Gave major hallmark movie vibes, it did come off a bit cheesy at times. The character depth was great and I really enjoyed how much Syl loved her grandparents! Overall a cute holiday read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a charming, fun Christmas book. It really put me in the Christmas mood!

Look, I love some cheesy books and I absolutely adore Hallmark Christmas movies as much as the next person. That's what I thought I was getting into with The Christmas Cafe. Don't get me wrong, we do get that but the characters really felt one dimensional and cliches just shoved into the story. The story begins with the main characters dog taking off with their bra and going outside with it. Of course this dog isn't trained or anything. Why would your dog be trained to come back to you? This is when the "celebrity" comes in. Naturally, she doesn't know who they are and she's not even dressed. So quirky.

I just didn't click with the story or any of the characters. The cover though? That cover is absolutely adorable and I love it. I imagine this book is going to be pretty popular though! Quick Christmas read.

A Christmas romance about Sylvie who works at the Christmas Cafe. I love holiday romances, but I found Sylvie to be painfully awkward at first. Overall, this one was fine. I don’t think anyone will gush about it being the new best holiday romance, but it is solid over all.

This book very much provided Hallmark movie vibes. Not in a bad way! I thought it was a cute and cozy read. Definitely getting me into the holiday spirit!

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE CHRISTMAS CAFÉ by Eliza Evans will certainly appeal to readers who never miss the chance to marathon made-for-tv holiday movies. This book was stuffed with all the things that make those movies so popular: small, Christmas obsessed town; a woman who works at a bakery and is trying to keep it from being bought from a chain restaurant; a love triangle between two very different men; and so much more. Sylvie is the often clumsy, but big-hearted character that makes Hallmark or Lifetime holiday movies—and books that capture the same emotions—so popular.

THE CHRISTMAS CAFÉ was a quick, cute read, but felt as if the story didn’t explore deeply enough into the relationships between characters or even Sylvie’s quest to save the Christmas Café from closing.

I usually enjoy a Holiday romcom with all those fuzzy holiday feels, but this one was pretty lacking for me. From the love triangle (admittedly, not my favorite trope) to the surface level connections with BOTH love interests, I just couldn’t immerse myself.

The initial meet cute with the movie star was a great start, but then it kind of petered off.

And I usually enjoy friends-to-lovers, but this one just didn’t feel authentic; like, she never noticed he was into her before? Really?

It was a cute story, but not one that will leave a last mark on me, and not one I would recommend to friends, unfortunately.

What this book is giving:
✅ Holiday Rom-Com
✅ Love Triangle
✅ Movie Star vs Boy next door
✅ Small town
✅ Holiday baking

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🚫 / 5 🌶️

This was such a cute and cozy read. Perfect to cuddle up with a hot chocolate and blankets. I devoured this novel in one sitting.

This book put me in the mood for a cup of hot chocolate and a hallmark movie!
Such a funny, fun, fantastic read!
A good romance book for anytime of the year, I know I enjoy some Christmas cheer all year round:)
I love that it is set in a small town.
The close family ties also reminded me of my own family, and I liked that about this story! I will be picking it back up in the winter, highly recommend!
🧣☕️🎄❄️
-small town
-romance
-childhood friends
-close family
-Christmas
-movie star

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

So very merry! I adored Eliza Evans’ The Christmas Cafe, which exudes holiday cheer and is as sweet and cozy as the scrumptious sounding baked goods and hot chocolate featured throughout. I loved the quirky, independent protagonist, Sylvie, and her coworkers and family, the handsome military veteran turned goat farmer, the charming small town with its many holiday traditions…..I also appreciated the fact the content is not all sugar and spice, and reveals the townspeople dealing with challenges as well - such as grieving over lost loved ones, infertility, job loss, a parent struggling with Parkinson’s. The bits about Sylvie’s puppy were a bit overdone for my taste; his antics became a tad annoying rather than endearing after a fashion. But this is a perfect quick and uplifting read to get into the holiday spirit, especially for fans of classic Christmas films and Hallmark holiday movies. I look forward to Ms. Evans’ future holiday tales.

Many thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

No shame here about reading christmas books all year round (especially in the middle of a heat wave, love how they can put you in a winter mindset for a hot minute!) I also love a cheesy hallmark story. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat. I loved the meet cute between Sylvie and Royce. I mean, a dog named crumpet running down the street with a bra?? It doesn't get cuter than that! But that was about the only thing I loved. There wasn't any chemistry or butterflies between the FMC and the possible love interests. There was waaaay too many subplots and you really didn't get depth on any of them. The whole book was very surface-y and just really missed the mark.


Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC in exchange for my review!

The Christmas Cafe was a nostalgic, Christmas read, that made me want to bake a delicious treat and celebrate with the ones I love most. At the beginning of this book I immediately wanted to transport myself into the story and visit the Christmas Cafe for myself. I could smell the delicious homemade treats and wanted the easy camaraderie Sylvie had with her customers. As the story developed I found myself put off by Royce and his antics but loving Abe more and more. I loved to watch the relationships grow between Sylvie and her family along with other members of the town.

If you are looking for a small town and nostalgic Christmas read this is the one for you!

