Thank you NetGalley for letting me have a copy of this arc. This is the perfect Hallmark Christmas story wrapped into a book

This is a short, Hallmark movie type story about a young women who works in a Christmas diner that is going to be shut down. The story flowed easily and fun. I wish the characters were a little more fleshed out and that the ending wasn't so rushed. The main characters inner dialogue was a little harsh on herself sometime and her puppy was talked about a lot. The town had a lot of festive Christmas activities and the Christmas decorations were very descriptive. I am glad that the main character and her siblings found themselves and improved their relationship by the end.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the advance copy.

As someone who, just like the MC, is a Christmas loving introvert I wanted to really like this. Unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. I didn’t like Sylvie & her constant internal monologue about how ✨awkward✨ she is and how ugly and unlovable she is.

I know her Gram is who brought her up loving the cafe & that’s what fuels her wanting to save it, but we are reminded of how much she/grandpa misses gram every 2 & 1/2 seconds.

This book had Hallmark movie written all over it. The story was an easy one to get into but for me I wanted a little more of a connection to the characters. There was a lot going on in the story and there were a few soft spots that made it lack feeling and emotion for me. It was a quick read that I wanted more from to keep me really caught up in the story.
Thank you NetGalley, Eliza Evans and Penguin Group Putnam for the Arc of The Christmas Café. This is my personal review.

This book was sweeter than a candy cane Christmas story! I always love a clumsy heroine and grumpy hero story. What a fantastic debut novel. Hollywood swoops in to create true holiday magic of this hometown. Even with all the glitz and glam Sylvie stayed true to her roots and her grandmothers love of It’s a Wonderful Life. It tops all Made for tv Christmas movies, in my opinion. I loved Sylvie and Abe’s story with some furry sidekicks! I could smell the snow and feel the start of Christmas time magic even in the 90° weather here in Florida! I really enjoyed reading this advanced copy. These are my feeling upon reading this quirky and fun read!

I am simply not interested in reading this, I’ve made it to about 25% and I can’t get into it. I have too many books in my list to keep reading books that aren’t interesting to me.

DNF @25%

This is not a reflection on the author or the book.

The Christmas Cafe is Eliza Evans’ debut novel, which is a gentle Christmas romance set in a small Wyoming town. This is a character-driven story and it feels like watching a Hallmark movie because the descriptions are so vivid.

Baker Sylvie West has worked at the Christmas Café in Silver Bells, Wyoming, alongside her beloved grandma for her entire adult life. She was adopted and feels different from her uber-capable older sister, Mayor Claire, and her freelance photographer brother, Brando. Sylvie doesn’t care about her appearance, is very clumsy, and sticks her foot in her mouth whenever she speaks to someone outside of her family. So she hides in the kitchen, only conversing with the staff and her schoolmate, Abe, when he delivers food to the café. Sylvie lives with her recently widowed grandpa and her rascally chihuahua-pug, Crumpet.

Abe DeWitt is a former Army Ranger who moved back home a few months ago after his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He lives in a separate house from his parents on their farm and has taken over most of the farm duties, including delivering goat milk, goat butter, and eggs to the café. He has a pet goat named Bambino who thinks it’s a dog. Abe is gruff in both appearance and personality.

When the story opens, Sylvie is chasing her dog Crumpet outside while he runs off with her bra. He is nearly run over by a handsome man, who turns out to be a famous actor, Royce Elliott. Royce is in town to film Christmas scenes for the Holiday Channel (sounds like Hallmark Channel). Sylvie invites him to eat breakfast at the Christmas Café, not telling him that she’s the cook. He’s so impressed by the delicious food that he tells others about it. Then Sylvie finds out that the café owner might sell it, so she convinces the film crew to set a scene at the café. Sylvie winds up as an extra in the film scene, manning a booth at the Christmas festival, appearing at the Christmas parade, and attracting two very different romantic suitors.

This story is really like watching a Hallmark Christmas movie because the descriptions are so vivid and the story is so sweet. While I’m not a fan of Hallmark, the characters of The Christmas Cafe are engaging, and the story is entertaining. The lovefest between the dog and goat is both cute and funny. Sylvie’s awkwardness and her two romantic interests provide just the right amount of tension in the story. The Christmas Café is extremely well written to be a first novel.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall this was a sweet story with Christmas-y and some holiday bakery vibes. It was an easy read and very quick to get through.

It’s a closed door romance, similar to a Hallmark movie (a few little kisses only) - and it even has a Hallmark movie element with a “Holiday Channel” movie filming in Silver Bells, including a scene right in Sylvie’s kitchen!

