I wanted to love this book, and there were parts that enjoyed. But, I found I could not connect to the characters at all. Freya and the dogs were my favorite! I also liked the setting-I like the beach!

Unfortunately, it was too slow-paced and boring for me. While I can appreciate a good swearing, I felt the cursing did not enhance the storyline at all. It just felt awkward to me and some of the language used did not fit the vibe of the story at all.

There are clearly a lot of people who enjoyed this, but it was not for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read abs review this story.

4.5/5 ⭐ Many thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC of A Cosy Christmas at Bridget's Bicycle Bakery!

This was such a cosy, uplifting read. The book definitely lived up to its name with the ambience surrounding the plot. Bridget moves to Mulberry-On-Sea with her three children after losing the love of her life, Ted. She decides to reignite her love for baking in order to earn money to support her family. By selling pastries and other bakery goods to the community of Mulberry-on-Sea, she slowly finds her feet. I absolutely loved reading about her.

The community feeling of the book was my favorite part about reading A Cosy Christmas at Bridget's Bicycle bakery! I loved how the people supported Bridget after the most difficult time of her life. It was just so heart-warming to see the support system they created encircling Bridget and her children. Seeing Bridget slowly heal from her grief, while finding the courage to fall in love again made me feel so proud of her. 💚

I would highly recommend picking this book up if you're in a mood for meaningful, "full-of-warmth" stories!

A Delightfully Delicious Festive Read.

Alex Brown is cementing herself as one of the queens of festive romance.

A Cosy Christmas at Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery is the first instalment of the Carrington’s spin off series yet is perfect for someone who has not indulged in the Cupcakes at Carrington’s series.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking an hour or two each evening, as the nights are drawing in, travelling to Mulberry on Sea, following Bridget’s journey to finding her new normal, and a haven for her family as they learn to live with their grief.

Whilst there are some poignant moments which had me shedding a tear, there are are also some hilarious scenes, including the Christmas quiz, but for me it’s Bridget and Jack’s first meeting.

My thanks to @AlexBrownBooks, @Netgalley and @OneMoreChapter for allowing me to read and review this 5 star cosy festive read

A cosy Christmas at bridget's bicycle bakery by Alex Brown.
Bridget smiled to herself, certain she could see one of the stars twinkling extra brightly in that moment as if to acknowledge her wish and convince her that, yes, Mulberry-On-Sea was just the place they all needed to be. Surrounded by those happy memories of holidays and special times where nothing bad ever happened…
Finding yourself without a home in the weeks before Christmas would break most people, but for Bridget Carrington it’s a chance to start again. Mulberry-On-Sea has always been her happy place and she’s hoping it can work its magic this festive season and heal her family after a difficult year.
Now, as the community wraps Bridget and her children in its warm embrace, she starts to feel like herself again. With a new business, kids who are starting to smile, and the promise of a second chance at love, Bridget’s holiday season might just be a happy ever after…
A lovely feel good read. I loved the story and characters. The cover is lovely too. 5*.

This is a cozy read for an afternoon, curled up in a cozy Afghan with a warm cup of herbal tea…this book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. The characters are intriguing…the story moves slowly at times but picks up…the author is ingenious at her craft.

I enjoyed this book; Bridget has lost her husband, the father of her children and her teenage sweetheart. Now faced with financial difficulty, she takes her in-laws offer of their crumbling holiday cottage and attempts to make things work.

Initially, the story was a little hard to get in to - it felt overly descriptive and that actually seemed to stop the 'flow' but after a few chapters, it lessens and the story is captivating. You care deeply about the characters, there's no massive horrible plot twist and it makes you feel very christmassy! It's an easy read, perfect for the festive season..although it'll definitely leave you wanting to eat toast made on an aga!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher (one more chapter) for the chance to read this beautiful book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, I laughed along in parts of this book (I'm pretty sure my husband thinks I've lost the plot!), I teared up in places, I felt everything.
The descriptions of the people and of the places were so vivid I actually felt like I was transported to this quaint little place. This book is written in such a way that you can just feel the raw emotions pouring out of the pages as you go.
Although by the 12% point I had worked out part of the plotline, it didn't stop the mesmerising story, the hilarious mishaps, the warmth, the love, the family feelings, the coming together of community.
This is a real feel good festive story, and Alex Brown has done an amazing job bringing this to us.
I highly recommend you get yourself this book, you really will not be disappointed.
Happy Reading.

This is such a lovely cosy story for the festive season. I really felt for Bridget, she went through so much and now is trying to do the right thing for her kids. Even though there is a bit of sadness in this book there is also a lot of laugh out loud moments that give a good balance to the story!


So many great characters and it was so lovely being back in Mulberry-On-Sea and back in the Carrington world again!

Highly recommend this perfectly festive story!!

I do like a feel good book, but sometimes this one can get a bit too "sickly" and be overly "nice" but it is Christmas so why not, I did like the characters and would probably see what happens to Bridget if there is a next book.

Pick it up in December when there is frost on the ground and enjoy

What a super cute Christmas story!!! This one had me feeling all the feels! It is very heartfelt, deals with grief, and even though I can’t bake to save my life, I now want a bicycle bakery (thanks Alex!!) The characters were absolutely wonderful and I really enjoyed getting to know Bridget and Jack! I burst out laughing during the choir scene and had quite the giggle! There were a few times that I laughed quite hard, actually!!!!

I really enjoyed the addition of the dogs and that they were actually characters in this book and not just props! The kids were super cute, as well as the members of the community (I love Mack!!! What a sweet old man!!!)

