I laughed. I cried and I even giddily sighed a few times. This is one definitely goes to the top of my sweet festive books’ list. This is the kind of book you don’t want to end because you don’t want to let the characters go. Loved it.

3 stars.

"The Christmas Café" by Eliza Evans melds nostalgia, Christmas cheer, obsessive baking, small-town life, and cute, cuddly farm animals together to create a saccharine-sweet Hallmark-esque holiday romance that's equal parts predictable and unremarkable. The main character, Sylvie, is the perfect Christmas-loving bakeaholic who never does anything wrong. She brings meals to those in need, she is always pawning her baked goods on others, she is the most clumsy person you'll ever meet and is constantly falling down, and never stops smiling. Will she shirk off the advances of Royce, a Hollywood heartthrob who is in her town of Silver Bells, WY shooting a movie, in favor of Abe, the goat farmer next door who has been harboring a crush on her for years despite her obliviousness?

Trust me when I say, you know exactly what's going to happen at every turn in this book. There are no surprises, there are no alterations to the formula, there is no newness. It's sweet to the point of being childish. This basically could have been a young adult novel if the characters were youths. All of the characters feel like caricatures, overly simplified to fit said formula to the tee. They have no uniqueness about them, nothing that makes them stand out amongst the hoards of other novels just like this one. Plus, what's supposed to be an endearing plot device, Sylvie's dog Crumpet, annoyed the heck out of me because how bad is your dog if it is running away every darn chance it gets?! Train the thing, Sylvie, c'mon! Dog ownership 101! I did quite like Abe, a soulful grump who is misunderstood and pining for Sylvie from afar. Unfortunately, their relationship is caught up in an unnecessary love triangle that made me dislike Sylvie for putting him in that position. Luckily, "The Christmas Café" is a short, quick read that will likely lift the majority of readers' holiday spirits. I just wanted and hoped for a little more from this book than something that is a dime a dozen in a heavily saturated market.

Thank you to NetGalley, Eliza Evans, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

This book was a fast and sweet read about Christmas and all that can happen when people work together. I loved the way the whole town pitched in to help. Sometimes we think people from Hollywood are so famous but real friends can be found right under our nose. This book will be a great book club pick and discussion questions will be endless.

This book evokes the warm and heartwarming charm of a Hallmark Christmas movie in the most delightful way!

Sylvie is a resident of Silver Bells, Wyoming, where she resides with her widowed grandfather and her precocious chihuahua-pug, Crumpet. Her sister, Claire, holds the position of the town's mayor and is a dynamic force of nature.

Sylvie, with her culinary skills honed in the kitchen of the Christmas Cafe by her late grandmother, has garnered a stellar reputation for her baking talents throughout the town. However, the beloved Christmas Cafe is now up for sale, leaving Sylvie deeply distraught. In a bid to salvage the cafe, Sylvie persuades her boss to grant her time until the new year to boost its profitability. The catch: she's clueless about how to accomplish this daunting task.

One fateful morning, Crumpet manages to escape, leading Sylvie to chase him into the busy street, narrowly avoiding a car collision. The driver who emerges from the vehicle is none other than a dashing, movie-star-handsome man. As it turns out, he's an actual movie star with a keen interest in dating Sylvie.

Meanwhile, Sylvie's friend Abe has returned to town to assist his parents on their farm. He makes daily deliveries to the cafe, though he tends to be reserved and taciturn. Over time, Sylvie finds herself contemplating the possibility of a deeper connection with Abe, even though the charming Royce has entered the scene. Royce seems to be everywhere, especially as the town becomes a backdrop for a movie shoot, and he even agrees to film a scene at the cafe for publicity.

Yet, as Sylvie gets closer to her goal of saving the cafe, she begins to realize that she might be drifting further from what she truly desires.