I liked Abe’s character, and Jen in the bakery. They made for fun side characters.

I did think the book needed some editing. Like a Hallmark movie that’s just okay, there were plot holes and other elements that kept it from being a favorite of mine:

-A lot of characters, including the MC, we’re very immature and seemed to act way younger than they were
-Too many subplots meant each one didn’t get the attention it deserved
-Not a lot of chemistry with one of the male characters (who she ends up with) - she suddenly had all these feelings for him that seemed to come out of nowhere
-Her position at the cafe and her relationship with her boss - was she the chef? Head baker? Manager? Have a stake in ownership? She was pretty rude to her boss when he said he was considering selling if she wasn’t a part owner. And if she was only the baker or chef, why did she carry so much weight for it to be successful?
-The dog having its own “yip” dialogue constantly. It was unnecessary.
-Timing and missing plot elements, leaving lots of unanswered questions.
-The film crew had way too much stock and time and focus on her as a background actor.

If you need a light read this holiday season and like Hallmark holiday movies, then this would be a good fit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Christmas Cafe is a perfect holiday read. Is cozy romance a thing? Hallmark holiday romance in a book? YES PLEASE! I can visualize this being a hallmark movie and everyone that knows me knows how much I love Christmas and Hallmark holiday movies.
It has it all- Small town romance, childhood brooding friend, potential celebrity love interest, dogs, goats, baked goods, klutzy main character - all wrapped up with holiday cheer. Thank you to Eliza Evans, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas Cafe is about as saccharine as it gets -- in a good way, if that's what you like. This isn't literary fiction, it's a short, cute, and sweet holiday romance novel.

In the small town of Silver Bells, Wyoming, baker Sylvie works at the Christmas Cafe, where it's festive all year long.

When she learns the Cafe that's meant so much to her throughout her life may be sold, she gets the Holiday Channel to film a scene there. The lead actor, Royce, takes an interest in her, which makes her practically melt, yet she also finds herself interested in the wellbeing of her old local friend, Abe, who's back in town to manage his parents' goat farm.

Mixed into this light love triangle with a celebrity romance trope are a mischievous dog named Crumpet, a sweet family with loving memories, and even a Christmas festival and parade.

It's a guilty pleasure as sweet as Sylvie's treats for those looking for a really quick and light small-town escape or a closed-door romance. Think: Gilmore Girls meets Wyoming.

Loved this book! This had Holiday heartfelt movie written all over it.it is the perfect way to start the Christmas season!

A super easy Christmasy read! 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. The characters lacked some depth (specifically the love interests) which kind of made this book have more of a women's fiction feel than a true romance. It does feel like a Hallmark movie which is kind of what it is going for, hence rounding it up! All in all, it's really easy to read and enjoy. This will be great for the holiday season!

This is a cute holiday read for fans of Hallmark/Lifetime holiday movies!

Plan to read with some holiday treats- there are lots of fun descriptions of baked goods and treats (and a tasty recipe at the end).

Overall, I enjoyed it, but I am not sure I'd read it again. It was fun for what it was, though!

Note that there is a medical emergency in the middle that was less fun, so if that's something you are looking to avoid, I would keep that in mind, but in true Hallmark movie fashion, it turns out ok in the end. Also, there is romance involved, but I would say the focus is much more on family, friends, and small town community.

Thank you to G. P. Putnam's and Sons and Netgalley for the ARC!

Before I get started on my review of The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans I have to give my thanks to Netgalley, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, along with Eliza Evans herself for gifting me with this Digital Arc in exchange for my honest review. Everything I write here will be entirely my own thoughts and opinions. As always I will provide trigger warnings down below.

If you are a Hallmark Christmas Movie fan, this is definitely the book for you. The story takes place in a snowy small town with the cutest Christmas Cafe around. We follow the main character Sylvie West who is struggling with the loss of her grandmother a couple of years before. Walt her grandfather moved in after his wife passed so he wouldn’t be alone. Sylvie also has an adorable rescue pup named Crumpet who is so mischievous. In fact, the opening scene of the story is Crumpet stealing Sylvie’s bra and running outside the house with it in the wee hours of the morning. Readers this is the start of Sylvie’s Christmas adventure.

