....

The mantra of this book was Be Brave such a wonderful positive message and so true! We really all need to put ourselves out there a little bit more, I know I do! Such a wonderful story and my first from this talented author, but definitely not the last!

Absolutely recommend to anyone who is a fan of a lovely story filled with fabulous characters that will make you smile! I picked this book up for the title and I stayed for the beautiful story!

*** many thanks to the author and Rachel for my copy of this book ***

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

Nobody had ever kissed my hand before. I felt like a heroine in an Austen novel, being wooed by an English gent. I had to fight hard not to giggle childishly or say anything stupid.

I’ll admit that there’s a teeny weeny fragment of sympathy for him, but Joyce seems to think the sun shines out of his arse, whereas I just think he is an arse.

I think I may have had an attack of the verbals…


My Review:

Tara was an enigmatic cross between Pollyanna, a “spiky” cynic, and a secretly prolific crafter and hygge enthusiast. She had limited her life space to her business, her giant house bunny, and her clandestine crafting. Her story tugged and squeezed my heart and I adored her, as I have every quirkily flawed character this talented author has introduced me to with this addictive and entertaining series. Each story in this lively and insightfully written series has been delightfully and lusciously detailed with poignant and original storylines and unique challenges for the lovable yet besieged characters to conquer. This story held several added layers of maddeningly paced intrigue that continually poked and prickled my curiosity. I seem destined to read Ms. Redland’s work out of order, yet it makes no nevermind as while her tales are interconnected, they all have strong legs and are quite capable of standing alone, but what is the fun in that? Collect and read them all, and be a better person for it. I have unearthed a fun new addition to my Brit Word list with muggins, which Mr. Google defined as “a foolish and gullible person (often used humorously to refer to oneself).”

[Dale Harcombe]

Did not finish so no rating. This started out good and fun. A nice light read which was what I wanted and what the title suggested. But when it started to go on about play dates (and I don’t mean harmless play dates organised by mums for kids) I nearly gave up. I did a while later. Have no interest reading about making pornography and debauchery I was out of there.

[Mahayana Dugast · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like fluffy things, hot chocolate, and an all-around heartwarming story, then this is for you! I certainly enjoyed it! :-)

[Jennifer (Jaye) (Hope everyone had a great Christmas, trying to reply to comments and keep being asked to log back in!!!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Taking Chances*

Tara is the proud owner of the Chocolate Pot Cafe. She is always on hand to help others and her business is going from strength to strength. Christmas is the most difficult time of year for her and it is fast approaching.

Christmas is significant because behind closed doors, it reminds her of a terrible tragedy that meant she was removed from her home and after being moved from foster home after foster home she finally finds her place. A couple who have let her in and care about her. The couple have a biological child who is the perfect big sister or is she?

After a terrible discovery Tara decides she has no option but to leave. The hardest part is that her foster parents are away so she leaves a note in a place that only they will find it.

Tara gets into her car and let’s the map and her pen choose the area. Whitsborough Bay is the destination and when she arrives it just feels just right to her.

She eventually finds the perfect venue for her cafe, but it needs a lot of work. The previous owner to be does not seem to have any endearing qualities.

Because of her past she has not let anyone into her life for over ten years, except for her giant house rabbit named Hercules.

She eventually lets a little of her life slip with cupcakes shop owner Carly. Tara can only do this in stages and the full horror of her past comes out in trickles.

There are a few misunderstandings, will Tara ever be brave enough to let anyone else in? How will she feel? Will she finally let go?

I loved this book, there are some predictable moments and heartbreaking elements, but the atmosphere of this book transported me.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sitting here open mouthed in complete wonderment at just how totally amazing Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Cafe is. There is just so much to this story, it had me hooked and intrigued from the first few pages, and even when I wasn't reading it it was in the back of my mind.

It took me mere hours if that to devour this book and although it has slightly left me craving some chocolate, I'm in awe of the author even more.

Tara has had just a difficult past, and she has until this year, in this book kept it a secret from everyone in Whitsborough Bay, but Christmas is the catalyst for many things and she is finally ready to start telling her story to best friend Carly.

I really don't think you would have guessed at most of it if you tried, but slowly you get a picture of just what has made Tara the person she is today, while at the same time you see fabulous character development from her, and as the reader get a full idea as to what Tara is really like.

Hercules is one of my favourite pets I've read for ages, then again I've not really read about many giant house bunny's let alone one that seems to have almost dog like behaviours.

This is definitely a standalone book, but if you have ready any of the author's previous books, then you will most likely recognise some characters, and of course the wonderful town of Whitsborough Bay.

