Such a lovely, uplifting story, this was just the perfect read to cosy up with, highly recommended. I enjoyed reading this one very much.

Wonderful heartwarming story. Good strong characters and a nice storyline. Lovely easy reading, great for getting into the Christmas spirit.

This was a great book with a very cute story line all set at the Chocolate Pot Cafe. Loved this one!

I have read quite a few of the author's previous works and enjoyed the first batch and was not enamoured by the last few. This instalment brought back the 'feels' from that initial introduction to the series.
The main protagonist has been in the background of the series from the very beginning and finally gets her chance at a happy ending.
I read it tucked into a quilt because of a sudden drop in temperature, and that was probably the best way to relish this book.
Tara has always been standoffish and has but one friend with whom she has maintained a semblance of a personal relationship. Now that that friend has had her happily ever after too, Tara has the time to introspect. She sees her life with fresh eyes and realizes that she has let fear dictate her life. She sets about changing her life, and some steps are more drastic than others. The narrative spans a whole year to better contrast the start from the finish. I was sniffling through most of the moving parts.
The ending was also new; it left issues unaddressed but not in a way that would bother the more finicky of readers (meaning me)
I would definitely pick up another book by the author because of the simple but evocative writing.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience (and up to a point the weather)

I have an on the fence review about this book...

On the whole, a gorgeous tale of finding yourself and letting the past go. But I can't get over a small section at the beginning of the book. I won't go into it as it will spoil a large part of the plot. But, I just.. I don't understand it. I get having a backstory trauma was critical to this book, but I just felt that in a tale of Christmas and family, that this was a little grim and sadisitic - plus there were 0 trigger warnings for this and a totally out of the blue story line that you would not expect from this book.

Like I said though, this is a review of two halves. Ignoring my utter dislike of the main characters back story, this is a lovely tale of finding love, reconnecting with family, sacrifices, selflessness and friendship at Christmas...

A great book - just skip a few chapters near the beginning...

I have been enjoying my visits to Whitsborough Bay and this story has me spending the holidays with wonderful characters getting to know more about their shops and relationships. This was a festive story that will get readers in the mood for the holidays. If you have read other books in this series, you will meet up with some familiar characters. Tara is happy with her shop and her many projects that she has going, but is she really happy or is it all a mask. When someone from her past purchases the building across the street from The Chocolate Pot Cafe, she is thrown for a loop. Why has he come back? Will he try and put her out of business? All kinds of memories come flooding back and her emotions are in a turmoil.

I loved Tara and felt so bad for her. She has made her life over and is quite comfortable, even though she keeps others at a distance. When everything comes to a head, she realizes that she has to stop running and hiding. She can count on her friends, as they have come to count on her. I love the many characters in Whitsborough Bay, those I know from other books and the ones I met in this one. It is such a wonderful community where friends help one another and can count on each other. The stories are always well developed and pull me right in. The characters are ones that I would want for friends and I absolutely love the setting. Another winner from Jessica Redland and I am looking forward to my next visit

The story continues with Tara, owner of The Chocolate Pot café, who has a terribly sad back story and as a consequence is very wary of letting people get close or know more about her than is necessary. There’s much more to Tara than meets the eye but she keeps her past — the deception, heartbreak and loss — firmly to herself. Not that she minds helping other people with their problems, her kindness is evident.

Tara’s life has been the café and her giant house bunny, Hercules. She and Carly have become quite close lately and Tara finds herself opening up and talking more to Carly about her life before she came to Whitsborough Bay, and as more is revealed we get a sense of the real Tara and understand why she lives as she does.

'As the years passed and my life changed beyond all recognition, I still tried to be Pollyanna every day. I tried so hard to keep my promise to Dad. I believed that ‘the black cloak’ would lift from Mum like it had done on The Best Day Ever. I believed that I’d leave foster care one day and be reunited with Mum again. And I believed that all my foster families genuinely cared about me and had my best interests at heart, especially my foster sister Leanne. But it turns out that not all people are good, they don’t tell the truth, and they don’t care who they hurt or how they do it.'

