Title | Celebrations & Confetti at Cedarwood Lodge

Author | Rebecca Raisin 

Publisher | Carina UK

Publication Date | 24th October 2016

Source | Review Copy for Tour Promo 

Rating | 5/5 





Oh where to start with this absolutely delicious read! Firstly I read this book in a single day because I could not and did not want to put it down! Rebecca is an exceptionally talented writer who is always so dedicated and loyal to her readers, and I know this because I've read every single one of her books and she NEVER fails to deliver.

She has this delicious talent to entice you into the story so much that I find myself not only wanting to be a part of the story and it's setting, but there are moments where you stop in your day and think about the characters, pondering how they are. They become a part of your life, and that is a seriously magical talent.


Celebrations & Confetti reeled me in from the very first page - in the first few sentences I was hooked and I'd fallen under the spell of Cedarwood Lodge. I was plotting renovation ideas upon reading that first page, and from there, I was transported to Evergreen as I got to know more about Clio, and what had brought her home. The description just made me want to live there.


Clio has returned from the bright lights of New York, and she's bought a run down lodge that has been vacant and gathering dust since her childhood. She has a lovely friend from her childhood days who is just one of those friends for life kind of guys who had his heart broken. Unaware of the scandal Clio has left behind, she has to hire a whole team to help her get the Lodge up and running for business. So, there's the project manager - Kai, who I imagine to be as deliciously handsome and muscular as I read he is, and then there is the gardener/landscaper who tackles the entire grounds single handedly. They are the main characters and sparks fly between them and makes their still hearts beat.



Clio's Mum is hiding something regarding her reservations around Cedarwood Lodge, and her Aunt knows about but won't reveal the secret. Hmmmm.

I can't not mention the beautiful couple who are the first clients of Clio's for hiring Cedarwood Lodge to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary, I sense a hint of sadness awaiting us in the future books - Rebecca, please don't make me cry too much! The whole story of this couple is unbelievably moving, and it's a shame that disaster could strike and ruin their special day.

What I will say is that Clio's friend Amory from New York, is totally spot on with her timing - ahem - especially when Clio is gazing up at the stars with a special hunk.



Oh Rebecca, you have me hooked - I'm ready and waiting for book 2! Bring it on! I can't wait to read what happens next!

Title/Author: Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin

Published by Carina UK/Harlequin

RRP/Availability: £4.99  E-Book

My Rating: 5/5











Just For Fun!!

As a special treat for being a part of the blog tour, I can share a few fun pictures with you throughout this review in honour of the beautiful Christmas read that is; Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread café, by the beautiful author, Rebecca Raisin, whom I am honoured to call my friend xx





THE BLURB:

You are invited to the wedding of the year!
Snow is falling thick and fast outside the Gingerbread Café and inside, its owner Lily is planning the wedding of the year. Her wedding! She never dreamt it would happen, but this Christmas, she’ll be marrying the man of her dreams - in a Christmas-card-perfect ceremony!

The gingerbread is baking, the dress is fitted and the mistletoe’s in place – for once, everything’s going to plan. That is until her mother-in-law arrives... Suddenly, Lily’s famous cool is being tested like never before and her dream wedding is crumbling before her eyes.

In the blink of a fairylight, the Gingerbread Café has been thrown into chaos! Lily thought she had this wedding wrapped up, but with so much to do before she says ‘I do’, can Lily get to the church on time – and make this Christmas sparkle after all?

MY OPINION:



When the final instalment hit my kindle fire, I was eager to read it and catch up with Lily, Damon, Charlie and of course the bubbly and delightful CeeCee.

As with any wedding, as brides everywhere will know, chaos is usually not too far behind the wedding planning. But if Lily is taking it all in her stride.... and Damon is eager for the wedding day to arrive, who could possibly take on the role of Bridezilla?




As the wedding day approaches, the cake of perfection, becomes the cake of demolition much to Lily's sadness, and CeeCee is not her usual self.... the in-laws arrive and whilst Damon's Dad loves Lily to pieces, more than that can be said for his Mother, but if Lily confronts Damon about her meddling, who will he believe? Will the wedding still go ahead?

It seems that even though Christmas is approaching, there is a dark cloud handing over Ashford, as the residents prepare to say goodbye to a much loved resident as she battles Cancer. What I can say is that the scenes involving much loved Janey, moved me to tears more than once.



In fact, I found myself blubbing a lot reading this beautiful book, much to Rebecca's credit for her brilliant writing talent. The characters warm your heart and become a part of your life in ways that you never knew they could. Just today I was shopping and came across Gingerbread cutters, and wondered just how much Lily would have loved them for her café. Ashford is a fictional home from home, a village to escape to, the place to go on literary holiday, but you never want to leave.

Title: Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin

Published by: Carina / Harlequin UK

RRP: £2.99

Availability: E-Book Only for £1.79

My rating: 5/5


THE BLURB:

Welcome back to the warmth, cupcakes and hot chocolate of The Gingerbread Café – your home away from home

Chocolate…the most irresistible temptation?

The Gingerbread Café is all a buzz! This Easter, Lily and the rest of the town of Ashford, Connecticut are planning a truly decadent Chocolate Festival.

Cooking up a storm, CeeCee and Lily are not just baking a batch of their sinfully delicious chocolate-dipped gingerbread men, but an excess of chocolate truffles, squidgy, cinnamony hot cross buns and melt in your mouth chocolate eggs. 

