This was an extremely enjoyable read, with the loveliest of characters. I really enjoyed the budding friendship/relationship between Cathy and Matt. Whilst the storyline was quiet simple, it was enjoyable nevertheless and I would highly recommend as the perfect christmas read to cosy up to.

The book was a bit boring. There wasn't anything interesting about this book but at the same time, I didn't hate it.

A book full of delightful characters, a heartwarming storyline and full of love. I adored this story from beginning to end!. I really liked the fact that although romance was involved (and I do love a good romance!) It wasn't the entire focus of the book. The friendships that developed throughout the story, and learning more about the characters as individuals was wonderful, and then when Cathy gets her very own happy ending my heart soared.
A perfect festive read!

Such a sweet, uplifting story guaranteed to put you in the Christmas mood. Held my interest from start to finish. A must read this holiday season.

A brilliant Christmas read
Full of great characters, great baking and blossoming friendships
This book is definitely to read curled up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate
Brilliant book
Thanks NetGalley

If there was a heartwarming holiday book- this was it. This one grabbed my holiday heart and was a great dose of Christmas cheer. As the snow flutters down in the little village of Linnetford, escape to a cosy farmhouse kitchen, scented with the rich aromas of fruitcake and gingerbread, where a love of baking is about to unite two lonely hearts…

Cathy cooked at her mother’s side her whole life and could bake a fairy cake before she could ride a bike. Now she is facing her first Christmas without her beloved mother, she’s determined to use her memories for something positive. She decides to organise a weekly cooking class, sharing her mother’s precious recipes with other lonely souls.

There’s just one small spanner in the works: teenager Tansy, who attends Cathy’s classes even though she’s rude to everyone there and seems to hate every minute. Cathy is poised to ask Tansy to leave, but her uncle, physiotherapist Matt, begs her to give the teenager another chance. And Cathy can’t resist Matt’s sparkling hazel eyes and incredibly kind heart…

But just as Cathy is feeling she might find joy again, her ex returns to Linnetford, desperate for a second chance. With Matt becoming distant as his life gets more complicated, it seems so easy to return to the safe embrace of someone she knows so well. Can Cathy avoid the temptation of falling back in love with the man who broke her heart and let Christmas bring her the greatest gift – that of happiness?

I am certainly a Tilly Tennant fan, and although this is a suitable Cosy Christmas Read and one that I enjoyed it isn’t one of my favourites from this author. Cathy is our lead character and as she recently lost her Mum she is now facing her first Christmas without her. Cathy is a nice character and one that I liked, however I found it a little slow going in the beginning. Cathy is a baker, but just something she does as a hobby.

When she is given the chance to run a cookery class she tentatively accepts and this is the opening she needed to become her own person without her Mum by her side. At this point when the cookery lessons start we are introduced to other characters including Matt. In addition to Matt Cathy’s ex makes an appearance on the scene with further throws her life into chaos a little. This story was much more about Cathy finding her feet and working out her choices in life. I enjoyed reading it and certainly think its suited to a wet and dreary Christmas day to be read alongside a hot chocolate. Like I said a very enjoyable read, just not one I would call one of my favourites from this consistently great author!

Release Date: October 1st 2020

Cathy recently lost her mother after caring for her during an extended illness. In an effort to branch out she attends a charity bake at a local church and meet Iris, Dora and Erica. The three start a cookery club with Cathy leading the classes. Ericas brother Matt and Cathy begin to see each other but Erica and Matt’s niece Tansy threatens to make a mess of the whole situation.

Confused by the synopsis? Welcome to this book. The whole thing is confusing and odd and does not make sense. Then the book abruptly ends. I’ve read Tilly Tennant before and loved it but this book was just too much for me. Their is no pay off at the end. Not worth the time to read.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

#bookstagram #netgalleyreads #bookrecommendations #tillytennant #Cathyschristmaskitchen

You just can’t beat a cosy Christmas novel and this was a really lovely one.
Cathy has just lost her Mum after a long illness and she is still coming to terms with life on her own after so many years of caring for her.
When she reads about a fund raising coffee morning at the local church; she goes along, more for something to do than anything else, plus it gives her a reason to bake, something her mother taught her to do from memory.
Cathy’s cakes are a hit and she makes some unusual but kind new friends. The only other person there is Erica who has come along also not knowing anyone.
Erica and Cathy hit it off and become firm friends. When the ladies of the church guild suggest Cathy run a cookery class, she reluctantly agrees, but ends up enjoying it so much, it becomes a regular thing and her recipes become sought after.
This is a fabulous story of new beginnings and friends, as well has having some romance thrown in for good measure.
A perfect Christmas novel.