There’s no doubt that Tara’s past has scarred her and impacted on her life, but with a little help and a sympathetic listener she tentatively begins to hope she can turn her life around. She just has to work up the courage to engage with people and realise not everyone will deceive or let her down.

I love the image of Castle Street, the setting is wonderful — that and the characterisations make this a perfectly delightful story. Tara is a great example of someone who is basically strong enough to have made the life she has but overlaid with fear of being hurt. Her character develops steadily throughout as she builds relationships and connects with two people from her past.

There’s humour to offset the darker elements, plus friendship, community and family in both books. Very enjoyable.

Tara is the owner of the Chocolate Pot cafe in Castle Street and although the cafe is a warm and welcoming place Tara is dreading the Christmas season as she is always miserable at this time of year due to horrible events in her past. Christmas means just herself and Hercules her giant house rabbit as if you don't let people in they can't hurt you as she has learnt the hard way...... but can the lovely people of Castle Street break down the barriers and what about Jed the previous owner of the cafe is he out to ruin her?

A lovely story that draws you in from the first pages so that you really care about Tara and go through all sorts of emotions reading her story, definitely a Christmas book worth reading.

Castle street seems like such a wonderful place, I felt as though I was right there. I was captivated from the start. The characters were as loveable as ever and the plot was very enjoyable. It made me feel all festive and cosy. It was a heartwarming read about healing from so much heartbreak. This was another perfect read from Jessica that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Another fab christmas read from Jessica Redland. This short story focuses on Tara, Carly's best friend from Chistmas at Carly's Cupcakes. I loved that we got to hear Tara's story and her history and background. Again it was very written and as it was a short story it was very quick to read. I also once again love the emotions that you could feel from the characters as you read the book. I did have a lump in my throat at parts when reading. Overall another perfect, heartfelt read.

* I received a review copy in exchange for an honest revew

I really liked this book and if you’re looking for something cosy and with a bit of Christmas in it, this is a good choice.

Although the story begins just before Christmas, it continues through the following year so isn’t just focused on the short festive period. We follow Tara as she begins to realise that she can’t live the rest of her live being distant from others.

I liked Tara as a character. The insights into her past that are woven into the story really helped me to understand why she was so closed off to start with. I also liked the town, Whitsborough Bay sounded lovely and Castle Street seemed to have an eclectic mixture of shops that is exactly what I want in a town.

The story shows just how much damage people can do to others, and that sometimes you can’t trust the people you thought you could. However it also shows what can be gained from taking a chance and starting over.

This is a really heartwarming story that has a good cast, and Hercules is a character that should get a special mention. If you want to read both books I would definitely read the other one first as there are some spoilers for it in this book. However, if that doesn’t worry you this book can definitely be read as a stand alone. Perfect for getting cosy somewhere with a hot chocolate!

After falling for Carly and Liam’s story, I did not think Whitsborough Bay could tug my heartstrings
anymore. To this I will admit, I was naïve, there was more to come. I loved Tara in Christmas at
Carly’s Cupcakes, though I felt disconnected from her, I loved her confidence and independence. So,
when I was reading this little gem and realised it was all about Tara and who Tara really is, I may of
squealed. I do not think I have ever been so happy to find out more about a character. And Tara, her
story was one that made you feel every emotion known.

I sobbed, I laughed, I wanted to punch Garth and Leanne. I felt proud, I broke down with her and
wanted to bring her a hot chocolate. I loved the adventure the book took me on. I was one that I
enjoyed, she is the enigma of Whitsborough Bay and I was over the moon to get to know the real
her. Plus, even those who hide from their pasts deserve to find love too.

Like I said before, I am going to say it again, Romance was not my forte. But this and the tales of the
little costal town have stolen a little bit of my heart. I hope it steals a little bit of yours too. Everyone
deserves to be someone’s Christmas wish. Why not let this little tale full of friendship, broken
homes, unexpectant love and surprises, help you find yours.

I have been a fan of Jessica’s work for a little while now. I haven’t quite caught up with all of her releases yet but I keep pace with her new releases and when I get a free spell, I read one of her earlier releases. Jessica’s latest book is called ‘Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café’ and it was released on 8th September 2020. It is another superb read from Jessica, which I absolutely adored but more about that in a bit.

