Member Reviews
This book is utterly adorable and just so sweet. It is the perfect cure to chase those winter blues away. Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen is technically a stand-alone (and can be read as one). But it is a continuation of The Little Cornish Kitchen book, which followed Clemmie and Charlie's love story. I was a little overwhelmed while reading the first few chapters (just like Cressy was) because I was introduced to so many characters right away, and it felt like I should know them. That overwhelmed feeling did disappear as I became familiar with all the secondary characters in this book.
All the characters in this book are fun, relatable, and just so quirky at times. Cressy is a wonderful main character, and I loved watching as she opened her heart to new friends and the possibility of love with a man who broke her heart so many years ago. The scenes with the seniors in the retirement home were just so charming. They were just so much fun and full of life. I definitely teared up (in a happy way) while reading some of Cressy's interactions with some of the seniors. Listening to them talk about their lives reminds me of all those chats I have with my Nanny at her kitchen table.
The romance between Cressy and Ross is a second chance and forced proximity romance. These two had a relationship back when they were in university, but things ended badly between the two of them. Cressy and Ross's failed relationship would end up shaping how Cressy interacted with people around her. She built this wall around her heart and kept everyone at arm's length. These two have the shock of their lives when they see each other at the café in St. Aidan. Things between these two become even more complicated when they end up being roommates for a few months (to help take care of Charlie and Clemmie's pets). I like these two, as a couple. I could see their chemistry, and there were definitely some sparks when they were together. However, there were moments I wanted to lock them in a room and scream at them to talk out their problems and to just kiss already. It felt like every step they took forward in their relationship; they would take two back because of some miscommunication.
Aaaand there goes my diet, LOL. This book has next-level food talk in it. I will admit that I had to put this book down and run out to the nearest store and buy some yummy baked goods. Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen is just one of those books you need to read with food. It's a must!
Beware! There are some pretty darn cute animals in this book. Diesel and Pancake really stole the spotlight at times, and I just wanted to reach in and give them big squishy hugs.
If you are looking for a fun, sweet read to help cheer you up this winter, you should read Tea For Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen.
Thank you One More Chapter and Rachel Random Resources for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Such a lovely, cosy, nice, heartwarming read!
Isn't it great when you read a new author to you, you love the book and find out there are a lot of other books of hers you can dive into? Just great!!
We follow Cressida Cupcakes through her ups and downs in career and life as well, with a depth that it's not always common to a rom-com. The characters are lovley, the scenery spectacular and don't get me started on the baking!
Added bonus: there are a few recipes at the end of the book that you don't want to miss (yummy!!)
Many thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for the invite to read this "delicious" ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did it was enjoyable. Cressy and Ross have a history and are getting a second chance at love. My favorite character was the dog! The title and book cover are slightly misleading, in my opinion. The characters are more laid back and funnier than the title implies. An overall delightful read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.
I really enjoyed this book which was full of fun, Cressida has offered to dog sit for her Brother while he is away, which is perfect timing as things haven’t gone so well on a baking show for Cressida and social media has turned against her. Back in St Aidan she bumps into her Brothers best friend Ross who she had a relationship a few years earlier. Cressida is encouraged to get involved in the community fund raising and ends up doing baking sessions in a care home. This book has wonderful characters, each who bring their own part to the story.
Cressida finds herself thrown more and more together with Ross, can she put the hurt aside of the past and look to the future.
This book should however come with a warning to not read while you are hungry as lots of baking and descriptions of cakes!
This is a wonderful book which I would highly recommend.
When Cressy is invited to Cornwall to dog and house sit while her brother and sister-in-law are away, it couldn’t come at a better time. Cressy is a social media baking star but when it all goes wrong on a bake off show her fans and sponsors drop off at an alarming rate and she needs to get away to lick her wounds and escape the on-line hate. When she bumps into an old flame in the same village, Cressy really feels her life can’t sink any lower and she needs to find a way to rebuild her reputation and earn some cash quickly.
A fun story with plenty of heartache sprinkled in. It conjures up an idyllic Cornish lifestyle and even includes some yummy sounding recipes. Make sure you have cake and a cuppa to hand when you’re reading this one!
What a fun, quick read that had me laughing out loud more then once.
The setting is in Cornwall by the beach.
Starting over, getting another chance and overcoming past mistakes.
Main character, Cressy, is a internet sensation with Cressida Cupcakes. Then, an unexpected situation arises that has Cressy escaping to a small, seaside village in Cornwall. Can she find peace here? Will she find love?
It was a wonderful story with great characters. And, the addition of yummy baked goods and recipes was a big plus.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
What a lovely, feel good story. Lots of very appealing characters that would be great to meet for real! An engaging storyline with lots going on and a totally enjoyable conclusion, including some great recipes.
