Audio: Christmas on the Island - Jenny Colgan

Audio CD, 7 Hours and 35 Minutes

Narrator: Sarah Barron

Published October 16th 2018 by HarperCollins

Series: Summer Seaside Kitchen #3

Women's fiction

Thank you Harper for this review copy

My Thoughts

This story certainly was bittersweet. It was a story about the people, this island, and their hopes and dreams.

But first, this is book 3 and at first I felt, well not lost, but I did feel like I if I had gone into a room filled with people who knew each other. And I dared not approach anyone cos they all seemed to enjoy each other's company so much. But I got to know them by watching them, it that makes sense.

The book is mostly about Flora, a former lawyer, who now runs the Seaside Kitchen. She loves this windswept island and its people. And her big farming family.

I do not know the story of her and Joel. But I guess they worked together, became a couple and now live on Mure. But not together. And she is preggers, and he has some horrible past that makes him scared of loving anyone. So she takes small steps and this could break him. Which is so sad, because she needs some support too. But he does seem really messed up.

There is her brother Fintan, and hos husband Coltan who is dying. I guess if I had seen them meet and fall in love then this would have been so sad.It still was sad, but yes it would have been so much more heartbreaking then.

Then there is Saif, a doctor from Syria who was reunited with his boys, but his wife is still missing (and yeah, after this book I doubt she is alive.) But he mourns and feels like maybe they still live somewhere where there are more like them.

Lorna, the teacher who is in love with Saif, but she also knows he still loves his wife. Poor Lorna. Poor Saif.

And then there Christmas approaching.  A person in itself. And the light it brings this island. And I mean literally cos yes I know the darkness of December. You get up it is dark, you get home it is dark.

Conclusion:
Some romance, friendship, heartache and longing. A sweet and sad Christmas tale. And the stories are not over.

Narration

Sarah was really good. I loved her accent and her kid voice was so fun. Perfect

I was there on the island with them. Feeling sadness,  being hungry and happy

Cover

SO pretty

Blurb

On the remote Scottish island of Mure, the Christmas season is stark, windy, and icy-yet incredibly festive and beautiful ...

It's a time for getting cozy in front of whiskey barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram and a treacle pudding with the people you love-unless, of course, you've accidentally gotten pregnant by your ex-boss, and don't know how to tell him. In the season for peace and good cheer, will Flora find the nerve to reveal the truth to her nearest and dearest? Will her erstwhile co-parent Joel think she's the bearer of glad tidings-or is this Christmas going to be as bleak as the Highlands in midwinter?

Meanwhile Saif, a doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons on this remote island where he's been granted asylum. His wife, however, is still missing, and her absence hangs over what should be a joyful celebration. Can the family possibly find comfort and joy without her?

Travel to the beautiful northern edge of the world and join the welcoming community of Mure for a Highland Christmas you'll never forget!

Audio: The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - Jenny Colgan

It's true that Anna Trent is a supervisor in a chocolate factory . . . but that doesn't necessarily mean she knows how to make chocolate. And when a fateful accident gives her the opportunity to work at Paris's elite chocolatier Le Chapeau Chocolat, Anna expects to be outed as a fraud. After all, there is a world of difference between chalky, mass-produced English chocolate and the gourmet confections Anna's new boss creates. But with a bit of luck and a lot of patience, Anna might learn that the sweetest things in life are always worth working for. 

Audio CD, 10h
Published January 18th 2018 by Tantor Audio (first published January 1st 2013)
Women's fic /romantic fiction
For review

My thoughts:

OH I can still hear Anna's voice in my head! She sounded so fun, and like we would have a jolly good time together.

Let us begin. Anna has an accident and spends some time at a hospital and re-connects with an old French teacher of hers. She kind of floats through life, sure working at a choco factory is fun (omg, that would be so amazing!), but what else?

The book has another POV too. A young Englishwoman in the 70s who falls for a handsome Frenchman, and well it is obvious how it connects, and kind of sad too.

I liked Anna and her new life in Paris. She has no idea what to do but she just goes for it. She truly finds something to be happy about.

I also liked the 70s story and wondered how it all would work out...

Conclusion:

Sweet, and bittersweet. Fun and I need to go to France and eat REAL chocolate. Oh and food.