Oh my word, I absolutely adored the character of Tara Porter. She is the manager of the adorable sounding Chocolate Pot Café. Honestly I would never be out of that place with all the delicious sounding cakes. Sorry back to Tara. She is a lovely lass, who has been through the mill a fair bit and she seems quite emotionally damaged which isn’t surprising when you learn of just what the poor girl has been through. I won’t go too far into the details but as Tara’s story was revealed, I had an overwhelming need to jump inside the pages of the book to give her a hug. Tara finds it hard to celebrate certain events as they bring forth unpleasant memories. Tara is a lovely girl and I could well imagine that she would be a fab friend to have. I could easily imagine that I was putting the world to rights with her over a cup of hot chocolate and a delicious sounding brownie. She is genuinely one of the good guys and I was so hoping that she got the ‘happy ever after’ ending that she so deserved. What happens? Well you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.

I am beginning to think that Jessica Redland has somehow got inside my head. Every book of hers that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing, seems especially poignant to me and channels into how I feel at certain times. ‘Christmas At Carly’s Cupcakes’ affected me emotionally because the main character Carly, is a bullying survivor after some pretty horrific bullying from other kids. As I said in my previous review, I was bullied from the age of 5 to the age of 16 so I could identify with how the bullying affected Carly. I picked ‘Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café’ up and began to read and realised that I empathised with Tara too. Over the years Tara has been betrayed by those she trusted and held dear. Consequently, she finds it extremely hard to trust anybody and she doesn’t let anybody get too close because she fears being hurt again. Well I can certainly empathise with Tara because that is exactly how I feel. I have been hurt in the past by people, who I considered to be friends but in reality they were anything but. It’s like I have built a little wall up around myself.

To say that reading ‘Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café’ became addictive is a massive understatement. I fell under this book’s spell from the moment I first picked the book up and the spell lasted until I read the very last word on the last page. I had taken so well to the character of Tara that I developed a desperate need to find out how the story concluded and how she was affected. The pages of the book turned increasingly quickly as my desperate need to find out what happened just grew and grew. I managed to read this book over the course of a single day. I was so mesmerised by the story that I lost all track of time and I managed to shut out the noise of everyday life going on around me. All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to say a farewell to Tara. I hope that this isn’t the last we have heard about Tara.

‘Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of Jessica’s books in general. She creates characters, who are impossible to dislike and you take such characters into your heart. That’s how I feel at any rate. Jessica has one of those writing styles that reads more like a chat between friends than an actual book. I hope that makes sense. Jessica draws you into the story from the start and makes you feel as though you are part of the story yourself. I love the way in which Jessica incorporates storylines involving experiences that a lot of us can identify with. In a way reading this book was like a therapy session for me.

In short, I adored reading ‘Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café’ and I certainly recommend that you read this fantastic book. I will certainly be reading more of Jessica’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I love Jessica's books. I recently reviewed Christmas at Carlys Cupcakes and when I got the chance to review a story based on Carlys friend next door at The Chocolate Pot I jumped at the chance.

Tara is thirty five and has been the owner of The Chocolate Pot for thirteen years. It was a steal of a price from a seemingly dodgy businessman. She keeps herself to herself with the exception of Carly who she classes as a close friend.

As the story progresses Tara reveals more of her broken past to Carly which explains why she keeps herself distant from people and from that point on starts to let more people in.

Tara faces challenges and hurdles which sees her icy exterior melt.

I loved this book, if I could give it more than 5⭐ I absolutely would. I'm desperate to read more of Jessica's books. They are wonderful, feel good books.

Be brave. A few minutes of courage might change you life.

After reading and finishing the previous book in this series yesterday, I couldn't wait to get stuck in to this one and it certainly didn't disappoint.
It was definitely different to what I had thought it was going to be,
With talk of grooming, family loss and betrayal it's not what you expect from a Christmas book but nevertheless it was a brilliant story and very cleverly written.
Another superb book by Jessica Redland.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion

STARRY SKIES OVER THE CHOCOLATE POT CAFE is such an awesome way to get into the holiday spirit! Tara, who owns the Chocolate Pot Cafe, feels like the holiday is the worst time of the year. She always feels even more alone during the holiday and she is sure that this year it will be more of the same. Once you start reading this beautiful heart warming story, you won’t be able to put it down as you find yourself feeling the pain that Tara is going through. Jessica Redland has a way of pulling her readers right into the characters lives, and making them feel like they have been friends forever.