I really love the genuine feel of this story. There’s sadness as the change in this book comes from the loss of a loved one, but this small community that Bridget has moved her children to is so welcoming and sweet and I actually love that it’s not as tight knit as most books/movies make you believe ALL small towns are (I lived in one and not everyone knows everyone!!) I recommend picking up this book to make your heart swell three sizes ❤️❤️❤️

This book is set in Mulberry-On-sea, the location of Carrington's department store. This is the 4th book in the series, but can be read as a standalone novel, as this book features a new protagonist, Bridget Carrington. She moves back to the village where she grew up.
This is a very sweet and easy read. It definitely has the feel-good factor. It is also a very festive read, even though Bridget is dealing with the death of Husband.
Bridget is a nice character, and I loved hearing about her baking. There are some recipes at the end of book which I plan to bake. I was pleased to see that there is a going to be a follow up book, and I plan to read it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

Oh how I love a good Christmas themed book and this one was full of the cheers of Christmas. I got everything I wanted from this book, Love, Loss, Happiness, Romance and a quant village setting. And of course Christmas.

I loved the characters, loved the setting and loved the story. You can imagine this being the life of someone you may know. It is heart-felt, sometimes heart-breaking but brings an uplifting spirit and joy to you while you are reading it.

It is a great book to escape into and enjoy, it is a book that most of us can in one way or another relate to and I think it is a book most people would enjoy reading.

Now I must find more books by Alex Brown!

Cosy and drama-free Christmas romance.🎄☃️

It is a perfect holiday book as it has everything necessary to create the best Christmas feeling - cottage, fun in the snow, gifts underneath the tree, the closeness of family, and the irresistible smell of just-baked pies.😋

While it has everything to build a perfect holiday setting, overall, I find this story a little boring. The first half of the book consists of the main character baking bread, meeting people who tell her how kind and selfless she is and repeatedly getting in an awkward situation with a dog. It is great to read a festive, happy-ending romance with no added drama, but there were no sparks for me. It was all too nice. While reading, I found myself constantly waiting for something to happen, for her amazingly understanding kids to act out of line, or someone getting a bad batch of pies or anything at all. It never happened. The worst in all of the story was her mother being out of line. Even after I finished reading this, I kept wondering, is this all?! And while Jack had all the right attributes to be "Hot Jack", I did not feel any chemistry or romance developing between the characters.

Don't get me wrong, the story is very likable and will be perfect for someone who is looking for a cozy, all nice and sweet story that reminds that surviving the death of a loved one and starting over is never easy, but with great people around, things get better. Just be aware that there will not be any surprises on the way.

BTW, what's with the crazy consumption of the bread? 😅

I just loved this heart warming book to immerse myself in. A definite Christmassy cosy romance with a lovely set of characters to bring hope with their undeniable community spirit. The book might be a bit cloying for some but I was just in the mood so it was totally the right time to read this light book. Includes some baking recipes at the end, the Rosemary and Potato Sourdough sounds intriguing and I shall try that sometime soon. My only criticism was that Mulberry-on-Sea was described as a village but it certainly had more of a small town feel to me but this really didn't detract from my wholehearted enjoyment

Loved this right from the start!! Some hilarious moments but mostly a tale about new beginnings for Bridget and her family. Bridget arrives back in her old town with her family after her husband's death. She soon makes her mark with her gorgeous bread and thoughtful nature. A real feel good story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and almost read it in one sitting!!

With her and her children still grieving the sudden loss of her husband almost a year later, now isn't the time for Bridget to lose her job and home. She jumps at the chance when her in-laws offer her their vacation home in Mulberry-on-sea. She grew up in this small seaside community where she fell in love, and she's hoping to reconnect with friends and create a new home for her three kids. But the house is in bad shape and everyone in town is laughing about her meet-cute with the local barman. She finds comfort in baking, but soon has too much for her little family. A trip around town on her bicycle with the extra goodies inspires an idea for a new business and a fresh start.
This is a sweet and clean romance with all the magic of the Christmas season. The small town atmosphere felt cozy and welcoming. I just wanted to cuddle up with a cup of hot cocoa in front of a fireplace. Unfortunately for me, I'm reading an advance review copy in early October and the temperature is still in the 70s.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This was the first Alex Brown book I’ve read and it did not disappoint. Bridget and her children returning to her home town on a cold winters night immediately pulls on your heartstrings but you’re then thrown into laughter mode when she gets caught short in the sand dunes!! Bridget arrives home not long before Christmas and just as the locals are struggling to get fresh bread- the perfect start up for her bakery! A lovely Christmas story that makes you want to be sat round the fire pit on the beach with Bridget and her family. Now to explore more Alex Brown books!

When Bridget and her children return to Mulberry- On-Sea, everything magical and festive happens. A thoroughly uplifting book just when the world needs more happiness. I haven't read the other books in the series but it made no difference to my enjoyment.

A few weeks before Christmas Bridget Carrington finds herself and her children homeless. When her in-laws offer their beach hut in Mulberry-On-Sea Bridget jumps at the chance, seeing it as a chance for a badly needed new start.
The beach hut has seen better days but as Bridget and her family find themselves embraced by the locals they soon settle in. As the days go by they find themselves laughing and beginning to enjoy life again. With Christmas fast approaching it seems that Bridget and her family are finally getting back on track but will the festive season bring them even more reasons to be merry.
What a lovely story. It wraps around you like a big hug and warms you up from the inside.

A curl up on the sofa cosy read. I really enjoyed this Christmas love story. Anyone would be happy to get this book in their stocking on Christmas Day.