Great story, really easy to get into, everything you could expect from a Christmas book. 

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Carly runs her shop with help from her sister Bethany. Bethany is a bit of a liability in the shop but Carly is always helping her, building her confidence. Liam is the person who has always built Carly up. They have been best friends for years but nothing more, however Carly wants more but is scared of losing their relationship.

This book is another feel good read as we see Carly struggle to admit her true feelings while helping her sister to believe in herself more.

A great read.

Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes

by Jessica Redland

A sweet holiday tale with some sibling troubles, an upcoming wedding, PTSD, and friends who could be so much more. Those are the threads found in Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes by Jessica Redland, Carly started a cupcake business four years ago. Her much younger sister Bethany has been working for her, but she is klutzy and prone to mistakes that are costly. Carly and Bethany are both wondering if the cupcake shop is a good place for Bethany, but Carly is driven to take care of her sister who is also second-guessing her upcoming marriage. Meanwhile, Carly starts to realize that her very long-term best friend, Liam, on a tour in Afghanistan, is possibly the love she has been denying herself.

There are several unexpected twists as the countdown to the wedding and Christmas draw closer. You’ll enjoy watching the tangled threads unravel as you read this charming story and root for the likable characters to solve their problems.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5

Category: General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction

Publication:   August 13, 2020—Boldwood Books

Memorable Lines:

And there it was—the exact moment I realised I’d been in love with my best friend for years. Nobody else I’d met had held my interest because Liam already held my heart and I’d never even realised it.

As I stepped out of the front door, I inhaled the delicious aroma of chimney smoke. I loved that smell. There was something about real fires that was so intrinsically Christmassy. I paused for a moment to look up at the white lights strung between the shops, like stars in the inky sky. It was the beautiful simplicity that made them so enchanting to look at.

I felt a pang of guilt again that I’d worked beside her for months and had been too busy to notice when the laughter had ceased until it became too late.

Oh, this is such a lovely book with a wonderful feel to it. I found myself giggling some moments & brushing tears away at others as the touching re-telling of the story featuring Carly & her sister, Bethany, worked its festive magic. 
A story told many times before but in such an enjoyable way full of warmth and featuring interesting, well-formed characters: Carly and Liam were brought together having spent five years being mercilessly bullied at school, forming a true & firm friendship. Eventually as the two grow older, eighteen year old Carly realises her feelings run deeper than friendship but can’t bring herself to declare her love to Liam. Years pass, Liam has joined the army while Carly opens up a cake shop, yet their friendship is ongoing. There have been so many missed chances until Carly decided there comes a time when it’s time to take a deep breath and take a leap of faith. Liam is home from Afghanistan for Christmas and this story is based during the run up to Christmas, both before and after Liam returns. Interspersed between Carly’s story is that of her sister, Bethany, younger and unable to find a career path that is right for her she is trying to overcome a deeply traumatic experience. Bethany’s storyline is written in a sensitive and thoughtful way. Despite it featuring some heavy issues Bethany’s storyline is handled in a way that does not detract from the overall lighthearted feel to the book, striking a balance between not bringing the overall feel down but also not being flippant about things. 
A lovely book full of friendship, family and romance (and cake!) sparkling with Christmas magic.

This is the perfect book to read around christmas time! The setting is really christmassy with snow and decorations, the story is sooo magical and adorable and the characters are so nice! This book is about sisterhood, entrepreneurship, bullying, friendship and of course love! The romance in this book is so nice! I absolutely adored this part! So if you are looking for a nice christmas romance, you can pick up this book! You won't be disappointed!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood books for my Copy of Christmas at Carly's Cupcakes by Jessica Redland. It published August 13, 2020.
I devoured this sweet book! I absolutely am a sucker for books set in any sort of cafe/bakery/eatery, and this book really delivers! A cake shop? Everything sounds so delicious. 
I really related to Carly, as I also had a best friend who was in the military that I loved! Another thing I really liked about this book is how delicately it treated PTSD. I feel like the author has a lot of compassion for and understanding of it. 
I cannot wait to read more from this author! I definitely recommend this!

This is a lovely, Christmassy story, with everything you would expect from a festive read. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

i adorea good christmas romance novel. this was so cute and precious and the town is adorable and the charactesr are my life now. so please write more books. thank you!!!!

Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes was another book by Jessica Redland that I loved. A great escape from the current situation that hooked me in from the first few pages. Throw in a Christmas book and it’s a win win for me. Hard to put down, I had to keep reading to find out how it would finish and read in one day. I loved it.

This was such a delightful, fast read between Carly and her younger sister, Bethany. I absolutely adored both of these characters; Carly was the calm sister who had it all together, whereas Bethany was the hectic sister who never believed she could do anything right and labelled herself a failure at every giving time. This is my first time visiting Castle Street and I couldn't have felt more a part of the community.

I loved this book so much, I read it in the space of just a couple of hours. It was a gorgeous, festive read, filled with delicious cupcakes, hot chocolate and just the right amount of romance between Carly and her best friend, Liam. Jessica really just nails it every single time with her stories, I absolutely can not get enough. I'll see you on the other side with my review on Tara's story in Starry Skies Over The Chocolate Pot Cafe!

This was such a fun and fast read – I enjoyed it a lot. We meet Carly, and her sister Bethany in the midst of a holiday rush of cupcake orders.

They are both immediately likable, Carly with her calm demeanor even in the face of stress, and Bethany with her clumsiness…they both grow little by little as this short story progresses.

Carly is in love with her childhood best friend, Liam. Liam is in love with his childhood best friend, Carly. But neither of them has ever let on to the other about what they feel.

Small memories creep in for Carly as she begins to wonder if he could possibly feel the same way.

Cupcake mishaps, manipulative ex boyfriends, and a wedding with a runaway bride all play a role in this delightful story.

I’d recommend this book if you’d like to get a jumpstart on the holiday feelings of anticipation!

Its always nice to revisit somewhere you have previously loved and this is the first part of my reviews of christmas on Castle street.

Christmas at Carly's Cupcakes is a wonderfully festive delight that makes the reader feel welcomed, warmed and part of the commnity. 

Carly has two christmas wishes this year, 1. that her sister Bethany can see she isnt a failure and have the wedding of her dreams and 2. for her best friend Liam to come home for christmas. Thats all she really wants, and i dont think she is actually asking for that much. Whilst she waits to see what christmas will bring Carly throws herself into her work and cakes galore but with her sister a newly hired member of the team, things are proving a little tough.

All Bethany has to do is look at a cake or even a small patch of icing and its like it explodes in the kitchen, she should not be near it. However Bethany has had a tough time lately and already feels like a failure and Carly is worried about letting her go so battles through. Yet Bethany is holding more in than anyone realises. 
Carly is also battling her inner turmoil and feelings for Liam and she doesnt know if he feels the same, but after a swift talking to she decides this christmas is the time to tell him.

I loved this little festive read, it had the perfect dose of cupcakes, hot chocolate and fairy lights with romance bubbling under the surface and emotional family connections. Its one to start off the festive season with. If you like your romance with snowflakes and cupcakes, this is the one for you.

I came across Jessica’s books a while ago and enjoyed them from the start. Jessica has an interesting writing style , the reader is drawn in from the start and the reader almost feels like she is part of the story. The only problem is that real life is put on hold as you escape into 5he book.
I feel like Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay is a real place, Jessica’s descriptions are that impressive! 
The book is beautifully written, great main characters and a book you don’t want to end ! I would recommend this book to anyone 
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Jessica for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review

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

What could be better than a sweet, holiday romance set at a Carly's Cupcakes!?  This book was so darn cute and made me feel very in the holiday mood and spirit.  And, look at how cute and whimsy that cover art is!  This is one that I would highly recommend!!!

A gorgeous tale of friendship, forever love, family, recovery and Christmas.

Call me naive, but I always prefer a Christmas story that has warmth and love at the heart of it. No malice, no long seated resentment, just Christmas magic at the heart of it and this book had it in abundance.

I really enjoyed the characters, their back stories, their loves, their losses - it all made sense to me.  The setting was very atmospheric and the street, shop and surrounding shops sounds like just the place that I would love to visit - especially at Christmas time!

A gorgeous festive tale, and I could quite happily have read this for a further 200 pages!

The weather outside is frightful, so thank goodness author Jessica Redland has crafted such a heartwarming read. Set against a snowy backdrop in the idyllic Whitsborough Bay, Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes whips up a lot of fun thanks in large part to Carly herself. A usually strong, intent woman, lately she’s been worrying about relationships, both familial and romantic. Her focus is constantly being torn between potential one-sided love pointed at longtime crush Liam and managing a sister who’s stuck in a constant state of emotional distress. There’s plenty of drama in tension in these scenes alone to keep the pages turning.

