Book Review - Cooking Up a Christmas Storm by Amelia Berry

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Title: Cooking Up a Christmas Storm

Author: Amelia Berry

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Hera

Publication Date: 18th September 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

Can you find love if you can’t be yourself?

Jodie Simpson's life is falling apart.

She's been dumped by her girlfriend, Gemma, lost her job and is about to be kicked out of her flat. When she mistakenly opens a letter addressed to Gemma and finds a job offer to work at the Highland Cookery School, she makes a momentary decision that will change her life forever.

Jodie heads to the Scottish Highlands to begin her new job - as Gemma. But it all starts to work a little too well, and she finds herself loving her new life at the cookery school. As the snow starts to settle and the festive magic cast its spell, she finds herself falling for Pavel, the estate caretaker.

But Jodie cannot keep up her fake identity forever and a storm is brewing.

If she tells the truth, will she lose the new life she has built for herself, and the man who might just be The One?

An uplifting romcom that fans of Sarah Morgan, Heidi Swain and Katie Ginger will adore

It was so good to be back at Lowbridge and at the Highland Cookery School with Adam, Bella and Darcy from the previous book. Along with all the memorable characters in the town too. 

But this can definitely be read as a standalone as the two leads are brand new characters to us (or at least I don't have any distinct memories of Pavel, but could be wrong). 

Jodie is definitely a fresh face to the series and a rather chaotic one at that. After all on a whim she impersonates her ex on the phone, accepts a job without knowing what it is and moves to the Highlands where she then needs to persuade everyone that she is a fabulous events manager and more, and that her name is Gemma. 

And believe it or not that isn't the only level of deception in this book which is what lead to the moments where I was totally laughing out loud, completely amused at just how complicated this was getting, in a good way. 

While when we have a focus on Pavel, he is far steadier, and is the town's good guy. I loved him instantly and he is just an all around great guy. But has his own sense of self to deal with.

There are so many strands to this rather delicious story, as Jodie attempts to help save Lowbridge, along with trying to help Bella figure out what to do with a lot of sprouts!  She is a hit with everyone in the village, give or take the fake identity. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all of this story, and really am hoping the bad guy of this series will get his comeuppance at some point. As we got to see a whole lot more of him and I was with Jodie in fantasizing about how to destroy him. 

Jodie is a complex character, who comes across really well and you can't help but love her. 

This was a joy to read, and I can't wait for the next book in this series. 

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