Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

A warm cozy story, very much recommend it.

My first by this author but I loved this book and her writing. Great characters and easy to read chapters which aren’t too long which I love. Following the Christmas theme Bridget and her 3 children are forced to move and with little income she starts baking for the village. With some predictable twists and turns the story concludes on Christmas Day. Thanks Alex. Brown your publisher and NetGalley. A well deserved 5 stars.

A Cosy Christmas at Bridget's Bicycle Bakery - what a beautiful book. I loved every minute.

It was wholesome, warming and a great tale of overcoming sadness and learning to be happy again.

Bridget was so kind, I warmed to her immediately and I enjoyed that her downfall was bad luck , not her own doing - I always struggle with characters who have created their own mess.

I absolutely adore Christmas books, this was up there with one of the best I have read. I read it as a standalone and it held up well. It left me feeling so content and festive. The recipes at the end were a lovely touch, and I can't wait to try some of them out myself - my very own bicycle bakery!

This is a sweet tale about a young widow with three children who relocates to the town where she and her husband grew up, Her inlaws have offered her their ramshackle beach cottage in the small seaside town. Bridget has always liked baking and sees a need in the small community for a supplier of bread and baked goods. Her ancient car has given up, so she uses her bicycle to deliver her goods to local pubs, restaurants, and private residences. Soon friendships develop between Bridget and many of the locals, including Jack, the barman in the local pub. Soon a romantic relationship begins to develop for Bridget and Jack.
The story proceeds at a gentle pace, the characters are charming, as is the seaside setting, and some conflict and tension are added to the story by the failure of one of Bridget's twins to adjust to the move and by Bridget's grief for her loss and fear of getting involved romantically so soon after her husband's death. Readers will root for the struggling family and for Bridget and Jack to work things out. Overall, the story provides an undemanding but enjoyable and indeed cosy read for the coming holiday season.

Another great read from Alex. I’ve read a lot of these books and throughly enjoy every one of them. This one was so sweet and easy to read and I loved the characters. The bickering between the children and all the baking for Christmas. I’m definitely going to find the other books in this series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Bridget has moved back to Mulberry on Sea after losing her husband. Will her family settle in to the sea side town, and can she make it as a baker?
A great christmas read.

Having read of all Alex Brown's previous work I was excited to see a spin off from the Carrington's series. This book introduces Bridget and her family who are recovering from the loss of Bridget's husband.

The descriptions of the bread and treats being baked within this book made my mouth water and at times whilst reading it I laughed out loud and cried so be prepared to run the whole gamut of emotions. A nice touch is the inclusions of recipes at the end of the book too. When I've read a book that I enjoyed as much as this one I love knowing that there is another to follow so I am eagerly anticipating the release of A summer holiday at Bridget's Bicycle Bakery next summer.

If you're in the market for a relaxing, heart warming page-turner then this is the book for you!

Widowed, jobless and now homeless Bridget decides to move back to her home town of Mulberry on Sea with her three children to live in the old beach hut owned by her in-laws. Slowly the family begin to settle and when Bridget hits on the idea of using her baking skills to sell bread and mince pies to the local community she quickly realises she's found a niche to develop a business to keep her family going. Add into the mix the hunky local chef Jack and Bridget's future begins to look rosy until guilt of moving on with her life without Ted takes over. This is a cosy, feel.good read just right for settling down in front of a roaring fire to enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins, and One More Chapter for the gifted copy.

This is the sweet little Christmas tale of Bridget and her children who move back to the little beach village she grew up in the year after her husband passed away. It is a new spin-off series from Alex Brown’s Carringtons series.

While the book touches on grief and loss, it focuses more on picking up the pieces, opening yourself up to new beginnings, and a welcoming, close-knit community.