Simple and sweet. Hallmark-movie-esque but make it British. Trigger warnings for grief, death of a parent.

Perfect, easy reading to get you in the mood for Christmas.
Very easy to read with likeable characters - didnt want to put it down!
Would highly recommend it you need escapism this christmas.

Cathy is a woman who loves baking and has spent the last few years taking care of her ailing mum and is now focusing on herself. It was a light read with a fun cast of characters! I would have loved some of the recipes they made to be included in the book to help tie the reader in to the cookery club.

This was a beautiful read. Cathy recently lost her mum, after caring for her since she was a youngster. Finding life a struggle, she decides to broaden her circle of friends by attending a charity event at the local church hall. Her delicious baking goes down a storm and she finds herself offering to start a cookery club and teach everyone how to make tasty cakes.
The characters are wonderful- some funny, some are trying , some are the village gossips- but they all come together to bake in the village hall.
Cathy decides that although she is an instinctive baker, she needs to preserve her family recipes and share them. It makes you want to have a copy for your kitchen bookshelf.
Add in a romance, a wonderful dog and an ex alongside the baking and you have everything you could want.

Cute quaint cozy story by an author that I enjoy reading. The storyline was cute and I enjoyed getting into the mood of the holidays while reading it.

I’ve not read any of Tilly’s books before, but I will certainly be looking out for more. The only negative is that I felt the ending was rushed and I was waiting for more, but hopefully that means there’ll be more to come!

This is amazing and cute and I loved it. I honestly started to bake after this. The first little bit was hard to get through, but once past that it went by in a breeze. Highly recommend.

I have yet to read a book by Tilly Tennant that I have not enjoyed and Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen was no exception. I loved it. I particularly enjoyed the cookery club and all the members that Cathy sets up after caring for her mother for several years and then ends up with spare time and nothing to fill it up with. This was a fab read that hooked me in from the first few pages.

Cathy gave everything up to look after her Mum but now she is on her own.
Cathy's mum lived to cook but baking was really her thing and she taught Cathy all if her recipes but nothing was written down and Cathy too keeps the recipes in her head.
Cathy decides to bake for a charity coffee morning where she meets Erica who will become a close friend, Dora and Iris who are like a double act!
Cathy's new friends persuade her to start a cookery class and so begins a new, happy phase in her life.

A charming heartwarming Christmas novel. Coupling friendship a beautiful location and festive baking makes for a wonderful festive novel x

Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen by Tilly Tennant had the honour of being my first Christmas read for 2020 and I can safely say that I picked a gorgeous story to get me in the mood for the festive season. This book has such a stunning cover with the most striking of colours used to convey the Christmas season. The minute you look at it you just want to open the door to that cosy house and step inside and meet its residents. I found the book to be a quick, light and easy read, it’s the perfect antidote to everything that is going on in the world right now. It’s not too taxing but provides you with an escape and it’s so easy to dip in and out of if you don’t have a block of time to sit down and read without interruption. The plot is easy to follow with not too many characters that you become confused and the message of the story is a lovely one. Basically it’s the ideal read for this time of year in the run up to the big day.

Cathy lives in a small cottage on the outskirts of Linnetford. Tollkeep Cottage has been a very lonely place for her since she lost her mum. Deep down she knows she needs to get out more and make new friends and find new things to do with her time now that her duties as her mother’s carer have come to an end. I could really identify with Cathy given I have experienced a loss similar to hers, she was at a total loss as to what her next life step should be. For some time her routine and been strict and structured as she knew she had to look after her mother, this was her sole focus and everything else for her fell by the wayside. You would do anything to help and support a loved one who needed it but the problem there after remains, what do you do when your purpose is gone? The one that has kept you going through the darkest of times and now it has been pulled from under you not that you wanted that to happen. By caring for her mother Cathy had let the world move on without her and this makes her feel a slight resentment at the wonderful lives that other people and some friends led. This is the situation Cathy finds herself in and now she is left with a big hole that she has no idea how to fill.