The Gingerbread Café staff have definitely enjoyed the tasting process! Add in Damon’s cute-as-a-button seven year old daughter, Charlie, up for a visit and Lily’s perfect Easter may just be around the corner. Until her ex-husband Joel turns up demanding twenty thousand dollars…

Suddenly the future of the Gingerbread Café is not so clear…and Lily finds herself eating far more of The Gingerbread Café’s treats than her skinny jeans allow… 

Can Lily concoct a brilliant plan to save her beloved café, convince Damon she has no feelings for Joel and still throw a Chocolate Festival the town will be talking about for years? There’s only one way to find out... 

MY OPINION:

I devoured this e-book in two sittings and found it to be just as scrumptious as the first one. In this second story in the trilogy, we met back with our favourite characters; Lil, CeeCee, Damon and his daughter Charlie.

We're approaching April, four months later in Lil and Damon's relationship.  In the run up to Easter, the town of Ashford are planning on hosting a special event for everyone to celebrate.

Easter eggs are being made, the Easter Bunny costume for Damon has been bought by Lil, and the scent of the gingerbread is wafting through the air. Everything is perfect and Lil is happier than she ever thought she could be.

Until...  Her ex husband, Joel turns up ... and demands his monetary share of Lil's business, profits and livelihood. Even though she  actually should be the one demanding money back from Joel, Lil finds herself in the impossible position of fearing that she may have to sell up. Rather than see her life and precious business be lost due to that.... "bad egg", Lil vows to take out a loan, cash her savings... and will do anything to pay off the scoundrel rather than sell her beloved business. But she won't take charity from Damon.

CeeCee has her own concerns too, with fellow friend and townie Walt's wife being ill, so she brings her beautiful humorous personality into the mix and goes and gives Joel what for.... but is that ALL she gives him?  

I absolutely adore this treat of a read, and was eager to catch up with Lil, Damon, and CeeCee. Rebecca has this special talent that enables you to feel cosy, content and a part of the Ashford/Gingerbread Café community through the flicking of kindle pages. If you are yet to read any of the Gingerbread series, then I strongly urge you to do so right away. You won't be bored or disappointed as they curb your appetite for a good read in the most delicious of ways.

I also loved how CeeCee had another 'vision' with the previous book having CeeCee seeing Lil & Damon romantically involved with each other, this time, she spots the pitter-patter of tiny scrumptious feet... but are Lil and Damon ready for that? and more importantly.... is CeeCee just wishfully thinking for an addition to the gingerbread café?

 In addition to all the boisterous goings on at Easter, Damon has plans of his own for Lil, and they don't need Joel getting in the way. Damon has a special Easter bunny surprise for Lil and it involves a question containing 4 words... Will she say Yes?!  

Title: Christmas at the Gingerbread Café by Rebecca Raisin

Published by: Carina / Harlequin UK

RRP: £2.99

Availability: E-Book Only for £1.79

My rating: 5/5



THE BLURB:

The icing on her Christmas cake!

Christmas is the season The Gingerbread Café was made for…but owner Lily couldn’t be feeling less merry if she tried. She’s spent another year dreaming of being whisked away on a sleigh-ride for two, but she’s facing festive season alone – again. And, just to give her another reason to feel anything other than candy-cane perky, a new shop across the road has opened… Not only is it selling baked goods but the owner, and his seriously charming smile, has every girl in town swooning.

But Lily isn’t about to let her business crumble - The Gingerbread Café is the heart of the community, and she’s going to fight for it! This could be the Christmas that maybe, just maybe, all her dreams – even the someone-to-decorate-the-Christmas-tree with ones – really do come true!

MY OPINION:

Having wanted to read this book for ages, the opportunity presented itself to me when Rebecca sent me all three books to read which I promised to review for her. So this is the first of the three in the series.

Lil owns a sweet little shop called Gingerbread Café, whom she runs with her best friend and widow, CeeCee who is just the funniest, most upfront woman I've ever read. She's so relatable and instantly made me think of my best friends Mum and Nan with her honest and protective yet humorous influence on Lil.

It's coming up to Christmas so the whole town is preparing for the festivities, with Lil and CeeCee baking delightful and mouth-watering scrumptious food. I don't know how I didn't devour a whole box of chocolates whilst reading this! The shop over the road from Lil's is recently been taken over by a guy named Damon... he's from a rich family who've lived in the town forever... but Lil doesn't have any idea who he is. Both CeeCee and Lil assume he's selling small gifts.... but when they find out that he's competition, Lil heads over to give him what for!

CeeCee thinks it's time Lil moves on from her ex, Joel and sees sparks between Damon and Lil... but Lil thinks she's out of her mind. With the town not being the big enough for the both of them, how will Lil cope when Damon starts taking her customers, and with them, her profits? She can't let the Gingerbread Café run to ruin, yet she's hardly a match for wealthy Damon is she? How will she be able to match his shop interior? They couldn't exactly join forces could they, so that no one loses out? Could they?

Lil does what she does best, and cooks her heart out, which seems to soften it and before she knows it, she's over at Damon's shop handing him her delicious treats, but is that all he gets of her?

At one point, when I was reading about CeeCee I laughed so uncontrollably, that I had my mother looking at me like I was high on something.... I absolutely loved this little treat of a book, short and a sweet introduction to the beautiful masterpieces of Rebecca Raisin. With two more follow up books to continue to tempt your tastebuds, I can't recommend this ebook enough as a short festive read with likeable, realistic characters whom warm your heart.