One of my first Christmas reads of 2020 and I just adored this book. Cathy is getting ready to spend her first Christmas without her beloved mum.. To try and keep her mums memory alive she organises weekly cooking classes. This is such a delightful read with great characters. It kept me wanting to turn the pages and I loved all the baking. A perfect Christmas read.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
A fabulous real Christmas book full of fun Christmas thoughts and baking can highly recommend.

This is a really cosy read and the story felt very fresh. Cathy is a lovely but lonely character, still grieving after the recent death of her mother and a little lost with what to do with herself now she is no longer her mothers carer. When she pushes herself to go to a charity coffee morning with some home baked donations she meets a gregarious bunch of characters and an opportunity for both friendship and teaching arise. I really enjoyed the varied characters and the gentle storyline, the teenage character Tansy added a great depth to the story and a little good for thought.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This lovely book follows the story of Cathy, who through her whole life has cooked at her mother’s side. She could bake a fairy cake even before she could ride a bike.

But, now, facing her first Christmas, without the person she’s cooked beside, her beloved mother. Determined that she wants to use those memories of cooking with her for something positive, but unsure what or how. So during a visit to her local church, talking to other members, she decides to organise a weekly cooking class, that way she can share those precious recipes of her mother., with others who maybe lonely.

But, it’s not as simple as that, as there’s one small problem, that’s in the form of Tansy, who comes to her classes and is rude to others that attend and doesn’t really want to be there.
But, Cathy is close to askInform Tansy to leave, then her uncle, physiotherapist Matt, asks her to give the teenager another chance.


Just as Cathy is feeling that maybe she’s found joy again, another spanner is thrown in the works, in the form of her ex who returns to Linnetford, with plans to get a second chance with her.

But as Matt seems to get distant due his life getting more complicated, maybe it seems so easy to Cathy to return to the safe embrace of her ex who she knows so well.

So will Cathy avoid the temptation of going back to the man who broke her heart?? Or will she let let Christmas bring her the greatest gift -the gift of happiness?

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Recommend it.

Huge thank you as always to Bookouture for this review copy.

Poor Cathy is trying to deal with her first Christmas without her mother, with fond memories of her mums baking Cathy decides to run cooking classes.

This is such a good read, full of joy, the smell of cakes, friendships and possibly a little love?

A delight to devour in a few short hours.