Holidayish ,wonderfully spiced with aroma feel good Christmas Cheer, describes this Holiday Read.. The description of Bridget's bread she bakes to make ends meet is so heartwarming.
Bridget, a widow who lost her husband Ted at such a young age, is now trying to bring a happy Christmas to her three children.
She can't afford a new house ,and her in laws offer her their beachhouse. Its a wreck,needing much maintenance but TLC especially.
Bridget grew up here at the seaside and met Ted here. They married and moved away from Mulberry-On-Sea and hopes her children will feel at home being back . Its a difficult move, but they,along with the fmaily pets, take a chance on starting a new life here.
The loaves of bread she bakes,...the mince pies, the sausage rolls...I could just smell it all as I read all her survival baking skills she uses and a bicycle to deliver her samples in the town. This is Bridget's winning tool that keeps them afloat,and all the freinds she makes as word gets around that she makes the best bread! AFter all,noone can get any bread from the local store since someone is buying it all up. Bridget to the rescue with baking day and night.It fills her soul as she kneads and bakes this delicious sounding bread!
She schemes up ways to get creative and even delivers the goods.
Customers go by their beachhouse asking for this bread,and as they wait for loaves, her children setup a warm firepit ,chairs,and offer coffee and teatoo. The twins,Ollie and OScar get creative and whip up different types of specialty coffee..all from instant coffee.
She also may find romance in unexpected ways, showing her Christmas knickers in the dunes when she fell.
He won't let it go, always remindin g her and passing it as a joke around town.
Her mother Patty ,who dates and meets a man from a dating site, and wants her daughter to meet an elegible new man the same way .SOmehow Patty didnt care for her late husband Ted, until later there is a truth where her mother starts to appreciate her daughter more.
I so enjoyed this pre holiday book and the care and love this town shares together, makes you feel thata community can come together to help one another,especially those who are in need for holiday dinners..Noone is left out on Christmas Day.
Thank you Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for my honest ARC review,

A Cosy Christmas at Bridget's Bicycle Bakery - Alex Brown

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Bridget smiled to herself, certain she could see one of the stars twinkling extra brightly in that moment as if to acknowledge her wish and convince her that, yes, Mulberry-On-Sea was just the place they all needed to be. Surrounded by those happy memories of holidays and special times where nothing bad ever happened…

Finding yourself without a home in the weeks before Christmas would break most people, but for Bridget Carrington it’s a chance to start again. Mulberry-On-Sea has always been her happy place and she’s hoping it can work its magic this festive season and heal her family after a difficult year.

I flew through this book, I read the majority of this in one sitting and then couldn't wait to get back to it. I should point out that I have read this book as a standalone and I really enjoyed it. I really liked all of the characters and the added bonus of a recipe at the end of the book.

It is the perfect holiday read - it just creates such a Christmassy feeling. It is an easy and light-hearted read. Bridget doesn't have the easiest time in the build up to Christmas but I think this just adds to the Christmas spirit.

Rating 4/5

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Brown and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the book A Cosy Christmas at Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery. This is my personal review.
The story is just a good way to begin your holiday reading. This is a smooth perfect holiday book to put you in the spirit of the season.
This book is a soft and easy read. The author has written the characters, so they are all so real as you read this book. The setting and the descriptions of everything are done so well I felt like I was part of the story.

This is my first Alex Brown book and it very delightful read. Losing a husband and becoming a single parent to 3 children is not an easy task, but Bridget handles it with grace and elegance and creates a her own bakery business when she moves back to her childhood town. She moves into her husband’s parents old beach shanty and begins a new life that leads to new adventures, friends, love and moving on is okay with her children and making peace with herself which leads to a lovely Christmas for all. Great read and I will definitely check out other books by this author. I would recommend this Xmas novel as a great Xmas read and present.🤗📚👏

A mixture of heartache and laughter ache, this book has it in equal parts.

Newly widowed Bridget is forced to move into her in-laws slightly dilapidated holiday beach house with her three children and hairy dog. just before Christmas. Caught by barman Jake having a 'comfort break' in the sand dunes and flashing him her HO HO HO underwear, she is reluctant to meet the villagers.

