Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

Jenny Colgan has a way with words and makes you fall in love with these characters and these wonderful places. I have been a fan of hers for years, and this new story of hers, did not disappoint.

I loved Issy and how she handled what was thrown at her. The story was warm and made me smile so many times. I can't wait to read the second book in this series.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan is the 1st book in At the Cupcake Cafe series, and I really enjoyed it. This is a wonderful story of Issy who loses her job and boyfriend and decides to start over. Issy learned how to bake from her grandpa Joe, and she opens up her own bakery. This book made me feel like I was in the bakery smelling all the wonderful smells, and catching up with old friends. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, and highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys the genre. Perfect for a summer read.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

Caution: This book may contain recipes and descriptions that lead to an overconsumption of cupcakes and/or other baked goods.

What a cute and cozy read! I have no idea why but for me this was a book equivalent of a romantic comedy circa the 90's featuring Meg Ryan. It was just a sweet (mind the pun) and warmhearted read that was good for the soul.

For those that like to bake, baking recipes are included at the beginning of nearly every chapter. I cannot personally attest to the difficulty of the recipes in actuality but they read as if they would be good for beginners. There's nothing worse than when recipes are included which are only helpful for the Julia Childs' of the baking world. Nope. That did not appear to be the case with these recipes. Fun, easy-ish, and delicious for all.

This was a cute and quick read. I wouldn't say the story or plot was anything beyond what was expected but it was still an enjoyable read that gave me the taste of a romantic comedy film in book format.

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

I am such a massive Jenny Colgan fan I didn't think it was possible to enjoy her books anymore than I already do....but it is possible! This book is fantastic from start to finish with funny, authentic, engaging characters and storylines. It was a joy to read and I would highly recommend it!

This was such a cute easy read. I love how adorable this story was and the characters were easy to fall in love with. Colgan really knows how to tell a beautiful story!

I am a big fan of Jenny Colgan and as usual she did not disappoint. It was easy to read and quite light hearted and funny in places. As it is told from all the characters POV it allows you to connect more with the characters.

The only thing is that the beginning is dragged out and slightly boring. Apart from that it is a great read

Issy is great at baking cakes and when the chance comes along to have her own cafe she grabs her chance. The ups and downs of this fabulous story makes for a very good read. This is Jenny Colgan at her best, she just gets better with every book that she writes. I would recommend everyone to have this one the bookshelf but don't leave it there too long before you read it. Great story, great ideas and very well done.

This was a really cute little novel. I didn't realize that this was a rerelease but I'm sure the original was just as delightful. The cover is adorable and indicative of the contents. Jenny Colgan is an easy to read, feel good author that I love as a palate cleanser for deeper novels. My one disclaimer would be to make sure you eat before you read because you will for sure want tasty baked goods after reading this!

4 1/2

Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe falls most definitely in between Jenny Colgan’s My Very ’90s Romance (reviewed by me here) and her later novels like Little Beach Street Bakery (read my review here) but while many reviewers call it “funny,” it didn’t strike my funny bone as often as her usual novels do.

Running through Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe is a tinge of sadness, or at least there was for me. Perhaps it was the fact that Issy Randall loses her job and her boss-boyfriend (that’s boss as in supervisor not boss as in the slang term) in one fell swoop as well as the fact that her beloved grandfather is suffering from dementia, a battle he is losing. Then there are the observations of how few fathers in the novel are involved with their kids’ lives and how superficially so many kids are being brought up and just plain how superficial some people are. So those things definitely made me thoughtful and somewhat sad.

In tandem with that, the reader slips into almost every character’s POV, sometimes in successive sentences so we’re privy to their good and bad thoughts, and for those of the characters there only seemed to be bad thoughts.

However, at the heart is Issy Randall who stands on her own two feet and recreates herself, a characteristic that is shared by many Colgan heroines. And, as well, Issy is complex, not always doing the right thing although she has every intention of doing so. Also, she’s frequently too trusting, especially where ex-boyfriends are concerned.

And then there’s Austin. I don’t know. I pictured Austin as David Tennant, which I guess is not a horrible thing. Austin is described as having auburn hair, gray eyes, tall, and frequently a bit of a messy dresser, but only because he has to hide his iron from his little brother who he has been guardian to since the death of their parents 6 years before.