The Christmas Café is a Hallmark holiday movie in book form. It has everything, including a small Christmas-obsessed mountain village, a Christmas themed café, and even a holiday channel movie filming in town. If you love this genre, then this book will scratch the itch. However, while this story was heavy on holiday cheer, it was light on spice and had some character flaws that I really struggled to overlook. The meet-cute centers around Sylvie’s incredibly poorly-behaved and spoiled dog, and, quite frankly, I almost didn’t make it past this first chapter with the way she makes excuses for his behavior. Also, despite the family being incredibly close, by all accounts, and Sylvie’s siblings and grandparents, including her dead grandmother, being fully fleshed-out and important characters in the story, her parents play little role and mysteriously stay in Florida, despite some pretty serious family drama, because they are burnt-out from the small-town Christmas cheer?!? Details like this kept me from fully losing myself in the story but overall, it was just right for my Christmas in July reading list.

Thank you Net Galley for providing this book and allowing me to read it in advance. I was unable to personally get into this book but that is the power of reading. There’s books for everyone. I know someone else will adore it!

I've been on a Christmas-in-July (and August) reading spree recently, so I started reading this story fully expecting it to be as cheesy and adorable a Christmas movie.

Unfortunately, this story fell short of my expectations. I found Sylvie to be quite immature and somewhat annoying. Whether it was her internal monologue or her dialogue with other characters, her constantly putting herself down was, in my opinion, OTT.

The idea of Abe was very appealing, but he came off as one-dimensional. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but Sylvie gave him as much attention as you would a wall fixture for at least the first 30% of the story. I was definitely rooting for them, so I was disappointed when a lot of their interactions and romance happened off-screen.

As for Royce, he checked all of the boxes for the famous potential love interest, and Sylvie definitely did pay more attention to him (mostly to further her own agenda), but again, he didn't really hold my interest for much of the story.

Overall, there was a lot going in this story with its myriad of subplots, but it can be a satisfying read for someone looking for a quick Christmas read!

NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book seemed right up my alley. I love Hallmark movies. I love romance books. I love holiday romance books. I also love finding books set in Wyoming. But unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. The characters felt forced and undeveloped. The storyline felt overdone. The relationships felt cringey at times - even the ones the main character described as healthy and good relationships. I really wanted to like this book but just couldn't get into it. I did like that there were recipes at the end of the book.

Loved this Christmas romance story!! Following the tale of Sylvie West (and her adorable dog Crumpet), we are lead through a charming story of finding love where you least expect it. This story oozed Winter wonderland and Christmas vibes, just brought you to wintertime even when its not outside. It was charming and can't wait to read more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded to 5)
This book is everything I look for in a small town Christmas romance. This book was the perfect blend of humor, romance, and nostalgia. It also hit on some key topics like: death of a family member, holidays without relatives, adoption, and being famous. The way this book drew me in and made me wish I was living in Silver Bells and drinking Hot Chocolate at The Christmas Cafe. Looking for a cozy, comfy holiday read this season? Look no further than The Christmas Cafe.

Sylvie is the head baker and chef at the Christmas Café in Silver Bells, WY. The owner decides he wants to retire and is going to sell the business, Sylvie wants to show him she can get the business booming to where the owner can let her manage the café without him selling. Enter a hallmark style movie that is going to be filming in the Christmas town that she hopes will help bump business into the direction she needs to keep the café open. She lives with her grandfather who is still reeling from the death of her grandmother (well her entire family is still dealing with the loss). A cute predictable holiday book. Nothing fore that stirred up to much emotions, and was just a cute cozy book. But compared to other holiday books I love, it just was okay. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
From publisher G.P Putnam’s Sons:

Clumsy, earnest baker Sylvie West has worked at the Christmas Café in Silver Bells, Wyoming, ever since her boozy eggnog fruitcake won the town’s annual holiday bake-off. Her forever happy place, the café complements her sweet, well-ordered life with her roommates: recently widowed Gramps and her yappy chihuahua-pug, Crumpet.

So, when Sylvie learns the café might be sold, she’s determined to save it any way she can: by getting the Holiday Channel crew to set a scene at the café. She’s even met the film’s charming lead actor, Royce, thanks to Crumpet’s meddling.

Between an unexpected acting gig, a booth at the Christmas festival, an appearance at the Christmas parade, and a budding romance with Royce, Sylvie has a lot on her plate. Good thing her old friend, gruff yet reliable Abe, has just come home to manage his parents’ goat farm—until she catches herself feeling a little too merry and bright in his presence. With some help from family, friends, Crumpet, and the goat farmer down the way, Sylvie’s plate might just be full of the sweetest treats she’s ever had.
************************************
My review: Very light and sweet. This book most definitely is a Hallmark movie begging to be made. Sylvie works hard, hopes big, is pretty immature, and is extremely self critical. So the reader knows right away she will be learning lessons and realizing her true worth. Like Hallmark movies, The Christmas Cafe is predictable and a little cheesy. But the secondary/side characters are amusing (Jen, Gramps, Claire of course!).
I rooted for Abe all along, of course. The trope of "loved her forever" is cute but a lot of their romance seemed to happen off stage. I'd have liked to see more of that!
The book was a little slow for the first half but it picked up and Sylvie got her happily ever after.
⭐️⭐️⭐️Three stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.