Chloe is set to spend her first Christmas alone, she split from her husband Gianni a year ago, and she is not looking forward to it. Then she gets a call about a job, organising the opening of a restaurant in Appledore........ only problem is it is Gianni's restaurant!

Gianni is an Italien chef, with the temper and explosive temperament to go with it.... and this is not endearing him to staff and perspective customers of the restaurant...... what he really needs is someone to smooth everything over for him

Great to be back in Appledore and another enjoyable book by Sue Watson. I always love her style of writing and the way she draws you into the characters and the storyline

This was a sweet Christmas story about misperceptions and second chances. It did feel a little redundant at times, but overall was a good read.

what a lovely read, perfect for the run up to christmas to get you in the mood, if you not in the festive mood then why not give this is a go, perfect cute and surprisly happy read time. With so many colourful charcters, how do we choose a single one or duo? well i quite liked chloe and Gianni..... they have been through an ordeal and decide to re encounter those old feelings by going back to their seaside town..... although he is from Italy.
It a story of sadness, happiness and finidng a balance between the two. Its a lovely story with giveng second chances hence the title....
A lovely read and although this is part of a seiries i didnt feel the need to read the others before i read this one. Great feeling and smiles all round. I would like to thank netgalley for allowing me to read this.

I always enjoy Sue Watsons books and this one was no different , it was funny, sad and i was hooked from the srart.

I love a Christmas book!!! This really got me into the festive spirit! This is set in the coastal village of Appledore - Chloe is prepared for a Christmas on her own away from her estranged husband Gianni until she gets a call from his PR asking if she would help launch his restaurant in Appledore . She agrees thinking that it will be the closure she needs to end their marriage but it only ignites her love for him. I didn't really warm to Gianni as he was quite annoying - I know he was supposed to be a hot headed Italien but he was a little too much sometimes. I like Chloe and did feel a little sorry for her having to put up with Gianni and all sadness they had as a couple
I also didn't realise this was one of a collection of books set in Appledore so completely possible to read on it's own and I think I will have a look at the others - overall it was an easy enjoyable Christmassy read .

This was a cute book. I found myself really pulling for this couple to get back together. You could see the chemistry between the two. I also loved the location of Devon. It sounded magical at Christmas.

Such a feel good book. This one genuinely made me happy! Don't take for granted the ones you love, tell them every day how wonderful they are . Don't just assume they know and really make time for your loved one's . Second chances don't always come around!
Pub Date 12 Oct 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars.

Each time I see a new Sue Watson's book I'm getting really giddy with excitement - yes, it never dies, this feeling of seeing a new book by the author you adore, no matter how old you are. I really like Sue's down - to - earth stories with brilliant leading heroines who have experienced a lot in their lives and they really know what they're talking about. And "Snowflakes, Christmas Cakes and Second Chances" looked and sounded so inviting and so Christmassy, and I thought, well, what can go wrong?

Unfortunately, and I'm really not saying this easily, almost everything went wrong for me. I started reading the book with such great hopes and with every page turned you could see my hope and enthusiasm going downhill. The main character, Chloe, was also the narrator, everything was told from her point of view. It felt like reading someone's memoirs, that were also very repetitive, as I had a feeling we are reading about old same, old same all the time. Chloe seemed to me as if she didn't know what she really wants from her life and I was soon tired with all this what I want/what I don't want - she was too old and too experienced for this blowing cold and hot all the time. I felt sorry for her, and that was all actually, but for me it was just the case of you make your bed, you lie in it...
And let's start on Gianni. Oh my God. I'm not sure if he was supposed to be cute with his temper and va - va - voom, funny with the things he said to his customers and critics, if I should appreciate his "honesty" but he so didn't work for me. There was not a drop of charm in him for me, he was a whiney, spoiled, arrogant piece of work and no matter what you're going to say it won't change my mind about him.

This is a third instalment in the Appledore series, however you of course can read this book as a stand - alone. The characters from the previous books do enter the scenes here but the story focuses on brand new characters, Chloe and Gianni. I love the setting of Appledore and this is why I am really sorry and upset that this book didn't work for me, and even Sue Watson's writing style didn't help this time. I love books with the idea of second chances and for people coming back to each other but this one didn't deliver. However, I can see it already has tons of fans so don't let my review to put you off reading this story.

I received this arc through netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The book took a little to get into keeping jumping back to how the characters had met and what they had been through (which was a little close to home for me) but once they had started to work together I really enjoyed their relationship and could understand why pride would get in they way of what they needed to say.
I would definitely recommend the book it's a lovely cosy Christmas read.

An enjoyable story but I felt it was a little predictable, the story was quite straightforward and I would have preferred a few more plot twists along the way.

A totally delightful romance story set in the weeks prior to Christmas.

I love how Chloe comes to recognize that her estranged husband isn't the unfeeling monster she thought he was. It just took some time apart followed by a reintroduction to him to recognize it. I had to chuckle at his mispronunciation of the word beach as well as another character who constantly got words confused.

If you are looking for a light read to raise your spirits during the holiday season, this is a great one to add to your list.