This is not your typical Christmas story, it s so much better than that. It is real, the characters felt like friends by the end of the book, and I felt as thought I had been through the wringer a bit emotionally. Throughout the book there are mini reveals, surprises and just so much goodness that if you are anything like me you won't want to put the book down.

Jessica Redland is already becoming for me a drop everything and read author, I had the book less than 24 hours before I had to start it, If you haven't taken note of this author yet and tried her you are missing out. I am starting to firmly believe she is destined for big things.

Thank you to Jessica Redland for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

[Mackey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read Starry Skies Over the Chocolate Pot Cafe which is a reprinting and updated version of Christmas at The Chocolate Pot Cafe. The author added additional material to the middle and end of the original story giving the updated version a more all around, year through theme while still emphasizing the holidays. I absolutely adored the book, enjoy Redland's writing very much and the characters and story plot were perfect especially for this time of year. I have not read the other books in the Whitsborough Bay series and this worked fine as a stand alone. However, I fully intend to back track and read the first six in the series now. Enjoy!

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars

Goodness, this is such an odd book. I feel like it wants to be women's fiction or maybe romance, and there are certainly elements of that. And 'light,' but it's definitely not that! I also added a 'horror' tag because Tara/Tamara's treatment by her sister is in the realm of horror.

Tara spends the first half (or more) of the book closed off, detached, and emotionally unavailable. Yes, there is reason for it. And sadly she lives this way for 13 years. And that makes for pretty bleak reading. She keeps all sorts of secrets that make no sense: the fact that she's crafting, her pet rabbit, the reason behind the name of the cafe, etc. Then she slowly starts to reach out to a friend and her staff. And poof, we're supposed to believe that everyone adores her. But someone that detached from the world would not be suddenly beloved like that. People don't adore someone who knows nothing about them and keeps themselves physically and emotionally apart from the rest of the world, no matter what the author wishes would happen.

And I have to mention the last-minute Dark Moment. It felt like the author needed a little bit of drama at the end and manufactured it with very little thought behind it. It was particularly lame.

I wasn't a fan of the narrator either. She sounded too old. And her portrayal of some of the secondary characters was just awful.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one the most fabulous books read during the Christmas season. I absolutely, totally, completely loved it. The reason was pretty simple
The book made me cry!!

Tara's story had me so immersed in it that I didn't want to do anything but read it. Every emotion wrenched an equal reaction from me. For me, this was Jessica Redland's best book, the cover made me go ga-ga over it...

A Pollyanna turned cynic due to life's trials reminded me completely of ME... Tara the owner of Chocolate Pot, not only made the perfect cup of hot chocolate, but was a fabulous crafter and embraced the concept of hygge wholeheartedly in her way of living. I too wanted to live in her flat, it was so cozy with a giant house bunny Hercules... Well I am not too sure of the bunny...😂 😂

Jessica's writing brought a strong imagery which made me forget my real life. It had me crying, laughing, smiling, loving, and being angry. The only niggle I had was the hero was bang perfect for her... Well, that's the joy of fiction - such unbelievable men are easy to write about.

I absolutely adored the book and I hope to use one of the scenes in my real life if a guy asks me to make him coffee because he doesn't have cups or mugs... I am going to do the right thing and give him my takeaway paper mug!!

[Elicia Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely in my Holiday lineup for reading each year. I loved this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

STARRY SKIES OVER THE CHOCOLATE POT CAFE is such an awesome way to get into the holiday spirit! Tara, who owns the Chocolate Pot Cafe, feels like the holiday is the worst time of the year. She always feels even more alone during the holiday and she is sure that this year it will be more of the same. Once you start reading this beautiful heart warming story, you won’t be able to put it down as you find yourself feeling the pain that Tara is going through. Jessica Redland has a way of pulling her readers right into the characters lives, and making them feel like they have been friends forever.

Tara has always held others at a distance, refusing to let anyone in to her life. She has no friends and co workers don’t really know too much about her and that is all because of what happened to her in the past. STARRY SKIES OVER THE CHOCOLATE POT finds Tara finally deciding to try and do better and takes a big leap of faith. She decides to share more about herself with the other shop owners and her co workers. This is such a big step for her since she was shredded by every single person she loved and cared about and she is afraid to let others know the truth. Tara left her family 14 years ago because of being betrayed by some on the closest people to her that she thought loved and cared for her. How can your heart not break for her trying to let go of her past?