This book will make you feel hungry for cake and lots of it. The descriptions of all the brownies, blondies, meringues, icing, cookies, well, anything cake is beautiful. This is a cosy, contemporary romance with lots of love and fun and a fantastic cast of characters. The cover is stunning and perfect for the pages between them.
The plot centres around Cressy Cupcake, an internet baking sensation who is house-sitting for her brother while he is away. A blast from the past appears soon after she arrives in the form of her ex, Ross Bradbury, and she's not happy to see him in the slightest! I loved following Cressy's journey, trying to make some money to live on so she didn't have to ask for help. She transformed her life and her whole world simultaneously by helping to save the local care home she had become so fond of.
I loved the concept of The Little Cornish Kitchen on tour and seeing how Cressy deals with new situations, a diverse range of people and the events that follow.
The characters were warm and loving. Cressy makes the most amazing little group of friends, who call themselves the Mermaids, who will do anything to help each other. The care home residents, staff and the other characters are delightful and well developed, though some of their parts are small. Most of all, I think ten-year-old Millie was my favourite character. She is confident, very switched on and full of personality and advice for those around her.
The ending was predictably happily ever after, but I would expect nothing less from such a book, and it was perfect right to the last words.
This is a standout feel-good read, the perfect escapism from the rest of the world. I read it as a stand-alone, although the first book, 'The Little Cornish Kitchen', published in 2018, focuses on Charlie and Clemmie, so I will be going back to read that one soon. I just might need a little trip to Cornwall to rest, relax and eat cake while I read it!
I loved this book and did not want to put it down. I was after a cheer me up book and this certainly did that. I loved the characters cressy and the mermaids and Ross and especially the lovely Walter. This made me laugh out loud so many times I was literally keeping my fingers crossed for Ross and cressy even with all there pass history. Would highly recommend this book.
Cressida needs to escape and what better place than Cornwall, dog sitting. A baker's dream. An easy read that will make you feel good. Get the cake tin ready.
Cressida became an overnight sensation with her video baking blog, always being absolutely perfect. But when she makes a mistake on a competitive television baking show, she sees how fast her popularity can fall. Now she's hiding out in her brother's flat in Cornwall, dog sitting and drowning her sorrows in cocoa and meringue. She's no match for her brother's energetic dog and the witness to her pet blunders is Ross, the local vet and her former boyfriend. After letting her down so badly back then, he has become her nemesis, but he seems to be there every time she turns around lately. And the more time they spend together, she realizes maybe she misjudged him.
This cozy little village seems like the perfect place to settle down. I love all the blunders Cressie makes while helping the old folks and in her private baking shows. I like how she realizes everything doesn't have to be perfect and she seems more genuine when she's making mistakes and enjoying herself. Ross just needed to communicate more what he wanted. It was obvious to the reader that he was head over heels for Cressie, but he was so hot and cold with her.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.
The cover drew my attention, a lovely place by the sea to drink tea, which looked like something I would want to do. The book is apparently the second part of a series, the first part being ‘The Little Cornish Kitchen’ published in 2018. That book tells the story of Charlie and Clemmie, in this book Charlie and Clemmie are on a long trip and Charlies youngest sister Cressy, or Cressida Cupcake, need a place to hide after a disaster during a TV baking competition.
The only disadvantage Cressy sees to this is that the apartment of her brother in Seaspray Cottage is in the lovely Cornish village of St Aidan, which is where Ross Bradbury is the local vet and she has a history with him.
Cressy is welcomed into the group of friends of her sister in law immediately; they call themselves the mermaids. As Cressie is a vivid baker, she will be working on her next cooking book during her stay in the apartment. However, she is short of cash and with the help of Clemmies’s friends lifts of ‘The Little Cornish Kitchen’ started by Clemmie to a different level. Ross is always around to help her, sometimes to her big annoyance.
In flashbacks, we get to learn the history Cressie and Ross have and will Cressie see Ross differently now? As it’s a feelgood novel it will of course have good ending.
Loved the recipes in the back of the book.
Characters 7| Atmosphere 7 | Writing style 7 | Plot 7 | Intrigue 7 | Logic 7| Enjoyment 7 | Score 7.00 = 4 stars
Thank you Netgalley for tis ARC for an exchange for an honest review.
A lovely read, I enjoyed it.
I loved this sweet book. It was uplifting and funny and I loved all the characters. As Cornwall is one of my most favourite of places I could relate to the places and the atmosphere of the place. I felt extremely happy reading this book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
Am I suddenly in a good mood for 2022? So many books are getting four stars from the queen of the three and a half star review.
