Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe tells the story of Issy, who, after being made redundant at her job, decided to start anew by continuing her grandfather's legacy - starting a cupcake cafe. This story mainly involved her trying to learn how to manage a business - how it's not just about loving baking, but also having financial and operational know-how.

Aside from Issy's personal struggles, we also meet a list of colorful characters from their small town. We see their troubles, solutions, and how they work together - often with Issy - to achieve happiness.

I was invested in their journeys, but most of all, I was rooting for the cupcake cafe to succeed. It was a fun experience, in its simplicity and coziness. (The bonus recipes are also super nice!)

Jenny Colgan is so feel-good that while reading you feel like you're snuggled under a blanket. If you're down for a heart-warming story with a pretty predictable and basic plot, and characters that are often caricatures, this is for you. I'm in the mood for this sort of cheesy-story (think Hallmark) once in awhile, and these books are the perfect antidote!

Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe's bakery she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. So when she's made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment and open up her own cafe.

My Thoughts:
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. The changing POV's got on my nerves quickly but I enjoyed the recipes in the book.

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

As someone who used to DREAM about opening up a cupcake cafe, I HAD TO read this book. I mean literally, they used to call me the cupcake queen for awhile in like 2010. I have long let go of that dream, but was SO EXCITED to read about Issy Randall living out my dream. And it was cute and predictable and delightful...except for one glaring thing that made me almost unable to finish reading it: the language around everyone's weight/size/appearance. I think this book was originally written in 2011 (at the height of cupcake madness!), so I get that maybe it still had some residual Bridget Jones-vibes of being obsessed with weight and losing weight but it was so distracting from the story the way that everyone seemed to be measured and rated by how skinny they were/weren't. I think this is important to note for anyone picking this book up.

Despite that, it was still a wholesome and delightfully predictable read. I will also say it features one of the most despicable, unlikeable bad boyfriend in the history of despicable, unlikeable, bad boyfriends. If they gave awards for such thing, Graeme would be a shoo-in. My favorite (favourite?) part of the book was the dynamic between Issy/Pearl/Caroline. It was such an awkward, weird, wonderfully unlikely trio of ladies....it was really lovely to read their interactions. I also loved the assorted side characters that passed through, but maybe wished there had been fewer of them in order or to focus on other aspects of the story, provided that those aspects were not Graeme-related. Seriously, he's THE WORST.

Issy has always loved baking. When she is made redundant at work she ends up stating a cafe. ARC from NetGalley.

The first book I have read by this author, Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe was humorous and quite enjoyable.

One thing I found interesting was the fact that there is a recipe at the beginning of every chapter. Now, I have to find the time to try them all out, can't wait.

Synopsis:
Issy Randall can bake. No, Issy can create stunning, mouthwateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe's bakery, Issy has undoubtedly inherited his talent. She's much better at baking than she is at filing, so when she's laid off from her desk job and loses her boyfriend, Issy decides to open her own little café. But she soon learns that her piece-of-cake recipe for a fresh start might be a little more complicated than throwing some sugar and butter together.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this before.. I mean, cake recipes at the beginning of every chapter? I’d read a couple reviews that the beginning of this book was a bit difficult to get through but if you stuck it out, you’d find yourself quite enjoying this book.

With its multiple point of views I did find the first couple chapters very hard to get through as I couldn’t for the life of me keep track of who was who at the beginning. As the story started to develop though.. and lots of skimming of the initial chapters mind you, I started to get a feel for it and really started to enjoy reading these characters. From Issy, the lead character whose dream of owning her own bakery starts to come true but yet.. still naively goes back to her plain horrid ex to Caroline, the recently divorced woman whose never worked a day in her life & is now forced to do so or else lose the rich lifestyle she’s accustomed to.

Getting to know all these characters; their plights and thoughts, was just so endearing to me & I’m so happy I stuck it out and gave it a chance.

Super cute and light book. So easy to read and enjoy. Takes no real brain power to think about storyline or character development. It’s the perfect book if you just want to enjoy something.

This book is so darn cute and sweet!! I generally love anything that Jenny Colgan writes because she has a real knack for writing adult romance that doesn't depend on sexual content. This story is wholesome and romantic, a must-read for any Colgan fans!!

'Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe' is the book that introduced me to Jenny Colgan, and I've been an obsessed fan ever since.

While Issy and her rumpled life are at the tail-end of the Chick Lit era, its pink cover, love lost and found again, and the (at last!) strong willed protagonist's rise to find her life's true calling keeps it safely in that category.

Colgan's sugary sweet story is a perfect beach read any time of year, and is a great intro to her world of Ladies Finding Their Passions.

Thank you to NetGalley & SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Cute read. I liked the recipes in each chapter. The pacing dragged a bit and the messaging around food and weight seemed a bit off. Still, it would make a nice summer read.

Jenny Colgan has created a wonderful story that is cute, cozy, charming, and filled with cupcake recipes!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was leery to read this book. I have recently been disappointed by a few of Jenny Colagan’s reissue of some of her older titles. I find her characters to be selfish in her older titles. Perhaps that is a more realistic portrayal, but I digress. I am glad I gave this one a shot. I think this was such a satisfying story. The characters were thoughtful and showed real growth. The love story was sweet and tender. Read if you like something slightly more substantive than a Hallmark romance but not smutty smutty trash. I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley and Berkley, thank you to them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jenny Colgan is one of my favorite authors. This book is full of lovely characters with a sweet story that I really enjoyed. It was a fast read and a delightful story. I definitely want to continue reading her books.

An entertaining and well written story of starting over. Good plot and character dynamics. I received an ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

A cute, contemporary rom com that has some delicious sounding treats as well! Issy is out to remake her life, and with the help of her friends, she may just do it in a splendid manner.

I ended up DNFing this book. Too many references to weight for me. And more towards women’s fiction and chick lit for my current tastes. This book is perfect for foodies and those who like sweet stories with lots of description.

I needed a break from my usual reads and Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe fit that bill. It is fun and light, but still flows beautifully. It has characters that beg you to fall in love with them and it definitely made me want to run to the kitchen and bake and then invite all my friends over.

When Issy loses her job and her boyfriend on the same day she is devastated...... although the boyfriend was certainly no loss! She soon picks herself up though and decides to follow her heart and set up a cupcake cafe, her beloved grandfather was a baker and taught her everything he knew. She is soon making new friends along the way although obviously not all will be plain sailing!

A lovely warm hearted book with great cast of characters, perfect light summer read. I always look forward to reading Jenny Colgan books and this one did not disappoint

Cute, cozy, charming, and filled with cupcake recipes! Issy is a charming character. Albeit one who repeats mistakes, but she discovers her strengths as she endures heartbreak and challenges of a new career. It is lovely to read a book with a character who not only focuses on happiness but also in sharing it. This is a great summer read that can leaving you smiling and life your spirits. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.