I love reading warm, cozy Christmas stories any time of the year, especially when they take me to other countries. I traveled from London to Scotland with a likable heroine determined to succeed at something she knew nothing about. I like Scottish heroes and grumpy heroes who hide a tender heart and help the heroine despite her reluctance to do it alone. Those scenes created well-written, laugh-out-loud moments.
I like multigenerational stories where characters are conflicted over traditions from the past. The donut shop has been in the family for generations. The current generation works together despite bad relationships, unruly teenagers, and town gossip.
I like books where food is a big part of the story. The secret donut recipe is closely guarded and sets up a romantic conflict of interest with someone wanting to buy the shop. It’s a sweet small-town story with everyday ups and downs of life.
Three women are torn between traditions of the past and unexpected new beginnings in a warmhearted novel by Carolyn Brown about family, romance, and the best pastries in Texas.
For Grace Dalton, her sister, Sarah, and her cousin Macy, the Devine Doughnut Shop is a sweet family legacy and a landmark in their Texas town. As the fourth generation to run the Double D, they keep their great-grandmother’s recipe secret and uphold the shop’s tradition as a coffee klatch for sharing local gossip, advice, and woes. But drama brews behind the counter, too.
I like books that transport me to someplace I’ve never been. This book is about a rural town in France where Lily buys a run-down farmhouse. Like any small town, this one is full of unique characters, some likable and some not. I liked Lily’s determination to change her life and follow her dreams.
I might not be inspired to take the step she did. However, it was a good reminder that we can all step out of our comfort zones. With help from people she meets, she turns an uncertain opportunity into an adventure. I didn’t always agree with her decisions, but I was eager to discover if she made the right one.
'Chase your dreams and follow your heart! I loved it!' Heidi Swain
Escape to France with this warm, witty romantic read.
After ten years of loyal service Lily Butterworth has been made redundant. Like any clever woman, she knows the cure to redundancy is a little too much wine and her best friend.
Only the next morning, Lily has more than a hangover . . . she has a whole new house - in France!
Seeing this as an opportunity instead of a disaster, she's excited about finally moving to France, just as she and her husband always dreamed of.…
Sophia MacLennan Porter grew up in an environment of wicked duplicity with a stepmother who was nice to Dad and mean to his daughter. A series of events brings her to the upstate New York town of Highland Falls and her late aunt's bakeshop. Highland Falls is a town of Scottish descendants, well-kept secrets, and the best shortbread cookies for miles. No one in this town is immune from the secrets of their ancestors or greedy developers. When Ian Campbell, a handsome Scottish research professor, appears in her life, she struggles with the overwhelming choice between romance and responsibility. Sophia is more concerned with her bakeshop’s future than the lives of her dead ancestors. Reluctantly, she finds herself drawn into his investigation of the history of her family's clan. But her most challenging decision presents on Christmas Eve.