What a wonderfully enchanting cosy festive hug of a read!A cosy Christmas at Bridgets Bicycle Bakery has it all in abundance! Friendship,seasonal traditions, Christmas baking, kindness, romance and the most idyllic beachside setting, what more could you possibly want?
Bridget recently widowed,finds herself alone with three children, several animals and rising debts, so decides to take up her late husbands parents offer of using their run down rather dilapidated beach hut, arriving tired and in the dark things don’t get off to a brilliant start to say the least!
However friendly locals, a welcoming community and Bridgets beloved baking all start to help the family deal with their grief, come together,and start living again in the most wonderful place surrounded by memories and friendships which illustrate how wonderfully life goes on and enjoyment can once again be experienced all so magically aided and enhanced by the enigmatic Jack! I feel this book needs a sequel as I so want to find out what happens next!
Perfect reading for the festive season along with a mince pie and a baileys in front of a warm fire!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

A great Christmas read which be honest, who doesn’t enjoy?! A good book I wanted to keep reading. Well done and I’ll be looking out for more!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a very heart-warming story about loss and moving forward. There's something so comforting about delicious food and being welcomed into a small town.
I liked that there weren't any dramatic circumstances surrounding Ted's death. There wasn't unnecessary cheating or secrets to tarnish Ted's memory. They'd loved each other and he'd died. In some ways it made it more realistic.
Bridget is an easy character to like, as are her children. Jack too, of course.
Definitely a cosy read that should be enjoyed near a fire in winter.

This could have been a good read based on the premise of the story ,but it was just ultimately too slow paced and boring with too much narrative. I understand the references to her deceased husband ,but those only made him seem ethereal and one dimensional, so the connection with this reader was absent. There were a couple of instances that were comical and entertaining, ie Jack's dog and some community members, but overall this book had me skimming pages and skipping whole chapters to a final ho hum finish.

In mood for a cosy feel-good holiday novel? I always love to read this type of novels in the winter, they just make me smile and feel all ready for Christmas and all the cold weather!

This one follows a mother, Bridget, with her three kids: Freya who is six, and Olly and Oscar both 14, after they lost their father about a year ago. Bridget is now trying to make ends meet, but it’s almost Christmas and she is about to lose their house. She sees herself with the only option of going back to her childhood town Mulberry-On-Sea. They move to a tiny cottage at the beach, where she tries her best to keep her family afloat by doing what she knows best – baking. She is lucky enough to have the road to the town closed because of the weather and so, there’s a shortage of bread. All she has to do is put herself to work and hope for the best. But Mulberry-On-Sea holds a lot more than that for her and her kids.

Overall this is a very sweet novel full of warm and cozy feelings. I really enjoyed meeting the community and how close they all are. It felt like a beautiful place where everyone is ready to help the ones that most need it.

I really enjoyed Bridget and how much she tried to do for her children while never losing hope even with all the grief. She ends up being able to also follow her dream of baking, which is where it felt too predictable for me tho. I’m sure in a whole village someone else might know how to bake bread? All seems to just magically go too well. Which is good and beautiful to read but I need a bit more convincing… It was a bit too predictable. There’s no way life could be like this, no matter how amazing a place is, right?

Other than that I really enjoyed all the christmas-y vibes. The smell of bread on the making, fire pits, Christmas dinner and tossed marshmallows? Count me in! It felt incredibly festive and I really enjoyed the cottage vibe.

Another plus were the children. I loved how innocent Freya was and how much the twins tried to help where they could. It’s a beautiful family and I loved following their new adventures, especially with Henry, the cute dog they own! There’s just too many cute animals in here!

I also really enjoyed Bridget’s new friend Jack and all the funny moments that happened with them! They literally put a smile on my face and I just had a great time from the very first time they met! I really liked how their relationship progressed and how much, grief, guilt and happiness play a part on it.

But the highlight for me was all the baking descriptions, it made me drool! I love books that feature any type of food making or food enjoyment and this definitely delivered! So many deliciously described goods!!

If you feel like a light warm novel where things go as they should and the Christmas vibe is high, this is the book for you!

Things I loved: emotional, single mom, sweet love interest, adorable children
Things I didn't love: a little slow in the beginning
Bridget returns to her hometown Mulberry-On Sea with her family after losing her husband. She reconnects with old friends as she pursues her dream of baking. Bridget manages to make a few new friends along the way as word gets out about her baking skills. While she rebuilds her life, she figures out how to move on from her past and focus on happiness.
This story was unexpectedly emotional. There were so many touching moments, such as the memories of Bridget's late husband. I was so proud of Bridget for finally allowing herself to be happy again without feeling guilty.
Overall, I thought this was a charming story. It touched on dealing with grief, moving on from your past, and chasing your dreams. The banter between Bridget and Jack was funny. In addition, I loved Bridget's children and how they added to the story. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sweet romances set in small beach towns during Christmas time.

