Book Review - The Gingerbread Cafe by Anita Faulkner - #ChristmasInJuly

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: The Gingerbread Cafe

Author: Anita Faulkner

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Spheree

Publication Date: 27th October 2022 

Rating: 5 Stars

CAN GRETEL FIND THE RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS?

The Gingerbread Café is always full of Christmas magic. Come rain or shine (or even a July heatwave), there's always a hot chocolate bursting with cinnamon and marshmallows waiting for you. For introverted Gretel, it's been the perfect escape from 'real life'. The owner, Nell, is Gretel's last link to her late mum, and hiding out at the café feels so much safer than making new friends.

So when Nell suddenly passes, Gretel is left heartbroken. Then she discovers that Nell has left the café to her - but there's a catch. Gretel has to share the running of The Gingerbread Café with the least festive person ever: Nell's nephew, Lukas. Head chef at the local fancy restaurant, Lukas makes it clear he has no time for the café, Gretel or even Christmas itself, and Gretel's too busy struggling to save her burnt batches of gingerbread to work out why.

Gretel is determined to keep Christmas alive and make the café a success before Lukas hands the keys over to the scrooge-like developers. But she can't do it alone; besides an over friendly ferret and a waitress with a secret, the only person she has now is Lukas. Will it take a Christmas miracle to get the pair to finally see eye to eye, or could the ice already be melting?

Packed full of sugar and spice, The Gingerbread Café will tick all the wishes off your Christmas list this festive period. Perfect for fans of Heidi Swain, Jo Thomas and Bella Osborne.

A truly lovely story full of personal growth, moving onward with life, a great sense of community, new friendships and above all gingerbread.

Well and Christmas which is a big theme throughout and by the end you are left with a sense of the true meaning of the Christmas spirit.

I enjoyed trying to work out the truth about Amber,  seeing how Gretel grew in confidence as the story progressed, and all of the other fabulous shop owners in the small town. 

It's heartwarming and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this story. This may be the first book I've read by this author but if she writes more with sense of place, and more delicious sounding sweet treats then count me in for more. 

Thank you to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.