This was a cute Christmas romance. It definitely gives off Hallmark movie vibes for sure. I did have a problem with the way that Sylvie fed her dog-not a bit of kibble in sight. But other than that, if you are looking for something with no spice (not even closed door), this is for you. I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance either, but it was still a good time. The descriptions of food and cooking were top tier.

Great holiday story! Gives off hallmark vibes without being too cheesy. Loved Sylvia and Abe from the beginning. Great descriptions of the bakery

The Christmas Cafe was cute, a nice holiday romcom set in a small town and featuring baked goods and heartwarming side characters. This would make the perfect Hallmark movie because it contains all the pieces people love. I thought the plot with the movie was underdeveloped and I think it would have just been stronger without Royce honestly and everything around that. But it was cute and fun and touching.

Adorable Christmas novel about a small town cafe in a Christmas themed town in Wyoming. Sylvie is the chef at the Christmas Cafe but doesn't realize how much she means to the town until she has her own It's a Wonderful Life moment.

Thank you to Putnam Books for the gifted copy.

Sylvie has worked at the Christmas Café for 15 years and it is truly her happy place. But when she hears it might be sold, she is determined to do whatever it takes to save her second home. Luckily, the latest Christmas movie from the Holiday Channel is being filmed in town, and she knows the café would be the perfect location for a scene. She gets her opportunity thanks to her bra-snatching dog getting her to meet the star of the movie, Royce. As she fights for her café and the scene in the movie, she and Royce also start a romance of their own. With so much on her plate, she comes to depend on Abe, her reliable long-time friend for help making Christmas magical.

A small town holiday movie, a love triangle, delicious descriptions of baked goods, and a mischievous dog? What more could you possibly want from a holiday romance? Maybe some baby goats, but good news, this book has those too. In all seriousness this sweet book left me with all the warm fuzzy feelings. Crumpet had me laughing out loud, as did Sylvie’s clumsiness. Pair this book with a plate of cookies, a cup of hot chocolate, maybe even a warm fire, and you have the makings for a perfect December night. This book will definitely get you in the holiday spirit.

A charming Christmas-time read. A feel-good story with lots of nostalgia. I could taste the goodies baked in the cafe.

"That decadence must have been why he’d walked her out to the porch, where he’d said he couldn’t wait to see her in the morning. It had to be the chocolate’s magical powers."

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I was unfortunately pretty disappointed by this. I'm the first to admit that while Hallmark movies are cheesy, dramatic and use the same plot over and over, I almost always enjoy them. The Christmas cheer, immaculate decorations and overall feel-good vibes the movies give during the holiday season is unmatched.

The Christmas Café tries to hard to convince us that it has a certain atmosphere, characters and story, that it ultimately misses the boat. It doesn't take much to give me the same feeling of a Christmas Hallmark movie, and this just didn't do it. Sylvie is too awkward, babbly and anti-social, her childhood friend is very clearly into her but she's "clueless", and the story does a lot more telling rather than showing when it comes to the Christmas atmosphere and charm. How is that even possible when the town itself is called Silver Bells??

I love Wyoming with my whole heart, I love Christmas with that same heart. But this... I did not love.

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The Christmas Café was published in October 2023. Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a good clean and cozy Christmas romance, this is the book for you! The Christmas Café focuses on Sylvie, a sometimes chaotic but charming baker who works at The Christmas Café in the town of Silver Bells. Silver Bells is Christmas personified and Sylvie really is as well. When she finds herself being wooed by lead actor Royce in a Holiday Channel movie she can hardly believe her luck, especially when he agrees to help her save the café that is likely going to have to close its doors. She also finds herself truly seeing Abe, the local goat farmer who supplies The Christmas Café with his products, for the first time. Who will Sylvie end up with?

This was just a cute and cozy read. It would be best enjoyed by the fire with the snow falling in the background. Was it cheesy? Yes, without a doubt. Was it predictable? Of course. It was also heartwarming and fun, and a perfect holiday read. I found Gramps to be the best character as well. I also got a tear in my eye at the end, so it ticked all the boxes for me as far as a Christmas read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Gramps reminds me so much of my grandpa and I am obsesed with him. This was a sweet story and I need to visit this town ASAP.

This book was so cute that I read it all in ONE sitting. Oops. It’s more of a heart warming hallmark Christmas movie about family and finding happiness in life, lots about grief… be careful with that, I cried several times, having just lost my dad, this one hits hard in the feels. There’s a wholesome love story going on as well but we don’t get too much into it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my copy of The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans in exchange for an honest review. It published October 9, 2023.
I thought this book was a really cute and fun read for Christmas! I thought the character development was sweet, and I loved that a recipe was even included. The only thing I didn't like was the whole "dog-mom" thing was a bit annoying.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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My third Christmas read of the season and it was only November! I’m not typically someone who has to read with the correct holidays or seasons because I’m such a mood reader and sometimes I just want some cold weather stories to break up the hot, Summer months. But this year, I changed it up and saved some of my Christmas NetGalley titles until it was time to decorate. Sylvie loves being the head baker at the Christmas Cafe, but with her boss prepared to sell, she needs to figure out a way to save the restaurant in just a few weeks before the new year sets in. Add in a splash of a Christmas movie being filmed in town with a lead that’s got his eye on Sylvie, and a dash of the secretive goat farmer prepared to help Sylvie save the business.
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As I was reading, I just kept thinking about how perfect this book would be as a Netflix Christmas movie. It’s not quite wholesome enough to be a Hallmark, but it’s definitely a sweet, clean romance. The drama was just this side of Netflix, and the two men provided a fun dynamic with Sylvie trapped in the middle to discover what it is that she truly wants. This isn’t a life-changing novel, but it didn’t set out to be; rather it fulfilled its brief completely.

