Book Review - A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

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Title: A Touch of Magic at the Comfort Food Cafe

Author: Debbie Johnson

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Purchased

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 25th September 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

It’s autumn at the Comfort Food Café and the leaves are golden, the lattes are spiced and love might just be brewing for one new resident…

🍁🎃🍁🎃🍁

Reclusive author Sarah is seeking refuge in the quiet village of Budbury, and the last thing she needs is a fake boyfriend. Except that’s exactly what she gets – and the fake boyfriend just happens to be gorgeous, rugged Aidan, complete with an easy charm and an old soul that makes him seem like he’s just stepped straight out of the pages of a novel. Using him to keep her nosy family at bay, he’s happy to do her a favour in return for help with his rather unusual dog-sitting predicament.

But nothing in Budbury stays pretend for long. Especially not when there’s a hint of autumn magic in the air, with a sprinkle of Halloween mischief.

Full of heart, humour and a touch of spooky charm, this is the perfect cosy read for autumn nights.

Warm hug of a book, ideal for this time of year. 

This is as warm, cosy, heartwarming, charming and as irresistible as all the others in this series. And it was such a quick read, given how absorbed I was by the pages. 

I know it's a good book when I have read 200 pages between two tube journeys without being sure exactly where I was on the journey, especially in paperbacks which I tend to be slower with! I just had to keep turning the pages. 

There is something ever so wonderful about Budbury and all of the regular residents. I enjoyed seeing more of Cherie and the whole Comfort Food Cafe gang.  And for those of you new to the series, all the various relations between the main characters do get explained, and I  always love seeing how previous main characters are now getting on. 

Sarah has a very good reason for wanting to retreat to her new cottage in Budbury, and to ideally not be an active part of the community.  She is rather reclusive, but that is impossible when you are surrounded with well meaning friendly people that just want to help you.  Add in Aiden who is gorgeous, younger than her, and has some absolutely wonderful dogs and you have a mix for a really comforting escapist read. 

I loved Aiden and his dogs (which I will let you discover for yourself, but they aren't your most typical breed), and the fact he was willing to help Sarah out and pretend to be a fake boyfriend, is just another level to his fabulousness. 

This is a series that I have always loved and will continue to love for as long as the author is happy to continue writing for it.  More please!