The characters, as usual, are all well done. Since we’re listening into almost all of their thoughts, even in a given scene, we can understand all of their feelings, all of those contradicting thoughts going through their minds. I am not a fan of multi-POVs, and to some degree these bothered me, but, on the other hand, I could appreciate how useful they were.

While many fiction books, especially women’s fiction, incorporate recipes, this is the first one I’ve ever read that incorporated funny bits into the actual recipes. These recipes might be reason enough to read the book, but really, you’ll want to read it all, especially if you’re a Jenny Colgan fan.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Issy was raised by her lovely grandfather between cakes and cupcakes. With her big heart and sweetness, she always sees the positive side of everything but found herself groundless when her boss dismisses her and on top of that ends the hidden relationship he had with her, ending her dream to start a family. His grandfather is now older and lives under permanent care and, moreover, is forgetting something all the time.
At this difficult and heartbroken moment, she discovers a willingness to set up her own cupcake cafe. Using the recipes she keeps along with her grandfather's notes, she goes to the struggle to make this dream a viable reality that makes her earn money to keep herself and the business and succeed.
In this process, she surrounds herself with unique and special people who support her and bond with her and the cupcake cafe. Each of them also has their personal and professional struggles and this is what I was able to follow during reading.
This is the second book I read of this writer and I confess that I loved it and didn’t love it . I loved watching Issy grow, fight, and mature. I loved the scene in the aquarium. I loved all the recipes that open many chapters and the comments of Issy's grandfather, which moved me very much to create a strong bond with him. I loved to see how she fought for her store, but I confess that her love affairs annoy so very much, first of all Graeme who is clearly selfish and treats her like trash and she does not even think twice about every time he calls her. I didn’t like either Austin ,his poorly developed story of admiration for Issy but did nothing to really demonstrate what he felt. It's okay that he redeems himself at end, but I wanted more connection.
As I realized that the characters are very human in flaws and qualities, I believe that the writer wanted to show the controversial nature of the human being, but I also did not like Helena's behavior at a crucial point in the plot and I thought Pearl's ending could have a better closure.
Another detail that struck me was the behavior of Austin's brother, Darny, who looked more like a six-year-old, seven-year-old, not a ten-year-old boy.
Anyway, the reading was good and light, very tasty for the summer.

This was my first time reading a book by Jenny Colgan and I absolutely loved it. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe is an charming book that tells the tale of Issy and her opening of the Cupcake Cafe. I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

I love Jenny Colgan's book because they talk about real women who face real problem and win.
This book is no exception, just some pages and I was hooked.
I liked the character development, the evolution of Issy from a sort of wallflower to a strong woman. I loved the mouthwatering recipes, the friendship and the tenderness.
It's a heartwarming book and it made me smile and feel good.
It was a good reading experience, engrossing and entertaining.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Issy is a baker, born and bred. When she loses her job, she imagines and brings into reality the cupcake shop of her dreams, launching herself and the others who join her into imagining and living a life that is larger, warmer, and more wide open to joy than they ever dreamed possible. Colgan creates a world that the reader does not want to leave, knowing what you hope for the determined Issy and her cohorts. In this light, fast read, the reader is gifted with an array of characters ranging from the very young to the very old, the posh yummy mummies and the not so posh barely hanging on. In sum, this story is characteristic Colgan, light and airy as the finest meringeue and yet reliably substantial and trustworthy, well-paced and well-wrought pleasure.

Jenny Colgan will forever be one of my top three authors of all time, and this book 100% reinforces that fact! Following this well crafted story about Issy who goes through major life changes and takes charge of everything necessary (without some trial and error, of course) was amazing. It kept me on my toes, made me laugh, cry, and cheer! Highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a happy read, and some amazing recipes to try!

A cozy read with a lot of cupcakes recipes that I’ll probably try in the future for sure, I was feeling hungry all the time lol .
As for the story overall, it was nice and interesting but felt a bit flat for me, don’t know it it was my moods or something else but it wasn’t as good as I expected. Good writing and characters but I just couldn’t connect with them.


Thanks for the opportunity to read and review to the publisher and NetGalley

“Baking is...Life. So when you describe what you're making, you must describe life. Do you see? It's not just recipes.”
~Jenny Colgan, Meet Me at the Cupcake

I LOVED this book! What a delightful experience it was to read it! I found myself completely submerged in Issy’s world of cupcakes and new beginnings. I loved her character and her interactions with those around her. Every part of this book was absolutely enjoyable from start to finish!