Narrator:  Beverley A Crick

Oh her Anna voice was so fun! Yes, like I said, Anna and I would be amazing friends. Her voice was just perfect. Shy, happy, confused, sad and witty.

She really made this book fun

Sample

Talking to Addison - Jenny Colgan

The story opens with the modern-day heroine Holly trapped in the flatshare from hell with members of "Scary Clean Freaks Incorporated", ruled by the obnoxious Carol who "dispensed ... Robert de Niro-to-doomed gangster stares". Even when Holly escapes the suburban inquisition, life still isn't a bed of roses: she's an unemployed florist, in love with a recluse and she's being bullied. She's in good company though when she moves in with a bunch of equally maladjusted misfits: Josh, a terminally nice boy, has issues; Kate, the high-flying and no-nonsense career girl, wilts every time a married man comes along and then there's Addison--the drop-dead-gorgeous lodger ("Johnny Depp in geek form")--who never leaves his room, already has a girlfriend (albeit over the Internet) and is a certified Trekkie fan. 

My thoughts:

I liked it at first, but the last 100 pages were brutal. It just got weird and all wtf.

I liked Holly at first, but in the end..no. F no. She is flaky. She gets new roommates and falls in love with the nerd who does not talk. He has a girlfriend online, but does she care. No, because she knows better. He should be with her, even if he does not want to. She lies. She meets this great guy, but she is all in love with Addison, and trust me, she will still get a HEA: But in the end I did no think she deserved one.

I just wish those last 100 pages had not happened, it was some sort of trippy dream, it just went from a silly book to is everyone crazy? 

Also there is this one thing that happens, and most just laugh it off, but honestly, you could put someone in jail over that!

Conclusion:
It went from good to bad. So ok then

Paperback, 400 pages
Published August 1st 2009 by HarperCollins Publishers (first published January 1st 2001)
Chic-lit
Own

Rosie Hopkin's Sweet Shop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan

Were you a sherbet lemon or chocolate lime fan? Penny chews or hard boiled sweeties (you do get more for your money that way)? The jangle of your pocket money ...the rustle of the pink and green striped paper bag ...Rosie Hopkins thinks leaving her busy London life, and her boyfriend Gerard, to sort out her elderly Aunt Lilian's sweetshop in a small country village is going to be dull. Boy, is she wrong. Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton's sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to settle up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets. Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams - a novel - with recipes. 

My thoughts:

Rosie goes to stay with her great aunt Lillian, who owns a sweet shop. A sweet shop that has stood empty since Lillian is not feeling well. Mmm candy! Yes there was a lot of candy mentioned in this book, especially since every chapter started with that.

A nice little village where everyone knows each other. 

A store that can get on its feet again.

A woman looking for a second chance.

A man looking for healing.

Aunt L looking back at her own love life, oh btw, I did not like that the flashbacks were in cursive. Her life made me a bit sad. She said she was happy, but still. Men are such eejits.

And then, Rosie looking at her own life. At her work. At her stupid boyfriend, omg, I so wanted her to ditch him. A mama's boy, who would never do anything for Rosie.

Conclusion:

It was a sweet book. It made me have candy, evil book that it was. 

Paperback, 465 pages
Published March 28th 2012 by Sphere
Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop #1
Romantic fiction
Own

Review: Meet met at the Cupake café - Jenny Colgan

Having grown up in an apartment above her Grandpa Joe's little bakery, Issy Randal has always known how to make something sweet. She's much better at baking than she is at filing, so when she's laid off from her desk job, Issy decides to open up her own little caf . But she soon learns that her piece-of-cake plan will take all her courage and confectionary talent to avert disaster. Funny and sharp, Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe is about how life might not always taste like what you expect, but there's always room for dessert!

Meet Me at The Cupcake Café #1
Chic-lit
Paperback, 432 pages
Published July 2nd 2013 by Sourcebooks Landmark (first published January 1st 2011)
For review

My thoughts:

Cute and fun is the word. But then I do adore British chic-lit. It made me want to drink tea and well.. eat cupcakes. Oh the cupcakes and recipes in this book made me drool. I would love do try them but they would be nowhere near as good.

