I loved the recipes in this story. I didn't realize that this was a republish, but it's a great story. I struggled a bit with the multiple POVs, but i enjoyed seeing Isa's growth and development throughout the book. I loved her bond with her grandfather as well. Plus, I now want to get in the kitchen, and start baking.

After losing her job down to downsizing, Issy decides take her love of baking, inherited from her beloved grandfather and turn it into a career. She opens up a cupcake shop, makes some new friends along the way and as the story develops, there is some romance as well. Jenny Colgan’s books are always a fun read. This one includes some recipes and funny situations that will make you laugh out loud. 4/5 stars.

This was the perfect summer comfort read. Light and easy to read with characters that are relatable and a story that is easy to slip into. The theme of realizing what you want in life and finding a way to get it was well done. I did feel like there were a few too many POV’s in the story but that didn’t detract too much. Overall I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book by this author.

Colgan is the best at comfort reads. When Issy loses her corporate job, she takes a chance at opening her own cupcake cafe. This is an entertaining story with some delicious recipes.

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 cafe. 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!

This was a lovely, sweet story about coming into your own and discovering what you really want in life!

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I have been a Jenny Colgan fan for some time, and this book was just as good as her other books that I have read. It is a lovely story about hope, running a small business on your own, and the power of friendship. And it is set in my favorite city, London. Loved it-thanks for the free ebook!

Jenny Colgan’s Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is a predictable but fluffy and delicious read. This feel-good book has a lovely protagonist and memorable side characters. However, the plot is too busy, the constantly switching perspectives is distracting and I wish the characters were more consistent.

Issy Randall is an excellent baker who has learnt everything about baking from a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe’s bakery. When she’s laid off from her boring desk job at a real estate office and loses her selfish boyfriend (who happens to be her now ex-boss), Issy decides to open a cupcake café. It’s not smooth sailing as she learns how to run a café and she struggles to attract customers. Along the way, she finds romance, copes with her sick grandfather, and makes new friends.

This is a heart-warming book filled with friendship, family, finding love, and most importantly, finding yourself. I love the yummy recipes with the sweet personal touches and I especially like how each recipe connects to a chapter. Issy’s supportive relationship with her grandfather is really well-written. I also love the friendships and the strong links that she makes in the community.

While I like the light plot, it is also predictable, sometimes unrealistic, and doesn’t always make sense. Additionally, there are too many plotlines and some suffer in favour of others. The real estate plotline is implausible. I hate Issy’s drawn-out relationship drama with attractive but awful Graeme. This could have been trimmed in favour of developing Issy’s romance with kind banker Austin. They are sweet together but lack substance. I love the happy ending but the abrupt last twist left me sour because it doesn’t fit Issy and Austin.

Colgan constantly switches perspectives which is really distracting. I don’t need to know the thoughts of all these minor characters. I wish she stuck with only Issy’s point-of-view because she is a likeable and sweet protagonist. Although her naivete sometimes annoyed me, I enjoyed her journey.

Single mother Pearl who helps Issy run the café, supportive best friend Helena, and witchy but decent Caroline are memorable characters. However, they sometimes act very inconsistently and implausibly. I wish they were a little better written. I also dislike the negative way that the characters talk about other women and the way that the narrative describes women. I wish Colgan had been more sensitive and inclusive.

I have some grievances with the book but it is such a feel-good and easy read that I don’t dwell too much on it. If you love baked goods, delicious recipes, and a fluffy but meaningful book, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is a perfectly entertaining summer read. I like Jenny Colgan’s books and I can’t wait to read the next one in this series!



🧁🧁🧁 ½ cupcakes out of 5!

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan
Book #1: At the Cupcake Café Series
Source: NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group
Rating: 4/5 stars

Issy Randall has a crappy job and an even crappier “boyfriend.” When both are lost on the same day, Issy can see no way forward that doesn’t involve yet another crappy, unfulfilling job and loneliness. The only thing that brings her any joy is the time she spends in the kitchen backing cupcakes from recipes she learned at her beloved grandfather’s side. What it amounts to for Issy is two choices: 1) continue as she has and be, at best, unhappy, or 2) make a huge change that will be challenging but will make her happy.

Armed with her grandfather’s recipes and a can-do attitude, Issy decides to make a huge change in her life and rents a small space in her neighborhood with the intention of opening a cupcake café. The only aspect of this crazy plan Issy is sure about is her cupcakes which take delectable to a whole new level. Issy is calm, cool, and collected in the kitchen and doesn’t doubt the neighborhood will love her sweet treats. All she has to do is learn how to open and run a business and bring customers into a site that has historically been an utter failure. No pressure!

