Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC

What a cute little story about a local restaurant that needs a little extra love.

Pretty predictable in terms of a “lovers triangle”

But overall very adorable setting

Unfortunately The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans just was not for me. I think it could be enjoyable for those that enjoy super cheesy Hallmark Christmas rom coms, but unfortunately I could not connect with the two main characters or the dialogue. Hope someone else finds enjoyment reading this one.

A fun setting, adorable characters, and the most spoiled dog on the planet made up for a very fun Christmas read! Pitting the Christmas movie stud against the rugged goat farmer….perfection. Loved this one and found it to be so fun and charming! Gramps was the icing on the cake and made this book even sweeter.

Thanks for the ARC! This was a perfect cozy book to curl up with this December. It felt like I was reading a Hallmark Christmas movie. The trope was super cute and all's well that ends well. I'll be recommending this for my friends who are looking for a light, quick read this holiday season.

A cute, cozy, small-town holiday romance! I love the "save the small business" trope. I haven't read many love triangles, but this one had a clear right choice (and luckily Sylvie picked him!).

This book has all the best things about holiday romances--a Christmas movie being filmed in town, baked goods, a cute dog, hot guys, and baby goats. I don't love the "I'm clumsy please rescue me" character that Sylvie is painted as, but I noticed it less as the book went on.

The Christmas Cafe was just what I expect and want from a holiday romance, but I wasn't particularly wowed by it.

A very cute, if predictable story of a small town woman finding herself and her own voice. The characters were not very well fleshed out but overall fun book.

This was a cute small town holiday romance full of yummy holiday baking. The cover is adorable and the book was cute and festive for the Christmas season.

I was a big fan of this one! It seems like the perfect happy holiday romcom and one I would love to see turned into a Christmas movie someday! The relationship between her and Gramps was my favorite to read. (Plus that cover is too perfect.)

This was a cute Christmas romance. It definitely gives off Hallmark movie vibes for sure. I did have a problem with the way that Sylvie fed her dog-not a bit of kibble in sight. But other than that, if you are looking for something with no spice (not even closed door), this is for you. I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance either, but it was still a good time. The descriptions of food and cooking were top tier.

Great holiday story! Gives off hallmark vibes without being too cheesy. Loved Sylvia and Abe from the beginning. Great descriptions of the bakery

The Christmas Cafe was cute, a nice holiday romcom set in a small town and featuring baked goods and heartwarming side characters. This would make the perfect Hallmark movie because it contains all the pieces people love. I thought the plot with the movie was underdeveloped and I think it would have just been stronger without Royce honestly and everything around that. But it was cute and fun and touching.

Adorable Christmas novel about a small town cafe in a Christmas themed town in Wyoming. Sylvie is the chef at the Christmas Cafe but doesn't realize how much she means to the town until she has her own It's a Wonderful Life moment.

Thank you to Putnam Books for the gifted copy.

Sylvie has worked at the Christmas Café for 15 years and it is truly her happy place. But when she hears it might be sold, she is determined to do whatever it takes to save her second home. Luckily, the latest Christmas movie from the Holiday Channel is being filmed in town, and she knows the café would be the perfect location for a scene. She gets her opportunity thanks to her bra-snatching dog getting her to meet the star of the movie, Royce. As she fights for her café and the scene in the movie, she and Royce also start a romance of their own. With so much on her plate, she comes to depend on Abe, her reliable long-time friend for help making Christmas magical.

A small town holiday movie, a love triangle, delicious descriptions of baked goods, and a mischievous dog? What more could you possibly want from a holiday romance? Maybe some baby goats, but good news, this book has those too. In all seriousness this sweet book left me with all the warm fuzzy feelings. Crumpet had me laughing out loud, as did Sylvie’s clumsiness. Pair this book with a plate of cookies, a cup of hot chocolate, maybe even a warm fire, and you have the makings for a perfect December night. This book will definitely get you in the holiday spirit.

A charming Christmas-time read. A feel-good story with lots of nostalgia. I could taste the goodies baked in the cafe.

"That decadence must have been why he’d walked her out to the porch, where he’d said he couldn’t wait to see her in the morning. It had to be the chocolate’s magical powers."

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I was unfortunately pretty disappointed by this. I'm the first to admit that while Hallmark movies are cheesy, dramatic and use the same plot over and over, I almost always enjoy them. The Christmas cheer, immaculate decorations and overall feel-good vibes the movies give during the holiday season is unmatched.

The Christmas Café tries to hard to convince us that it has a certain atmosphere, characters and story, that it ultimately misses the boat. It doesn't take much to give me the same feeling of a Christmas Hallmark movie, and this just didn't do it. Sylvie is too awkward, babbly and anti-social, her childhood friend is very clearly into her but she's "clueless", and the story does a lot more telling rather than showing when it comes to the Christmas atmosphere and charm. How is that even possible when the town itself is called Silver Bells??

I love Wyoming with my whole heart, I love Christmas with that same heart. But this... I did not love.

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The Christmas Café was published in October 2023. Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a good clean and cozy Christmas romance, this is the book for you! The Christmas Café focuses on Sylvie, a sometimes chaotic but charming baker who works at The Christmas Café in the town of Silver Bells. Silver Bells is Christmas personified and Sylvie really is as well. When she finds herself being wooed by lead actor Royce in a Holiday Channel movie she can hardly believe her luck, especially when he agrees to help her save the café that is likely going to have to close its doors. She also finds herself truly seeing Abe, the local goat farmer who supplies The Christmas Café with his products, for the first time. Who will Sylvie end up with?

This was just a cute and cozy read. It would be best enjoyed by the fire with the snow falling in the background. Was it cheesy? Yes, without a doubt. Was it predictable? Of course. It was also heartwarming and fun, and a perfect holiday read. I found Gramps to be the best character as well. I also got a tear in my eye at the end, so it ticked all the boxes for me as far as a Christmas read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Gramps reminds me so much of my grandpa and I am obsesed with him. This was a sweet story and I need to visit this town ASAP.

This book was so cute that I read it all in ONE sitting. Oops. It’s more of a heart warming hallmark Christmas movie about family and finding happiness in life, lots about grief… be careful with that, I cried several times, having just lost my dad, this one hits hard in the feels. There’s a wholesome love story going on as well but we don’t get too much into it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my copy of The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans in exchange for an honest review. It published October 9, 2023.
I thought this book was a really cute and fun read for Christmas! I thought the character development was sweet, and I loved that a recipe was even included. The only thing I didn't like was the whole "dog-mom" thing was a bit annoying.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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My third Christmas read of the season and it was only November! I’m not typically someone who has to read with the correct holidays or seasons because I’m such a mood reader and sometimes I just want some cold weather stories to break up the hot, Summer months. But this year, I changed it up and saved some of my Christmas NetGalley titles until it was time to decorate. Sylvie loves being the head baker at the Christmas Cafe, but with her boss prepared to sell, she needs to figure out a way to save the restaurant in just a few weeks before the new year sets in. Add in a splash of a Christmas movie being filmed in town with a lead that’s got his eye on Sylvie, and a dash of the secretive goat farmer prepared to help Sylvie save the business.
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As I was reading, I just kept thinking about how perfect this book would be as a Netflix Christmas movie. It’s not quite wholesome enough to be a Hallmark, but it’s definitely a sweet, clean romance. The drama was just this side of Netflix, and the two men provided a fun dynamic with Sylvie trapped in the middle to discover what it is that she truly wants. This isn’t a life-changing novel, but it didn’t set out to be; rather it fulfilled its brief completely.