Welcome to a weekly post, Throwback Thursday. This weekly book review post is a way to share some old favourites, books that were published over a year ago and most importantly those books that have been languishing on the to be read pile for far too long!
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.
Review:
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 by Rebecca Raisin was published on 10th April 2015. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
Learn more about the author of A Gingerbread Café Christmas, Rebecca Raisin here.
A Gingerbread Café Christmas is book #149 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
