Cathy has lost her mother and needs to find new friends so she goes to the church cafe and everyone is wowed by her wonderful cakes and Cathy has to be persuaded to share her recipes, although she is very self effacing with all the compliments that she's never received before. Then she's persuaded to set up a cookery club. A sweet romance and I normally love Tilly Tenant but I have to admit I did find Cathy a bit unsympathetic. Especially when Tansy, a teenager, comes to her group and she comments that she won't make friends because she is so toxic. Yet Cathy's whole aim is to make new friends so you'd think she'd be more emphatic. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I enjoy cosy Christmas romances during the autumn/winter time and "Cathy's Christmas Kitchen" sounded like the perfect book for this.

I liked the beginning of the book as the scenery and setting was built up really nicely. The little town was really cosy, also getting a little christmassy later in the book, and the people were really nice and sticking together.

Still I couldn't really connect with the characters and for me they remained very shallow and distant. I understood Cathy's troubles and insecurities but she was getting on my nerves putting herself down all the time.
I enjoyed the cooking circle with the women of the town, especially the elder ladies were really fun.

The romance was cute but also remained a little distant to me and I couldn't really enjoy it.

The book was a nice read but could have needed a few more sparks in romance as well as the Christmas setting.

This was pleasant enough but it didn't blow me away.

Cathy has spent the last few years looking after her terminally ill mother, it cost her practically everything, her friends, her career, and her fiancé. Now her mother has died, Cathy is facing her first Christmas alone, her only solace the baking she used to do with her mother. Then a chance meeting leads to her agreeing to host baking classes at the local Church hall. Her students are a motley crew of OAPs, single men, married women and one truculent teenager, Tansy, who seems determined to antagonise everyone else.

Cathy meets a man walking his dog along the path she takes to her part-time job assisting the local florist and they hit it off straight away, but then her ex-fiancé starts hanging around the florist's stall, buying flowers for his wife - what will she choose old love or new?

I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the shy, retiring heroine with zero life-experience and no friends who somehow suddenly becomes popular, its a little too twee and cosy for me. If you like cosy romances then I guess you would love this. Also I thought Cathy was a little clueless and unsympathetic about Tansy - has she never met a teenage girl before? Most of them are toxic.

Anyway, pleasant enough but a bit gingerbread when I'm more banana bread.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the perfect book for those cold autumn and winter nights when all you want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and your favourite drink (a boozy hot chocolate, in my case).

There's quite a bit of heartache in this book, it's not just romance and Christmas spirit, but there are also plenty of sweet moments that make the heartache easier to deal with. The friendships are done really well, whether it's the new friendship between Cathy and Erica or the gossiping and bickering older ladies from the church.

The story was a bit slow-paced and felt very uneven, with the majority of events happening in the last half of the book. At times it was a bit tedious to read another chapter about how Cathy was insecure about a thing she was actually really good at, or about Cathy constantly thinking up the worst-case scenario in any social setting. There were quite a few heavy topics to deal with and so many complications that at times it seemed like the author had a hard time keeping all the plates spinning.

Ultimately, I would've liked a bit more Christmas and romance and a little less drama, but I still had a nice time reading this book.

Cathy spent most of her life caring for her mother. She finds herself somewhat lost, and with time on her hands.

A story of baking, of friendships, of love and of discovering who you are.

Lovely!

Ah I really needed this uplifting and inspiring book last week and it was perfect for beating away the blues.

Cathy has spent all her teenage and adult life caring and now her mum has passed away, and Cathy is lost. Having given up friendships, social engagements, a career and a love life to give every waking minute to her mother, Cathy is at a loose end and finding it hard to fill her days until she takes a step and nrings along some baking to a local coffee morning. From there, Cathy’s confidence flourishes as her baking become more popular and she forges new relationships – including a possible romantic one. Can Cathy finally find happiness for herself?

My heart went straight out to Cathy from the very beginning of this book and I cheered on every little step she took to move forward and took great joy watching her succeed. She was such an adorable character who had selflessly sacrificed her life and I just wanted to take her under my wing and introduce her to the world. My mouth was watering at every bake Cathy made and I could almost smell Christmas in the air whilst I read.

I found warmth in the way she was enveloped into the heart of the community and gently nudged to find and use her strengths. Her new friends were amusing and full of character and brought depth to the plot.

The village of Linnetford seems so quaint and picturesque, particulalrly at Christmas time. The church hall sounded cosy, the coffe shop seemed perfect and the cottage itself where Cathy lived just sounded like an absolute gem.

This is such a cosy and heartwarming book to wrap youself up and read. Highly recommended to read on a rubbish day. You’ll feel warmth in no time at all.

Cathy is a lovely lady, lost after the death of her mother. This book tells the story of Cathy as she comes back to living, baking of course, but also friends and romance. A well written, gentle book.

Loved reading this novel, very well written and a pleasure to be able to curl up with it. There are plenty of twists and turns going on with the lives of the characters. I know that I will be reading this again. 5 stars and a good recommendation.