Tara has always held others at a distance, refusing to let anyone in to her life. She has no friends and co workers don’t really know too much about her and that is all because of what happened to her in the past. STARRY SKIES OVER THE CHOCOLATE POT finds Tara finally deciding to try and do better and takes a big leap of faith. She decides to share more about herself with the other shop owners and her co workers. This is such a big step for her since she was shredded by every single person she loved and cared about and she is afraid to let others know the truth. Tara left her family 14 years ago because of being betrayed by some on the closest people to her that she thought loved and cared for her. How can your heart not break for her trying to let go of her past?

STARRY SKIES OVER THE CHOCOLATE POT CAFE takes place in a lovely setting with a close knit and supportive set of shop owners during the most festive time of the year. It brings to the forefront how important our friends are to us and how we should make the most of our time. It is a lovely story that left me happy and with a big smile! I’m so excited to read more by Jessica Redland. I really enjoyed the main characters and the storyline developed nicely, with each having equal billing. I loved the setting too and would so love to visit Whitsborough Bay to go Christmas shopping.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley and Rachel’s Random Resources . All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

Tara Porter is the owner the Chocolate Pot Café in Castle Street, located in the North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitsborough. I met her in another Whitsborough Bay book, Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes. Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café is complete in itself, and you don't need to have read any of the others in the series to enjoy it.

The Chocolate Pot Café is always busy as it's very popular and also does extremely well at Christmastime. However, Tara finds the festive period something of a struggle as it sees the return of painful memories - she split from her family on Christmas Day and married her ex-husband, Garth Tewkesbury on New Year’s Eve. This year, the Café is the venue for a wedding and engagement party, so Tara is going to be rushed off her feet, though she will spend Christmas day itself with her giant house rabbit, Hercules, for company. Adding to her difficulties and woes, Jed Ferguson, the former owner of the building that now houses her Café, is back in town...

I easily warmed to Tara who had a sad and harrowing past. She was reluctant to let people into her life as a result of previous hurts and humiliations, thus spending the last fourteen years practically living as a recluse with only Hercules for companionship, unwilling as she was to emotionally engage with others except whilst working in her Café.

I adored the charming setting of Castle Street in the North Yorkshire seaside town of Whitsborough Bay, especially as I have lived near the area myself. Tara's Chocolate Pot Café was one of a group of shops on the street and the proprietors of them all complemented this delightful story. Jessica Redland's descriptions were perfect and I dreamt of walking down the cobbles and popping into the various shops located there.

The Christmas theme was extremely enchanting with its festive allure and the story's overall tone was mostly snug and magical, bringing with it all that delicious chocolatey goodness and sweet, heady aromas. Along with the pleasing characters, dashes of a smoldering romance, and an abundance of scrummy sounding treats, there were also some quite dark and shady parts, heart breaking incidents, and touching moments. All in all, Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Café is a lovely, heartwarming, as well as an emotional novel that I have no hesitation in recommending. I look forward to reading more from Jessica Redland.

Thank you to Jessica Redland, Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Tara has been hurt badly in her past and came north to the seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where she opened her cafe The Chocolate Pot but she keeps her past bottled up and hidden so no one can use anything against her
Tara is an amazing character, she is so strong and has survived so much but still carries on with her life. I was curious about Tara’s life story and to hear it as she told Carly in smaller chunks made it easier to process what had happened and to see how she has overcome her difficulties
Tara’s main motivation for change is that she realises that she is lonely and that she wants more to her life than running her cafe, her online crafting business and looking after her giant house rabbit. Whilst part of that is talking to Carly, she also does something that I really admire and would hope is replicated in real life. She along with some of the other shop keepers volunteer to support the vocational students at the local college ok things such as business and self belief and it is through that that her own self belief develops more
There is a bit of romance but Tara’s story but her year to change dominates and I think that is best, too much romance just wouldn’t work with her as a character
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a story which looks at some difficult subjects but mixed in with a lot of positives and a main character who is so strong but also so loveable