Cressida Cupcake has a very popular YouTube channel where she makes gorgeous cakes whilst looking immaculate. Then a slightly underbaked cake on a national TV baking show is presented in the worst possible light. Suddenly Cressida is the butt of many an unkind hashtag, and she's losing her sponsors.
Wanting to (metaphorically) lick her wounds in private, Cressida agrees to cat/ dog-sit for her brother and his wife while they go to Switzerland for IVF treatment (I assume brother and sister-in-law were the subjects of the previous book in the series) at their cottage in St Aidan, Cornwall while she curates a new book on baking.
However, things don't go according to plan. First Cressy loses the publisher for her new book, then she discovers that her brother's best friend, and her first big crush, Ross Bradbury, is temporarily working as a vet locally. They have history, the absolute worst, and she can't imagine anything worse that being forced into regular contact with him in a small village.
Partially because of what happened between Ross and Cressy all those years ago, Cressy has always wanted to be totally self-sufficient (ie not accepting help from anyone, rather than aping The Good Life TV series), something that has been exacerbated by the success of her myriad elder brothers and sisters. At first she resists attempts by the local yummy mummies, who call themselves The Mermaids, to enter into the village social scene. But soon Cressy discovers that resistance is futile. Soon she's teaching piping skills at the old people's home, baking for St Aidan's singles evenings and feeding the livestock for a local farmer who has been forced by ll-health into the old people's home temporarily. And everywhere she goes it seems like Ross pops up, looking more handsome than ever, being reasonable and helpful and charming ... the nerve!
This book should come with the warning that just reading it could make you put on weight as Cressy spends most of her days and nights creating delectable brownies, meringues, and cupcakes.
This is a no-surprises, sweet (literally and figuratively), second-chance romance set in a picturesque Cornish village. Perfect for escapism.
I was offered a free review copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This book made me crave the sea, good friends, and, of course, buttercream icing! Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen is sweet romance about reconnecting with lost love and coming to terms with your past to make the way for an amazing future.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
This book is pure escapism at its best! And set in Cornwall - brilliant.
Cressida comes to Cornwall to flat sit and dog sit for her brother. Her life has gone off the tracks therefore she is looking forward to getting away from it all in the hope of putting things right again.
Romance is abundant throughout the story. Cressida meets her long ago ‘flame’ who she has history with and on first sight wishes he would go away BUT as time goes by they both realise they have been given a second chance at love!
There are so many layers to this book, not just a rom com. The characters of St. Aidan are all drawn superbly bringing love, loss, laughter and friendship throughout.
This book is not to be missed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. It was an absolute pleasure to read.
Well, if you love cakes, dogs and romance - this is the book for you. If you love something deeper - this is still the book for you.
The book starts with Cressida, a London-based foodie influencer, moving to Cornwall to look after her brother's property and dog while he is away with his wife. The story, however, actually starts 13 years ago with 2 people having a summer time fling together. So who should Cressida meet of all people when she moved to St Aiden? Obviously the one person she has been successfully avoiding for the past 13 years or so. And this is when the copnventional romance story starts and ends in this lovely book of Jane Linfoot. The rest is unconventional, but heartfelt. It tackles our family and love losses and insecurities with brutal honesty yet with such a distinct warmness, that you can feel the love of the author shining through the pages.
I liked how technology, vlogging is part of the story - it is there in real life too. Cressida's inner voice is simply funny. Linfoot wrote lively, witty banter among all characters, which makes it a light read despite the heavy topics addressed at some points.
I am not sure about the title though: there is absolutely no tea in this story, not for one, not for two:-)
Cressida started to put videos of herself on the internet and became famous and known as Cressida Cupcake until she went onto a bake off type TV program where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Her sponsors pulled out and viewers were laughing at her so she decides to take herself out of the limelight in the hopes things quieten down
Cressida's brother asks her to go and pet sit at his house in St Aiden while they are away which is the perfect solution for her to get away from London. Hoping to lie low Cressida agrees
Without saying any more so as not to spoil the story, let's just say it doesn't take long before she ends involved with goings on there and bumping into her ex
Brilliant, really enjoyed it
Thank you NetGalley, Jane Linfoot and One More Chapter for the ARC Tea for Two at the Little Cornish Kitchen. This is my personal review.
Cressida is hiding out in her brother’s flat dog sitting for him when her life has gone totally wrong. She wants to stay in the shadows while her life gets back on track but thanks to the people in town, they are not going to let that happen. They want to help save the local retirement home.
She never thought she would bump into her ex-Ross but that is what happens!
This book has so many elements to it. There is everything from friendship, second chance, being part of a community and oh the baking!
Grab this book and be set to spend a day between the pages.