Just the book for a cold wet October day. Read it in one sitting.
After the sudden death of her husband, Bridget has brought her children and animals back home - to Mulberry on Sea. Her husband's ashes are scattered nearby and they are living in his parents beach house.
Bridget needs to keep busy and make money and she loves baking. Soon word of her bread and mince pies travels around the village and she finds herself busy and making new friends.
One in particular - but is it to early for her to move on? However, it is Christmas.

Absolutly loved this book. A big warm hug of a feel good story with relatable chatacters....a story that leaves a big smile on your face.

Following the death of her husband Ted a year ago, and struggling to make ends meet , bridget accepts her in laws offer of moving into their beach house....a little run down and needing some renovation. Bridget moves her twin teenage boys, 6 yr old daughter and the family pets down to mulberry on sea, the seaside town she grew up in.

The first night proves challenging as the key to the front door is lost and Bridget ends showing her christmas knickers to a strange man as she falls in the dunes. This strange man is later revealed as Jack, the extremly good looking, sought after batchelor of the town.

Struggling to make ends meet, Bridget does what she does best....baking and takes samples into the town to see if there is interest in her providing regular orders. Bridgets wares are hugely successful with orders pouring into bridgets bicycle bakery.

As the family slowly settle into their new life they come to terms with Teds death, realising it is ok to move on the residents of mulberry on sea are just the people to help them do this.

A fabulously entertaing read, highly recommend.

Following the death of her husband a year before Bridget has no choice but to move with her young daughter and twin teenage sons back to her home town of Mulberry-On-Sea to stay in her in - laws run down holiday cottage. She enjoys baking and uses it as a way of relaxing, but it also starts turning into a business.
This is unashamedly a Christmas story set in a small community, with a romantic interest. It could be criticised for being too "sweet", however for me that is part of what I enjoy in such stories. I'm reading this at the (hopefully) tail end of the Covid pandemic, in the midst of a petrol panic, with stock shortages in the shops and grotty, autumnal weather, so reading something that is uplifting goes down really well at the moment.
I had previously read and enjoyed the first book in the series, and will now have to go back and read the other books in the series, although this can certainly be read as a stand alone book.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book and I also have pre-ordered it on release.

After losing her husband suddenly a year ago, Bridget is out of options. She moves her 6 year old daughter and twin teenager boys back to where she met her husband in hopes of a fresh but comforting new start.
All does not go according to plan. Among other things they find themselves locked out upon arrival. Things don't exactly go smoothly after that, but they do eventually get settled in.
With her car now broken down, Bridget delivers fresh baked goods to the community via bicycle , in hopes of someday getting her dream of running a bakery.
Yes. There is a meet-cute.
Yes. They do make friends in the area.
Yes. It is a little TOO sweet at times.
Yes. It has that Christmas feel.
Yes.. It is sometimes funny.
Yes. It was a fun read.

Thanks to netgalley and One More Chapter for the advance copy for me to read and review.

This is a sweet Christmas romance, full of cute characters, Christmas cheer and plenty of bon homme. I did enjoy reading the story and getting to know the characters of this seaside town. The story is crammed with feelings and I felt they were well written and very believable. For me, it was a bit rushed, a little too much happening just to round the story off.

Bridget moves back to the seaside town in Mulberry-On-Sea after losing her family home just before Christmas and a year after losing her husband too, everything seems to be going wrong. I liked Bridget, she was such a positive character. There is a full cast of characters in this book, plenty of caring, lovely people who all looked out for each other. The children are sweet and very positive too.

This is a cosy Christmas read, if a little rushed, everything happened at breakneck speed and I would have liked a little more sedate pace. Having said that if you like a story that takes you quickly through a scenario with a lot of Christmas cheer you will enjoy this one.