The Christmas season has come to Silver Bells Wyoming along with some pretty big excitement for the town folks. Their little town has been selected to be the next filming location for a new Christmas movie starring Royce Elliot. As expected all the ladies swoon for Royce because he is the lead man in the movie and has those typical movie star looks. In fact, Sylvie is one of the first people to meet Royce. It was the morning Crumpet ran out into the road lugging her bra behind him. It just so happened to be Royce who helped to catch him. This my friends is the start of their little romance.

The Christmas Cafe is Sylvie’s life she absolutely loves her job and feels most connected to her grandmother there when she is baking. Oh did I mention Sylvie is the baker at the cafe and it was where she spent a lot of her childhood. She loved just watching and learning from her grandmother who also happened to be the baker in the cafe. The cafe is full of memories for Sylvie so when she finds out that it may be closing she is devastated. She ends up making a deal with her boss to hopefully save the cafe. Will she be able to do it?

In this perfect Hallmark-type story, we watch Sylvie go about her days as a shy, awkward, clumsy introvert trying to go on without her Gram. She begins dating but is not sure the man she is dating is the right guy for her. I mean really is he sincere and genuine or is it all just for show? We also see Sylvie start a friendship with Abe the local goat farmer who also sells her ingredients for her baked goods. Not to mention we watch Sylvie interact with her sister, brother, grandfather, and the townspeople throughout the story. We see how she grows in these relationships and how she discovers who she is as a grownup.

I found this story to be super cozy and comforting. It had a way of transporting me into the Christmas Season with all the wonderful descriptions of the decorations, food, location, and festivities that took place throughout the book. If you are a Christmas lover like I am then I think you will love this book. Be warned this book comes out on October 3rd, 2023 and well it may have you wanting to put up that Christmas Tree sooner rather than later. Until next time Reader happy reading.

Trigger Warnings:

Talk of the loss of a grandparent
Talk of the loss of a spouse
Talk of the death of a friend

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Christmas café was truly a delightful and heartwarming holiday inspired rom-com.

The story takes place in a town called Silver Bells where Sylvie is the chef/baker for the Christmas cafe.

Royce Elliott is a famous movie star from the Holiday Channel which is in town filming a new movie. Sylvie and Royce meet early in the morning while she’s chasing after her dog who stole her bra!

Abe is the goat farmer/supplier of milk, butter and eggs. They grew up together and he’s secretly liked her since 5th grade!

Sylvie goes on a few dates with Royce but something seems off and she doesn’t experience any sparks when they kiss. However, with Abe she feels all the sparks!

Gramps is a grieving widower living with his granddaughter and navigating life without the love of his life.

Claire and Brando are Sylvie’s siblings. Sylvie is the middle child that was adopted.

I don’t want to give anything else away, so you’ll just have to take my recommendation and read “The Christmas Cafe” for yourself! I throughly enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it.

Another cozy Hallmarkesque rom com for the season. Really sugary sweet ( the heroine is a baker). She’s trying to save the town’s Christmas Cafe and gets into all sorts of dilemmas with two handsome fellas.

Clean romance, Great for a weekend break.

A very cute and cozy Christmas romance. Not exactly a rom com though there are some comedic parts. The writing flowed well and the character seemed natural. Would love to read more about the townspeople in Silver Bells.

A heartwarming small town story. Sylvia needs solutions fast! I loved her grandfather and Abe the best.
Royce was a user but finally acts,right when Sylvia calls him out.
I love that Abe has harbored feelings for Sylvia for so long and was willing to wait since she is really slow on the uptake.
With a mischievous dog and bouncing goats, this story hops right along with the holiday spirit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC! First off, I love the cover, the Christmas cookie motif is perfect. This book was very much a sappy, Hallmark movie in book form. There’s no spice here, which is perfect for some people but not my preference. It’s very cozy and low stakes and a perfect introduction to the holiday season.

2.5 stars- This story is very much the typical Christmas Hallmark movie romance. Many readers will love the super predictable, low stakes, zero spice romance, but it’s not really my preference. There were a few plot holes/typos, the most glaring (in my opinion) is that the movie being filmed in this small town is a Christmas movie being filmed right around Christmas. Everything I’ve ever read says Christmas movies are filmed in the summer, for obvious reasons. I liked the main character pretty well, as well as the love interest. The main character’s siblings are initially pretty frustrating, but really redeem themselves. I was pretty annoyed by the word/sound chosen for the main character’s dog is “Yip!”…..so many yips. That’s probably silly, but it just pulled me out of the story every time. Even though the whole story was the most predictable thing ever, the ending (the Christmas dinner) was very sweet. I can see lots of readers looking for this kind of story, just not me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!