At 38 Cathy feels that she is too old to be starting again as in rebuilding her social life and putting herself out there. She is vulnerable and afraid to do this as she is missing her sense of worth. But helping is the one thing that Cathy is good at it and she works a few days a week at French for Flower’s, a flower stall run by Fleur. Initially Cathy made it out as if she had no one at all that she could meet or confide in but in a way Fleur was that person as she gave her an outlet to get out and meet people some days. But I sensed that despite a friendship between the pair that Cathy was looking for something more. I didn’t like that Cathy constantly put herself down which made me realise the experience of caring for her mum, and then losing her, had really had such a devastating impact on her. New social situations overwhelmed her and she believes she has no one to fall back on to help her cope with the fall out. Why couldn’t she accept praise when it was given especially when it came to her talents for baking? If she could do this she would grow in confidence and find new avenues to explore and broaden her horizons in order to open up her world that little bit more.

So when Cathy finally bites the bullet and attends a coffee morning at the local church, St. Cuthbert’s, you sense that this may be the starting point for a new Cathy to emerge but it won’t be easy as she needs to see the value in herself and come to understand that she is loved and has such a lot to offer people in the community. As I mentioned before Cathy loves baking, it makes her feel calm and contented and the treats she brings to the coffee morning are a huge success. Everyone wants to know her mum’s recipes and she decides to write them in a notebook as they have never been recorded before. This gives Cathy a renewed sense of purpose and you can tell there is a little glimmer of hope and anticipation surrounding her now if only she can build on these tentative foundations. The characters she meets at St. Cuthbert’s soon become like a family to her and I was so glad to see Cathy stepping outside her comfort zone and spreading her wings that little bit more. She feels hopeful and optimistic that things can change for the better for her and that her mother would be proud of what she is doing. She meets Erica whose father died from cancer and she feels a connection with her. They can share their problems and worries, and the older ladies Iris and Dora are like a comedy double act providing lots of loud out moments with what they are saying. There are a few other people who attend to but they didn’t make a significant impact on the overall story.

Cathy has a great idea to set up cookery lessons at the church as she feels cookery is meant to be inclusive and open to everyone. For people who are lonely or need that bit of human connection, perhaps she is talking about herself when she says this. Given the title of the story I thought the kitchen would refer to like a little café or something that Cathy would go on to set up, so I was surprised that the focus was on the cookery lessons. I get the idea of the kitchen in the title but did think it was slightly misleading. Tansy, Erica’s niece, joins in with the lessons but she is very sullen and does her best to up scuttle people’s bakes and really in general she is not the most happiest of teenagers. You could tell deep down that something was bothering her and Cathy could too. So I was glad when Cathy didn’t give up on her when the other participants in the classes wanted to get rid of her.

You could see Cathy growing in confidence as she taught the group to make wonderful treats and baked goodies but you did wonder was there something else that needed to happen in her personal life to make her happiness come full circle and complete. Things seemed to be going well for Cathy with the classes and as she writes the recipes down a little notebook of delicious treats begins to emerge. That’s one thing I will I say I would have loved for some of the recipes and bakes featured to have perhaps been included at the end of the story for readers to try out. They really were mouth-watering and since the first lockdown I’ve taken a bit more of an interest in baking as many other people have too. Usually I would just glance through something like this when included in a book but these recipes, cakes and tempting treats seemed like something I would really love to be able to eat myself.

The cookery class enriches Cathy’s life and the lives of the participants but I wanted a little bit of romance to be thrown into the mixture too. I got that in the nicest way possible but there was a little spanner in the works trying to upset the apple cart. The past does have an unfortunate way of rearing its ugly head when you least expect it. But the journey to the end regarding the issue of some love and personal romance for Cathy was a joy to read and gave the story that extra little bite as at one or two points things became just a little bit routine and formulaic before picking up once again. But overall Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen truly is a gorgeous, delightful and heart warming read which will please the many fans of Tilly Tennant.