Thanks to Netgaley and publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

An entertaining and well written romance. Good plot and character development. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

We are introduced to the main character of Cathy straight away in the story. Cathy is trying her best to manage the grief and loneliness she now feels after her beloved Mum passed away. After caring for her throughout her illness, Cathy has given up a lot in her life, including friends and relationships. One of the only things that keeps Cathy going is her love for baking. So when the local Church organise a Coffee Morning to help raise money for cancer research, she decides to go along. After enjoying the Coffee Morning, Cathy decides she will go back again.

CAN CATHY TURN HER LIFE AROUND?

Getting to know more and more people at the coffee mornings, some of the ladies who attend suggest that Cathy starts a weekly baking class at the Church. Reluctantly, Cathy agrees as she wants to share her love of baking with others. The cookery classes go really well and everyone loves them, apart from moody teenager Tansy – who is the niece of Cathy’s new friend, Erica. Life seems to be getting better and better for Cathy. New friends, the cookery classes and the mystery man she keeps bumping into on her way to work. Cathy later discovers the mystery man is Matt, the brother of her friend Erica. They spend more and more time together, getting to know each other and falling for each other.

As their relationship gathers pace, Cathy is feeling happier than she has in years. The last thing she expects is her ex to turn up out of the blue after all these years! Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen is a lovely, heat-warming story about life, loneliness, friendship and love. A perfect read to get you in the festive mood.

It’s never too soon to start reading Christmas novels, even though the sun is shining as I write this!

I’ve read all Tilly Tennant’s books, and this one is in her usual well-written, warm, and humorous style.

Cathy has been her mother’s carer for a long time and, now that she’s passed away, Cathy is feeling lost and not quite sure what to do. There is also an ex in the background, and Cathy’s mother’s health and reliance on Cathy contributed to their split. She sees an advert for a church coffee morning and, as she loves baking, goes along with several boxes of baked goodies.

Cathy is made to feel very welcome and starts to make friends, who then suggest she runs some baking classes. The niece of Matt, a physiotherapist, causes trouble in the classes and Matt begs Cathy to give her a chance. Just as Matt and Cathy are starting to be more than just friends, her ex reappears.

A lovely book to get you in the mood for Christmas, and I’d highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cathy's Christmas Kitchen was a wonderful read from the beginning to the end! I have been binge reading Christmas/winter themed books for the last few days, and this book was the perfect addition to my cozy reading shelf :') The book featured the sweetest friendships, a heart-warming romance and cozy, baking lessons!

Feel-good books are my jam, and Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen has definitely taken one of the top positions in that genre! I really enjoyed knowing about Cathy’s life. Seeing her find the best version of herself by helping people through her love for baking made me feel so happy. I’m really impressed with Tilly Tennant’s writing style! She made the story flow beautifully, with plenty of twists and turns. The book isn’t all about rainbows and butterflies though, it talks about grief and healing in a great manner as well.

Food and books make the best combination according to me, and this book was a total treat in that sense. All the talk/discussions about cakes and other baked goodies made me long to be in Cathy’s cozy cottage with a cup of coffee in my hand.  Many comedic scenes were included in the book as well, which made reading it more delightful!

Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen bought me immense joy, and I can’t recommend it enough! Grab your cozy-reading gears, people!

I love books about people who cook or bake, which makes me think I should be baking more often than I do! Cathy is like many caregivers whose charge dies. She has put so much energy and effort into caring for her mother that she is a loss when her mother is gone. She has time to fill now and finds a new way to incorporate her love of baking (a love that was encouraged by her mother). Sweet story of life after loss and a wonderful way to pass time. I absolutely love the author's writing style and creation of characters.

This is a heartwarming story about Cathy, who is lonely & still grieving for her mum.
Her love of baking helps her to meet new friends when she gets pushed into running cookery classes, and also into meeting a love interest.
The story follows her as she deals with many emotions and is a lovely heartwarming story for any time not just Christmas.

Cathy recently lost her mum after a long fought disease, and is not looking forward to being alone this holiday season. She sees an advertisement for a Charity coffee meeting at a local church, and even though she’s not a member, attends thinking they would welcome anyone. The group gives her a warm welcome and before long they realize Cathy is quite the baker! Cathy starts to host a weekly cookery class teaching a varied group of townsfolk. Through this group, Cathy makes friends and even finds a love interest. Maybe this won’t be such a lonely holiday after all for Cathy!

Cathy’s Christmas Kitchen is a charming, sweet holiday tale perfect for getting in the mood for the coming months. The endearing and quirky cast of townsfolk, along with the funny situations they find themselves in, made this novel enjoyable and entertaining to me.

This is my third novel by Tilly Tennant, having previously read The Garden on Sparrow Street and The Waffle House on the Pier and I’ve yet to find a book by this author which didn't make me smile.

Cathy's Christmas Kitchen was a wonderful tale, and Cathy was a lovely character. Following the death of her mum, she goes to a coffee morning where the accomplished baker is persuaded to start up a weekly baking class in the local church hall. Cathy soon makes new friends in the little village of Linnetford and enjoys teaching her late mum's recipes though the prospect of facing her first Christmas alone looms...