STARRY SKIES OVER THE CHOCOLATE POT CAFE takes place in a lovely setting with a close knit and supportive set of shop owners during the most festive time of the year. It brings to the forefront how important our friends are to us and how we should make the most of our time. It is a lovely story that left me happy and with a big smile! I’m so excited to read more by Jessica Redland. I really enjoyed the main characters and the storyline developed nicely, with each having equal billing. I loved the setting too and would so love to visit Whitsborough Bay to go Christmas shopping.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley and Rachel’s Random Resources . All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

[Karschtl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taras lifestory isn't what you expect in a chick-lit. But, on the other hand, this isn't a conventional chick-lit either. I even could have done without the love story that appears in the second half of the story. Tara, her past, present and future would have been enough for me, because she has so much to tell, and nothing is run-of-the-mill. And not to forget Hercules, her house bunny. Since we also have bunnies ourselves as pets I especially liked him.

Towards the end of the book it got very corny, a bit too much for my liking. Everything and everyone was so perfect and thoughful and understanding and loving. But all in all it's another nice story from Whitsborough Bay.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been enjoying my visits to Whitsborough Bay and this story has me spending the holidays with wonderful characters getting to know more about their shops and relationships. This was a festive story that will get readers in the mood for the holidays. If you have read other books in this series, you will meet up with some familiar characters. Tara is happy with her shop and her many projects that she has going, but is she really happy or is it all a mask. When someone from her past purchases the building across the street from The Chocolate Pot Cafe, she is thrown for a loop. Why has he come back? Will he try and put her out of business? All kinds of memories come flooding back and her emotions are in a turmoil.

I loved Tara and felt so bad for her. She has made her life over and is quite comfortable, even though she keeps others at a distance. When everything comes to a head, she realizes that she has to stop running and hiding. She can count on her friends, as they have come to count on her. I love the many characters in Whitsborough Bay, those I know from other books and the ones I met in this one. It is such a wonderful community where friends help one another and can count on each other. The stories are always well developed and pull me right in. The characters are ones that I would want for friends and I absolutely love the setting. Another winner from Jessica Redland and I am looking forward to my next visit. I was gifted a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the cover and title for this book. As soon as I read the book description, I couldn't help but be even more drawn to it and I am so glad I read it. 

I have to start by saying this isn't an overly festive read. The story is mainly set in November in the run up to Christmas. This is by no means a bad thing though as it means you don't have to feel guilty reading this at anytime of the year!

Whilst it may not be overly festive, it does actually portray the real meaning of Christmas and that is family and friends. It's also doing more for the community and pulling together. Through Tara, I really learned what is important and presents are certainly not it. 

Tara's background was both endearing as well as shocking. Wow, I was not expecting so many surprises from this genre of book. Totally blew me away. The author reveals over the course of the novel more about Tara and what makes her tick and I couldn't devour the pages quick enough.

Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Café is just an absolutely fabulous read. I have to admit I was expecting another heart warming, romantic read with lots of mentions of mouth watering cakes, of which it is, but then it is also so much more. At one point I was actually sobbing my heart out as I had got so wrapped up in Tara's world. It really had me going through an array of emotions and I absolutely loved it.

My thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad books don't exist. They might not be your cup of tea, but that does not say anything about the quality of the book. There are a lot of good and very good books and of course some are excellent. I could call them gems or pieces of art or masterpieces. Well, this one definitely deserves a place in the last category.

I might be a bit biased because I am a big fan of the author. In my opinion all her book are fa-bu-lous.

They are funny, romantic and this one really has some devastating revelations. It's also very nice to reconnect with a few characters from other books.

Every time I see a blogtour for one of this author's books, I just simply have to read it, even if I have to stay up all night.

If you have never read one of her books, maybe now is a good start. You could always ask Santa to bring you one (or more).

I loved this book. It's a very lovely story that brought a smile on my face and tears to my eyes. I am already looking forward to the next book.

Thank you, Jessica Redland and RachelsRandomResources.

https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

[Barbora (bookworm.wander) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book completely randomly, wanted to read a Christmassy romance, but boy did I not sign up for this! I had such a blast reading this and I didn't expect it at all! While this book had some common tropes, it was also so very different from what I expected. The plot was character based, it felt like the point of the book wasn't to get the cheasy romance chick-lit vibes, but rather watch our main character grow and work on herself to get better and to get over her trauma, and I was here for it! I rarely cry when reading books, but this one had me tearing up like 4 times throughout the book, even in the beginning. And oh wait, the cafe? The Christmas vibes? PERFECT! I'm so sad this is not a real place. Definitely want to read more from this author, because this book was absolutely perfect to cure my reading slump and to get the perfect Christmas feel!

