Double Review of The Gingerbread Cafe Series by Rebecca Raisin

Name: Christmas at the Gingerbread Café
Author: Rebecca Raisin
Format: kindle edition
Pages: 54
Release date: 15th November 2013
Publisher: Carina UK

Teaser

Christmas is the season the Gingerbread Café was made for…but owner Lily couldn’t be feeling less merry if she tried. She’s spent another year dreaming of being whisked away on a sleigh-ride for two, but she’s facing festive season alone – again. And, just to give her another reason to feel anything other than candy-cane perky, a new shop across the road has opened… Not only is it selling baked goods, but the owner, with his seriously charming smile, has every girl in town swooning.

But Lily isn’t about to let her business crumble — the Gingerbread Café is the heart of the community, and she’s going to fight for it! This could be the Christmas that maybe, just maybe, all her dreams – even the someone-to-decorate-the-Christmas-tree-with ones – really do come true!


My thoughts

I kindly received Christmas at the Gingerbread Café in exchange of an honest review via Netgalley.

Welcome to Gingerbread Cafe which has it's place in Ashford, Connecticut. Rebecca introduces us to Lily who is owner of the Gingerbread Cafe. She is spending the festive time

being single and heartbroken. Lily is still in love with her ex-husband. She can't forget him even if they've been seperate for two years by now. To keep herself busy she is baking lot's of fantastic christmassy goodies for her Café. At this time of the year a new shop across the road opens to sell all kind of baked goods. Lily is furious. She will do anything to keep her cafe in business and not let  Damon, the very handsome shop owner win her customers over.

Unfortunately the last sparkle was missing to keep me hocked and totally connected to the story. Even though I liked reading this short but very sweet novella. Lovely characters, amazing cover, you're in for a treat. I am looking forward to read Rebeccas sequel to this story. Overall, this was a cute holiday story!

I recommend this for a sweet lunchtime read or just curl up yourself on the sofa on a rainy day! Make sure you make a cup of lovely gingerbread coffee!



Name: Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Cafe
Author: Rebecca Raisin
Format: kindle edition
Pages: 72
Release date: 20th March 2014
Publisher: Carina UK

Teaser

The Gingerbread Café is all a buzz! This Easter, Lily and the rest of the town of Ashford, Connecticut are planning a truly decadent Chocolate Festival. Cooking up a storm, CeeCee and Lily are not just baking a batch of their sinfully delicious chocolate-dipped gingerbread men, but an excess of chocolate truffles, squidgy, cinnamony hot cross buns and melt in your mouth chocolate eggs. The Gingerbread Café staff have definitely enjoyed the tasting process!

Add in Damon’s cute-as-a-button seven year old daughter, Charlie, up for a visit and Lily’s perfect Easter may just be around the corner. Until her ex-husband Joel turns up demanding twenty thousand dollars… Suddenly the future of the Gingerbread Café is not so clear…and Lily finds herself eating far more of The Gingerbread Café’s treats than her skinny jeans allow…

Can Lily concoct a brilliant plan to save her beloved café, convince Damon she has no feelings for Joel and still throw a Chocolate Festival the town will be talking about for years? There’s only one way to find out...

My thoughts

I kindly received Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café in exchange of an honest review via Netgalley.

First of all I like'd to say that you can read this story without reading the first one in the series. Nevertheless I recommend you to read it before you start with Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Cafe.

Welcome back to the warmth, cupcakes and hot chocolate of The Gingerbread Café – your home away from home. This is the second novella in The Gingerbread Café series.  It's easter time in Ashford. Lily and CeeCee are in the middle of their preparations for the chocolate Festival. The shop is buzzin and Lily's life coun't be better. She is happily together with Damon. Everything seems to be going so well, until Joel, Lilys ex-husband, turned up out of the blue and wants to ruin her business which she has had worked so hard for. Can Lily pay off Joel and save The Gingerbread Café?

I liked this one much better than the first novella. I warmed up with the story and the characters.
I cound't put this down until I've had finished it. The characters are very well developed. Lily is a great heroin. She is strong, independent and so likeable. Damon.. oh well *sigh*. Can I have him pretty please? What a great book boyfriend. Handsome, charming, caring and so loveable. Even so his little daughter Charlie. She is truely cute as button and such a sweatheart. I'd love to spent a day with Lily and CeeCee backing wonderful goodies for the shop as I love making as much as they do. CeeCee is so entertaining and she has a heart out of gold.

This was a very enjoyable, sweet, heartwarming read! Look out for the next romantic instalment: Coming Christmas 2014! I can't wait for that.