This seasonal story of hope and resilience, tinged with sadness but full of life's escapades is excellent for the festive season.

This is a lovely festive story about community spirit, overcoming obstacles, and making new friends but most of all it is about learning to live and love again after loss. I always think the best romantic novels are those that don't just focus on the would-be couple. This book definitely falls into that category. There are embarrassing parents, moody teenagers, excitable children and of course several crazy animals. This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last.

A heartwarming, fun and entertaining Christmas novel that made me smile and escape reality in a good way.
The characters are fleshed out and relatable, the setting is lovely and the atmosphere festive.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Can't wait to read the next book.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a joy this book was to read! It was fabulous being back in Mulberry-On-Sea and Carringtons! It felt like spending Christmas with old friends!

Bridget and her family are such lovely characters to follow. Their grief made them so real but they joy they also had was so heartwarming, especially little Freya!

Absolutely adored everything about this book and can't wait for more!

Bridget and her children go through sadness, fun and laughter. She loves to bake even in the middle of the night and she is lucky enough to make new friends as well as a small business with her lovely bread etc. This really is a wonderful book to curl up with and I am 100% sure that you will enjoy this. 5 stars, it could be lovely to be able to give more but I will recommend it instead.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. One More Chapter for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Cosy Christmas at Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery’ by Alex Brown in exchange for an honest review.

That’s quite a mouthful of a title. It is a spin-off from Brown’s ‘Carrington’s’ series of romantic comedies set in the picturesque seaside town of Mulberry-On-Sea.

At thirty-four Bridget Carrington has recently become a widow following the sudden death the previous year of her beloved husband, Ted. She is now raising their three children alone. Faced with financial difficulties, she accepts her in-laws offer to live rent free at their former holiday home, a fisherman’s beach house in need of some repair.

Bridget and Ted had lived in Mulberry when young though had moved away after their marriage. Bridget loves to bake and dreams of one day opening her own bakery. Will that dream come true? Still, who can resist freshly baked bread and pastries? The descriptions were yummy.

This was a very sweet, uplifting novel that also addressed the subject of bereavement. While difficult at any age, when someone is as young as Bridget there is also the question of whether to seek a new relationship. Naturally there’s a suitable candidate in town though Bridget is conflicted about whether it’s appropriate given her love for Ted.

Urging her to take the plunge is her mother, Patty. She comes across as a bit of a caricature: loud and brassy. She is constantly urging Bridget to join the ‘Sugar Daddies R Us’ dating website and snag herself a millionaire like she did. Seriously!

The novel concludes with a few recipes, including how to make your own sourdough starter.

Overall, this was a lovely slice of Christmas-themed escapism. A sequel has already been announced for next July, ‘A Summer Holiday at Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery’.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

A family in crisis following the death of their father/husband, move back to the seaside town where both parents were born. They very soon become part of the community and Christmas is all they could hope for.. A delightful story.

Thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollins for the advanced copy of this book
Bridget is a young widow with twin teenage boys Olly and Oscar and their young sister Freya. Bridget has lost her job and is struggling to pay the bills until she can’t anymore and her landlord has to sell the house they live in her in laws offer her the use forever of their old beach house in Mulberry the town Bridget and her late husband grew up in so she gathers her tribe and their pets and drives down to the beach house which has seen much better days, it needs fixing up desperately but it has 2 bedrooms and a working kitchen and bathroom so it’s better than nothing
Bridget settles in as best she can and turns her hand to what she knows best baking so she bakes bread and as winter hits and the local roads are icy and no one can travel Bridget soon finds everyone wants her bread, mince pies and baked goods and they will pay for them and even better the boys start helping her they clear up the outside area make up a fire pit and clean chairs for customers to sit on then take orders and sell them tea/ coffee
Bridget is amazed at how the community accepts her and the children again
If only she were able to find love again ?

What's not to like about this book?
A cosy romantic Christmas read, It is exactly what you would expect and perfect for reading snuggled up in front of a warm fire.
The characters were likeable and the setting was perfect - Christmas, a beach and a caring community.
The story was predictable but a great escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life and gently uplifting.