So it's about Izzy who has a boring job and secretly dates the boss (who does not treat her right.) But the book is about a cupcake cafe so we know that she at one point will move on to better things and find her true calling. And I love that she went for it and the friends and more she found along the way.

There is a bit of romance (I will not say more). New friendships, bit of drama, and yes just about finding yourself. Sometimes you just have to start over and build a new life.

Conclusion:

A sweet book that will make you want cupcakes.

Cover

Cute I guess, but now wow

Meet Me at the Cupcake café Spotlight Giveaway

Today my blog is the stop for the Cupcake spotlight tour, first stop :) So enter to get the chance to win this yummy book! Cos included in it are recipes mmmm. Tomorrow I will post a review of the book.

Win the Meet me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan

1. US and Canada

2. Ends August 4th

3. Just enter :)

 If you wanna make it fun then tell me what kind of cupcake you would like to try

The Meet Me at the Cupcake Café Sugary Sweet Spotlight!

 

It is no wonder that the flirty and frothy food-themed novel, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan is an international success: with relatable characters and scrumptious recipes at the start of each chapter, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is pure delight to women’s fiction readers everywhere. This summer, Colgan is bringing her hilarious and heartfelt stories—with a dash of deliciousness—to the United States! To celebrate, Sourcebooks is giving away copies of this book ALL MONTH LONG!

Each day this month, look for opportunities to win a print copy of Meet Me at the Cupcake Café with bloggers all over the book blogging community. Additionally, there will be a few guest blogs and interviews with Jenny sprinkled throughout—a great way to get to know a new author!

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Cogan

July 2013

Baking is in Issy Randall’s blood. Growing up above her grandfather’s bakery taught Issy that a delicious pastry could make any day better. So when she’s laid off from her desk job—by the man she thought was her boyfriend, no less—Issy knows now is the time to start her own little café.

Armed with her grandfather’s tried and true recipes, as well as her own new dishes, Issy’s new dream job should be a piece-of-cake, right? But managing a café, delivering products on time and trying to have a new love life aren’t exactly going as Issy planned. And when her ex comes back into the picture, perhaps with his own motives, Issy’s search for the perfect pastry and a groundbreaking idea to save her café are much more than she bargained for… 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan was a fussy eater as a child and didn’t even begin to learn to cook until she was 21, when her then boyfriend tried to teach her a few basics purely out of exasperation. While she is now able to make a variety of good, wholesome food for her family, she still can’t make scones. A former columnist for The Guardian, Jenny contributes regularly to national BBC radio and is the bestselling author of more than eleven novels, including The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (coming out in the US in early 2014). She is married with three children and lives in London and France. For more information, please visit http://www.jennycolgan.com/ and follow her on Twitter, @JennyColgan.

Follow along all month long for a chance to win a copy of this highly-anticipated and deliciously delightful new novel!

7/1                      Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

7/2                      Celtic Lady’s Reviews

7/3                      Books-N-Kisses

7/3                      Chick Lit Central INTERVIEW

7/4                      A Bookworm's World

7/5                      Delighted Reader

Weekend        

7/8                      Beth Fish Reads

7/9                      Booking Mama

7/9                      The Bookish Dame INTERVIEW

7/10                    The Book Binge

7/11                    Simply Ali

7/12                    Debbie's Book Bag

Weekend        

7/15                    The Bookish Babe

7/16                    The Reading Café

7/17                    Book Hounds

7/17                    Cocktails and Books INTERVIEW

7/18                    Peeking Between the Pages

7/18                    Fresh Fiction GUEST BLOG

7/19                    Jenny Loves to Read

7/19                    Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Weekend        

7/22                    Anna's Book Blog

7/23                    Ramblings from This Chick

7/24                    Books and Quilts

7/24                    A Bookish Affair

7/25                    Broken TeePee

7/26                    Thoughts in Progress

Weekend        

7/29                    Books and Needlepoint

7/30                    The Reading Reviewer

7/31                    Reading Between the Wines

BONUS GIVEAWAYS IN AUGUST!!!

8/1                      Book of Secrets

8/2                      Luxury Reading

Weekend        

8/5                      Radiant Light

8/6                      Ruby’s Reads

8/7                      Caffeinated Book Review

8/8                      The Romance Dish

8/9                      My Book Addiction and More