There is a love interest for the principal character and a choice of beaux to choose from and I had a fun time selecting my favourite. Tilly Tennant continued to wow me with her fabulous writing, and I read this in double-quick time as I didn't want to put my Kindle down! Cathy's Christmas Kitchen was a heartwarming, inspirational, story about new friendships with lots of love and laughs. A fabulous holiday read, with a few really strong themes, which is festive without being overly done, that I will certainly be recommending to friends and family.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookcouture and Tilly Tennant for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!

I adored this story. It was light with just enough heavy, it was uplifting with the right amount of sad, and it was a sweet story. I thought Cathy was such a lovely character. She is strong, thoughtful, caring, sweet, and a bit naive and innocent in some ways (if she were a real person I think she would hate me saying that lol.) I really enjoyed getting to know her and the other characters and I am a big fan of books involving food!!! A nice Christmas story, I am very glad I took a chance on this one and look forward to revisiting it in the future!!!

You know that feeling of “I just want to spend an afternoon with this character”? That’s how I feel with Cathy. I would love to have some tea with her, try her baking, try out her cooking club. And what a great thing to want to hang out with a character in a book! I think that is a sign of an author doing something right! I will definitely read more of Tennant’s work and am anticipating loving more of her characters!!!

This is a lovely and sweet read, sweet in more ways than one. There are lots of references to baking throughout the book. It really made me crave cakes, if you have a sweet tooth then you will definitely need some snacks while you are reading this.
This book takes place in the run up to Christmas, when Cathy faces her first Christmas alone after the death of her Mother. I would not class this book as an overly festive Christmas book. Instead it focuses on the loneliness that a lot of people feel at Christmas.
It is a nice and easy heart warming read. I enjoyed reading it. I have read a lot of Tilly's books and they are always lovely.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of the book via Netgalley. I love Tilly’s work and I love Christmas so this was already a winner. This is my second Christmas book of the year and let me tell you it was a cracker! (I know too much)
Cathy’s Mum passed away recently after a long illness and Cathy is at a bit of a loss. She was a full-time carer for her mum and now doesn’t know what to do with herself. She has a part-time job but is going a little stir crazy in the other hours. Cathy is such an easy character to like. She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body. She is one of those people that everyone likes.
I really liked the weekly cooking class and I wish there was something similar local to me. It’s a great way to meet people and learn new skills. I love to bake. I’m a decent baker but I’m nowhere near Cathy’s level. I make a damn good Rocky Road and I made some addictive slow-cooked fudge during lockdown but Cathy seems to be good at everything she makes. It made me have a real craving for Christmas Cake (gotta love the marzipan).
There was, of course, the sweetest romance in this book. I really enjoyed seeing Cathy go on a couple of dates and I seriously want to go to the Tapas bar. I LOVE TAPAS. I think it's really underrated! You get to try lots of different dishes without committing to a full meal.
As well as being a fun festive story there were some real serious issues that Tilly introduced. Loneliness is a big part of this book and I think Tilly did this very tastefully.
I also really loved the little village this was set in. I could see us coming back here and maybe seeing a story from one of the other characters in the cooking class. I’d love to catch up and see how everyone is doing in a year or so.

This year has gone by in a somewhat traumatic blur, so of course it felt natural to pick up my first festive read of the year in September!

What I liked most about this particular festive read is that the Christmas element of it wasn't overplayed or even particularly prominent. It was a quiet undercurrent through the story, that served to add an extra degree of cosiness to the story without overwhelming it. It all took place in the lead-up to Christmas but the focus was absolutely on the characters and the baking.

The character development throughout the story was brilliant. Each and every character was given some degree of back story or motive to help the reader understand their actions - I didn't feel like any of the characters were superfluous. Smaller characters such as Erica, Fleur and Iris felt as real as the characters at the heart of the story, which made the world more immersive and alluring.

I found myself particularly interested in the Tansy character; she was introduced as problematic and enigmatic, which helped give some degree of drama to an otherwise comfortably-paced plotline. I appreciated the slow reveal of her character, as it played a big part in keeping me turning page after page in an attempt to get to the end to find out more about her. Matt was a charming lead, with an admirable sense of duty, and his own thought-provoking history. Cathy was immediately endearing (helped by the opening to her story garnering her some sympathy) and maintained a quiet dignity throughout the story. While she was timid and reserved, something that can easily become formulaic in stories like this, she remained likeable throughout.

My only issue with the book was the speed at which the budding romance was introduced; it's an odd mix of leisurely and rushed. Matt comes in relatively late in the book compared to others of this genre that I've read, and the pace at which they move, while realistic, left me feeling like the ending was anticlimactic; it crept up on me and caught me by surprise. The epilogue went some way to wrapping things up with a neater bow, but I felt cheated out of the development of their relationship past the first couple of (tame) dates.

It was a sweet read, and I enjoyed the time spent in Cathy's Christmas Kitchen, I just wish I'd found a more fulfilling ending. The book is marketed as a romantic comedy, but there was more focus on Cathy developing her confidence - it was a great plot, but not what I was expecting from the blurb.