This book felt like reading a Hallmark Movie! It was the perfect read to get myself into the holiday spirit.

I officially want to visit Silver Bells, Wyoming after reading this book. If you are looking for a cozy, Gilmore Girls-esque, rom com, look no further than The Christmas Cafe. As you follow along with Sylvie's journey to save her beloved Christmas Cafe, it is easy to fall in love with all of the characters in this story. As she decides between the famous, handsome actor Royce, and the rugged, boy next door, Abe, the reader truly gets enveloped into this story. Bonus points for a lovable chihuahua-pug named Crumpet as one of my favorite parts of this story. This book truly feels like a warm hug, and I would recommend it to anyone this holiday season!

The book is a heartwarming holiday rom-com that’s perfect for the holiday season. Sylvie West is a clumsy baker who has worked at the Christmas Café in Silver Bells, Wyoming, ever since her boozy eggnog fruitcake won the town’s annual holiday bake-off. The café is her forever happy place, and it complements her sweet, well-ordered life with her roommates: recently widowed Gramps and her yappy chihuahua-pug, Crumpet.

When Sylvie learns that the café might be sold, she’s determined to save it the only 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.

The book is a delightful read that’s filled with nostalgia, Christmas cheer, obsessive baking, small-town life, and cute, cuddly farm animals. It’s a saccharine-sweet Hallmark-esque holiday romance that’s equal parts predictable and cozy.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!

This book reads like a Hallmark movie. We have side characters that are funny and cause mischief for our main character Sylvie. I wish this book was dual POV. I loathed the actor and I kind of wish he would’ve been a side point. I’m giving this book 3.5 ⭐️

Okay, this book was all kinds of adorable. I am always down for a romantic read that centers around food or takes place in a bakery. And this was no exception! I absolutely loved Sylvie and found her whole character to be a breath of fresh air. She was chaotic, and bubbly, and just trying to find a way to do what she loved for the rest of her life!

And Abe - I mean...come on. He was giving me Luka in Lovelight Farms vibes and I am HERE FOR IT.

rating: 3.5 STARS
genre: romance, holiday romance
release date: 10.03.2023 (OUT. NOW)

Now, I went into this one blind, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I'm pretty sure I requested it based on the cover, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the novel.

Things I liked:
Grumpy grandparents
Meddling pets
Christmas baked goods
Small town romance

I absolutely loved the characters in this book and was so happy to get another small-town romance book in. I love the idea of a small-town, but know deep down I am not meant for one so instead I read about them to get my fill lol!

Sylvie West teams up with the new celebrity in town Royce, as he begins the shoot of a new holiday romance movie in her town. With her beloved cafe on the brink of being sold, Sylvie does the unthinkable and asks Royce for help promoting it. Not only does he say yes, but he also asks her out..

And while Royce is charmingly handsome, Sylvie can’t manage to take her eyes off longtime friend and business vendor, Abe. Does handsome but reserved Abe have more to him than meets the eye? And can Sylvie save her work by the end of December?! With a little help from her family, friends, and sassy pug rescue Crumpet, Sylvie just might pull off the most magical Christmas miracle yet.

I really loved Sylvie and Abe's quiet relationship. It was so sweet to see them come together and find their relationship together. Sylvie can be so damn hard on herself and Abe was perfect at lifting her up and helping her find that confidence. It was such a pleasure to read!

I am the first to admit that I judge a book by its cover, and this one absolutely got me. How adorable is the scene portrayed on the front of Eliza Evans' debut novel, The Christmas Café? A cover with key characters and places depicted as Christmas cookies can only mean one thing ... this story is sweet to the point of being saccharine, which is exactly what I want and need in a Christmas tale. If you too are ready to make your holiday reading merry and bright, pick up a copy of this novel!

Set in Silver Bells, Wyoming, The Christmas Café follows local baker Sylvie as she attempts to save her place of employment - the Christmas Café - from eternal doom. See, the Christmas Café is set to close unless Sylvie can pull of a magical feat of epic proportions to save it. Luckily for Sylvie, the Holiday Channel is in town filming a Christmas movie and wants to feature the Café! The only problem? Sylvie is not quite sure how she feels about the movie's leading man Royce, who seems to have a thing for her. Meanwhile, her old friend Abe, a veteran turned goat farmer, has caught her eye in a good way. Just who will Sylvie choose this Christmas?

If you love your Christmas stories cute and cozy, check out The Christmas Café! This charming, nostalgia-laden tale is filled with holly jolly hijinks, adorable puppies and goats, and plenty of holiday feasting. And what's a Hallmark Christmas movie-inspired story without its very own version of the beloved channel, plus a love triangle to boot?! Put on your coziest holiday PJs, mix up some hot cocoa, and curl up with The Christmas Café!

This was basically a hallmark holiday movie in a book. Which is a great thing! A cute holiday romance that was an easy and enjoyable read. 3 stars!