3.75 ⭐️ which is still really good in my opinion! One of my bookish pet peeves is immature characters and our FMC had her moments 😅 so it was hard for me to rate higher due to that.
🎄Hallmark style Christmas book, small town, but if a love triangle, save the small Christmas cafe (um, yum—5⭐️ for all the treats 🤭), a gruff goat farmer 🫶🏻, celebrity comes to small town for filming a movie—yea it’s full of typical hallmark-we’ve seen it all before-cliches. Still a super cozy and fun holiday read!! Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Join Sylvie, the clumsy baker with a heart of gold, as she fights to save her beloved Christmas Café with the help of her mischievous pup, Crumpet. Her plan? To get the new Christmas movie to film in the café!

But she didn't count on the insane demand after the movie's star posts about the bakery. And she certainly didn't expect to be caught in a love triangle! With romance, festive shenanigans, and delicious treats, this whimsical tale is a wonderful Christmas romance.

I loved The Christmas Café. It is such a wonderful story with great characters and a true Christmassy vibe. It tells of Sylvie West who works at the Christmas Café in Silver Bells, Wyoming, and how she tries to save the cafe and gets involved with the Holiday Channel crew who are filming a show in the town. I really loved the chemistry between Abe and Sylvie, it was genuine, and they truly belonged together. I also loved the setting of Silver Bells and the Christmas atmosphere. The lights, the treats, the Christmas Show, it all really sets the mood. All the characters were great, especially Gramps, Sylvie, her brother, and of course Abe. Just a fantastic cozy Christmas romance that will be in my holiday TBR pile from now on. I wish I had the talent to cook the recipe at the end of the book, it sounds so amazing.

A great festive read. Will Sylvie realise the perfect man for her is there already or be wowed when Hollywood comes to town?

4 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“The Christmas Cafe” By Eliza Evans

📕 Edition: Audiobook & eBook

This book was like stepping into a warm, fuzzy Hallmark movie, complete with all the heartwarming Christmas vibes. From the quaint Silver Bells setting to the charming characters, I felt like I was right there in the Christmas Cafe, savoring the festive spirit. 🎅📽️

Sylvie, the clumsy but lovable baker, tugged at my heartstrings as she embarked on her mission to save the cafe and put it on the map. Her interactions with Royce, the film's charming lead actor, added a sprinkle of romance to the story, and I couldn't help but root for them. 💑🎬

The pact Sylvie made with her Gramps to be brave this Christmas gave the story an extra layer of warmth and courage. And let's not forget Crumpet, the yappy chihuahua-pug, whose antics added a dash of humor to the tale. 🐶😂

If you're looking for a heartwarming Christmas read, give this one a try. It's the perfect recipe for a cozy holiday season. 📚❤️🎁

Thank you @NetGalley, Eliza Evans for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was cute but underwhelming.

It has all the trappings of a perfect holiday romcom. She’s a baker in a Christmas obsessed small town who has only weeks to save the cafe she works at! A hot movie star comes to town to film his movie! The hot goat farmer who’s been in love with her since elementary school is back in town! But ultimately, this is a romance, and our main character spends almost no time with the guy she falls in love with. It’s literally hours worth of time. I just wanted more.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my opinion!

This is a Hallmark Christmas movie, in book form. And sadly, Hallmark Christmas movies just aren’t for me.

Sylvie loves her life, working at the Christmas Cafe and taking care of her Gramps after her beloved Grandma passed away. But now, Sylvie has learned that the Cafe is going to be sold and she is devastated. She convinces her boss to figure out a way to bring in more money to keep it open, and at the same time, a movie production is filming in their small town of Silver Bells. Sylvie knows that she can use this to her advantage - including befriending the charming leading man, Royce. And yet, things start to fall apart when Royce isn’t quite what he seems, and her childhood friend Abe enters the picture. There’s a lot going on but Sylvie is determined to save not only the cafe, but to make this an incredible Christmas to remember.

This was far, far too sweet for me. It read a bit juvenile and the the constant references to Sylvie’s dog Crumpet and his part in this book was just too much for me. I found it all very unbelievable, way too sweet, and quite boring, if I’m being honest.