Found this a hard read to get into in the beginning, diff sort of love story that what I normally read and expect! I carried on and to be fair it did get better, and I did start to enjoy the book! Then it ended!

Returning to the world of Ella’s Ice Cream Summer and Curves, Kisses and Chocolate Ice Cream we get to meet Chloe, separated and in transition after her marriage to Gianni, an Italian chef. Chloe and Gianni had a tumultuous relationship that was full of love, but lacking in communication. Through the ups and downs of their life together their dynamic was fixed: Gianni acting like a spoilt 3 year old in tantrum mode with an odd combination of swears, laughable missed words and a reputation for irascibility. But, London foodies love the ‘show’ and he was the next big thing, spending less time with Chloe and more at the restaurant, glomming onto the ego rush as the ‘Italian Bad Boy’. While Gianni was off with the restaurant, Chloe was dealing with her own depression and feelings of inadequacy over 3 miscarriages – convinced Gianni deserved children and she wasn’t worthy of his love.

Oh these two – because Gianni found it hard to speak about his own emotions, and hid them behind bravado, Chloe didn’t push for answers she needed, or ask for the reassurance and attention she needed. But she shut him out – something she slowly came to realize as the two are thrown together again as she was hired to do the PR for his new restaurant, his own last chance effort to make a success of his life. Told from Chloe’s point of view, it’s easy to feel her frustrations and sorrows, but when she starts to see Gianni’s tells – his nerves, his frustrations, and starts to wonder if there is a chance for them to make another start of their marriage.

Sue Brown takes us through the rebuilding of a relationship through Chloe’s eyes, as she rediscovers what she wants (Gianni), who she loves (Gianni) and her ability to soften his rough edges and understand the whys of what he does, rather than just the horror at the actual events. Seriously, who attacks a critic with a sausage? Oh there’s so much more here – from the reintroduction to Sue and her malapropisms with Delilah the dressed Pomeranian, Elle, Roberta and Gina. A clever aside with Chloe’s half-hearted attempt to move on with a Sci-Fi geek and deli owner who doesn’t understand the word no, and the wonder of Appledore and Gull cottage, even in the midst of a blustery winter. This was a devour in one sitting story, with plenty of emotion, hope and lots of laughter to go around.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review, all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9q5/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I struggled with this story quite a bit, and I'm still not really sure what I think about it. It's got all the ingredients of a good chick lit- seaside restaurant, Christmas, snow, wonderful food, a handsome Italian man -but somehow it just didn't work for me as well as I'd hoped.

Gianni was insufferable, and although he did improve a great deal towards the end, he didn't really change. Maybe he was a bit too arrogant and macho for my liking. I kept wanting Chloe to find someone else!

There was also a fair amount of repetition and soul-searching, which had me skipping paragraphs.

That said, I thought the way the author tackled the heartbreak in the story was sensitive and realistic, and I also enjoyed the fact that the main characters were slightly older and were still married, which was refreshing unusual in this genre.

The book sends a message of the need to communicate and the need to be more in tune with one's spouse's feelings - and that can't be a bad thing.

This was an emotional story to read and you hope they both find happiness.
I liked how as the book progressed more details of the history of their relationship and its breakdown were revealed.

I found this book to be well written with a good plot. I always enjoy a good romance set in a different country. I had not read this author's work before and enjoyed her writing.

Yet another fabulous book By Sue Watson! This one leaves you feeling very content and of course festive. Chloe and Gianni are lovely characters and you are left really wanting them to find their happy ending. I must say this book is hilarious and will leave you laughing out loud quite a bit!

I was getting so into the story that I went to the shops for some Christmas goodies so that I could read it while snuggled up with a mince pie and a hot chocolate, it was perfect!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Appledore! Oh how I love Appledore! It was so lovely to be back in this gorgeous town (which I was actually reading whilst I was in Devon myself!). This was another beautifully written story incorporating all my favourite characters and some lovely new ones too. I will say that I thought the story was quite predictable - I knew they'd get back together and I could tell that the gift basket had been sent by her lovely Star Trek loving stalker friend. BUT it was still a wonderful story anyway. It was amazingly festive and gave me all the Christmas cheer (albeit in October...). I'll be recommending this book for sure!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. This book had me laughing right from the start. Chloe and Gianni are memorable characters. I don't think I will ever be able to hear beach (b****) pronunciation the same way again. lol I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. I can't wait to read more of this series.

I love Sue Watson's books - always fantastically enjoyable and I was eager to start this one. It certainly lived up to my expectations - I loved it and was disappointed to finish it as I will now have to wait for the next one!

Always a lovely blend of humour with a cosy warm storyline. I loved the lead characters - they were both funny particularly Gianni's use of the english language. A fantastic blend of Christmas, food, relationships, heartache and second chances. Magical setting.

It was lovely to meet some characters from previous books although this could be read as a stand alone novel. I love the setting of Appledore and hope to read more books set here.

Highly recommended for a cosy afternoon snuggled up on the sofa with a hot chocolate! Delicious.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.