In short order, Issy finds herself a banking/business advisor, Austin and hires a down on her luck single mom, Pearl who is a force of nature. Between Issy, Pearl, Austin, and the construction crew, the Cupcake Café gets a face lift, a swift and thorough cleaning, and is ready for business. With high hopes and glass cases full of delights, Issy is ready for the crowds to descend upon her. Unfortunately, as most new business owners quickly discover, unless you’ve done a ton of advertising (Issy has not), there will be no crowds in the early day ☹ It takes word of mouth, a quality product, and, as it turns out, a bus accident for Issy’s labor of love to get off the ground and see success.

Issy is thrilled with her success but finds that with success comes sacrifices. Her love life is a mess thanks to the crappier “boyfriend,” her best friend is slipping away thanks to lack of time spent together, and Issy’s beloved grandfather is quickly fading leaving her precious little time to be with him. As events begin to spiral out of control, Issy begins to understand that she must find a balance between her work and personal life or one day she is going to look up and find she is right back where she started and not at all happy.

The Bottom Line: In real life, I greatly admire people who are able to recognize both their strengths and their weaknesses; what’s more I like it when those same people play to their strengths and know who to ask to help them with their weaknesses. I got a whole lot of that kind of like out of Issy in this book! Despite some setbacks and some really poor decisions, Issy is determined to make her dream happen and she surrounds herself (mostly!) with people who can help her realize her dream. Pearl helps Issy find her strength and her voice, Austin and his scary accountant help Issy keep her business on track, financially speaking, and Caroline, in her own acerbic way helps Issy break into a segment of the population she wouldn’t normally have access to. In return, Issy helps both women with the various issues in their own lives; ultimately, everyone involved learns valuable lessons about love, friendship, kindness, and loyalty. Take all of this and combine it with some truly scrumptious descriptions of cupcakes and Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is a pretty perfect read.

A sweet romance story, filled with delicious recipes and likable characters. Meet Me At Cupcake Cafe is my third Jenny Colgan book and unfortunately, this was my least favorite. I loved the story line, but felt it dragged on. I will definitely be going back through to save some of the recipes and doing some baking.

Issy Randall was raised in her grandfather's bakery, but, instead of opening her own, she got an office job in London and moved her grandfather into a nursing home. When she's abruptly laid off and seemingly loses her boyfriend/ex-boss, she takes it as the perfect opportunity to open her own cafe. It's a slow start with a single employee, someone she met in a class for those who had been laid off, but, with the support of friends and a very handsome banker, she manages to get her cafe off the ground. Until her ex-boss, with something up his sleeve, steps back into her life.

I was charmed by this book and absolutely loved the recipes peppered throughout, especially since some of them were written in Issy's grandfather's loving voice. It was a sweet novel full of friendship and unexpected love. But, while I enjoyed it, I had a love-hate relationship with it the entire time.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe is charming and perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. I did enjoy it and loved it to a certain degree. It's everything you could possibly want in a women's fiction book. There's the cast of caring, if a bit troubled, ladies; the handsome prospective boyfriend; the cad of an ex; a charming locale; and the focus on friendship with a hint of romance thrown in. It's a perfect women's fiction novel, perfect for anyone who loves them. It has all the elements and does them well, and I must admit it had me wandering into my kitchen to whip up some cupcakes myself, though they probably weren't anywhere near to the perfection Issy can do effortlessly.

At the same time, everything that makes this book a perfect women's fiction novel is why I hate it. It does hit every note just right. It has all the elements. And that makes it feel like a cookie cutter women's fiction novel. It's great if that's what you're looking for, but I also found myself disappointed that the author didn't take the opportunity to tweak it a little and add something new to the genre. It almost felt like there was a template being followed.

Similarly, I had the same reaction to Issy. She was sweet and a bit naive and perhaps too optimistic for being thirty-two, especially at a time when many women aren't even choosing to settle down and having a family until well after that age. I did like her character. She was sweet and caring and absolutely has a good heart in the right place. I like that she wasn't perfect and wasn't even a beautiful blonde. I also love that she showed growth as a person as the novel progressed. But her naivete and desperation made her grate on my nerves a little. She knew better, I know she knew better, but her desperation and desire for a certain life had her making mistakes that I think are more common in women younger than her.

Overall, this is a good book. The setting in an up and coming part of London, the colorful characters, the recipes, the focus on friendship rather than romance, and the sweet relationship between Issy and her grandfather were lovely. It really is a perfect women's fiction novel. I just wish it hadn't toed the line so much and had taken a few chances. Still, I'll probably be trying more than one recipe.