I’m someone who loves a celebrity normal person romance but honestly I think had we stripped out that entire storyline and focused on Sylvie, Gramps, and saving the cafe, this book would’ve been a lot better. While Sylvie herself was likable, it was just all too convenient.

This one just wasn’t one for me, but I’m sure it’ll work for plenty of others who love a sweet Christmas romance.

Sylvie West loves Christmas - how could she not when she's a baker at The Christmas Cafe in Silver Bells, Wyoming? When the owner of the cafe tells her that he's planning to sell the cafe and retire to Florida, Sylvie tries to save the cafe where she grew up admiring her dearly departed Grams. Lucky for Sylvie, a Christmas Channel holiday romance is being filmed in town and she has a run in with its handsome star Royce. Royce takes an interest in Sylvie and she is flattered by the attention on both her and the cafe. However, as she gets to know Royce more, she finds he doesn't give her the same spark as her former classmate and local goat farmer, Abe...

I really wanted to enjoy this holiday romance but it fell flat for me. The characters just felt rather one dimensional and like caricatures. Sylvie specifically was rather immature and not likeable. I'm trying to remember how old she was supposed to be - I'm not sure it was ever disclosed - but she didn't feel like a grown adult who owned a home and managed a cafe. I really wanted to root for Abe but he also felt rather flat and I feel like we were told rather than shown a lot when it came to he and Sylvie's growing feelings towards each other. I also found the use of Sylvie's dog Crumpet annoying - I felt like her treatment of Crumpet and his bad behavior just further proved how she was immature and unwilling to stick up for herself in most of the scenarios she faced. Overall, this was a fine book, but nothing special or worth racing to read. This is a debut so hopefully the author's writing continues to improve with subsequent books!

TW: Mention of cancer, mention of infertility and adoption, fall/blood on the page, mention of Parkinson's

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

If you are looking for a Hallmark Christmas movie in a book, this is the one for you. It has everything you're looking for, new romance, friends to lovers, love triangle, and more. With plenty of heart and humor, this was a delightful weekend read. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

Christmas in October yes please!
The Christmas Cafe is a delightful holiday read with all the cozy romance feelings. If you love Hallmark movies, you'll love this book. The book is set in a cute small-town Silverbells in Wyoming, about Sylvie's journey to save the local cafe that means the world to her.
Loved all the characters in the book. Gramps is so sweet. Also THE GOATS LOL!!!
Highly recommend!!!

I have read a few Christmas ARCs this year and this one was probably my favorite.

It had the cozy, wholesome Christmas love story vibes I was looking for. Any book that centers around Christmas and baking are always so heart warming and this one was just that. I feel like most Christmas romance books are predictable but this one didn't feel over the top in that way.

If I had to recommend a Christmas book to a friend this year, this one will be it. So cute, so fun, and also refreshing with a silly but confident heroine who is fighting to find her way in her career, love life, and even family.

Hallmark Christmas movie but make it a book. I adored this it had all the trademarks of a good hallmark movie in book form, a naughty dog named Crumpet just rounds out this story! A clumsy baker, two love interests, a Christmas movie being filmed well sign me up! Super cute!a fun holiday read for sure!

A baker, an actor from Holiday Channel Christmas movies, and a goat farmer walk into a cafe…
This one was really cute and gives all of the holiday rom-com vibes. This one would be best enjoyed while sitting by the fire eating hot chocolate and Christmas cookies!
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️/5
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was so cute and heartwarming. It is the perfect light and fun read for the holiday season.

I really enjoyed Sylvie's character. She was so sweet and caring. She didn't really understand her own value, but it wasn't written in an "I'm not like other girls" annoying way. It was just who she was, and you loved her for it. I related to her anxious and quirky ways.

And Abe. Ugh, sweet and quiet Abe. The guy who does things quietly and just sneaks up on you.

Four out of Five stars for me. I would have loved to see more romance with Abe and Sylvie, but I'm a sucker for it.

3.5 stars. Adorable and bubbly with so many Christmas feels. Loved the small town of Silver Bells and how they all banded together. Add in a super sweet romance and you have a winner. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.