I love to bake and I also happen to be a HUGE fan of witty British chick lit, especially when it involves someone starting a new journey in their life, so obviously this clearly means that I LOVE Jenny Colgan’s books! Her writing is so conversational and captivating, full of wonderful characters and sweet treats, that I find myself always feeling like I’m reuniting with a best friend whenever I read one of her books. In fact, I’m pretty positive Jenny and I are destined to be the best of friends...she just doesn’t know it yet.

I highly recommend this delightful book as well as the rest of Jenny Colgan’s wonderful books!
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Issy Randall needs a new life- she's been made redundant at her city job and wants to do something she loves. She decides to open her own cupcake bakery, using her grandfather's recipes. As she gets her shop up and running, she gathers characters around her that really make this story pop. This is a story that I could not put down. Definitely one of Jenny Colgan's best!

Issy has been laid off by her now ex-boyfriend. With the redundancy money, she decides to follow in her dementia-suffering grandfather's footsteps and open a baked goods shop. The story is rather predictable and an easy read, despite the book's length. In Ms. Colgan's trademark style, the characters are people you would like in your own life, and many of the disliked characters are improved through the course of the plot. An additionally sweet part of this book was the inclusion of recipes from Izzy and her grandfather. I'm excited to know that there is already a second book in the series and look forward to following the continued adventures of Issy and her circle of friends.

Meet Me at the Cupcake Café
(At the Cupcake Café #1)
by Jenny Colgan

Paperback, 456 pages
Published April 14th 2011 by Little, Brown Book Group




Goodreads synopsis:
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.


***

2 Stars

This is the first book in the At the Cupcake Cafe series.

When I requested this ARC I thought I was going to love it. A lot of the other reviews I have seen were really positive. But I think my love of romantic suspense and action adventure made this story just too slow for me.

One thing I didn’t like was that the recipe was at the beginning of the chapters. I would have preferred them at the end of a chapter or the end of the book all together. It threw the flow of the text off.

Another thing was how the ex-treated poor Issy. She was already doing one no no thing, sleeping with the boss. But the boss was having her keep their relationship a secret and exerting control over her all the while everyone in the office knew of their liaisons. What a creep.

It also took way too long to get to the point of the story. I felt like the entire thing just drug along waiting for something to infuse it with energy. Even the main character guy love interest who worked at the bank couldn’t pull this out of the doldrums for me.

I wanted to love it. I thought it would be perfect for me but it just fell flat. But don’t take my word for it. If this story sounds like your jam, pick it up and give it the love I couldn’t.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

When I need a light and fluffy book, sweet as a fresh-baked cupcake, I know Jenny Colgan is my go-to book goddess. Her books tend to combine yummy, tempting treats, plucky heroines, family touches, and a good, lovely romance. Yes, it can feel a bit formulaic if you read enough of her books -- but that doesn't take away from the joy of indulging (much like the joy of scarfing down one of Issy's amazing confections).

Issy is a little bit clueless when it comes to love, involved in an office romance that turns out to be a terribly-kept secret -- with a guy so jerky that he drops her off in a rainstorm to walk to the office rather than driving her all the way there and having them enter together. Ugh, Issy, he's awful! When Issy is laid off, after a good long mope, she turns to the joy that baking has always given her, and with a little support from her friends and an attractive banker, decides to turned an unused storefront into the bakery of her dreams.

It's quite fun to read about Issy's ups and downs, the hard work of opening her cafe, the women who become her fast friends and the ever-widening circle of people whose lives become entwined with Issy and the Cupcake Cafe. Issy is also dealing with the sorrow of her grandfather's decline, which is quite sad and touching. Her romantic choices are really clunkers, and she's clearly making bad decisions. Likewise, a misunderstanding with the cute banker gets blown out of all proportion, which doesn't make sense for two straight-forward, honest people.

<em>Meet Me at the Cupcake Café</em> was Jenny Colgan's first novel, originally published in 2011, and reissued this summer by Sourcebooks Landmark (with a really sweet cover!). It's a perfect summertime book, with enough plot ups and downs to keep it entertaining, but not at all heavy or serious. Plus, cakes! Issy's recipes (and often hilarious commentary) are sprinkled throughout (plus a few more recipes tucked in at the end.) I'm not a cook or a baker AT ALL, so I skipped over the recipes for the most part, but I'm sure someone who is a true foodie will adore giving them a try! (And if you do make Issy's cakes, can I have some? Please?)