[K.S. Marsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara has faced more than her share of adversity, and she has built herself the perfect armour. But perhaps she has gotten too good at keeping people at a distance.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This follows Tara, the owner of the hugely successful Chocolate Pot Cafe. After coming to the coastal town of Whitsborough more than a decade ago, to escape her past, and create a new life for herself, Tara has become a success. The price is, she has kept as disconnected as possible. She is a good boss, and is generous with her time, money and resources, but she now realises she has failed to connect with anyone on a personal level.
Cue the reappearance of Jed, the conniving previous owner of the cafe, and Tara's perfect armour begins to crumble.

This is the second book I've read by Redland, and I really like her light style of writing. Everything feels so real, and normal, but entertaining nonetheless.
I was surprised with the direction this book took - I thought it'd be a cosy romance - it is cosy, and there is some romance, but it's not at the center of the story.
This is about Tara learning to appreciate and open up to those around her. It's about accepting the good and the bad in her past, and being happy with who she is now. It's about the importance of friendship; and making the best positive contribution you can to the world.
Yes, Jed is there, but he's in the background as the prize, once Tara decides she is ready for a relationship.

I loved it. It was so light-hearted and easy to read, with the underlying mystery of Tara's life, slowly being unravelled. I admit that I felt my own emotions reflected in a lot of the story, with issues around black cloaks, and the illusion of independence that we hide behind. In the end, I felt so proud of every step that Tara made.

I would definitely recommend checking out this story, for a little home-made Christmas magic.
(p.s. I want a Hercules...)

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

My word Jessica does it every time this book was simply outstanding hooked straight away and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. Full of romance friendship and opening up about the past to move forward. The characters are brillant and you just want to keep reading as so outstanding. Full of Christmas as well as she's never liked this to me or year but wants to change that.
Tara is the owner of the chocolate pot cafe and it's doing well she doesn't get close to any one at all and she hates Christmas as always reminds her of difficult times. Problem is she has a life time of secrets and she's starting to think she needs to open up. A face turns up in the village and he's opening a shop and she has bad memories of him so she takes a dislike but she soon realises it's his ex that gave her all the problems years ago. She starts opening up to the last from the shop next door and feels she is letting go of her past and can start letting people in again and she even gets in contact with her foster parents who she left years ago after heartbreak from their daughter and they are so pleased to be in contact again. Will she find romance with the least likely guy or will her and his past make it difficult but everyone knows they are meant to be together.
I perfect read

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much more than a Christmas story, at times I wasn’t sure what it had to do with Christmas, but it was a really good story, and it wraps up at Christmas! Tara is a lonely cafe owner and the story delves into her horrible past growing up, being groomed, coerced into an awful marriage, losing her parents but gaining wonderful foster parents. Lots of food for thought in this one. Lots of mentions of Whitby too, such a beautiful part of the UK, it was easy to visualise this lovely cafe!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, and most importantly, a content warning: emotional abuse and manipulation, discussions of suicide, depression, and mental health issues. Also the backstory is not exactly easy to read...

While it is somewhat Christmas-related (a good deal of the story takes place around Christmas) the subject matter is not what most readers of cozy Christmas novels would pick up. The backstory is uncomfortable to read, so if you're one who suffers severely from second-hand embarrassment, this may not be a good book for you.

I tried listening to the audiobook, and it completely ruined it for me. The narrator was not a good fit for the MC, and while I scoffed at first at the people who DNF'd this based solely on that, if I had only listened to this I would have done the same. I decided to actually READ it, and it was much easier (as much as can be expected).

Outside of the backstory, which seemed like a really...odd...story to tell (like random for a seemingly cozy Christmas read), I do appreciate this author's approach to mental health issues and not shying away from characters who have major barriers and hardships in their lives.

I started out very frustrated with Tara, but as I read on, I grew to understand why she did the things she did. I can appreciate the desire to want to keep certain parts of your life hidden away - even things that a lot of people don't think is a big deal (crafting, keeping a pet, etc) It may not seem like a big deal to you, but there's likely a reason the person has kept it to themselves for so long.

I will share more thoughts as I have time to think it over :)

[Lisa Whittaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I believe this is the third book of the Castle Street series but it can be read as a standalone.

It follows the story of Tara who owns The Chocolate Pot cafe. The book takes you back to pivotal moments in Tara’s life throughout the book and you can really emphasise with why she is so guarded.