What an adorable, heartwarming Christmas story! I loved the characters, the setting and this author’s writing style too. It’s my first book by Alex Brown, but it will definitely not be my last. Bridget, a newly widowed mom of three, must leave their home and move to her hometown. They will be living in an old, rundown beach house owned by her in laws. She needs to get an income and fast. So she begins baking to sell, one of her passions. She makes some wonderful new and old friends and possibly a new romantic interest. I’m happy to know this is just the beginning of a new series.
It’s a fun holiday story and one to add to your Christmas reading. Thank you to netgalley and One More Chapter/Harper Collins for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Cosy Christmas at Bridget's Bicycle Bakery
author: Alex Brown
Harper Collins, UK, One More Chapter

The sight of peppermint-green railings and a glitzy Christmas display in Carrington's Department store welcomed widow Bridget back home to Mulberry-On-Sea, a pretty seaside harbor town. She arrived with her three children, three animals, and one old bicycle. Bridget's heart was full of cherished memories of days past, along with aspirations of owning her own bakery someday, as baking comforted her soul.
Alex Brown's story is as warm and inviting as the aroma of Bridget's fresh sourdough bread baked during the festive Christmas season. Her writing fully captures Bridget's gentle and humorous personality by sharing her memories, dreams, joys of motherhood, and her passion for baking. Although Bridget had lost her home after losing her husband, she was optimistic and open minded about relocating to the quaint, friendly community of Mulberry-On-Sea. Brown's writing style is just beautiful, with her word choices and flow of sentences giving readers a lovely, warmhearted, holiday story.
Readers will feel as if they have opened the perfect holiday gift, with luscious home baked goods, sweet community spirit, and promises of hope, love, and renewal. Have a cup of hot cocoa, with a green and white striped candy cane stirrer, along with your favorite holiday pastry, in preparation for the cosiest bicycle ride ever. Bundle up and enjoy the journey! This book is part of a new spin off series of Brown's Carrington Department Store Series.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for the advance reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.
#NetGalley #ACosyChristmasatBridgetsBicycleBakery

A proper festive feel good book!
Loved the way all the characters gelled together, and the story was just what we need at the moment.
Going to try the recipes as well.
Thank you netgalley

A feel good story for Christmas.
Widowed and almost destitute Bridget and her kids return to her childhood hometown just before Christmas..
With a place to stay, all she needs now is a chance to earn some money and this means putting her bakery skills to good use.
But can love strike her again in The place where she met her first love?

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Alex Brown deserves five stars for this book. It’s fantastic.
Bridget is moving back to her hometown of Mulberry on sea with her children. Bridget has been forced back when her husband and childhood sweetheart Ted dies suddenly. This has left Bridget in a bad way emotionally and financially with no choice but to accept the offer of living in Teds parents beach house.
Bridget loves to bake and very quickly the locals discover her amazing bread and so Bridget’s Bicycle Bakery is born. The family start to heal in the arms of the community.
Jack is the chief in the local pub and meets Bridget in a compromising position which leads to a rocky start in their friendship.
As their friendship grows so does the bakery and Olly, Oscar and Freya come back to life as they accept the new life without their dad.
I have read all Alex books and it’s been a while since I read The Carringtons Series and this one takes me right back. (You don’t need to read the others first)
Thank you Harper Collins Uk and NetGalley and of course Alex for an early copy of this I loved it.

What a lovely Christmas book! Bridget & her three children move to her in laws holiday home by the sea, after having to leave their rental house. Her husband Ted died suddenly a year ago & now they are forced into a new start. With Bridget's love of baking, she is soon make friends & maybe a new man too! Follow the story of the changes in her life.

I wanted to love this book, and there were parts that enjoyed. But, I found I could not connect to the characters at all. Freya and the dogs were my favorite! I also liked the setting-I like the beach!

Unfortunately, it was too slow-paced and boring for me. While I can appreciate a good swearing, I felt the cursing did not enhance the storyline at all. It just felt awkward to me and some of the language used did not fit the vibe of the story at all.

There are clearly a lot of people who enjoyed this, but it was not for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read abs review this story.