Personally, as a reader who would have liked a little experimentation, this would be a 3 cups of tea book. But, taken as a strict women's fiction novel, it definitely hits all the right notes in all the right places with an interesting plot that moves along nicely and a lovely cast of characters. It's charmingly written, so I'd give it a 5. Overall, I'd have to give this a solid 4 cups of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an electronic advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Link to review: https://thelilycafe.wordpress.com/2019/06/26/book-review-meet-me-at-the-cupcake-cafe-by-jenny-colgan/

This was a book of happiness and friendship. I love the cast of characters and the flow of the writing. Issy has a story and it is charming and poignant.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Jenny Colgan and I'm excited to read and review the first book in this new series, At the Cupcake Cafe. Issy learned to bake as a little girl living with her Grandfather and working in his bakeries. When she's fired from the real estate office where her "boyfriend" is manager she decides to use her payout and open a bakery. With her ailing grandfather writing his recipes from the nursing home, she finds a building and starts to make a successful entry into the business world. Of course things don't go completely smooth and as with all Jenny Colgan books, love will prevail. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review

I am a fan of the author's writing so I was thrilled to receive Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe for review . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley.. My opinion is my own. This is the first in a new series for Ms. Colgan. I look forward to the second in series.
This is the perfect summer read complete with cupcakes and endearing charcters. It is heartwarming and has charcters I loved and did not want to part from . The story is one of endurance and overcoming difficulties while reinventing yourself in the best way possible. It also has the most wonderful baking included that will send your waistline expansion concerns right out the window as you run for the nearest bakery. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

When Issy Randall is let go from her boring Real Estate filling job in the city she goes to her hometown and decides to open a Cupcake Café . It has always been a dream of hers to use her beloved Grandfathers recipes to bake to her hearts content in her own cafe.

She ask her friend Pearl to take on the task and management of the cafe with her. They are a fun pair of women who support each other and are determined to make the cafe a success. Issy decides to offer coffee as well as baked treats at the cafe. Soon her other friends join in and the author magically brings all the women to life as the cafe takes shape and becomes a success.

The baking descriptions are sublime, the charcters done to perfection as is the adorable cafe. I loved the authors rich descriptions and how she developed Issy as a strong independent woman determined to make her business a success. I look forward to the next in series

3.5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley for an e-copy of Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe.

Issy is feeling trapped at her corporate real estate job, she works crazy hours and has been having an affair with her boss who wont acknowledge her at work. She loves to bake and always has after growing up in her grandfather's bakery. Her poor Grandpa Joe is suffering from Alzheimers and fading fast but she has asked him to put some of his recipes in writing so that she will always have them. With upheaval at work she finds herself jobless and boyfriendless, she decides on a whim to open a cupcake shop in a tiny complex. This decision will change her life forever.

I have read several of Jeny Colagan's works and I always enjoy them. Her style is light with fun characters and tells the story from multiple character perspectives. This one took me longer to get in to then others as the story took longer to progress. Her continued relationship with her exboss is a little weird to me but the rest of her friends circle is just quirky enough to add levity to every situation. I love that Colgan includes recipes with all of her novels and they all look as yummy and sweet at the Cupcake Cafe.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. Issy finds herself jobless and needing a new life and direction. She decides to open a cupcake bakery with a host of characters. With the typical worthless ex-boyfriend friend who gets what he deserves in the end. I loved the book especially the recipes and even tried a few! The book was enjoyable easy moving story that was a pleasure to read.

Another delightful novel from Colgan. This one made me want to run to my nearest bakery and dig into a cupcake! The beauty of Colgan's novels, and this one is no exception, is how relatable and genuine her characters feel. I am always closing the book feeling like I must say goodbye to a new friend - which is why I'm so happy so many of her books come with sequels!

I love everything Jenny Colgan writes and this book is no exception. This is the perfect light and enjoyable summer read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

Jenny Colgan has a way with words and makes you fall in love with these characters and these wonderful places. I have been a fan of hers for years, and this new story of hers, did not disappoint.

I loved Issy and how she handled what was thrown at her. The story was warm and made me smile so many times. I can't wait to read the second book in this series.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan is the 1st book in At the Cupcake Cafe series, and I really enjoyed it. This is a wonderful story of Issy who loses her job and boyfriend and decides to start over. Issy learned how to bake from her grandpa Joe, and she opens up her own bakery. This book made me feel like I was in the bakery smelling all the wonderful smells, and catching up with old friends. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, and highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys the genre. Perfect for a summer read.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

Caution: This book may contain recipes and descriptions that lead to an overconsumption of cupcakes and/or other baked goods.

What a cute and cozy read! I have no idea why but for me this was a book equivalent of a romantic comedy circa the 90's featuring Meg Ryan. It was just a sweet (mind the pun) and warmhearted read that was good for the soul.

For those that like to bake, baking recipes are included at the beginning of nearly every chapter. I cannot personally attest to the difficulty of the recipes in actuality but they read as if they would be good for beginners. There's nothing worse than when recipes are included which are only helpful for the Julia Childs' of the baking world. Nope. That did not appear to be the case with these recipes. Fun, easy-ish, and delicious for all.

This was a cute and quick read. I wouldn't say the story or plot was anything beyond what was expected but it was still an enjoyable read that gave me the taste of a romantic comedy film in book format.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***