Tara is a strong, independent, successful woman who has been very badly hurt. She desperately wants to let people in but is scared she’ll get hurt again.

A wonderful story of friendship, trust and the hope of letting go of the past.

I couldn’t put this book down. A definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to make of this book. I was so sure it was going to be a light fluffy read and sure it was in parts but... there is a sub plot based around her sister and her ex husband that was just very uncomfortable for me to read and just felt very misplaced. I actually took a lot longer than usual to finish the book.

I do read books with heavier subject matter but I am usually expecting it and not left feeling blindsided.


I do think the romance in this story was lovely but cosy romance? This isn’t it for me

[Zoé-Lee O'Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some authors where you just see their name come through on an email asking you to take part in a blog tour. You see the author name and you do not even bother reading the blurb of the book, you just do not care, why? Because you know that the author will bring their A game, you know that they will put you through the wringer and still you come out smiling. You know that said main character will not have had it easy, that someone would have destroyed their world that they know and that there is always hope at the end of the book. Jessica is one of these authors.

Before I start my review, I have to do a Simon Baker appreciation, because, like me and fellow blogger Rae Reads, it appears Jessica has a “thing” for Simon Baker. Especially as the male lead in this book Jed Ferguson shares an uncanny resemblance for him. Ahem…

Having read previously Bear with me (still one of my fav books) and Callie’s Christmas Wish, it was nice to recognise some characters in the Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Café. Tara, the MC in this book, has had the worse of the worse backstory. I mean how mean are you, Jessica!! (Just joking, please don’t stop writing your books!) Tara has shut herself off from the world since her traumatic break up with the douche Garth and the fall out with her sister Leanne. When you finally learn what has befallen her, you understand why she is private, untrusting and lives in a hygge with her giant rabbit Hercules (best pet ever).

Once Tara up sticks and moved to my favourite place of Whitsborough Bay, she buys up the old crumbling café from Jed, and makes it into something of a dream place. Miscommunications, open hearts and tears are strong through the book, but like her other books, Love, Strength and Hope are the main features pulling the strings of this book. I am going to admit, I have the case of the feelings when reading this book, I cried again, goddammit not again something in my eye. My heart broke for Tara, but it was healed for her in time for her own personal growth.

I would love to live somewhere like Whitsborough Bay, there is a feeling of family and togetherness as everyone wants to help everyone, they are friends and supportive and there is just a magical feel to it all.


Jessica has a knack of making you love her characters, cheering for them, defending them and caring so damn much about them. Plus she made me want to drink a LOT of hot chocolate when reading this!!! Now the Grinch in me really did not want to read a Christmas book, but this is not really a Christmas book, ok it does feature but it is just an added feature. The book begins in November and ends the following December, but that it is. It is part of the scenery, the background while Tara and her epic Chocolate Pot Café take centre stage.

I do strongly recommend you pick up one of Jessica’s (or all of them) books, I have not started the series yet, but from what I heard it does not matter what order you read them, you will see your favourites pop up all over the place, leaving a little smile on your face.

[Christina Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh boy! This was a wild ride. Not at all what I expected.

Based on the blurb and the cover I thought this was going to be a fun, lighthearted christmas romance. Which it was, but it was also so much more! All the twist and turns in Tamara and Jeds backstories where totally unexpected, but they made so much sense for why the characters acted the way they did. I LOVE the way the book doesn't hide just how long it takes to heal from traumatic experiences and to build up to letting people back in to ones life again.

I was planning on listening to the audiobook through the week, but I just couldn't stop, and so here I am, writing this review, barely 10 hours after I first began. Honestly, if you want a nice holiday read, go for this one. Guess I will have to read the entire series now.

[☠tsukino☠ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carino e tenero. E anche un po' triste (ultimamente sembra che attiri solo libri così).
Ho molto in comune con la protagonista; tendo a tirare su le barricate anch'io.
Il finale è abbastanza scontato ma riempie il cuore.
Perfetto per il periodo natalizio, è il migliore che ho letto in questi giorni.

[Margo]

Jessica Redland likes really happy endings, but in this case the poor h really had to suffer to get there. It's uplifting but hard to get to that point.

Don't get me wrong, I really like this author, but the h's backstory is pretty grim.

[Lyndsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one and this series now to work my way through the rest

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was... unexpected. Lots of foreshadowing though not foreboding, and some likable but not truly believable characters. Not sure I'd read Redland again, but I did like the book.

[Layla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wanted to read this but it’s only in e book, getting fed up of seeing authors only produce ebooks.