Emma has now settled down in the small touristy town of Warkton-by-the-Sea. Her chocolate shop is going well and it’s always full of clients, even though her landlord still manages to make her life miserable. Her relationship with Max is also going well, but the long distance makes it difficult for them to see each other often. When a man from her past suddenly reappears in her life, things get more complicated.
I first met Emma when I read The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop and I was happy to go back and see what she was up to now. She is still surrounded by a family and a group of friends who support her and she still leads an eventful life. The descriptions of her chocolate creations made my mouth water and I was happy to find a few recipes of the tasty chocolates she prepares at the end of the book. With this story about love, friendship, family, and, above all, chocolate, once again Caroline Roberts has written a heart-warming and entertaining novel.
(NP)
After a tragedy took away the love of her life, Emma starts her new life in a small touristy village in Northumberland, where she opens a delicious chocolate shop. She is surrounded by a group of friends who support her as she tries to keep her shop afloat, especially after her landlord raises the rent. As she still grieves the man she loved, Emma kisses someone on Boxing Day. He disappears quickly before turning up again a few months later. Is he the one to mend her broken heart?
My favourite thing about this book is the delicious and tasty chocolates present throughout the novel and at the end there are a few nice recipes if you want to make them yourself. With likable characters, an atmospheric setting, and a plot that includes love, friendship and family, this is an entertaining novel to enjoy cozied-up with some chocolate!
(NP)
After winning her battle with cancer, Claire is taking a break from work to recharge and relax. She goes back to the small Scottish village where she used to go on holiday with her family when she was a child. Claire wants to use this holiday to forget about the cancer, forget about the husband who left her for another woman, and to find new ideas for her newspaper column.
On her first morning there, Claire sees her handsome and elusive neighbour, Ed, swimming naked and for a moment all her problems seem far away. But as Ed doesn't seem too interested in getting to know her, Claire focuses her attention on her job and decides to write an article about her magic moments like spending time with her family or reading a book on the beach. Soon her column is a success and people start writing to her about their magic moments. Also, Ed isn’t so unfriendly anymore although he seems to have a secret.
Claire's scars from cancer are not only physical but also psychological as she struggle to accept her body after the cancer and to overcome her fear of the disease returning. Luckily she is surrounded by friends and family who care deeply for her. I always enjoy a novel by Caroline Roberts and this is a romantic, moving and thought-provoking novel about second chances, love and never giving up. (NP)
Ellie first met Joe when she moved to Claverham Castle to open her own teashop. Five years later, they are happily married, the teashop is full of customers and the castle has become a favourite venue for weddings. As Christmas approaches they are preparing for the fair and a last-minute wedding at the castle. From a crazy bridezilla who wants to arrive at her ceremony riding a unicorn to grumpy Lord Henry who dresses up as Father Christmas, there is never a dull moment . But cakes and Christmas trees are not the only things on Ellie's mind as she and Joe try unsuccessfully to have a baby.
I loved reading about Ellie and Joe in The Cosy Teashop in the Castle, so I was looking forward to this sequel and I wasn’t disappointed. Delicious cakes, funny characters and the evocative atmosphere of Christmas create an enjoyable and romantic story. (NP)
Ellie Hall has a dream: to spend her time baking with the help of her grandmother’s recipe book. So when she has the chance to become the owner of the teashop in Claverham Castle, she doesn’t think twice and leaves her boring job in an insurance company to move to the Downton Abbey-esque castle. Between cooking scones, cupcakes and her grandmother’s delicious Choffee Cake, she will also have to decide if she is ready for love with the handsome estate manager, Joe.
What I most enjoyed about this book is that the story is told from both Ellie and Joe’s perspectives so I got to know their thoughts, their feelings and their insecurities. Ellie was a great character - at the beginning she seems a simple normal girl with a nice job and still living with her parents. But she soon turns into a strong woman leaving her safe life for a job she is not sure she can do and standing up to the people who try to oppose her, like nosy waitress Doris and the old-fashioned Lord Henry. It’s an enjoyable and romantic read with a nice recipe at the end. (NP)