Despite being part of a linked series, each novel can be read and enjoyed alone or in any order and they all tie together if you read the whole set although I am thinking you won’t be able to stop at just reading one of them.
Tara’s backstory is a heart-breaking one and this novel was much more emotional than Carly’s story. I adored Tara and became completely invested in her journey to where she was now. I love dual timelines and each time we travelled to the past to relive a part of her pre-Whitsborough life I felt even more protective towards her and just wanted her to find happiness.
After everything she had been through the last thing she needed was the potential loss of her beloved café, just when she was beginning to trust and settle amongst the friendly faces on Castle Street. I love how the friendships play a strong role in this novel and are more powerful than the romance story overall.
This is a stark reminder that Christmas is not all fluffy and cosy for everyone but also that friendship and the right environment can be such a positive impact on people.
A darker and more emotional journey to Whitsborough this time but a deeper character and still a huge celebration of love in the form of friends, romance and a fluffy rabbit called Hercules.

I had all intention of taking a quick browse through the story, read the new parts and just enjoy, as I'd already reviewed the original version of this book back in 2018. It was called Christmas at the Chocolate Pot. However, there’s a reason this author is one of my favourites, I got completely lost in the story all over again. And because I knew pretty much what to expect, I wasn’t rushing to find out what happened next. I dallied over all the details and really luxuriated in the words and depth of the characters. Here is my review of the new version.

Pollyanna, or Tara as she’s known, is supposed to be the eternal optimist. She’s always supposed to look on the bright side of things. She’s meant to find every silver lining. She plays the ‘glad game’ because no matter how tough the situation, there’s something good that comes out of it. Sometimes, however, even a Pollyanna needs to take stock of the bad and fully process it if she has any hope of properly moving on with her life. This story is Tara’s journey through the darkest time in her life and how she finds the strength to reclaim her past and ultimately, her future.

Just from that paragraph, you get an idea of who Tara is. She’s a typical Jessica Redland heroine in the sense that she’s complex, vulnerable, caring and incredibly strong. She needs to realise just how strong she is, though. She’s spent 14 years hiding from her family and hiding her past from her current friends. She watches those around her, those she loves, find self-fulfilment and happiness… she even helps them on their journeys but she refuses to allow it for herself. She must learn that allowing others to see your vulnerable side isn’t weakness, but makes you human. Bit by bit she permits her walls to crumble and bit by bit she builds up a new life for herself, one that connects with her past in meaningful, wonderful ways.

Jed, is her love interest. Although this book is most definitely focused on Tara and her development, we have a chance to meet Jed and share in his life too. He and Tara both suffered difficult, even traumatic pasts but find the strength to move on and have the goodness to help others in ways they cannot help themselves. Their relationship is charming and evolves from one of mistrust to true love.

Family is a central theme of this story. Both Jed and Tara have baggage where family is concerned. Tara has fully locked herself away from hers, for reasons you’ll have to read the book to uncover! It is a slow process where the author leaves us a trail of crumbs until we get the full story of why Tara removed herself from those who love her. After we unearth that backstory, we then journey with Tara as she finds her way back to those she loves. This was another area where Jessica outdid herself in the re-release. The scenes where Tara reconnects with her loved ones brought tears to my eyes. Where Tara’s family is difficult, Jed’s daughters and parents are hilarious! They add some much needed comic relief to blanace out the more emotional parts of the story.

There is one loose end concerning a member of Jed’s family… I love it. I think, given how this story was written and what it is about and the messages conveyed, that little part of the story ends just as it should. Perfect.

I could honestly write a few more paragraphs about why I loved this story, but I think I’ve given you a good idea. Christmas is definitely another theme and we ‘see’ Castle Street in all its bedazzled Christmas glory. If you’ve ever read one of Jessica’s Whistborough Bay Christmas stories, you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t, make this year your first!