Then, of course, there are the delicious cakes, snowy evenings, and absolute festive joy that permeate the rest of the book. Redland weaves a bit of charm through her tight prose, making sure the story clips along while offering up plenty of sweet detours. She understands exactly how to build a community of characters who seem to genuinely care for each other, even—or perhaps especially—when some of the action looks bleak.

Yet all of this wrapping—like the best presents—is deceptively simple. Beneath the pretty paper and bow, the lovely characters and festive joyousness, is a thoughtful undercurrent. Redland doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects, and here she tackles bullying and its long-term effects. These passages, where Carly has to address both her schooldays and the aftermath, are incredibly powerful without being overwhelming. She’s seamlessly meshed these with the sweeter aspects in a way that realistically showcases its impact.

By infusing a ton of heart and a bit of romantic magic, Redland has delivered a brilliant read.

Carly owns her own cake shop. She has her younger sister Bethany working for her but she's not great at cake decorating but Carly wants to help her get  her confidence back as she was attacked at her last job and she feels like a loser.
Bethany is getting married and Carly wants her sister to have a wonderful day but as the wedding gets closer Bethany gets more stressed. Will the wedding go ahead?
Carly also hopes her best friend Liam who is serving in Afghanistan comes home for Christmas and she hopes they can make their friendship  into something more romantic.
Will Carly get her wish of romance with Liam or will it ruin their friendship .
A real feel good book
Feet up, cup of hot chocolate and a roaring fire.
Thanks NetGalley

Carly Travis owns and runs a successful cake shop, Carly’s Cupcakes, in Whitsborough Bay. Following a very traumatic incident in her previous job, Carly’s sister Bethany has been left with low self esteem and rather more than a tendency to be accident prone. Trying to help Bethany, Carly has given her a job and, although Bethany is great with the customers, she’s a disaster in the kitchen. In the lead up to Christmas, Carly could do without the extra work, and the time it took making good on Bethany’s mistakes and cleaning up after her, but she would never say so.

"I closed my eyes for a moment in the desperate hope that, when I opened them, I’d discover I’d been hallucinating and Bethany hadn’t really managed to cover the table, walls and floor in globs of red butter icing. Or — far worse — the sixty cupcakes I’d already decorated for tomorrow night’s Christmas lights switch-on."

Carly loves being part of Castle Street’s little community, with its independent shops and businesses, the traders friendly and willing to help out when necessary — as Carly finds out when she talks to Tara about her feelings for her best friend, Liam.

Carly and Liam have been best friends since they were eleven. Targeted and abused by bullies at school because of their looks, they stuck together and their friendship grew ever stronger. Should Carly risk her the close friendship she and Liam share or tell him how she really feels and hope he feels the same?

Christmas at Carly’s Cupcakes is a lovely read set in a pretty village with wonderful characters, brought to life with descriptive writing. The story also deals with darker issues, such as the aforementioned bullying and the lasting effects of trauma.

The first thing to note about this book is that it is the sixth book in Jessica Redland’s Whitsborough Bay series. I haven’t read any of the previous books so I’m not entirely sure whether there is an overall story arc. We certainly find out that Carly’s sister in particular has had a pretty dramatic recent past (a main storyline is the impact of this on her life now), but I’m not sure whether this was part of one of the previous books or not. In any case, apart from a bit of catching up on Bethany’s past, the rest of the story feels pretty self-contained, so I don’t think it mattered too much that I was reading it as a stand alone.

The story itself was pretty cute, and once I got past the bits where Bethany’s situation is established (which felt a little bit awkward at times) I really got into this and enjoyed it enough that I’m really keen to check out the other Christmassy books in the series.

The sense of community between the residents of Whitsborough Bay, in particular the store owners of Castle Street, was quite lovely, and one of my favourite scenes was when they got together. Bethany’s wedding is a side story that features enough to be important but not so much that it overtakes the ‘lead up to Christmas’ feel. It is definitely a story about Christmas time rather than Christmas day, but this worked for me – I found it really festive and quite lovely (lots of lovely snow!)

The romance aspect was also quite sweet. I don’t want to say too much because spoilers, but I liked that it was sort of ‘friends to lovers’-ish, and I liked the way it played out.

I thought this was pretty solid, sweet, festive read, and in the end it was totally worth forgiving a few bumps at the start for.